First Day of Care Stories

[LadyK8]

I thought it'd be interesting to hear your stories about the very first day you started working with your dck's.

I'm going through the interview process right now, so I'm curious about these things.

[SilverSabre25]

I had a 2.25 year old of my own. First day of doing daycare I had one little girl enrolled, 7 months old. Her parents left and I just sort of stood there trying to remember what the heck you even DO with a baby. with only two kids total it wasn't too big of a deal but man...it sure was an adjustment at first. I remember thinking "Holy crap, someone just dropped their baby off and left and I don't know the first thing about this what the hell have I gotten myself into?!"

But it worked out. I'm still here 4 years later.

[TwinKristi]

Haha! The first baby I had was 6 mos and my DS was 8 mos so it was pretty much juggling both their needs that first day. She was a bit it a grouch the first week and them of course mom quit her job to stay home and the last week she was so much fun. The last day especially.
The first day with another boy who started about 2 mos after I finally had my license was a screamer. He was 18mos and had been taken care of by mom & grandma 24/7. He cried all.day.long. Everytime someone came in the door (I have 5 kids in school plus dh and other parents) he screamed. He would calm down and someone else would come home and here we go again... Waaaaaaah!!! I thought "what did I get myself into??"
He was probably my first worst day so far! LOL

[_Dana_]

Great idea!

I was so nervous my first day! I was wondering what I got myself into. I had done interviews and picked the least crazy families. The families I was left with included a one mom who was a first time mom. She wanted everything organic, wanted "natural" disinfectants used to clean with, wanted everything perfect, etc. The other family had mentioned that their daughter, age 3, has never liked a single daycare. DKG was at the interview and was obviously attached to her mom, but it didn't seem too extreme....not to the point they were describing. I was pretty sure that I was going to regret enrolling both families, but needed the money.

They turned out to be the BEST families ever!! The kids ages were 3,3,1,1. The kids were super easy! They adjusted quickly, loved learning, doing activities and reading books. They ate well, followed directions, and took great naps. I really enjoy caring for them! The parents quickly set up auto-payments and followed policies to the T....even giving me nice surprises like a massage or vanilla lattes just because! I know I was lucky for things to turn out so well. But I'm glad I took a chance on them.

[Unregistered]

My first day of care was horrible.

I hadn't found this site yet and the first family I got was from a call from the assistance office begging me to take them because I was the only person with 4 openings so I was only able to do a phone interview because the parent needed to be at some mandatory training. Huge mistake.

The kids were 10, 7, 6, and 3. The 10 year old should have been left home with his 12 year old sibling because he whined all day long. The 7 and 6 year olds ran circles around my house. The 3 year old swore at me. When I say swore I don't mean small words either. He referred to me as the B word and went into a rage anytime I asked him to do anything. He used racial slurs and my kids and I are all the minority he referred to. Found out the family just got them returned from foster care and week 2 I got a list (literally a list) of emotional and various disorders of each child that DCM had denied the first week.

Fast forward......week 3, I found this site, I read the forum, and I termed. Didn't care if I had an income or not because I was miserable. After that I started picking and choosing the families I wanted, making my policies whatever made me happy, and terming without feeling bad and now I love my job

[Laurel]

For my first day I had an angelic three month old girl and only her for a month or so. I had three grown children so I had taken care of babies but was rusty. I wasn't sure I'd know the latest trends, etc. I told her that at the interview.

The mom was super nice and she wanted to come and feed her baby breakfast at my house. I let her cause she was so nice to talk to plus I didn't know any better.

So for quite some time she came and stayed a half hour every morning. She fed her baby and we talked. She was one of my best daycare parents ever. She gave me lots of toys as donations over the time her child was with me. Later I watched her second daughter for a while until they moved out of the area.

Shortly after baby one I added two more babies so I had 3 babies. Again, didn't think of the ramifications of that but it all worked out. Also great families.

Laurel

[Childminder]

I seriously have no memory of my first! Must be my old age.

[BumbleBee]

I copied & pasted from a previous post.


First kid officially started this past Tuesday. Had a great day, she didn't want to leave. Figured she'd start testing the limits sometime late this week or next week because many of them do. When walking home from school today (3-4 blocks) we stopped for a moment. At a corner so that I could tie my shoe. Next thing I know she's full bore running into the street (she's 8). A very sharp saying of her name stopped her dead in her tracks. While talking very sternly to her after I brought her back to the corner, she looked me straight in the eye and proceeded to quack loudly whenever I talked. Took her hand and we walked home, her making nasty comments the entire way (your house is ugly, you're fat, you're an idiot, etc.) I didn't respond in any way because I know she was looking for a reaction. Get the feeling she doesn't get much positive attention so thrives on negative attention. Anyways, got home, sat her down and told her to come see me at the snack table when she felt she was ready to be respectful and talk with me. She sat and mumbled things for a good 45 minutes until she walked over to the table.


That was my first day.

[LadyK8]

Wow! Some of these stories are great, and then others would be my nightmare. Lol

I hope the stories keep coming. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who is totally nervous, and it's nice to know that everything may not start very well, but could end on a good note.

[llpa]

I was really nervous my first day. Had a 22 mo dcb who came in happy and stayed happy happyface I kept waiting for him to realize that he had to be there every day and to become not so happy! You know what? Six months later he is still happy every day. lovethis he is an awesome little guy! Because of the forum tho I felt prepared for anything :: oh... And I was EXHAUSTED at the rnd of that first day w just one child haha!

[Sunchimes]

I had been running ads for 4 months, trying to get my first kid. At 8 pm on a Sunday night, I got a call for a 6 month old. She vaguely told me her schedule, I gave her a price, and she said she would be there at 6 am the next morning. I was so naive. I didn't have a contract or handbook or any policies at all. I was just thankful when she paid me and showed up close to the right time.

I really hadn't wanted a baby, in fact, I swore I wasn't going to accept a baby, but after 4 months, I had lost any preferences. I just needed money coming in. I had no crib or anything. I did have a high chair and a few toys. I didn't even know much about babies-I have step kids who came to me far past baby stage. Mom was starting a new job the next morning and was desperate to find someone. I don't really know what her plan was if I hadn't taken her-never thought to ask. ;-) She offered to loan me a pnp until I could get one.

At 5:45 am the next morning, she showed up with this adorable baby, a pnp, and a diaper bag. I had somehow had the foresight to ask her to write down the baby's schedule. She headed off to work and I started learning all about babies. :: Hubby had had 3 kids, so when I faltered, he told me what to do. She was an adorable, easy baby. She was happy and only cried when her colic kicked in. She has wormed her way into our hearts, and when she goes off to school in August we are going to be really sad.

I've learned about contracts, and at the end of her first year, I gave them a handbook and contract and started getting paid in advance. I've had several babies since then. No matter that my preference is 2 and up, I never seem to get calls for anything but babies. It took me awhile, but I've seen the fun and value of babies.

[Candy]

Believe it or not I started babysitting at 10 yes 10 and not on purpose. At that point in life I was living with my aunt and she didn't get off til late. Anyway I got off the bus and let myself into the house about 10min later the doorbell rang. It was my cousin's baby daddy dropping there 2 1/2 year old off. He just left her there didn't ask where anyone else was. The minute he closed the door she started cry I was so scared I just stood there. Thank god we had a party at school and I had food, I fed her and tried to entertain her for 2 1/2 hours. I swear I was one exhausted kid that night. As an adult I had 3 at once they were all cousin 2 were twins. It went pretty easy.

[Starburst]

Well this isn't mine but the FCCP I used to work for. She started her daycare when she was about 18 (back in the late 70s - early 80s). She was in the process of becoming licensed but was starting to advertise for openings and would start with one kid (legally) before her licensing was official. Her first call was from a woman who needed care for her son. She was eager to start soon. My former boss was young and eager to get the ball rolling so she excepted the woman's son without much paper work. The first day of care was nothing out of the ordinary, until it was after closing time and the mom still hadn't picked up the son. After a few hours she decided to call the police. The woman didn't leave a work number or an address (also no cell phones at the time), and it was assumed that the woman used a fake name and the police also suspected that the woman was a prostitute (which would explain the fake name and not having a work number). She said that they never found the mom and that the boy had to be put in foster care but after that she never found out what happened to him (or the mom).

I'm getting closer to opening though and getting excited (and nervous) about starting.

[CraftyMom]

I was very nervous my first day, even though I had 3 kids of my own, at the time 1.5, 5 and 11.

I started with one full time and one part time, both started the same day although it took a couple months to get any kids, then suddenly two to start the same day (different families). I was hesitant to take either one for different reasons.

One who was 2.5 didn't come with dad for the interview. Dad came on a saturday, needed care to start Monday. Mom never met me until she dropped him off the first day. I asked her if she had any questions, nope. Asked her if she wanted to look around, nope. Just a kiss and goodbye, dcb settled in like he had always been here and ended up being the best kid!

The other was my WORST dck ever! I should have followed my gut when he was horrible to his mom at the interview and she did nothing about it. That was the first red flag that I ignored because I wanted to get started. He was termed on his third day, I told my husband "If this is how daycare is going to be then I don't want any part of it!"

After he left I felt sooooo much better about daycare, just had my 2 younger ones and the 2.5 dcb and it was so nice! I slowly picked up more kids, learned a lot of lessons along the way and here I am!

This isn't to scare you, just to say follow your instincts, enforce your policies, and have a backbone. If it isn't a good fit then term. There will be other kids that will fit better