How Do You Tactifully Ask A Parent To Clean Their Children Before Arrival?

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I agree that something must be said. I would probably say something along the lines of I have noticed that they have been having little bumps on their thighs, during the summer they really need a nightly bath so that we are cleaning all of the gunk off them. Regulations prevent me from bathing them so I really do need them to come clean in the morning. And the plus for you is that freshly bathed kids slid into clean sheets tend to sleep really well!!

[Play Care]

I agree that something must be said. I would probably say something along the lines of I have noticed that they have been having little bumps on their thighs, during the summer they really need a nightly bath so that we are cleaning all of the gunk off them. Regulations prevent me from bathing them so I really do need them to come clean in the morning. And the plus for you is that freshly bathed kids slid into clean sheets tend to sleep really well!!

[sarah's butterflies]

Ijust had to say it

once I had a boy in my class that the mom will be the first one to get to the center and would say "sorry but my son pooped in the car on the way here" I let that pass but then she will come many times with the same excuse that he pooped in the car..I didn't believe it anymore and told her "his diaper bag is here you can change him in the bathroom". and she did. with This mom I had a good relationship and her son loved me and so did I, but I couldn't let her treat me as if I was a babysitter. The mom will stay at the center for about 10min so she didn't have to go to work until later on in the day. I was so stressed out because I was getting all the lesson plan ready for the day and more children coming in. I would never send my child dirty to school, theres no excuse for that. Accidents happened so when they do show your childs teacher that you care by you the parent cleaning your child. is like picking up your child dirty from school(dirty face,dirty diaper,dirty fingers)I always make sure that all my students go home clean and I expect the same from the parents.

[daycarediva]

:::::: That made me spit ice tea!! Mine rarely go home clean!! Usually dirt in the hair. Sunscreen, sweat, dirt, paint etc on them. Ready to be bathed for another day!
They come clean, play hard, go home dirty... unless mom and dad inform me before the day that they need to be neat at pick up and then I do my best and will change them right before pick up.
Usually we play outside for at least the last hour of the day. I clean them up before meals, nap etc

:: same here!

I used to start out with something like, "Oh my, what did you do, go play in the mud at 7am!?!" "Good grief, it's only 7 in the morning, and you're already covered in dirt!" Yes, I would say that in a joking manner to the child with the parent right there, then look straight at the parent and say something about the child must have been outside playing early. If they were wearing the same clothes as the day before, I would say to the 'Didn't you wear that same thing yesterday?' Then I would look at the parents and say ' what, did he sleep in the clothes last night?' If they come in with food on their face from breakfast, I say something to the child about wearing his breakfast and glance to the parent and tell them that they need to get diaper wipes for their car so they can wash the McDonald's off their child's face before bringing them in to daycare. It typically only took a time or two of me saying this to the child and parent before they realized that I would call them out on it. If they didn't catch on, I would then just bold face tell the parent that they have to clean their child each night and properly get them ready for the day each morning.

I actually added the need to bathe your child, brush their teeth, brush their hair, have a clean diaper on for the morning (if applies), and be wearing clean clothes in my contract/handbook.

As the years has gone by, my contract has gone from one front page to a 12 page handbook!

Yup. I would definitely be saying something EVERY TIME. Handing the parent wipes or a wet washcloth and handing the child back, too.

I go over this on interview.... It's MY job to let your kid be a kid and get messy, it's YOUR job to wash them so we can do it again the next day.

I wipe them up and change clothes quickly before arrivals, and I wash and reuse their clothes as a courtesy.

[KidGrind]

*shrug* It's your business to run as you wish, and I wish you all the best. Not everyone can afford to potentially push clients away. The guidelines I described would be the guidelines enforced in a daycare center and home daycares run through agencies (in Canada, at least). I suppose that a home daycare provider, operating independently, can do what they like (offend who they like?).

I'd prefer to just wipe down the kids (legs, feet, arms, hands, face), and change them into their extra clothes, when necessary rather than cause an unnecessary rift with the child's parents. But that's just me...

It is our business. I am more than okay with the way you run your business.

I am not dealing with Pig Pen more than twice. Where I am from and how I was trained as a professional a constantly dirty child is considered child neglect. Once I called CPS and one of the first three questions:

Is the child bathe daily?

[melilley]

:: same here!





Yup. I would definitely be saying something EVERY TIME. Handing the parent wipes or a wet washcloth and handing the child back, too.

I go over this on interview.... It's MY job to let your kid be a kid and get messy, it's YOUR job to wash them so we can do it again the next day.

I wipe them up and change clothes quickly before arrivals, and I wash and reuse their clothes as a courtesy.

I need to do this! I make sure he is clean at p/u so he should be clean at drop off.

Today, dcm walks is and says "oh L. you have a runny nose again" then proceeds to pick his nose and wipe it on his shirt. YUCK!

I should have said something, but didn't. My mouth was wide open, but nothing came out.

I NEED TO DEVELOP A STRONGER BACKBONE! It's been a while since I wrote the original post and I said that I was going to say something, but haven't yet. This is the part of me I wish I could change!

[permanentvacation]

A couple of years ago I put a section in my handbook titled Children Must Arrive to Daycare Clean and Properly Dressed for the Day. Then I went on to describe a clean and properly dressed child. I stated things such as being recently bathed, teeth brushed, hair brushed, clean diaper/pull-ups on, dressed fully in proper clean day wear, etc.

I did that after I got tired of dirty, stinky children wearing dirty, stinky clothes telling me they didn't brush their teeth or hair that morning. I have had a handful of children who I have washed off and washed their clothes on a regular basis the first thing in the morning. I finally got tired of being their mother and daycare provider and finally demanded that the parents do their job of at least cleaning their child!

So I put that paragraph in the handbook. I require that the parents read over the handbook during the interview so they can ask any questions and make any comments they need to. That way, I know they have read that paragraph. If I feel the need, I bring that paragraph up verbally and make mention about some of my previous unclean kids. Since then, all of my kids have arrived clean with clean clothes and diapers/pull-ups.

[melilley]

A couple of years ago I put a section in my handbook titled Children Must Arrive to Daycare Clean and Properly Dressed for the Day. Then I went on to describe a clean and properly dressed child. I stated things such as being recently bathed, teeth brushed, hair brushed, clean diaper/pull-ups on, dressed fully in proper clean day wear, etc.

I did that after I got tired of dirty, stinky children wearing dirty, stinky clothes telling me they didn't brush their teeth or hair that morning. I have had a handful of children who I have washed off and washed their clothes on a regular basis the first thing in the morning. I finally got tired of being their mother and daycare provider and finally demanded that the parents do their job of at least cleaning their child!

So I put that paragraph in the handbook. I require that the parents read over the handbook during the interview so they can ask any questions and make any comments they need to. That way, I know they have read that paragraph. If I feel the need, I bring that paragraph up verbally and make mention about some of my previous unclean kids. Since then, all of my kids have arrived clean with clean clothes and diapers/pull-ups.

I have a policy in my handbook about that too, I just need to enforce it. I'm super bad about enforcing things, especially things that may embarrass a dcp. This family lives in the semi-country and are always getting dirty so it's always funny to them, it's like it's normal. The other day dcm said she "pushed the kids out the door to leave and had to go back in to get something and by the time she came out, they were covered in dirt" and laughed. Dcb was filthy. I had to wash him up so that it wouldn't get all over my newer carpet.

I have the kids bring a toothbrush so we can brush our teeth after nap and she was like "oh thanks, I sometimes forget to brush their teeth".

They just think it's normal. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a dirty child, but he's coming in almost every day dirty and I have to clean him up. I know it's my fault for letting it happen, I really should say something, I just feel embarrassed having to bring it up.

[Thriftylady]

Not to hijack but a question. For those of you have have the kids bring tooth brushes and do teeth brushing, how do you store them? I don't want them all in a toothbrush cup passing germs around. I would love to do the brushing after lunch just trying to figure it out.

[melilley]

Not to hijack but a question. For those of you have have the kids bring tooth brushes and do teeth brushing, how do you store them? I don't want them all in a toothbrush cup passing germs around. I would love to do the brushing after lunch just trying to figure it out.

I just put them in a toothbrush cup that has holes for each brush.

Another provider said that she has the holders that you put on the door on the inside of a medicine cabinet. I like this idea, but I don't have a medicine cabinet.