Parents Don't Want Their Kids Outside

[snbauser]

Oh, for lunch, I often spoon feed the children when we have messy food! Yep, just so they don't get any food on their shirts/shorts, I spoon feed 4 and 5 year old at times! Not every day, just when the meal is a bit messier and I'm afraid they might get food on themselves. I also have taken things such as spaghetti sauce off the menu. Instead of spaghetti noodles with spaghetti sauce, I serve plain spaghetti noodles with seasoning. But no spaghetti sauce! I never had parents like this before who yell at their children for getting dirty! (Other than that one kid my sister had).

How are they going to learn to do it without spilling if they aren't given the opportunity to try??? It's like putting a 2 year old on the floor for the first time and expecting them to walk. Kids need hands on practice to learn things. Use bigs, use the t-shirt idea below, heck, use paint smocks. But please, stop feeding them.

[permanentvacation]

I only have 4 kids now and 2 of them are leaving this coming school year. So I am afraid to do anything that might make the parents mad and them leave before they need to. But yeah, I think I will simply announce that we will be going outside and most like be dirty and the parents will have to just DEAL with it!

[MarinaVanessa]

get a dozen mens tshirts, thrift store or whatever and put over the big kids before meals. this will be easier than spoon feeding big kids. and might be worth it just to not have to deal with the parents.

Me too!! I'm stealing this. Guess who's going garage sale shopping this weekend. This girl!

I have smocks but not enough to be using them everyday for meals. Live the big shirt idea. I'll just get a bunch of them and wash them when I do a daycare load.

[permanentvacation]

I let them feed themselves IF it's not too messy. I do NOT feed them every day. Just if the food is very messy and I'm afraid for the kids that their parents will yell at them for getting their clothes stained from food. I do my best not to serve messy food so they can feed typically feed themselves.

[Meyou]

get a dozen mens tshirts, thrift store or whatever and put over the big kids before meals. this will be easier than spoon feeding big kids. and might be worth it just to not have to deal with the parents.

I've been doing this with years after messing around with bibs. They're amazing craft coverups too!

[mia]

I had a little one come in white pants yesterday, the dad did not want the child to be sent in white because she would get them dirty, moms like she's wearing them because she is out growing them who cares if she gets them dirty, guess gramma should not have bought them for her then.... I'm like ok then, I tried but failed to keep them clean. She ended up with grass stains on both knees and mud on the one.

All kids need to be out side to have fun, that's what kids do....

I tell all my clients that they need to be in clothing that is able to get dirty for we go outside a lot, they WILL get dirty....

If clients don't agree then I'm not the right fit for them and they need to find a provider who is more then willing to sit inside all day and bubble wrap the children so they don't get dirty.....

[SSWonders]

I know this could be a real pain in the neck, but if getting the parents on board is absolutely not going to happen, then keep a change of clothes at your house that are yours. Change their clothes to go outside then change them back later. I do that with one little one I have, not because her parents care about how dirty she gets, but because I care about where the sand goes, if you kwim.

[permanentvacation]

I am paid chump change here. I do not make enough money to wash a load of clothes every day.

[TwinKristi]

Sorry but that's ridiculous! I understand needing income as a single parent and I understand not wanting to lose clients but when you let them walk all over you it almost makes it worse, not better. I think you're more likely to lose them because they know you're weak and can push you around. I have really found that the opposite approach of being firm and demanding respect has caused me to gain more respect and be in higher demand. Spoon feeding 4-5yr olds? That's really only furthering the problem we have with entitled parents and children. I would send home a newsletter or announcement that with summer here we will be spending lots of time OUTSIDE and they need to wear weather appropriate PLAY clothes. They may get dirty, but that means they're having FUN!

[SilverSabre25]

I tell parents to text me when they're on their way if we're outside at the water tables! I say "if you'd like a dry, clean child at pick up, please text when you're about 20 minutes away!"

Oh, I LIKE this! I like it a lot! I may start doing that!

[NightOwl]

Oh, I LIKE this! I like it a lot! I may start doing that!

They all seem to really appreciate it too! A couple of times, someone has forgotten to text me and when they arrive, they totally blame themselves. It was their job to text me anyway, right?
And it allows the others more time to play. Instead of everyone having to come in at 4 to get ready to go home, when some may not leave until 5.

[permanentvacation]

My most particular mother just picked her child up. I said, "You don't mind if he gets these clothes dirty do you?" She asked why would they get dirty. I told her because we need to get outside and play more. I've been trying to keep him clean, but we really do need to get outside and play more than we have been and I'm sure he will get dirty. She asked dirty from what. I said the grass, dirt, and maybe a little mud if the ground is a bit wet. She shook her head and in a snippy tone said, "Do you know how much these clothes cost? I pay a lot of money for his clothes. They better not get dirty!" I told her that she needs to get him some play clothes that he can get dirty in. She shook her head and said, "No, this is what I dress him in" As she walked away, I kept saying, "well, he's gonna get dirty, he needs to play outside more" She looked around at my yard and shook her head all the way to her car!

[SignMeUp]

So sad Even the parents of my infant don't care if he goes home with sand in between his toes. (He loves digging his feet into the sand I try to brush off those tootsies before his parents come, but don't always get to it.)

[permanentvacation]

I plan to take the kids outside a lot tomorrow. We'll see how long her child stays in my daycare. I can't afford to lose him, but the kids are bored being in the house as much as they are, their boredom is leading to bad behavior, which leads me to want to stop watching them anyway. They need to play outside more and the parents need to let their kids play outside, get sweaty and dirty!

This particular mother dresses her 4 year old son every day as if he's going to a private college prep high school. My other 4 year old boy is dressed just a little below the first one. He does wear regular kid t-shirts on occasion though. I just don't understand these parents!

[CraftyMom]

I agree with letting them get the clothes they are wearing dirty. When mom complains, have a print out of your policy ready to hand to her where it says you will go outside and dress them in play clothes.

I would not be changing kids who wore the wrong clothes, parent's fault.

I had a dad the other day say "good thing I didn't put his new shoes on him today" when his son's shoes were dirty. I answered back "why would you?" He looked at me funny but got the point.