Ever just know right away?

[Rockgirl]

I texted my husband yesterday, after a new kindergarten girl had been here less than half an hour, and told him I was skeptical I'd keep her. I'll give her two weeks of trial period, then decide. References would've been handy in this case! After they signed up, I heard through the grapevine that this child is a handful. We shall see!

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Yes, and I have tried sticking it out with numerous children. Some of them seemed to improve if I could get the behaviors corrected. Others (if it was extreme hyperactivity, impulsivity issues, lack of cooperation, etc.) I never could and I eventually would let them go 3-13 months later. The longer they were here the more drained I was.

[Blackcat31]

Oh my goodness YES!!

I waiver back and forth between thinking that two weeks (trial period length) is just not enough time to see if a child is adjusting or blending in well and "suspecting" within the first 2-3 hours of care that no amount of time will be enough.

Seems like I know instantaneously if a parent is going to make it or not though... ::

[Heidi]

yes!

The most obvious ones were infants, though. Once, it was the baby (cried...no SCREAMED, non stop no matter what I did. She lasted 3 days, but I was pretty sure on day 1). The other, it was the parents, not the baby. She was sweet; they were double-helicopters.

[Rockgirl]

Yes, and I have tried sticking it out with numerous children. Some of them seemed to improve if I could get the behaviors corrected. Others (if it was extreme hyperactivity, impulsivity issues, lack of cooperation, etc.) I never could and I eventually would let them go 3-13 months later. The longer they were here the more drained I was.

That's been my experience, too. I'm determined to not let it go on this time. I'm actually wondering how many daycares this child has been through.

[BrooklynM]

I had one like that, and yes, she has been challenging, but I've been very upfront and honest with the parents and let them know that they need to do everything they can to help and they did. If they wouldn't have committed than I wouldn't have kept her. She has done so much better with time! The kids can be trained, I believe especially at a young age. Kindergarten though? Not sure on that one...

[Rockgirl]

Oh my goodness YES!!

I waiver back and forth between thinking that two weeks (trial period length) is just not enough time to see if a child is adjusting or blending in well and "suspecting" within the first 2-3 hours of care that no amount of time will be enough.

Seems like I know instantaneously if a parent is going to make it or not though... ::

Sometimes things have turned around well after the two week period. I can tell this one is tough, and honestly, I don't want to spend the majority of my time on her--I have 5 little ones. And her parents seem lax about discipline, so I wonder how effective it would be anyway.

[Blackcat31]

Sometimes things have turned around well after the two week period. I can tell this one is tough, and honestly, I don't want to spend the majority of my time on her--I have 5 little ones. And her parents seem lax about discipline, so I wonder how effective it would be anyway.

Honestly, I've seen it go both ways...

Sometimes I have completely uninvolved parents but the kid catches on right away and other times I have parents that try really really hard to get on the same page but the kid never does...

I suppose you'll have to listen to your instincts and see if the child is a quick learner or if she is going to just push buttons due to lack of parental reinforcement...kwim?

[Rockgirl]

Honestly, I've seen it go both ways...

Sometimes I have completely uninvolved parents but the kid catches on right away and other times I have parents that try really really hard to get on the same page but the kid never does...

I suppose you'll have to listen to your instincts and see if the child is a quick learner or if she is going to just push buttons due to lack of parental reinforcement...kwim?

Yes, I agree. I really want it to work....one of my longtime dcg's just started kindergarten, and they are carpooling. All my other kids are two years old, so she needs someone her age. But only if that someone doesn't make everyone's day miserable!