Oh Nonono Not Today - Not Any Day Really

[Josiegirl]

But I wasn't expecting a licensing visit until at least spring or summer.
We had just barely gotten through the back gate to play in the snow when I hear a knock on the gate. I know I turned 50 shades of pale when I saw who it was. So the kids played outside a bit longer and we went inside.

It started with them not listening to me when we had to come in. I had to struggle to close the gate because the frost is causing the door to drop or something. I was expecting to be written up for that. And it continued with the most overbearing dcg being completely obnoxious inside the whole time.

I guess I always over think and over worry everything because she called me back to let me know how it went(she could tell I had my hands full with the group I had) and she went through everything I was doing right. So I waited for the shoe to drop when she said BUT... But she never said anything!!

So how do you spell relief??? A no problem licensing inspection!

[butterfly]

happyface

[KIDZRMYBIZ]

That is how it always seems to go...licensing and fp ALWAYS pop in at what seems to be the worst possible time. When in reality, it actually isn't. Everything is usually just fine, and everything is just a normal day of daycare. It's just because they come unannounced, we're caught off-guard, and these are people we really want to impress, and know that they are comparing us to all the other providers they see every day. It's flustering!

Yeah for you that all was in order. If anything, they have even more respect for you and providers overall when they see the difficult kids we have to sometimes have to deal with all day long.

[Shell]

Yikes! Glad that turned out well for you. My licensor is very business professional like and has a keen eye. She will be talking to you, and see something minuscule on the other side of the playground, in a direction she can't possibly be looking in :: I think we all have this mentality that they are out to get us, when they really want to help us do everything right (most of them, anyway).

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

It does seem to always happen that way. :: Glad it was a good inspection.

[melilley]

happyface

I always think they are going to show up here. Not that I'm doing anything wrong, but I don't like surprises! And it'll probably be the day when I have my most challenging dcb here.

[Second Home]

[Josiegirl]

Not only that but the bedroom I use for my p'n'p dck is piled with presents and storage and I center dcg right in the middle so she cannot reach anything. Then my kitchen counters were filled with works of art in progress. I had never ever seen my youngest dcg climb anything around here and she chose that span of an hour+ to climb the kitchen chair twice.
Maybe she was just being really nice because it's the holidays?

[nanglgrl]

Or maybe she thought how awesome it was that you take children out to play in the snow, a lot of providers don't! Maybe she saw the counters full of works of art in progress and was amazed at howuch you do with your daycare children, the art was proof you don't plop them in front of a television all day. Maybe she looked at the pack and play in the middle of the room and thought about how great it was that you considered the child's safety and moved the bed so she wouldn't be able to pull boxes down on herself. That's what I would see!

I don't blame you for being nervous, I just had my unannounced a few weeks ago and I got 100% but that didn't stop me from wanting to curl up into a ball afterwRds! I find it so nerve-racking! Plus I stammer and say weird things when I have someone come unannounced from the FP or state. I think it's a mixture of not having enough time with adults, a person coming into my house to "judge" me and wanting to impress them that turns me into a blabbering fool.

At my last visit she asked if I had the no-smoking signs on all of the entrances and exits to my home. I replied that I did, told her where they were and then said "it's a good thing too, children have stopped trying to smoke at daycare ever since I put those signs up". She didn't even crack a smile (which made me blabber on some more) and I said "you're not even going to smile a little? Come on that was funny!" She then proceeded to tell me that it stops parents from trying to smoke in my house at drop off and pick up and went I to a long dialogue about the things she had witnessed. Now I know why the state wants the signs there but in over 11 years Ive never had a parent even walk up to my door with a cigarette. Maybe it's common somewhere but whatever I was just trying to break the ice!

[CraftyMom]

I know what you mean! It is flustering! I had an unannounced visit a couple of weeks ago... I had gone grocery shopping the night before but it was late and I didn't put the groceries away. I planned on doing it during nap or after daycare. So she shows up and I have bags of groceries all over my kitchen table! (which I don't use for the kids) I had to clear room for her to sit and write, I was embarrassed but made a joke out of it. The playroom was a huge disaster, but she didn't care about that, and my counter was full of drying art. Typical day here aside from the groceries.

[Josiegirl]

Thanks everybody. I also say silly things and stammer all over myself when someone like that shows up. I'm fine with the food program visitor because she's so down to earth and is easy to talk with about everything. But this person is different and I can't read her until she comes forth with the end results. Plus I have this silly notion that she holds so much power in her hands, and course all the terrible rumors you hear from others for tiny little infractions.

When she called me afterwards, I kind of apologized to her how the kids behaved and said they go off like that whenever someone comes in the house, it seems. She said she's used to that but the way I handled it all, with a sense of humor(trust me, all I wanted to do was sit on a couple of those kids Haha), telling them what they couldn't do and giving them choices, were the things she was looking for and I guess I handled it all okay.

I saw her crack a smile once during the whole thing. After my almost 4 yo had shown her obnoxious self beyond belief, she asked if we could watch the rest of the Christmas Wiggles video(we watched half last week and they've been waiting so patiently for the rest of it). When I told dcg that TV was an earned privilege and we would not be watching it she said she'd been good. Inspector and I just kind of looked at each other with a hint of a smile. Then I proceeded to tell dcg how we earn tv time.

Anyways, I am so relieved it's done for awhile. And I'm so glad to hear we're all normal providers.

[DaveA]

My rep is a good one but is psychic. He knows just when I am to the point of "What the ^*&^ else can go wrong today!"- then he shows up.

Glad your visit went well. happyface

[LadyK8]

Ahhh! I know exactly how you feel! I had mine last Friday, and I wasn't expecting them until some time in January.

I was a nervous wreck the whole time, and a dcb just kept talking to the lady. I was embarrassed, but she wasn't bothered. At the end of it all, she told me how much she loved coming here and I felt so relieved. That feeling will probably never go away.

I'm glad yours went so well! It's almost like we expect them not to know how kids are around strange people.