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My naps are scheduled 12-3 and parents generally are understanding not to disturb during this time. I have one parent of an infant who gets out early some days and wants to pick up right after nap. Sometimes her infant is still sleeping as late as 3:30 because he doesn't always go down with the others. Today was a rough day for him and his crying kept everyone awake until 2. I finally got everyone down at 2 and so he was still sleeping at 3:15. I knew mom was at home waiting to pick up so I texted her that I would let her know when he woke up. She asked if she could just come wake him up and since everyone else was still sleeping too, I told her no that it would probably be better for him to wake up on his own. Well she showed up anyway and woke everyone else up and was visibly upset with me. What should I have done? Was I in the wrong?
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I would have told her that she could come pick him up if she texted you when she was outside the door and then you would pick him up and hand him right to her without her coming in and she would have to do the post nap diaper change. -
You were not wrong at all. That parent was very rude for juts showing up. I heavily discourage parents from doing any dropping off or picking up during nap time. They all abide. After all you have the group to think about . I would put something in your contract about naptime/early pickups to avoid future disruptions. Nap time is not only the kids nap time, it' s break time for us to. Texting these parents can be a great tool if they abide by it.
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Well she actually did come after my normal nap hours, but since her baby was crying during my normal nap time, no one fell asleep until 2 and I was going to let them sleep later than normal. I didn't think it was a big deal to ask her to come a little later so her child could finish his nap, but she made it into a big deal. I thought I was doing her a favor, letting her child get the rest that he obviously needed! I understand her point of view that she wants to pick up her child whenever, but I feel there should be more leeway and understanding with this on her end.Comment
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This is how I usually handle this kind of thing. I try to get the parents to understand why pick ups during nap time are so inconvenient but I'd feel uncomfortable refusing a parents' request to pick up their kid. I just tell them they can pick up but that it will have to be a quick, quiet hand off with no chit-chatting. They have to leave immediately. I've been very lucky to have understanding parents. Unless a child has a dr. appointment that couldn't be scheduled around nap time, my dc parents have always been very respectful of my policy on nap time pick ups.
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I would let her know that in the future, if she cannot wait till naps are over, you will call before naps start and she can pick up then. Otherwise, she should respect that the other kids are sleeping too. We can say naps are from 1-3or whatever, but sometimes it just doesn't work that way, so it is rude that she came after you asked her not to. If she had somewhere to go, she could have just told you and you could have met her at the door with dck and not had tone wake up.Comment
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I would have told her that I would meet her outside at the front door too. I would have packed up all of the babies things that needed to go home with mom and then have asked her to text me when she parked and to wait at the front door without knocking.
I would have picked up the baby and done my best to keep her from waking up and would have walked out to the door and handed her to mom outside. A quick smile and "See you tomorrow" and the door would close behind me.
I hate having to wake napping kids too but man, my state is harsh when it comes to parents having access to their kids. In CA we have to have an "open-door" policy with the parents so we can encourage parents not to come during certain times but I can't require them to not pick their kids up even at nap. UGH, and I just found out a few months ago. Apparently in my region (I'm sure that it's different in other parts of CA) our analysts are trained to tell us not to ever keep a parent from their kids.
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If her kid is anything like mine after being woke up, she is probably in for a long night, so in the end, you get a little sweet revenge
Unless she had somewhere to be, what was the rush in picking up? Technically, she has the right to pick up her kid when she wants, but it is rude and inconsiderate to you and the other kids (and the other parents who may now have a cranky kid bc of being woke up).
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Ok I will definitely handle it by meeting her at the door all ready to go next time. I would never deny the parent the right to pick up their kid either, which is why I tried to phrase it nicely. I thought it was nice for me to let him finish his nap! Well then when she asked if she could come wake him up, I thought "no way!" she's a showy parent and it would take forever. I just get sick of every little thing being made into an issue. She had nothing to do and an extra half hour would not have killed her. She just wants to be my boss.Comment
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Same state regulations. I CANNOT say no, at any time. I DO tell parents if it happens often, this isn't the best fit. We all nap in the main room/entrance is right there, so there is NO WAY I can hand off a child without waking the rest of the group, and mannnnn they need their rest. One early pick up is NOT worth 5 MISERABLE kids for the remainder of the day.I would have told her that I would meet her outside at the front door too. I would have packed up all of the babies things that needed to go home with mom and then have asked her to text me when she parked and to wait at the front door without knocking.
I would have picked up the baby and done my best to keep her from waking up and would have walked out to the door and handed her to mom outside. A quick smile and "See you tomorrow" and the door would close behind me.
I hate having to wake napping kids too but man, my state is harsh when it comes to parents having access to their kids. In CA we have to have an "open-door" policy with the parents so we can encourage parents not to come during certain times but I can't require them to not pick their kids up even at nap. UGH, and I just found out a few months ago. Apparently in my region (I'm sure that it's different in other parts of CA) our analysts are trained to tell us not to ever keep a parent from their kids.Comment
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That is what I would have major issues with.
Regardless of the situation you told her not to come and she did.
I would seriously consider telling her that she is on shaky ground now and NOT because of the nap thing but for the outright disregard for other children and you.
If SHE can't understand AND respect that she (her family) is part of GROUP care then she needs to hire someone who does work for her.
As a parent of the other children.....I'd be livid that she took it upon herself to do what is best for HER without regard to my child. She cant even say it was FOR her child as it was clearly for HER. How rude.
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Yes, I would have told her that the other kids were still asleep. I would have told her if she really wanted to pick up I would meet her outside. If a parent tells me they are picking up early I do try to accommodate that the best I can. I try to discourage naptime drop offs but sometimes that happens too. Then I meet them in the drive and they know they must be quiet.That is what I would have major issues with.
Regardless of the situation you told her not to come and she did.
I would seriously consider telling her that she is on shaky ground now and NOT because of the nap thing but for the outright disregard for other children and you.
If SHE can't understand AND respect that she (her family) is part of GROUP care then she needs to hire someone who does work for her.
As a parent of the other children.....I'd be livid that she took it upon herself to do what is best for HER without regard to my child. She cant even say it was FOR her child as it was clearly for HER. How rude.
I do not hand off or accept sleeping children though so I would be sure that he was awake when I handed him off and that she acknowledged him being awake. I would not put in a car seat and hand off. It really scares me that if she took him asleep in a carseat- leaves him in the carseat and that she would go to wake him later and he was not ok that I would have no way of saying but he was fine when he left my house. I also do not accept any kidlets into my car asleep in a carseat. They must remove from carseat and hand the baby to me. If they are asleep I do "wake" them. If they are tired they will go back to sleep.Comment
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I got off work during nap time when I used daycare services. I'd go home or go do some grocery shopping and my provider would text me when he woke up (I wanted him to get that sleep!). In the cases that I did pick up before that text, I would text and ask her to meet me at the door-I wouldn't have dreamed of stomping in and waking everyone! There's no reason that this parent can't do the same.Comment
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Seems like parents can never do right by you all.
If they pick up on time, their child is in DC too long. If they're late, they're wrong. If they pick up early they're wrong. If that parent would have gotten off early went home to take a nap, clean her house, or go grocery shopping then a lot would be one here complaining that she didn't pick her child up right after work.
If my DC provider told me I could not pick my child up from DC, I would and I'd never take my child back.
I am a DC parent as well as have owned my own childcare. Therefore,, I do know some of the things providers deal with when it comes to DCparents, but some of you really need to get over yourselves. A home daycare is just a glorified babysitter.Comment
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Possible troll???
Regardless, I have no problem being called a babysitter, but dang it, I sure wish I got a sweet $8-10 per hour per child like a babysitter does! I don't care if you want to come get your kid, but when you mess up the schedule for the whole group and disregard my request to wait a little longer, then I also won't be welcoming you back. It is best to work WITH your provider, not against her/him. Your child is not the only one in daycare and therefore, the group as a whole comes before your child as an individual.
Dang, this bloody mary tastes good right now!
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