Holding A Spot, Thinking Out Loud

[Baby Beluga]

I have posted before about this family. Had DCG from age 18 months to Kindergarten. Her brother is 18 months and not walking yet. I do not enroll non-walkers.

Mom wants DCB to start with me and already having a history with this family I would be happy to enroll them. But here are my concerns:

*Mom wants me to hold a spot. I have kept a spot open for my own convenience/sanity while my own son ages a bit. For this reason anytime she has said "please hold a spot for us" I have not said anything aside from "right now I have one spot open."

*I am advertising for the open spot but things are slow going in my community. We are overrun with providers and filling a spot is not easy. Ideally I would like to fill it with an older child. Starting next week my group will be a 4 yr old, a 2 yr old and a 20 month old. It would make my days easier to fill that last spot with a child 3+.

*DCB has only ever been with mom or grandparents. At 18 months I kind of expect this. BUT I am worried that this is part of the reason he is not walking yet. Is he always being held or in a baby carrier.

*When I emailed mom the developmental goals children needed to meet prior to enrollment (walking, self feeding, drinking from a sip cup etc) she was surprised to see self feeding on there and asked if fingers were okay or if it he had to use utensils. I told her using fingers was fine but it would be in DCB's best interest if he got used to using a spoon as we eat oatmeal 3 days a week and yogurt 1 day a week for breakfast. The walking coupled with DCB being with mom/grandparents makes me wonder what type of self help skills this child has an how independent he is.

Since I am advertising I am getting some interest in the spot but it is still open. As long as I choose to keep it open I don't mind holding it for DCB until he learns to walk, without a fee. But how long will that be? We don't know. If I find a compatible family to fill this spot, I don't want to hold it indefinitely until he learns to walk. This leads me to believe I can either tell DCM I can no longer enroll her child because I have someone who is interested in the full time space (she wants part time) or give her the option to pay 50% of his tuition until he is eligible for enrollment and be okay with 2 light days (which I would not mind).

For the first time ever I don't want to disappoint a family by possibly not enrolling them.

[jenboo]

I have posted before about this family. Had DCG from age 18 months to Kindergarten. Her brother is 18 months and not walking yet. I do not enroll non-walkers.

Mom wants DCB to start with me and already having a history with this family I would be happy to enroll them. But here are my concerns:

*Mom wants me to hold a spot. I have kept a spot open for my own convenience/sanity while my own son ages a bit. For this reason anytime she has said "please hold a spot for us" I have not said anything aside from "right now I have one spot open."

*I am advertising for the open spot but things are slow going in my community. We are overrun with providers and filling a spot is not easy. Ideally I would like to fill it with an older child. Starting next week my group will be a 4 yr old, a 2 yr old and a 20 month old. It would make my days easier to fill that last spot with a child 3+.

*DCB has only ever been with mom or grandparents. At 18 months I kind of expect this. BUT I am worried that this is part of the reason he is not walking yet. Is he always being held or in a baby carrier.

*When I emailed mom the developmental goals children needed to meet prior to enrollment (walking, self feeding, drinking from a sip cup etc) she was surprised to see self feeding on there and asked if fingers were okay or if it he had to use utensils. I told her using fingers was fine but it would be in DCB's best interest if he got used to using a spoon as we eat oatmeal 3 days a week and yogurt 1 day a week for breakfast. The walking coupled with DCB being with mom/grandparents makes me wonder what type of self help skills this child has an how independent he is.

Since I am advertising I am getting some interest in the spot but it is still open. As long as I choose to keep it open I don't mind holding it for DCB until he learns to walk, without a fee. But how long will that be? We don't know. If I find a compatible family to fill this spot, I don't want to hold it indefinitely until he learns to walk. This leads me to believe I can either tell DCM I can no longer enroll her child because I have someone who is interested in the full time space (she wants part time) or give her the option to pay 50% of his tuition until he is eligible for enrollment and be okay with 2 light days (which I would not mind).

For the first time ever I don't want to disappoint a family by possibly not enrolling them.

This is what I do in these situations. I tell DCM I have one spot open and will let her know when someone is interested in it. If I have another family wanting the spot, I offer it to DCM at full price. If she declines then I enroll the other family.
That way it is all dcm's decision and has nothing to do with me.

[hwichlaz]

18 months and not walking needs Early Intervention Services.

is he mobile at all?

a good family is a treasure, how much would it mess you up to take him? is it about not wanting or being able to carry children around, lift them etc...or development for you?

I think if I had a good family ready, and needed to fill the spot, I'd likely choose them over the unknown.

[jenboo]

18 months and not walking needs Early Intervention Services.

is he mobile at all?

a good family is a treasure, how much would it mess you up to take him? is it about not wanting or being able to carry children around, lift them etc...or development for you?

I think if I had a good family ready, and needed to fill the spot, I'd likely choose them over the unknown.

Ive been seeing a ton of late walkers lately... generally due to parent's holding them 24/7 and not giving them a chance to learn

[hwichlaz]

Ive been seeing a ton of late walkers lately... generally due to parent's holding them 24/7 and not giving them a chance to learn

Early Intervention is still needed though. A problem is a problem, no matter the cause.

[Ariana]

18 months might be a "late walker" but it is not intervention worthy unless there are other concerns. My 1st daughter did not walk until 16 months and my second was 18 months. I took my first to a pediatrician who basically laughed at me and said they don't worry unless the child is 2 and is exhibiting other gross motor delays.

Also, I did not hold either baby all day long once they could sit up on their own. They cruised all over but just were too chicken to let go! I also did not actively TRY to get my kids to walk but my parents did with my second. They are from the generation with the dangerous walkers so everyone was walking at 12 months back then. Apparently I started walking at 9 months.

Sorry had to get that out ::

[Ariana]

This is what I do in these situations. I tell DCM I have one spot open and will let her know when someone is interested in it. If I have another family wanting the spot, I offer it to DCM at full price. If she declines then I enroll the other family.
That way it is all dcm's decision and has nothing to do with me.

I would do this!

[Baby Beluga]

18 months and not walking needs Early Intervention Services.

is he mobile at all?

a good family is a treasure, how much would it mess you up to take him? is it about not wanting or being able to carry children around, lift them etc...or development for you?

I think if I had a good family ready, and needed to fill the spot, I'd likely choose them over the unknown.

He crawls and started standing independently a few weeks ago. Has not progressed from standing to walking though.

It would mess up our routine a lot to have a non-walker here. I am very heavy on kids being independent and start teaching children to pull up/down clothes, push in chairs, carrying/putting away their supplies, getting their own nap map out, etc on their own. He would not be able to do any of this without walking.

I too seem to be hearing a lot of late walkers. I also think it is from being held all.the.time. Or being put in baby equipment. I also agree that not walking this late needs intervention. At least a consultation.

[Baby Beluga]

This is what I do in these situations. I tell DCM I have one spot open and will let her know when someone is interested in it. If I have another family wanting the spot, I offer it to DCM at full price. If she declines then I enroll the other family.
That way it is all dcm's decision and has nothing to do with me.

Thank you, I like this.

[hwichlaz]

18 months might be a "late walker" but it is not intervention worthy unless there are other concerns. My 1st daughter did not walk until 16 months and my second was 18 months. I took my first to a pediatrician who basically laughed at me and said they don't worry unless the child is 2 and is exhibiting other gross motor delays.

Also, I did not hold either baby all day long once they could sit up on their own. They cruised all over but just were too chicken to let go! I also did not actively TRY to get my kids to walk but my parents did with my second. They are from the generation with the dangerous walkers so everyone was walking at 12 months back then. Apparently I started walking at 9 months.

Sorry had to get that out ::

Here they do an eval at 16 months. If it's not shown to be an emerging skill therapy starts immediately.

[Baby Beluga]

18 months might be a "late walker" but it is not intervention worthy unless there are other concerns. My 1st daughter did not walk until 16 months and my second was 18 months. I took my first to a pediatrician who basically laughed at me and said they don't worry unless the child is 2 and is exhibiting other gross motor delays.

Also, I did not hold either baby all day long once they could sit up on their own. They cruised all over but just were too chicken to let go! I also did not actively TRY to get my kids to walk but my parents did with my second. They are from the generation with the dangerous walkers so everyone was walking at 12 months back then. Apparently I started walking at 9 months.

Sorry had to get that out ::

No need to apologize, I appreciate a different perspective!

Here it is usually around 17/18 months that an eval is done if a child is not walking. So he is right on that cusp. I am sure it also depends on the ped and the forcefulness of the parents as well.

[daycarediva]

Here they do an eval at 16 months. If it's not shown to be an emerging skill therapy starts immediately.

Here it is 18m.

I would tell her as soon as you have a family wanting a space, offer it to them first (if you want the pay cut, I would offer it as a FT space, but that's just me) they can pay 1/2 rate until he's walking or pass on the space and hope there is one available when he is walking.