Is This Customary For Daycare Teachers?

[King&Prince]

In a daycare, is it customary (protocol) for teachers to ask the child if they have bruises in front of their parents without any apparent signs?

My son is 5. His teacher asked him that this morning right in front of me and she said that they do that. I not only volunteer up there at my son's daycare, but have dropped him off and picked him up (between me and his mom) 1000 times at least and that has never been something I've heard the teachers ask, especially not in front of the parents.

I talked to the principle and she said that there would be some kind of sensitivity training for the teachers in regards to why they would do that, but the principle also said that the questions are something they should do more often or consistently. What do you think?

[Cat Herder]

It may be from the normal head-to-toe intake quick assessment (self report). It is recommended in centers to prevent false accusations of injuries during daycare, not accuse parents of wrongdoing. It was in our QRIS training.

It is just documentation to protect his teacher.

[King&Prince]

Oh I see. The principle did bring that up. I still find that question to be placed awkwardly as I've never heard it used there ever.

[springv]

I've never heard of this until I started working at a daycare here in Alabama and took classes. :confused:

[Cat Herder]

Oh I see. The principle did bring that up. I still find that question to be placed awkwardly as I've never heard it used there ever.

When they are younger we tend to ask them if they have any new boo-boos. By 5 most know the word bruise or it could be a vocabulary word they are "pushing in".

If it is not documented by the morning teacher, the afternoon teacher may think it happened on her/his watch unnoticed and report to admin. If another parent picks up they may not have been aware and assume it happened on the afternoon teachers watch.

To be very honest, we get very complacent about doing this because it slows the morning routine. Then someone has an issue in another classroom and we start again. Like most jobs, I'd presume. ::

[King&Prince]

Thanks for the input. Is it customary or important to do that in front of parents, does it not matter, or is it better to ask children away from the parent in the room?

[Cat Herder]

Thanks for the input. Is it customary or important to do that in front of parents, does it not matter, or is it better to ask children away from the parent in the room?

I don't know how we could do it in private. It is a classroom that has to be supervised, we cannot leave the room. We do it in front of parents in case we need to send the child home for illness. We are checking for that, too.

[Cat Herder]

It is also invaluable when a 3-year-old child tells us he was bitten by a Tyrannosaurus and the parent can tell us he got his finger stuck in the carseat latch.

[King&Prince]

To be very honest, we get very complacent about doing this because it slows the morning routine. Then someone has an issue in another classroom and we start again. Like most jobs, I'd presume. ::[/QUOTE]


So basically, a daycare will ramp up their morning bruise protocol for about a few days in a week or two and stop until another incident with a child's parent happens. Got it.

[King&Prince]

I don't know how we could do it in private. It is a classroom that has to be supervised, we cannot leave the room. We do it in front of parents in case we need to send the child home for illness. We are checking for that, too.

I didn't say the classroom needed to be unsupervised. It sounds like it would make more sense if the context of the question was better relayed to the parent.

[Cat Herder]

I didn't say the classroom needed to be unsupervised. It sounds like it would make more sense if the context of the question was better relayed to the parent.

I agree with you. When I need it documented I just let the parent make the notation, themselves. But I own my own program. I get to make the rules. ::::

[King&Prince]

I've never heard of this until I started working at a daycare here in Alabama and took classes. :confused:

Thanks for the input. Is it customary or important to do that in front of parents, does it not matter, or is it better to ask children away from the parent in the room?

[Leigh]

Thanks for the input. Is it customary or important to do that in front of parents, does it not matter, or is it better to ask children away from the parent in the room?

As a parent, I think I would appreciate being there when my child was asked this. It would give me the chance to explain any new "boo-boos". Kids nearly always have trouble explaining exactly how an injury occurs, and some just downright tell an exciting (and untrue) story.

I have a little boy at my childcare right now who says "xxx hit me" whenever he doesn't get his way. He isn't malicious-he just lacks the ability to explain hurt feelings, accidents, bumps, etc. He has told me that his grandma has hit him, told grandpa that I have hit him (when I wouldn't let him leave with one of the daycare's toys), and tells me several times a day that another child hit him, even though I have observed that the other child did NOT hit him, but actually refused to let him "steal" a toy away. If he bumps into furniture, then the chair hit him.

[Blackcat31]

Thanks for the input. Is it customary or important to do that in front of parents, does it not matter, or is it better to ask children away from the parent in the room?

I ask in presence of parent because I want to be on same page as parent.

Explaining something a child said in context (is Cat Herders example of being bitten by Tyrannosarus) to someone else is tough sometimes.

Having staff and parent present offers transparency for both parties.

[King&Prince]

I ask in presence of parent because I want to be on same page as parent.

Explaining something a child said in context (is Cat Herders example of being bitten by Tyrannosarus) to someone else is tough sometimes.

Having staff and parent present offers transparency for both parties.

Yeah, there was no contextualizing why she said that to my son after I asked why.