Clothing?

[Hunni Bee]

My MOST difficult child, 3yob, comes at least three times a week wearing Ralph Lauren or some expensive outfit. He has constant tantrums, fights other children and staff and is the most obstinate child I've ever had.

Anyway, his mother usually says, "if he has a messy lunch, could you please take this off of him?" Well, every lunch is a messy lunch for him because he's usually misbehaving at the table, but I usually remember to take his shirt off. Today, he had me so frazzled that I plumb forgot. And he had spaghetti smeared across his white Ralph Lauren polo shirt. I left before his mom got there, so I dont know what she said...

How do you guys feel about this? In our handbook, it says children should come dressed in "sturdy play clothes". I try not to let the kids paint themselves with their food, but I do not hand-feed them or make them wear bibs. If they get really messy, I do rinse the stain before it sets. Most of the other parents dont dress their kids in clothes they would get upset over....

[daycare]

My MOST difficult child, 3yob, comes at least three times a week wearing Ralph Lauren or some expensive outfit. He has constant tantrums, fights other children and staff and is the most obstinate child I've ever had.

Anyway, his mother usually says, "if he has a messy lunch, could you please take this off of him?" Well, every lunch is a messy lunch for him because he's usually misbehaving at the table, but I usually remember to take his shirt off. Today, he had me so frazzled that I plumb forgot. And he had spaghetti smeared across his white Ralph Lauren polo shirt. I left before his mom got there, so I dont know what she said...

How do you guys feel about this? In our handbook, it says children should come dressed in "sturdy play clothes". I try not to let the kids paint themselves with their food, but I do not hand-feed them or make them wear bibs. If they get really messy, I do rinse the stain before it sets. Most of the other parents dont dress their kids in clothes they would get upset over....

i would say something.... tell her how you would feel horrible if he runied his super expensive snob clothing...oh I mean his clothing....

tell her how the eating time goes and that children at this age still make a huge mess with their food. Ask if its possible to bring the child in suitable clothing for DC and give example..... is she does not, buy a back up set that the child can wear while in your care... I do this with one of my parents who sends child in a white jacket and shirt every once in awhile..

btw who thought it was a good idea to make childrens clothing WHITE???

[nannyde]

Just have the parent supply two to three oversized long sleeved sweatshirts or turtlenecks that you can pop over his clothes before meals and crafts. I would leave them at your house and just wash them so you don't have to have her remember to bring them.

The other option is to tell her that you don't protect clothing so it's best to send him in comfy easy fitted clothing that can get stained.

I have all the kids wear bibs during eating and pull up their sleeves before they sit down. We never have stained clothing issues but we do the extra work every day to completely cover their shirts and roll up sleeves. We also teach them to eat over their bowls so anything that falls out falls back into the bowl.

I bib them because I don't want any food crumbs on my toys or carpeting after meals. Their table has a splat mat under it and we decrumb them on the splat mat before they get up to play.

[Stacy214]

I use bibs but I understand you have more children...and I just wouldn't worry about what she says, why would you send your child in white plus expensive white. Maybe now she'll get the clue.

[ninosqueridos]

How about you ask her, "If you think you wouldn't want something stained, could you please take it off of him at home?" She will learn that your job is not to protect clothing from stains - you have already given the warning that her son will get messy at daycare.

[Kaddidle Care]

Do you have any of the plastic paint smocks? We've been known to ask the children to wear them if they are eating something really messy - like those awful canned chef boyardi things.

We had one boy who's coordination wasn't too good that wore a smock just about every day to save his clothes.

Designer stuff? More money than brains I say.

We had one Mom that Tie Dyed her son's Tshirts when they got stained. They were cool!

[Little People]

Tell the mom to bring you some extra large bibs, for each meal & snack for each day and send them home for her to wash on Friday's. And if she brings the plastic ones send them home with her to clean too!!

And see when she forgets to bring them back:::: And little *** will have no bibs and stain his shirts again!

Kids need to wear clothing that is not going to matter to much if they get food on them.

[mickey2]

Just have the parent supply two to three oversized long sleeved sweatshirts or turtlenecks that you can pop over his clothes before meals and crafts. I would leave them at your house and just wash them so you don't have to have her remember to bring them.

The other option is to tell her that you don't protect clothing so it's best to send him in comfy easy fitted clothing that can get stained.

I have all the kids wear bibs during eating and pull up their sleeves before they sit down. We never have stained clothing issues but we do the extra work every day to completely cover their shirts and roll up sleeves. We also teach them to eat over their bowls so anything that falls out falls back into the bowl.

I bib them because I don't want any food crumbs on my toys or carpeting after meals. Their table has a splat mat under it and we decrumb them on the splat mat before they get up to play.

I do the same.

I have long sleeved over sized shirts for each of the children and put these on them over the top of the shirts they are wearing before feeding them. They are long enough that they cover their pants as well. I use bibs too.

When they are done eating we just take off their shirts and bibs and brush the kids off.

[Cat Herder]

Just have the parent supply two to three oversized long sleeved sweatshirts or turtlenecks that you can pop over his clothes before meals and crafts. I would leave them at your house and just wash them so you don't have to have her remember to bring them.

The other option is to tell her that you don't protect clothing so it's best to send him in comfy easy fitted clothing that can get stained.

I have all the kids wear bibs during eating and pull up their sleeves before they sit down. We never have stained clothing issues but we do the extra work every day to completely cover their shirts and roll up sleeves. We also teach them to eat over their bowls so anything that falls out falls back into the bowl.

I bib them because I don't want any food crumbs on my toys or carpeting after meals. Their table has a splat mat under it and we decrumb them on the splat mat before they get up to play.

I do the same thing. Often, I will just change them into play clothes (black sweats) upon arrival for the day and place the nicer clothes into their cubby for going home time.

I am "old school southern" in that I dress them in clean clothes and brush/style hair for going home, "Dressing for Dinner". You will never see a child with a crusty nose or dirty face at pick-up, here.

IMHO, it is advertisement since few to none of my parents go home after pick-up. Their child always looks top-notch and smells like heaven (Johnson's baby cologne diluted 1/10 in a water spray bottle for tidying up messy hair...shhh) and I get more compliments on that than almost anything else.

It is just a battle that is impossible to win.... Over Priced/Name brand Clothing in group care. Mother's Guilt is relentless. The Moms will always want the other Moms to see that their child has the best....after all, why else would they work so hard to buy it...

[countrymom]

I use bibs too, I'm going to make some bigger ones that are wider and longer (as soon as my taxes are done) but who the heck dresses their child in white clothes.

[Cat Herder]

I use bibs too, I'm going to make some bigger ones that are wider and longer (as soon as my taxes are done) but who the heck dresses their child in white clothes.

:::: I had 4/5 of my DCK's in white button down shirts, chino's and white sneakers just this morning..... Didn't you hear; Spring is coming!!!

They are in black sweats and "easy to wash navy blue croc's", now.....

[Live and Learn]

There are not enough hours in the day to change everyone's clothes every day into play clothes. So I let parents know that kids need to come dressed to play and get messy that I will supply nice big bibs and art smocks but to not dress them in anything too precious. It only takes a few stains to get the message across.

[Hunni Bee]

LOL and she DID confront me about it this morning. I just said "Oh yes, I know, Im SO sorry about that" before she could even finish talking.