Parents Observing Before Enrolling...

[nannyde]

I love that I found this site and can talk with other providers. I think it is interesting that we prefer to end our days so differently. I do not like the childtren to have free play at the end of the day (too much going on) and prefer the parents to see me interacting with the kids in a structured activity. I also do not help with coats/ shoes at the end of the day. Weather permitting We have outdoor free play at the end of the day...so this really only applies on cold/hot/rainy days.

The kids just free play indoors after nap. We don't do any structured activities. We do all of the dressing and undressing and we do all the arrivals and departures at the front door. The interacting I do with the kids is just talking to their parents while they wait for time to walk out the door. I don't do any instructing or interaction directed at them.

Completely opposite. but that's cool. There's no one size fits all approach.

[Unregistered]

open door.

I would never consider a situation where a parent was not welcome. I so much prefer situations with participation. No problem with a background screen for parents, either.

[ninosqueridos]

Never been asked and wouldn't allow it. I use the 2 week trial in the beginning as their "test"..............(and MY test, too hehe)

[SilverSabre25]

I don't think I've ever been asked.

I wonder if it's a regional thing?

[nannyde]

No problem with a background screen for parents, either.

That's not very realistic. We don't have a one stop shop to do criminal checks in every state, fingerprinting, and child abuse registry checks.

Just because someone has a child and can pay for or access funding for child care it doesn't mean they are safe. In fact, it's not an indicator in any way.

[MsMe]

I aske one of my daycare Moms tonight at pick up if she would have signed on (I have her three year old and new baby due this week) if I had not allowed the observation visit. The look on her face said it all. NO WAY. She was amazed anyone would not ask/not allow visits.

Maybe it is a regional thing? I am in the Midwest. Where are you from?

...then again maybe not. I am VERY close to Nannyde and she has not been asked.

[nannyde]

I aske one of my daycare Moms tonight at pick up if she would have signed on (I have her three year old and new baby due this week) if I had not allowed the observation visit. The look on her face said it all. NO WAY. She was amazed anyone would not ask/not allow visits.

Maybe it is a regional thing? I am in the Midwest. Where are you from?

...then again maybe not. I am VERY close to Nannyde and she has not been asked.

Oh I've been asked. I just tell them the kids will act up so I don't allow it. It's not complicated or personal. It's just not something I offer.

[nannyde]

...then again maybe not. I am VERY close to Nannyde and she has not been asked.

Are you one of the one hundred plus daycare's within a mile of my house? ::::::::::::

[Unregistered]

indicators of 'safety'

Just what proves that a parent or caregiver is 'SAFE'?
( I think Tata passed a background check and had good references.)
Frankly, a willingness to be observed in the context of good child caring is a big indicator, but nothing will ever be 100%. Dropping in, calling, talking to other parents, these are indications of a trusting and open environment.

The concept of not allowing parents into the circle of care is completely foreign to me.

How do you expect parents to evaluate the situation?

[littlemissmuffet]

I love that I found this site and can talk with other providers. I think it is interesting that we prefer to end our days so differently. I do not like the childtren to have free play at the end of the day (too much going on) and prefer the parents to see me interacting with the kids in a structured activity. I also do not help with coats/ shoes at the end of the day. Weather permitting We have outdoor free play at the end of the day...so this really only applies on cold/hot/rainy days.

Likewise! Thanks for explaining your side of things!

My parents know I interact with their children by talking to their children... they don't need to see it. At pick up when it's "What did you do today?" my two older children are STILL talking about their day after the long car ride home! ::
The parents know I interact with the littles because here is where they learn to walk and often speak their first words, where they learn where their toes and bellybutton are, where they learn all the beginning basics.
The kids run in the door in the morning and are super happy at the end of the day - that's all my parents need to see to know that I am very involved

The reason I do help with shoes and coats is because it gives me a chance to catch mom/dad up about any information they may need to know without wasting anyone's time. My parents are tired at the end of the day (and know I am too) and want to get home to start supper and relaxing! Killing two birds with one stone is how we roll!

The last hour of the day (4:30-5:30) is stress-free here... we start supper, start tidying, etc - just wondering what you meant by "too much going on"?
TIA!

[littlemissmuffet]

I also do not even understand the point of "observation visits"... what could it possibly prove?

I have seen women tending to children in public or with company around that act COMPETELY different behind closed doors... even if a provider was lying through her teeth about herself and her program, you'd probably never know during one of these scheduled observations, right? She'd be on her best behavior, no?

One thing I do absolutely welcome is "suprise visits/check ins" from parents (in my open door policy). Come on in and check up on how things are going (this is MUCH MORE indicitive of a trustworthy provider, IMO)... just be willing to take little Johnny home with you after you're done "checking in" ::

[JenNJ]

Nope. No strangers near the children. No amount of phone interviews, in person interviews, etc is ever going to be enough to take them off the stranger list. I have no idea what potential clients act like in their free time. They could be horrible, awful people. It is not my job to decide who my daycare kids hang out with. It is my job to protect them. And since I know NOTHING about these potential clients, my answer is NO.

I really don't even like current parents around my dc kids. Too many incidents of "colorful" language (sure, "crap" isn't a bad word for most but when a room of toddlers start chanting it after a dc dad accidentally said it, things can get real interesting).

I am the one chosen to spend my days with these kids. Not some random interviewing parent off the street, not my friends, not my neighbors, not the mailman. I don't let ANYONE in the house unless it is needed and NO ONE enters my playroom. EVER.

Oh and I don't like clients coming past my foyer either. It just makes the kids go insane and tracks outside dirt onto my floors and newly carpeted playroom. I really love when the dads drop off. They dont even come in the door! Most have a porch goodbye. ::

[PitterPatter]

Colorful language

I really don't even like current parents around my dc kids. Too many incidents of "colorful" language (sure, "crap" isn't a bad word for most but when a room of toddlers start chanting it after a dc dad accidentally said it, things can get real interesting).

That brings up a good question. I don't have issues now but I have in the past and I will again someday I'm sure. So how do u handle the parents that cuss and say oops sorry then do it again every once in a while. None of my kids have picked up anything thank God but I have had the Mother of all words said in my home quite a few times and even though I was very stern with the parent about it she would slip up again another day and again oops sorry hee hee.

[nannyde]

I had this one family that I loved to bits. They were here for over three years. Both parents were sweeties and their son was an angel. The Dad helped me with handyman stuff around the house.

One day my front door screen handle broke and it was windy outside. I called him at work to ask him if he could come over on his lunch break and fix it for me.

He comes over and removes the handle, goes to the nearby hardware store, comes back and puts a new one in. It was about five mintues before nap and he BEGGED me to let him go downstairs to see his son just this once.

Of course I said yes and he tromps down the stairs. He says hi to his kid and I introduced the other kids to him. He has to scurry back to work and tells his son he has to go. His son started whining but he took it pretty well.

As soon as he leaves one of my other dcb's starts WAILING. Big fat sobbing tears. "I want to go with Jingle's Daddy." He bawled his head off all the way to bed. He somehow got an idea that he could go with the other kids Daddy and was so sad when he realized he was going for a nap. :: I don't think he had ever even met the Daddy.

Not the reaction I was expecting but it goes to show you that you never know what's going to happen with the other kids. It made the Daddy happy but not so much the other little boy.

Was it worth it? Sure for the Daddy it was. I would do it again in a heartbeat for a family I loved so dearly BUT it's not something I would do with a new family.

[MsMe]

Are you one of the one hundred plus daycare's within a mile of my house? ::::::::::::

haha no I am not that close


I am not in Des Moines, I am in a small community within 100 miles.