"No kank you!"

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
"No kank you!"
27
Mon, 01-17-2005 - 3:43pm

So today was my two year old's FIRST DAY of day care. He went a half day. TT dropped him off this morning, and called me from the parking lot in tears. He said Alex looked petrified, was walking around crying, and that he felt TERRIBLE abandoning him there. He said "I KNOW this will be good for him - but I just want to go in there and get him and take him right to Mimi's (my mom's) house!"

My mom picked him up at noon - lunch time - we thought half-days for the first few weeks might make it easier. She called to fill me in. She said his teacher said that he would play, then cry. Play, then cry. Play, then cry. And just so fearful. And never play with the other kids, just with certain toys, by himself. She said the kids would approach him and try to soothe him and tell him "'s'ok!" and he would walk away in tears. He RAN to my mom and cried hysterical tears of joy when she picked him up. She was driving home with him and said "did you have fun, Alex? Did you like playing with all of the kids and the new toys?" To which he responded "No Kank You, Mimi! No Kank You!"

Poor little guy!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Fri, 01-21-2005 - 7:06pm

Min...Check with your county's licensing board too, they may have a coordinator who can give you a list of home daycares in your neighborhood to call.
I had Christy is a home day care, one provider with 6 kids ages infant through pre-k. It was the best and she is like an aunt to Christy now. We still send school pictures, christmas cards and pay visits when we're in town as much as we can. I wholeheartedly recommend this option over a day care center.

good luck!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 01-21-2005 - 7:31pm

Thanks!

That is EXACTLY what I did - called my county licensing division. They have me a list of 14 in-home providers in my zip code - and said if I didn't find anything I wanted there - to call them back and I could check my surrounding zip codes' list.

My mom (bless her heart) has been making calls ALL day . . . and I honestly think we've found her.

She's a mother of two adult children, she's been doing in home day care for 20 years, she currently has 3 full time kids and one part-time special needs kid (he's 4). She is licensened, she has an early development childhood certificate through the local community college (which is very good), I ran (or rather my company's investigation department run) a full background check on her and she's completely clean - not even a speeding ticket in the last 20 years, she has extensive first aid training and certification, and I called her references and they all had AMAZING things to say about her. One of them that I called - I was expecting to leave a message - and a young man answered. I said my name and said I was calling to check the reference of L - and to please leave a message for his parents to call me back . . he said "I'll have my mom call you back - but what do you want to know? She babysat me from the time I was 6 weeks old until I started kindergarten, then she kept me half days, and she goes to my basketball games every Friday night! I love her. She's a great lady. Any kid would be LUCKY to be with her!" LOVE that! Her and I have an interview tomorrow morning. She likes to meet the parent at her home without all the kids around so that she can actually talk (hm, imagine that! LOL!)

If things don't work out with her - I have two others that sound ok. The second is also older - has a special needs boy who is 4 and wheel chair bound . . . The third is a mom of 2, 6 and 2.5 (same age as mine) and is a SAHM looking to earn a little extra income. She has no other kids - it would just be Alex and hers . . . we'll see!

Keeping my fingers crossed!!!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-25-2004
Fri, 01-21-2005 - 9:34pm
Bingo - that sounds like the one! Good luck and keep us posted!!
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-18-2003
Fri, 01-21-2005 - 11:33pm

Can I give you my input on the "extra money lady"?..


In my

Kim

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-25-2004
Sat, 01-22-2005 - 9:40am

Kim,

You sound like a WONDERFUL provider!! Thank you for these tips.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2003
Sat, 01-22-2005 - 10:22am

I remembered something else that made me realize my decision to remove Dylan from that place was a good one. Like you being to be looked up...what a crock!

Scott and I went to get Dylan and we didn't see him in his room. THe nanny in there was rocking another child and yelling at some others and was oblivious to us standing there for over a minute. Then we had to ask her where Dylan was. SHe had no idea. HELLO!!!!!

There was a Little Tykes picnic table leaning against the wall (bad choice) and he was behind it hiding. No one saw him go back there and he could have knocked it over on himself or another child. No one seemed to care. Then he started getting sick. Rosiola, bad colds and a horrible stomach flu he caught from a teacher! Scott and I both caught it after D had it and both had it on the same day so neither of us was equipped to care for him. In between vomitting, we'd have to take turns changing him, feeding him, etc. It was the deciding factor. He wasn't going back. He hated it. He'd scream as soon as we pulled up. He'd run after me as I walked out. ANd he'd bang on the windows for me. No other daycare he went to caused this reaction in him and after I changed him to a smaller place, I got scared at how content he was there as opposed to the other place and it made me wonder what went on at the first place. I heard later thru the grapevine that they just neglected the kids and there were far too many children there. The new place did not offer half days for less pay so if I took him half a day, I'd still pay the full price. SO I decided to leave him for full days and I'd go home and relax a few hours before getting him. He was having a ball and they loved him there. They cried whenI announced I was getting a divorce and had to remove him so we could move to Texas. Sad for me, but also devastated to lose D. He was a definite favorite there. And he's been that way at any other place. It's just finding the right fit and I wish you all the luck in getting there.

Mel

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Avatar for comountainsprite
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 01-22-2005 - 1:05pm

The first one sounds great!! My daycare provider is on 25+ years of doing daycare and also has a degree in early childhood ed. BTW, another great thing at least here is that if they are licensed, they are also required to regularly take continuing ed classes to keep them up to date. I know that sometimes the particular types of challenges or little ones she has at the time influence her class choices so that her "new" education directly benefits what might be going on with the kids in her care right now (of course she can do that since she has very little turnover with kids--heck my dd has been there almost six years now.) And have to brag just a little--she just won an award sponsored by a local news channel (the 9 Who Care Award) and got an award from the mayor and they'll be airing little 2 minute snipits of her daycare during the week they publicize it. Cool huh?

Anyway, good luck. Keep us informed.

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