I can't believe I have to write this post. But I may have to stop taking DS to his current daycare sitter. He only goes 2x a week so I don't need to give her "notice" so to speak as with a full-time child, per her contract. I've spoken with her several times about the issue at hand, yet it has continued. He goes back tomorrow upon which time I was going to tell her if this happens again, we won't be returning. Is that the proper way to handle this? Or should I wait until after he is home and then let her know? I have to bring it up again to her, and feel that she should have some type of notice, but I just don't know how to properly handle this. Any advice from someone who has been in this spot?
Re: Etiquette for firing sitter
DH is the one who picks him up so most likely it will be a phone call from me either tomorrow night or Saturday. Ugh this sucks. And to complicate the issue it isn't a clear cut "she did X and therefore Y happened." All I know is when he's with us, we don't have diaper rash issues (and if there are, it's minor and clears quickly) and when he comes back from one day with her, his entire rear end is bright red and it takes us days to get it back to a nice pale color. It's happened too frequently on her watch for me to continue making excuses for her. I hope I'm not over reacting.
Hmmm, maybe give her in hand some Butt Paste or something and ask her to use it? Maybe off handedly, like gee, sometimes LO comes home w/ some redness, can you please use this after you change him?
OR - ask (again off handedly), "gee how many poops do you change a day? Because blah blah blah just wondering!"
That sucks for your LO and I really hope for your sake this is just an oversight on her part and not a bigger issue!
good luck!
Have you actually talked with her about it? Requested more frequent changes, supplied diaper rash creams, vaseline, whatever supplies? If you haven't actually had a discussion with her about it, worked to find a resolution, and given a chance to implement whatever changes you discuss, then your not being fair. If you have discussed it and nothing had changed, then time to move on.
FWIW, some kids are just way sensitive to diaper rash and need to be changed frequently. DD2 gets a rash if she's in a stinky diaper more than 30 seconds. It's nothing to do with how often I change her, as she gets changed immediately after a BM, she's just that sensitive. It's possible your DS is, too, and if she's busy changing another child, or making lunch, or any other number of things that have to be done she may have to wait longer than 30 seconds to change him. Even mom's have to wait sometimes.
DD1 Feb 2010
DD2 Sept 2011
I wouldn't wait to talk to DC. Does your DS use certain diapers or wipes? I know my kids were sensitive to those things. I knew exactly when she wiped a butt with a different wipe or used a different diaper. Usually it's innocent, she didn't mean to hurt my kid but she maybe was changing a diaper right before and used the same box or something... Regardless, I'd bring it up to her as a "what can we do to fix this" not "If DS has a rash again we're outta here biotch!"
Just talk to her. Tell her that DS has had this diaper rash and it's concerning to you. As a daycare provider, who I will assume has seen more baby butts than you, maybe she'll even have a trick or two (my daycare lady asked to use a certain cream I've never heard of, once she told me I looked it up and gave her the ok to try it... works great)
Are there any other concerns or just diaper rash?
If DH is picking him up... Do you think maybe DH isn't changing properly when they get home/before you get home. Just a thought.
GL.
Hi Ladies -
thanks for all the responses, but I was trying to figure out how to handle the process with the sitter which I think is why I didn't originally mention the actual issue in the OP. I have addressed the diaper rash with her on numerous occasions. I provide his diapers and wipes, I have showed her how we clean him at home, how we use a clean cloth to pat him dry and then let him air for a couple minutes before applying aquaphor and diaper. I even provided her with butt paste upon her recommendation and that did not work either - he came home with some of the worst rash ever. She claims the issue is because sometimes he poops during his nap. Well, he poops during his naps at home sometimes and we never have this kind of reaction. And yesterday specifically, he had a poopy diaper which she changed right before each of his 2 naps, and he still had a horrendously red hiney last night. She has been instructed to, and does according to her sheet, change him at least every 2 hours or more if poopy. DH is well aware of the situation and does a great job of changing and keeping him clean. I also thought it might have been food-related at one point, but I send all his food with him and he eats the same diet there as he does here. When he was younger and had very loose stools, I could understand. But now as his stools are more solid, and with this history of trying to fix it, I just don't see how I can overlook it any longer. I've also wondered if it is a lotion or something that she uses on her hands, that he is reacting to. I have definitely taken the "what can we do to fix this" approach, yet here I am still with the same problem. It's getting to the point now where if it happens again, I am as much to blame as she is. I understand she has 2-3 other kids in diapers, but DS is pretty obvious about it when he poops and as long as you're within a foot of him, you'll smell it. I just can't help but think either she isn't paying attention to him (or the kids) and doesn't catch it quickly enough, or she's not cleaning it properly. Neither of which is acceptable. Phew, OK - so there's the issue in a nutshell....LOL.
After the 2nd time this happened and I had addressed it with her, I picked him up, gave her money, and said "thanks." I discussed it with my wife, called the sitter, and said that I was going to just stay home with him. Poor little muffins! :[
Freshie Girl 9.29.12
I'm so torn - I am in the process of finding alternate day care accommodations but I am just not prepared to have someone lined up as early as tomorrow. My husband has a deadline at work so we need him to be watched at least 3x in the next week. This is how I feel though - I don't even want to take him back. We weren't prepared financially to put him into the day care facility we have been hoping for, but it looks like we will have to bite the bullet and do it sooner rather than later.