Day care issues, please come in

cooker71

Miles started a new day care when Nora started kindergarten two weeks ago, so I know this could be a transition thing, but I just get the feeling from his teachers when I drop him off that they don't really give a sh*t -- whether it's about just Miles or their jobs in general or what.

I know transitions take time, but he starts whimpering and whining when we pull up there every morning, and then has this awful silent crying look on his face when I leave him.

And his lead teacher just says "Hey Miles, what's up?" or something similar in a monotone voice.

I don't know, maybe it's because he "grew up" in his other day care and all the teachers knew and loved him so well, but wouldn't you try to comfort him somehow or pick him up or...I don't know??

I don't want them to think Miles deserves special treatment in any way, but if this doesn't get better and if my gut feeling doesn't go away in another week, I told my ex I think we should sit down with the director and have a talk.

ghm

He's 2.5, right? I'd be mad if the teacher didn't make a fuss over every child coming in the room. I wouldn't want my kid to be somewhere where the teachers didn't act like they loved their job and their kids. 

How does your ex feel about it? Have you mentioned it to him?  

Angela814

That would be so hard. Did the teachers seem to have the same attitude when you toured the place? Did you notice how they interacted with the kids? If they have a bad attitude, I'm not sure it's something the director would even be able to fix. Is it possible that they just aren't morning people? Can you drop by on your lunch hour and see if things seem better?

I also agree that the teachers should be trying to comfort him or distract him or something.

hcassell

Unfortunately, it sounds like it might not be a good fit.  I've been in many centers (between working and having the boys in them) and there are some employees that are there because they feel stuck/its an easy job, and some that are there because they love it.  I would definitely expect the teacher to appropriately greet each child. 

 

AggieCouple

That would honestly send off alarm bells in my head.  Can you send him back to the old daycare?

hikerbeth

Yeah, that sucks.

As you know, Leif started daycare about the same time Miles started his new one and was having a little separation anxiety at drop off.  However, the teachers snuggled him and made a fuss over him and now he just runs in to play with his friends.

I think *every* new kid who is having trouble transitioning deserves special treatment.  I thought that was "Daycare 101."

cooker71

Well Nora goes here for an after-school program as well, and it's only a few blocks from her school, so I'm going to try to make it work if at all possible before pulling him.

The lead teacher did make an effort to talk to me and meet me on Miles' first day (she wasn't there when I toured) and called the first day to tell me how he was doing. She even called just the other day to say he was having kind of an off morning, crying at transitions, etc. but we thought that was just because they were in a different room that day he was unfamiliar with it.

I don't know. I talked to my ex about it, and he said he's gotten the same feelings but said it's only been two weeks, let's see how the transition goes, blah blah blah.

I told him I'm willing to wait another week but then I'll need to talk to someone.

jen5-03

If daycare thinks that picking up a child, offering comfort, and acting happy to see the kids is "special treatment" the run like hell. Srsly, my 4yo sometimes needs a hug at dropoff. Nothing wrong with that.