- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
st.lucia bride
member
Daycare - tap on bottom??
st.lucia bride
member
I'm trying not to freak out here, when I dropped DD off at her daycare center I saw another little girl hit the teacher and the teacher said "don't hit me" and then tapped the girl on the bottom! I'm sure it was just a light tap but I was still absolutely shocked and appalled. I left and called the Center Director when I got to work. She asked me to explain the situation and said that sometimes the teachers tap the kids on the butt during play but I said this definitely seemed like a repremanding type thing. She apologized and said she will look into it and call me back. I'm sitting here not knowing what to think. I am 100% against hitting of any kind and obviously it's illegal in a daycare setting. Part of me is worried though that I mistook the situation and am blowing it out of proportion. Ugh, I just don't know :-(.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Daycare - tap on bottom??
The director just called me back, she said the teacher feels horrible and that that it wasn't meant as any type of reprimand. It was explained to me that it is a eastern european cultural thing, that they are "rougher" with the kids then americans are used to and that the director has talked to the teacher about this before because her play may look different to parents who aren't used to that. She was sent home for the day w/no pay and it's being reviewed by the owner of the centers. The mother of the little girl in question was contacted and she was fine w/the situation. I feel so horrible for creating drama and possibly costing this girl her job, but I know that ultimately I did the right thing.
Don't feel bad (like you said, you did the right thing). Even if it wasn't meant as a reprimand, as she said, the context was one of correction.
If she gives a playful pat on the bottom in some other context, like "let's go this way" leading them along to go somewhere, well, that's entirely different than doing it 2 seconds after the child hit. Personally, as a former daycare worker, I just wouldn't be doing that type of touch at all, period, which would avoid the possibility of it being miscontstrued. Plus, I didn't do things that are more "familiar" that I'd do with my own nieces and nephews, anyway, like eskimo kisses, etc., and I would lump a pat on the bottom into that category.
You didn't do anything wrong, though it's natural for you to feel uncomfortable. It is an uncomfortable situation.
If she did that w/o even thinking twice in plain view of parents I wonder what she would do when she is alone w/ them.
I also think it is wrong of the caregivers to tap them on the butt during play time and the Dir. should know this. Talk about sending mixed signals to the kids. How are they supposed to know that they are not supposed to be "tapping" other kids now? The fact that the Dir. came right out and saisd that as though it is normal is very strange to me.
I wouldn't worry that you mistook the situation. You have every right to be concerned and to speak up about it.
Did the Dir. imply that the girl should have known better b/c she had been trained properly? Aren't there courses or something these ppl take before they are allowed to work there? Or was it like, oh, she didn't know any better. This seems like something that should have been covered before the girl was hired, no? Either way, you should not feel bad. You have probably bettered the situation by bringing it to their attention.
m/c 11/2/09
*in da bag so far: D90|nikon 18-200|50mm f/1.8|sb700*
Well this would probably explain how my dd learned to hit. We do not hit (even in play), because we don't want DD to think that it's okay to do it too. I would be livid as well and I am SO glad you said something. Even in playful situations, you have a right to not want that around your child.
How people choose to discipline their children at home is their own business (as long as it's not bordering abuse) imo, but other people have no right to choose and act that way in a daycare center of all places!! I don't care what culture they are from. I would feel bad about the girl possibly loosing her job as well, but maybe it will teach her (and the other caregivers) that it's not appropriate to act that way!