Update: daycare schedule (long sorry)

cpmNH2010 · September 2010

So yesterday at pickup I asked how LO did napping and was told he took a 45 minute nap on the floor of the playroom and a 20 minute nap in a bouncy seat... they said they tried to get him to nap in his crib, but he started crying after 5 minutes. I asked them if they would be open to writing down for me what times he does seem to doze off (no matter where) so we can try to find a pattern or schedule to his sleeping. One of the staff members looked at me in sheer confusion, and one of the staff members told me "it's not a schedule problem, it's a sleeping in his crib problem, he wants to be held to sleep"... so, I pretty much got blown off. They told me that naptime is 9am and 1pm.... well, maybe he isnt tired at 9am and 1pm and maybe he should be napping at 10am, or noon, or whatever other time...

Then they proceeded to tell me that he didn't take a bottle until almost 11:30am (he had last eaten at 5:30am!!!!) and that they had to throw out a bottle because he didn't take it (at 8:30). A) if he didn't take it at 8:30- that BM could have been offered to him when he ate at 11:30, why was it dumped? DH had given them 15 oz of BM for 3 5-oz bottles. They told me they dumped 1 bottle, then they gave me 4 ounces back as "leftovers" at the end of the day... but they also told me that he took three bottles between 11:30 and 4 when I picked him up.... so, he had 3 2-oz bottles? Or he had 1 6-oz bottle? And what time was the last bottle? This is why I am asking you to WRITE STUFF DOWN!!!

I'm frustrated... this is supposedly "the best!" daycare in town, people wait for years to get in here, and we considered ourselves lucky to get in, but maybe it's not "the best" for our little guy. And the fact that 5 oz of precious milk got dumped down the sink needlessly just makes me angry!

I should point out that his head teacher is 8 months pregnant and has been missing the past few days when I went for pickup, so I am wondering if she is transitioning out preparing for her ML and if that is why there seems to be such confusion, so maybe I need to suck it up for a little while until they get their act together?

LO is always a happy guy when I get him, so maybe as long as he is his smiley happy self I should get over this stuff?

SoldiersGreenBean · September 2010

NHMama2010:

They told me that naptime is 9am and 1pm.... well, maybe he isnt tired at 9am and 1pm and maybe he should be napping at 10am, or noon, or whatever other time...

Naptimes are usually set in a room, espcially as kids get older. When DD1 was an infant in a center, they let her sleep whenever/whereever she fell asleep. The had a daily log that kept track of it. As she got older, she adjusted to their set schedule; teachers can't spend all day long trying to get different kids to sleep.

Then they proceeded to tell me that he didn't take a bottle until almost 11:30am (he had last eaten at 5:30am!!!!) and that they had to throw out a bottle because he didn't take it (at 8:30). A) if he didn't take it at 8:30- that BM could have been offered to him when he ate at 11:30, why was it dumped? DH had given them 15 oz of BM for 3 5-oz bottles. They told me they dumped 1 bottle, then they gave me 4 ounces back as "leftovers" at the end of the day... but they also told me that he took three bottles between 11:30 and 4 when I picked him up.... so, he had 3 2-oz bottles? Or he had 1 6-oz bottle? And what time was the last bottle? This is why I am asking you to WRITE STUFF DOWN!!!

Do you make the bottles, or do they?

Did they warm up the 8:30 bottle? Most states have a license requirement about how long a bottle is good for before they have to toss it. If they warmed it, then he didn't want it, chances are they HAD to dump it.

It's reasonable to ask that they keep a daily log.

I'm frustrated... this is supposedly "the best!" daycare in town, people wait for years to get in here, and we considered ourselves lucky to get in, but maybe it's not "the best" for our little guy. And the fact that 5 oz of precious milk got dumped down the sink needlessly just makes me angry!

Again, may not have been needlessly. Check their licensing requirements.

I should point out that his head teacher is 8 months pregnant and has been missing the past few days when I went for pickup, so I am wondering if she is transitioning out preparing for her ML and if that is why there seems to be such confusion, so maybe I need to suck it up for a little while until they get their act together?

LO is always a happy guy when I get him, so maybe as long as he is his smiley happy self I should get over this stuff?

For the most part, I think you are a little high strung about it. I'd want to know how much he ate and if he pooped. Asking them to accommodate a separate nap schedule is probably not feasible, though.

cpmNH2010 · September 2010

SoldiersGreenBean:

For the most part, I think you are a little high strung about it. I'd want to know how much he ate and if he pooped. Asking them to accommodate a separate nap schedule is probably not feasible, though.

thank you - I do definitely have a tendency to be a type-A personality (aka, control freak), which definitely does impact what I expect, I probably need to let some of this go. Just want to point out that LO is only 16 weeks, I'm not trying to make the whole class adjust to his schedule, I just want to try and know what his scheule IS, so we can start to get him to adjust!

And you are right on the milk thing- I checked and the state does require it be tossed after 1 hour (so maybe the state needs a little education on the handling of breast milk- but better safe than sorry I guess?). Sometimes I just need a voice of reason reminding me not to sweat the small stuff, and being new to this whole WM thing, I don't always know what stuff is small, and what is worth worrying over!

KAtwinmom · September 2010

I hope you don't mind me interjecting here, but I think you've got a number of issues to consider. First, you feel like your concerns are being blown off. That's a problem, and you shouldn't have to feel like you need to keep telling them. Second, you should be getting a written daily infant sheet (usually a state regulation, but you can check with your local office of child care) that tracks food, naps, diapering, etc. While it is unlikely that the teacher could remember that each bottle and ounce and nap, that is why they are supposed to write it down for you!

There are also probably regulations about the length of time that a bottle can be reused, so you can check that, too. For example, if they pour a 5-oz bottle and your LO drinks 3-oz, they may only be allowed to keep that for another hour or so before it needs to be dumped per regulations. In some places, they can't reuse that at all. The way to avoid that is to ask them to pour smaller portions each time and refill as needed.

The big issue, as I see it, is the naptime. Infants should be allowed to nap on their own schedules. In an infant room, babies should be put to rest, in a crib, when they show signs of being tired, not necessarily at the same time as the other babies. That is developmentally and physically appropriate for infants. Set "naptime" works for older children, but not for babies. There is no reason your child should be sleeping on a floor; it is a health and safety issue. Your baby should be placed, on his back, in an appropriate crib. A teacher could rub his belly or sing to him as he falls asleep, or take him out if he cries and wait until he seems tired. Bouncy seats are okay for short periods, but should not be used as substitutions for a crib.

I suggest that you address this during a less busy time at the program with the director. These are valid and serious concerns, and you need to feel as though your issues are being handled appropriately.

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Update: daycare schedule (long sorry)

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