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wheelsonthebus
member
one of my daycare kids ran into the street
wheelsonthebus
member
I'm still shaking and had to get this off my chese while they are napping. I've posted before that I run a licensed home daycare. On Fridays, I have just one Daycare kid. He's a boy about the same age as my DS, 2. Since I have jsut the two, I usually take them to the park on Fridays for a special treat. I was getting the boy's carseat into my car and I had both boys standing right next to me. I make them hold onto my leg so that I can feel them. I live on a street that isn't extremely busy, but when cars come, they are going at least 30 mph. Anyway, I had them both standing next to me and they start to laugh and DS runs to his side of the car. The daycare kid chases him. I stop what I'm doing and quickly run to the side of the car to being them back over to me. Suddenly, the daycare kid BOLTS down the driveway. I scream for him to stop and he just keeps going, not even flinching. I run after him and catch him as he gets to the double yellow lines in the street! THANK GOD nobody was coming. I pull him off the street and I'm in tears. I kneel down and I tell him no going in the road etc. He just looks at me blankly. My reaction had no meaning to him and I can tell he doesn't understand at all. My DS will ALWAYS stop if I scream stop as he knows that means danger. I feel like such a bad person right now. I should have had better control over him, but he just took off with no warning. I can't leave the kids inside to put the carseats in because of state law. How do you handle stuff like this? HAs anyone ever had a child run into the street. How do you teach them in this situation?
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Re: one of my daycare kids ran into the street
Yikes, I can see how that was scary!
Since you only have the one other child on Fridays, can his mom stay a few minutes at drop-off for you to install the car seat?
Wow that is tough. Thank God no one was hurt. FWIW I have been watching my cousin's LO pretty consistently for 18 months now (about 2 days a week). He looks blankly at me too when I tell him not to do something/try to keep him safe. It's a very strange feeling because you know your kid understands you but for some reason it really does feel like you are speaking French to this other kid.
My only thought is to keep the kids inside the car while you're getting the seat in...obviously without the car keys in the ignition. Or- how about a stroller if it's accessible. You can strap him in while you're getting the car ready.
I know you feel bad and I would too but it happens. Don't beat yourself up about it. Kids do stuff like this and it's not a reflection on you as a provider.
Since LO was an infant, I was pointing out the difference between the street and the yard and the street and the driveway. I showed him the line between the two. I've said it a hundred times by now, and I still repeat it often.
We talk about the sidewalk and the street when we're out. We look at the difference when we're on the curb and when we're in a walkway, we look at where we are and where the cars are.
It's something that comes with a lot of reinforcement, and it's clear your child has been taught, and your daycare kid hasn't been taught as well. But, even kids who know better will still try it, they just have more awareness that they're being bad.
I would be upset over it, too. I'm not really sure what else you can do, except maybe have the mom put it in your car when she drops him off?
Wow that is really scary I'm glad everyone is okay!! Don't beat yourself up, stuff happens and he is okay. I would like OP said just let them sit in the car or the trunk if it's an suv while you install the carseat. They will think that is cool anyway.
I worry constantly about my little guy running into the street!!
If it makes you feel better I locked DS1 in the car in the middle of winter when he was like 3 weeks old. I felt like such an idiot the police had to come.
Natural M/c 12/13/08 at 8w5d
I can only imagine how shaken up you are right now!! I run a daycare as well and when the kids are waiting to get in, or waiting for others to get out, they must keep one hand on the car at all times!! Before we leave the house and before I get out of the car to get them I remind them that they must keep one hand on the car at all times and if they do not then they will take a time out immediately....no warnings. This seems to work pretty well as we are normally going somewhere fun: park, swimming, museum, etc, so they do not want to take that time out while everyone else gets to go play right away.