issue at gym childcare

beany02 · March 2013

I joined a gym 3 months ago that has childcare included, and it has been great so far. Very organized and clean. At first i was nervous about leaving her there (she was 7 months when i started going and is almost 10 months now). But i am a SAHM so DD doesnt go to daycare, and i figured the social interaction with other kids a few times a week would be good for her.

There is an infant area for ages 11 months and younger, so DD is supposed to stay in that area, but they usually let her out into the larger toddler area because it has more room for her to crawl, cruise, and stand. im fine with this because they are closely watched and havent had an issue so far. But last week i went to pick up DD and she was in the toddler area. As i was walking towards her an older little girl picked her up, set her on a chair, and then DD fell off the chair onto her head/side of her face. There were no adults supervising this. I couldnt get to her fast enough to catch her and she cried for a good 5 minutes but was fine.

I was so mad! Why wasnt anyone watching them?? i dont want other kids picking up my 10 month old and dropping her. I understand that sometimes stuff happens but this only happened because someone wasnt doing their job. I went straight to the assistant manager and complained, she was very apologetic and immediately went and talked to the staff. I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume this was just an isolated incident, so i took DD back the other day. The assistant manager saw me and remembered me and told me she addressed the issue with the staff and it wouldnt happen again. She personally watched DD in the infant area the whole time while i worked out, which is appreciated. She handled this issue very well but i am still nervous about taking DD there now. I am also kind of bummed that she wont get to go crawl around the larger toddler area anymore since i think they are stricly enforcing the rules due to this incident.

Anyway, hopefully we have no further issues and in a month she will be allowed back in the toddler area. And the staff wont let other kids drop her on her head!

diana.filipi · March 2013

They do their best. At some point you'll have to give permission for her to be in the big kid area if it's before the age limit. After all, you can't have it both ways, she either stays in the baby area or gets to be in the toddler area. I belong to a large gym with a baby and toddler area and have always elected to have my crawlers in the bigger area. Sometimes there are issues. Sometimes there are issues at play dates where I am the one watching even. Things happen and while there wasn't anyone watching that specific thing happen to your DD it sounds like she was ok.

Your concern is certainly justified. I would still want my 10m old to have the reign of the bigger area. You will do what feels right for you and yours and everything will be ok. Just think about how she'll be at 11m when she can legitimately be out there, or when she's 1 1/2, or whatever, bigger kids will be an issue for a good while!

KateLouise · March 2013

I'd want to know more about why the children seemed poorly supervised.

The issue isn't that your LO was in the bigger area, the issue is that there wasn't an attentive adult present.

Now sometimes things happen, and the excellent staff member has been distracted for a very valid reason. Sometimes not so excellent staff are busy gossiping and drinking coffee. I'd want to know what it was.

Another possibility is that they're understaffed.

I'd revisit it with the manger in a, "LO has been having a great time at the daycare and as LO is heading towards 11mths, you'd like to understand more about how the incident came about, as LO will shortly be in the toddler area." type way.

At the end of the day kids get hurt. Other kids hit, bite, push and pick-up. As long as staff are there to attend to any issues, it shouldn't be a problem.

megann831 · March 2013

keep in mind their job is to watch all the children, not just yours. Someone may have been doing their job tending to another child when this happened. You seem very critical of the staff and don't really describe exactly what was going on. I'm always leery of complaining about the care my kids are receiving. No one wants people complaining about their job performance, and I feel like if I go above anyone's head to complain, the care my child may be affected because the care giver doesn't care for me. As a teacher the students with difficult parents I may not interact with as much because I don't want to get involved with my words or actions being twisted. If you really have a problem with the way your child is being cared for, especially if it's the 1st time, I'd go to the care taker rather than their supervisor.

kmpls · March 2013

Agree with KateL.

Honestly I wouldn't lave my kids at the childcare at my gym. It is staffed with young girls who are busy talking and playing with their phones.

I can't speak to your facility - just use your best judgement.

Good luck!

blushingbride_08 · March 2013

This is one of the main reasons why I workout at home and no longer at the gym.

jjt616 · March 2013

I have DD go to the gym childcare and she is usually in the toddler area as I gave my permission for it. They will let her crawl around when there are few kids and when there's a lot of kids they either hold her or put her in the swing in the area. I think it's unfair to judge the workers there as a pp said. Young girls work in my gyms daycare and they are phenomenal! They tend to DDs needs as well as the other kids. They always bring in another staff member when they go over ratio. I also worked at a gym daycare when I was a "young girl" and I never once drank coffee and talked on my phone. Sometimes there were injuries and I couldn't prevent it because I was over ratio and had told the manager multiple times that I needed help and they wouldn't send anyone in to help me. It would make me so mad if the parent just assumed that I wasn't paying attention. My advice as a previous worker in a gym daycare and a parent is I would look more into what happened meaning if it was a worker not doing their job or if the worker was out of ratio with no support from the managers. That way you can make a decision with all the correct information

beany02 · March 2013

megann831:
keep in mind their job is to watch all the children, not just yours. nbsp;Someone may have been doing their job tending to another child when this happened. nbsp;You seem very critical of the staff and don't really describe exactly what was going on. nbsp;I'm always leery of complaining about the care my kids are receiving. nbsp;No one wants people complaining about their job performance, and I feel like if I go above anyone's head to complain, the care my child may be affected because the care giver doesn't care for me. nbsp;As a teacher the students with difficult parents I may not interact with as much because I don't want to get involved with my words or actions being twisted. nbsp;If you really have a problem with the way your child is being cared for, especially if it's the 1st time, I'd go to the care taker rather than their supervisor.nbsp;

Yes, I am critical of the people I am trusting to care for my child. There was no reason for the toddler area to be unattended ...there was a group of girls chatting at the front desk but I'm not sure which of them was supposed to be in the toddler area. DD could have been seriously injured if she had landed on her head differently, and I wanted to make sure my concerns were taken seriously so I went straight to the manager. In hindsight I would do the exact same thing. But thanks for questioning how I handled a situation related to my daughters safety. Jeez.

jelina · March 2013

kmpls:
Agree with KateL.
Honestly I wouldn't lave my kids at the childcare at my gym. It is staffed with young girls who are busy talking and playing with their phones.
I can't speak to your facility - just use your best judgement.
Good luck!

Maybe I am super lucky but the gyms I have attended have had phenomenal staff. My current gym is staffed by two older ladies, both are grandmothers, though fairly young ones, and they take excellent care of my kids. I have never taken a crawler or early walker to the gym though. DS is three and DD is 7months. In fact, she takes a nap while I'm working out. They stroll her around in her stroller until she falls asleep. I don't think I could get any luckier. If my gym was staffed by inattentive teenagers, I would not leave my 7 month old there. Although I might leave my 3yo.

jjt616 · March 2013

I just think its ridiculous that people judge the quality of their children's care by age. That's very ignorant. When I worked as a childcare employee at a gym I was very attentive and the lady who was a mother sat and read magazines while"watching" the kids. Get out of your prejudice ways and give people a fair chance!

megann831 · March 2013

beany02:
megann831:
keep in mind their job is to watch all the children, not just yours. nbsp;Someone may have been doing their job tending to another child when this happened. nbsp;You seem very critical of the staff and don't really describe exactly what was going on. nbsp;I'm always leery of complaining about the care my kids are receiving. nbsp;No one wants people complaining about their job performance, and I feel like if I go above anyone's head to complain, the care my child may be affected because the care giver doesn't care for me. nbsp;As a teacher the students with difficult parents I may not interact with as much because I don't want to get involved with my words or actions being twisted. nbsp;If you really have a problem with the way your child is being cared for, especially if it's the 1st time, I'd go to the care taker rather than their supervisor.nbsp;
Yes, I am critical of the people I am trusting to care for my child. There was no reason for the toddler area to be unattended ...there was a group of girls chatting at the front desk but I'm not sure which of them was supposed to be in the toddler area. DD could have been seriously injured if she had landed on her head differently, and I wanted to make sure my concerns were taken seriously so I went straight to the manager. In hindsight I would do the exact same thing. But thanks for questioning how I handled a situation related to my daughters safety. Jeez.

you were looking for feedback and opinions right? Isn't that the purpose of posting on a chat board?

kmpls · March 2013

jjt616:
I just think its ridiculous that people judge the quality of their children's care by age. That's very ignorant. When I worked as a childcare employee at a gym I was very attentive and the lady who was a mother sat and read magazines while"watching" the kids. Get out of your prejudice ways and give people a fair chance!

Interesting. Who did this?

The op who had a hurt child? Me? I don't care how old the caregivers are but ones at my facility gossip and play on their phones. So, would not leave my kids there. Sorry.

buzzbee24 · March 2013

kbruington:
megann831:
keep in mind their job is to watch all the children, not just yours.  Someone may have been doing their job tending to another child when this happened.  You seem very critical of the staff and don't really describe exactly what was going on.  I'm always leery of complaining about the care my kids are receiving.  No one wants people complaining about their job performance, and I feel like if I go above anyone's head to complain, the care my child may be affected because the care giver doesn't care for me.  As a teacher the students with difficult parents I may not interact with as much because I don't want to get involved with my words or actions being twisted.  If you really have a problem with the way your child is being cared for, especially if it's the 1st time, I'd go to the care taker rather than their supervisor. 

I know I'm getting off topic here but I bolded an area in your response that kind of bugs me. You don't interact with certain kids as much because of their parents? That's kind of messed up. I realize you're probably not the only teacher that does this but these kids can't control what their parents do so why should they suffer?

And I'd be upset too if I watched my child get hurt because someone wasn't doing their job. If there aren't enough people to watch all the children then hire more or don't take on so many kids. Stepping off my soapbox now.

Agree with all of this kbruington

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