DC is moving LO to the toddler room

Iznik · December 2014

So, our DC is moving all the babies in our infant room to the toddler room on the 1st of the year, when LO will be 10 months. I've been told that she will be moved to one nap at a set time, will no longer be rocked to sleep, will have set meal times, needs to be mainly feeding herself, and will be sitting at a table for meals. They've said that they will make some accommodations -- like she *can* have a second nap if necessary, but that it'll be temporary. This all seems way early to me -- am I wrong? Also, LO is the second *oldest* in her class.

I mentioned previously that I am planning to change DCs -- I still am, we are at the very top of the wait list for the other place. I keep hoping we'll move her before this takes effect, but now it's less than a month away!

magentawarped · December 2014

Nope, I would not be pleased. DD didn't drop her second nap until around 16 months, and definitely didn't feed herself well at 10 months. Hell, Logan would starve if he had to feed himself.

boogerbearoriginal · December 2014

We've been looking at DC centers since our childcare arrangements aren't working and one place we crossed off the list wanted to put LO in the toddler room. Like your LO, she's no where near ok with one nap, laying by herself, etc. She said they move all the kids around 11-12m, no exceptions. I was like, WTF - no accounting for individual development, just 11m, toddler room. IMO this is contrary to good childcare practice. My cynical side says they do this to open up spots for newborns in the infant room

If you're looking to switch anyway, can you ask for another month (buying time to get into the other place)?

Karlamo · December 2014

Ours is 15 months and they start the transition in the infant room. For example at 13 months old they start having them sleep on the floor on mats to get used to napping out of a crib.

The infant room follows an eating and napping schedule for the kids. They will of course feed them if they're hungry outside of that time frame. But each kid has their own time schedule to follow.

10 months seems way to young for me to treat them like toddlers when they're not there emtionaly and developmentaly. I 'm also sad for the youngest in the class to be forced to "grow up" and not be treated at the level at which they are at. Glad you're leaving them.

Questions:

Why are they moving the kids?

Do they not already have set eating/napping schedules where they are now?

Iznik · December 2014

There are 2 infant rooms and 2 toddler rooms -- currently the infant 1 room is for tiny babies who just lay there and cry, whereas all of the infant 2 babies can at least sit and some are making moves towards crawling. She moved to the infant 2 room a few months ago, maybe when she was 6 months? I don't understand why they're moving them again already.

Karlamo · December 2014

Iznik said:

There are 2 infant rooms and 2 toddler rooms -- currently the infant 1 room is for tiny babies who just lay there and cry, whereas all of the infant 2 babies can at least sit and some are making moves towards crawling. She moved to the infant 2 room a few months ago, maybe when she was 6 months? I don't understand why they're moving them again already.

Grill 'em! The easter coaster in me would be very blunt and ask if this is a financial move. Do they really have these kids best intersets to heart. I'm would put up a fight to stay longer in the room.

Iznik · December 2014

boogerbearoriginal: This is totally my thinking about making space in the infant 1 room. They've currently got 3 babies in there, so they could accept a few more without having to move everyone up... I thought about asking to keep her in the infant room, but I feel silly since she's one of the oldest and honestly the only thing I like about our DC is her teacher, who will be moving to the toddler room too. I wouldn't want to separate them until we're leaving the center altogether.

Karlamo: I haven't been given an official explanation as to why they're moving them up, just that that's what's happening. They are pretty much on their own schedules at this point, though the teachers have been trying to move them more towards the toddler schedule.

DreamingBabies: I'm in MD.

bepandnick: I don't think the ratio changes here until they're 2?

Iznik · December 2014

Karlamo said:

Iznik said:

There are 2 infant rooms and 2 toddler rooms -- currently the infant 1 room is for tiny babies who just lay there and cry, whereas all of the infant 2 babies can at least sit and some are making moves towards crawling. She moved to the infant 2 room a few months ago, maybe when she was 6 months? I don't understand why they're moving them again already.

Grill 'em! The easter coaster in me would be very blunt and ask if this is a financial move. Do they really have these kids best intersets to heart. I'm would put up a fight to stay longer in the room.

Yeah, I should. I'm not a fan of the director (surprise, surprise), so honestly I avoid all interaction with her. Probably not the best plan, but it's what I've been doing. I suppose I should confront her about it.

shellbell3845 · December 2014

There's no way I would be okay with this. My LO will probably move to Infant 2 in a few months, but it's stll an infant room with cribs and his own schedule. No way could he do a set meal and nap schedule. I also wouldn't want him in with bigger, more mobile kids. I'm worried he'd get hurt as he's pulling up, practicing balancing, and crawling.

shellbell3845 · December 2014

bepandnick said:

Like @elf828‌'s DC, ours doesn't move any lo's unless certain developmental milestones are met, regardless of age. This whole situation is super shady to me.

As we know from F14, not all 9/10mo babies are the same. Mine's a mover, but feed himself? HA! Some might be great at the feeding, but not be crawling much or pulling up. Some go to sleep on their own; some need rocked. It's so, so variable still, which is why the infant rooms are where they belong.

Our center opened a "waddler" room right before LO started. It'll be where he moves when he's walking. But it's still classified as an infant room with those ratios, cribs, individualized schedules, rocking, etc.

boogerbearoriginal · December 2014

For comparison, a different daycare we called said they don't move kids up until they are walking, and taking one nap on their own. She said kids range from 12-18m when they move up.

I don't know about the older kids in the toddler room, but the one place had kids up to 24m. I would not want my 10m old crawling baby in a room with a 24m old toddler. Those kids are at very different stages and it would be hard for the kids, and hard for the care givers to balance the different needs.

djtippietoes · December 2014

That seems early. Is your LO walking? At our DC, they don't move them until they are walking.

BTW - where in MD do you live? I'm originally from there.

Codypup · December 2014

I definitely would not be okay with that, either. W just turned 10 months and still takes at least 2 naps per day. I can't even fathom bumping that down to one.

I would absolutely raise it with the director, but I also think you might have a saving grace that your LO's teacher would be moving along with her kids. She knows your LO, knows his schedule. It's hard for me to imagine that she would force your LO to cut a nap if it's obvious he needs another. Or let him starve because he's not ready to feed himself.

Regardless, it's bullshit that they're moving them so quickly and it sounds like they're violating some regulations by doing so. Hopefully having that same teacher there will give you peace of mind until you can get off the other wait list.

Iznik · December 2014

As far as milestones are concerned, LO has gross motor delays (not even crawling yet) and is slow-ish in most other areas, except fine motor where she's randomly a beast. And if nosiness/curiosity were a developmental area, she'd own that too, but I digress. She can't currently do any of the required stuff for the toddler room: she can't feed herself, can't put herself to sleep for naps (though we are going to try to work on that), can't walk/crawl, and I highly doubt she can sit in an effing chair without falling out of it, but maybe I'm not giving her enough credit.

Crap, I just called the other place and they said that LO has been moved down the wait list because "others with higher priority" (I think this is just siblings) have been added to the list above her. FML. I was hoping that it would be sooner rather than later. I think we're looking at quite a wait at this point.

Codypup: I agree about having her teacher there -- I know she won't completely abandon LO!

djtippietoes: I'm in the blandness that is Columbia.

I'm definitely going to ask a bunch of questions when I pick up LO today.

sdlaura · December 2014

DreamingBabies said:

This seems so odd to me! Why can't she stay in the infant room? FX that you get into the other daycare.

Our daycare has two infant rooms, one for non-mobile and one for mobile. They move to the toddler room around 16 months or so.

@tyrannosauruslex when do babies typically drop their second nap? I thought it was closer to 15-18 months.

You're right. My DD didn't drop her second nap until closer to 18 months. My nephew started getting a little too rough with the babies in his infant room around maybe like 12 months and so his daycare moved him to the toddler room then, even though he wasn't walking yet. But 10 months to force a kid to give up the second nap seems early.

gingerm84 · December 2014

I would not be okay with that at all. What's the rush? I'm just confused why they would think that's okay!

I'm really hoping that the spot at the other place opens for you ASAP.

Iznik · December 2014

@psk: I honestly don't remember if they told us the guidelines for switching rooms when we signed up. I was like 10 days PP and just happy to find a place that had a space available honestly...

TyrannosaurusLex: I'm in MD.

So, DH and I picked up LO together tonight and talked to her main teacher, the one we really like. She confirmed that all of the babies in the infant 2 room are moving up, including a 6 month old, who I don't think can even sit up yet. The good news is that the teacher will be moving with them and she said she'll look out for LO and "not let anything bad happen." I'm a bit reassured by this, but really how many accommodations can they make? She showed me a copy of a letter we will be getting next week, which talked about the new rules, etc. for the new classroom. All I really remember is that babies will be "allowed a short nap" in the AM if they really need it, but that LO will be doing all of the stuff I mentioned above, plus being weaned off bottles to sippy cups, and they will no longer heat up food for her so I need to send a thermos.

The teacher seems to think everything will be fine, but DH and I told her we weren't comfortable with it. The director was there, but it was late and we were on our way to dinner, so we said we'll wait until we have the paper in hand and discuss it with her next week.

I don't know what's better -- uproot LO twice in a short period of time or have her move up a room and hope that her teacher really can look out for her until we are able to switch to the other DC.

This sucks. I am really not happy.

shellbell3845 · December 2014

So of they're required to meet napping and feeding needs, that should mean they need to feed a bottle and heat up/spoon feed purees?

It's nice your teacher said she'd look out for LO. But what about her break times? Her sick days and vacation times? The center moves her around again?

Codypup · December 2014

The thought of a 6 month old moving into a toddler room is so insane that it's almost comical. What in the ever loving hell are these people thinking?

I definitely think a chat with the director is warranted. You could always go the route of "my child takes two naps a day, needs to be fed by someone, and cannot sit by himself. If you're not prepared to have those needs met in his new room, we need a new solution because those things are non-negotiable to us."

RondackHiker · December 2014

You said you're in Columbia?

I wonder if you're where I took DS.

They pulled the same shit with him.

I'm even wondering if you have the same amazing infant teacher we had.

Does the daycare share a parking lot with one of the pools and playgrounds and does the name start with a K?

We let them move Ds at about 12 months and it was a massive mistake I still feel sick over. It was hard for him. He got through and enjoyed the more active babies (he'd been the only walker), but it wasn't okay.

Iznik · December 2014

So, all 5 kids in LO's class are moving up, as will the 2 teachers, and the babies will be 7-12 months at the time. They won't be joining any other toddlers; it will just be the 5 of them in the next room up, essentially so they can make room for new babies. I guess this would be ok in theory if they weren't imposing the toddler rules on them. I don't think they're actually breaking the law; I they are just money grubbing and stupid and not thinking about the needs of the babies. Maybe I can convince the director to let them keep following the infant rules in there? Then is maybe be ok with it until I can get LO out. If not, I'll report them. I just am scared to do that because I assume they'll know it was me and LO will still be there.

@RondackHiker‌ Not the same place, but I think all centers in Columbia are sketchy!

RondackHiker · December 2014

Iznik said:
So, all 5 kids in LO's class are moving up, as will the 2 teachers, and the babies will be 7-12 months at the time. They won't be joining any other toddlers; it will just be the 5 of them in the next room up, essentially so they can make room for new babies. I guess this would be ok in theory if they weren't imposing the toddler rules on them. I don't think they're actually breaking the law; I they are just money grubbing and stupid and not thinking about the needs of the babies. Maybe I can convince the director to let them keep following the infant rules in there? Then is maybe be ok with it until I can get LO out. If not, I'll report them. I just am scared to do that because I assume they'll know it was me and LO will still be there.

@RondackHiker‌ Not the same place, but I think all centers in Columbia are sketchy!

I know a few good spots if you'd like me to PM you. Get on a few more lists, just to get out more quickly.

If they didn't impose toddler rules this would be fine!

shellbell3845 · December 2014

Do you know any other parents in the room? Maybe you can join together to ask for change.

Iznik · December 2014

@TyrannosaurusLex‌ Ugh, I hadn't thought about how the room would be equipped. I'm not sure if they're planning to move over the soft flooring. I think they'd have to, right? I have no idea about the other stuff. I've hardly been in the room before. On the plus side, there are cribs in there -- only the older toddler class has cots.

@RondackHiker‌ That would be great, thanks!

@shellbell3845‌ I really only know one of the mothers at all and she seems happy. Maybe she'll have doubts once we get this paper next week though?

RondackHiker · December 2014

I'd look through all the state regulations about feeding and sleeping and equipment and bring a copy of them and ask how they'll be addressed. If the law says infants need cribs, cots aren't okay.

This is so sleazy and wrong.

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