Daycare dilemma!! Help needed...

Alrighty ladies, this has been playing on my mind all week and I need a second (third and fourth) opinion...

Quinn has been a daycare kid for a while, he has always loved it but now he has moved into the big kids room. That was a few weeks ago and every time I drop him off we go thru the lip wobble routine, this is not what bothers me tho. What gets to me is this: in the little kids room they'd whisk him off saying things like "come on Quinn, lets check out the sand pit!" and distract him while I left but now in the bigger kids room they just leave him. And by leave him I mean they say and do absolutely nothing, and leave me to pry him off my leg and leave while he is whimpering. I feel that they should be trying to help him ease into it... Am I expecting to much? I have mentioned it briefly to them but apparently "I have to realise that there are more children in the toddler room than the baby room so not as much time to focus on each child"... am I wrong in assuming that if they can't pull it together to be nice to him IN FRONT of me than perhaps this is not the place for us? I am not at uni anymore, am taking this semester off for newbie baby so it is really easy for me to pull him out and consider other options?

Am I being a preggy-over-reacting-ball-of-hormones or am I right in thinking this is not cool?

Jake was in the toddler area in our daycare, and did the same things as Quinn. The daycare staff were lovely and would take him off me and distract him while I snuck away. I'd definitely consider opther options Anna.

Our daycare is wonderful with transitioning the kids from the under-2 section to the "senior school" (sounds very grown up!) I definately think that they should pay more attention to your concerns - not having enough time is a load of bull - it takes more time to calm down a destructive toddler who has been like that all day cos they got really upset when mummy left, than it does to quietly distract them...

although we have always tried to be honest and let our kids develop trust in us by ensuring that we do not sneak away but instead give a kiss and cuddle and hand them to a member of staff for cuddles - so they can wave as we leave.. that was how it has been since they were tiny so that even as they went though the "separation anxiety" stage at 9/10 months old, the same thing happened all the time and they developed trust in knowing that mummy/daddy would return just the same as they always do.

Our daycare also encourages us to set boundaries and routines with our children so that they have the same thing each morning.. With paris i do 1 puzzle with her each morning (she always picks the same one) then its a kiss and a cuddle and she waves bye bye out the window as i cross the parking lot. it took a while but now she will put the last piece in the puzzle and say "you can go now mummy, stand up and give me kisses" and 9 times out of 10 she's fine.

Try this out if you want and tell them what you are doing, suggesting maybe it may work with some other kids... find an activity to do each morning make it something with a clear end point such as a book or puzzle, then say bye bye give hugs and hand to a member of staff for cuddles - or guidehim towards a group activity... and well - if they don't then support you in your efforts to help him get used to the new environment then i would be talking with the managment or considering alternatives.

Edited by mum2paris

same here james daycare are wonderful but if they did that too my son or newphew they would be out of there before there heads could spin

I'm not sure about your daycares, I'm pretty sure that iot is a legal requirement from the Ministry however, that your child receives an "observation" portfolio thing. Russel Street gave me Jakes when we left and often sent it home for me to see. It has examples of his "work", pictures of him and just descriptions of what he's learning and doing through the day. It was the neatest thing to read. If you haven't seen it, ask your daycare staff about it.

Thanks for all the advice ladies!

I know they look after him well, everytime I go to pick him up he is happy and shows me what he has been doing all day. It is just the dropping off thng that gets to me. And as daycare time is only time out for me it is easy to find somewhere else more suitable.

He does have a folder, and it is fantastic but then again, I haven't had it since he started in the big kids room.

Mostly I think I am probably overreacting, but my plan is to drop him off this morning and see how it goes. I will go with my gut and if it happens again today then it will be his last day.

Wish me luck!!

Hope it gets sorted Anna!

With the profile books, our creche has them in clear files out for the kids to look at. It is sooooo cool! Every time I go in there I find kids pulling them out and pointing at the pictures.
Hannah's one is hilarious... lots of eating paint

Research other child care options???
Have you thought about the whole barnardos thing where they go to the carers home? Maybe that environment would suit him better? You could even go in with another family (to make it cheaper and ensure he is socialising with other kids)?

How sucky!! I would say why he wasn't coming back to the daycare too. Good on you for doing what you feel is right for Quinn but don't forget you too!! As Nikki suggested maybe look at other childcare options. PORSE Network is great too. Hugs!!

Survive???? LOL, I have turned in to a cracked loon in the year I have been a sahm, muaaaahahahaha (crazy laughter)