Obviously I can only talk about my place of employment, but others seem to be the same way in the respect of people that work at daycares. There ARE educated people, people that truly care about children, working at daycares, but I've noticed that competent teachers are incredibly scarce, at least where I work. I'm one of three out of about 27 employees with a degree, yet my coworkers are being entrusted with massive amounts of children to educate and care for? Some people just have a knack for being teachers, but some just DO NOT get it. I really wish a degree were a MINIMUM requirement for working with kids sometimes.

For instance, we have a new baby that started this week, she's 9 months and is the cutest little thing, I love her. I have this habit of breaking stupid rules (we're not allowed in rooms while on lunch break, which is stupid, because if I have free time and don't feel like going anywhere I really love to hang out with the babies), and went into the nursery to see who was awake to play with. New baby girl was sitting in her crib, red in the face, screaming and upset while all the other babies were asleep, and the teacher that was in that room was sitting in front of the mirror picking food from her teeth. I was disturbed and angry and insisted she take new baby out of the crib and comfort and play with her...somehow the teacher was under the notion that she would be "giving in" and spoiling new baby by holding her. I'm a firm believer in the theory that you cannot spoil an infant, but even if I were not, she was the only baby awake and was seriously upset, NO NEED to abandon her! She's in a new place, with new faces, other babies, no mama, and that can really stress a little one out! Luckily, this teacher is a VERY impressionable person and my concern led to her concern and she took new baby out and held her, to which I entered the room and took her away and played with her myself :p

I also work with a 200 year old woman who has no regard for rules (I break rules but only the stupid ones...), and she has a very strong "I'm always right" personality. We can't even be in a room together because I don't put up with her crap and wind up arguing with her, haha. She always has to do what I'm doing and I get really frustrated with her. I ALSO work with some of the laziest people on the planet, who swear by the "you smelt it you change it" rule, who always seem to coincidentally have a cold with which they cannot smell.

Without the proper education, our kids go home with notes from their teachers saying "Jack and Jill was playing with a toy, and Jack wanted it so he took it and Jill bite him." NO JOKE. Honestly, some of the people I write with use that type of grossly improper grammar on a daily basis. I'm no English teacher, but I know Jack and Jill WERE playing, and Jill BIT him.

And I suppose I should end my rant here. I belieeeeve the children are our fuuuuture...so educate yourself, so that we can better educate them.

Mmm, baby smell.

No matter how bad my day is, I can go pick up and cuddle with an infant and everything is fine. I love that. There are a few older kids that are good for that too. There's a little girl in my room that is like a kitten, it's so funny, she'll crawl in my lap and rub her face on mine, too cute. I love the cuddly ones.

If you walk into a daycare using these cribs, I suggest you run. I can't believe they even PRODUCE these things, it's like a dog kennel!

Saddened.

HOW DARE you bring your two, lovable, smart, EASY to handle children into daycare today at 7am, dressed in sweats, when you do not have work, only to pick them up at 7pm like you actually were at work. 

There is NO reason ANYONE should EVER leave their children at a daycare for twelve hours when they're sitting at home on their lazy asses doing nothing. Your poor kids are the LAST ones in the building EVERY night as it is, I can't believe you would subject them to that on a day YOU'RE NOT EVEN WORKING.

If you don't plan on spending time with your children when you don't have to work, if you don't plan on cherishing every moment with your kids, just get a dog. Don't subject a child, a human being, an innocent person to that kind of neglect from the one person they love most.

UGH, poor children.

For some reason, it's against the rules to babysit for the children that go to my daycare. I'm not one to follow stupid rules though, so I babysit all the time. It's not like I get paid enough to survive by just teaching, anyway. Who do they think they are, telling me what I can do in my free time?

I'd like to blog today about parents I love. I babysat today for two of my favourite kids, and their parents are so great. They're always asking me about my life, my opinions on how they're doing and things I dislike about work, always making suggestions about what I can go with my schooling and what further schooling would fit me. They really care and are interested in what goes on at their children's school and it makes me really happy to know that.

Their kids are ANGELS. I made nailpolish with the oldest (who is 5) and was told I was going to marry the youngest (who is 2, and a boy). Not a tear was shed the entire five hours, nothing but laughter and love while I spent time with them. One of the funniest things the littlest said was that "Mommy is going to marry me, and I am going to marry you! And daddy is going to marry (his sister)!"  Too cute. They played SO well together, he went down so easy for a nap after letting me read to him, not once was the television on, we danced, played house, coloured, wrestled...it was a great way to spend my Saturday.

If all the parents in the world modeled themselves after these, the world would be a better place. I can't exactly pinpoint what it is they do that is so great, that makes their children so great, but I just may make it my goal in life to figure it out and help spread the word. I focus so much on what parents SHOULDN'T do, because it's so much easier. Figuring out what they SHOULD do other than the obvious things is pretty difficult, but maybe it would make a good thesis for a graduate program.

Don't funk with my ART

Art can be fun.. art activities can really lighten a child's mood, kids really enjoy doing art. BUT, there are a few that cannot follow directions, a few that don't like to do art, and a few that seem to be afraid of paint and glue. 

That being said, you parents need to lighten up when your child doesn't do the same artwork as the rest of the children in the class. Artwork is time consuming, so your kid may not do things the other kids do, and vice versa. It's not possible to sit with 15 kids and have them all do the same thing, most of the stuff we do is one on one, or small group projects.

There was a parent that phoned in complaining that his kid didn't make an art project he saw displayed in our classroom. Little does he know, his child would rather not sit down for art, was misbehaving at the time, and ultimately elected NOT to do the project. Get over it buddy, your kid didn't want to do it so I didn't force him to. 

Do you really want me to tie your child to a chair, glue a paint brush to his hand, and force him to paint something? Probably not. 

Private eyes are watching me...

Okay, I know I've already discussed this, but I feel the need to overemphasize it.

If your daycare has a camera, it is simply for recreational use, not for you to watch your child with. If you want to do that, just leave your damn child at home with a macbook (kidding, obviously, but do you get the point?).

We ARE doing our job. We DID NOT lose your child, we're not idiots and your kid can't even reach the door to get out of the building.

A child moved up into my classroom recently and her parents are the most obnoxious parents in the WORLD.  Her parents called this afternoon saying "I can't find my child where IS SHE?!" They were told she was in my room, and conversation ended. Then, they CALLED BACK saying they still couldn't find her (maybe because they're doing an AWFUL job potty training her, and she peed herself and had to change her clothes...). 

Seriously? I picked the kid up, shook her in front of the camera, made her wave, and made an evil face at the camera. 

Would it be rude to make a sign that says "Do your work and stop wasting your time watching me" for the kid to hold up for them?

UGh.

I'm slacking, I know. It's hard to remember to post on a blog when you go to school full-time and work when you're not at school.

Today I'd like to talk about potty training. Potty training is obviously different for each kid, but there are certain things that are the same throughout, like CONSISTENCY. You're an idiot if you think you can leave the potty training up to your daycare providers. We have more than just your child in our classroom, and it's hard enough to change all their diapers, let alone have them sit on the potty while we chase five hundred other kids around, then come back to clean your kid up and rediaper them. We try as hard as we can, but it takes a village, blah blah blah.

If you're not trying at home to potty train them, tell us and we won't try either. You've NO clue how FRUSTRATING it is to have to change a child's clothes all the time because they wet and shit themselves. It's even MORE frustrating to hear you talk about how your child wears a pull-up at home, and you "forget" to take them potty sometimes but it's ok, because they go at school. The best thing I encountered was a mom who stayed home with their kid for a week, kept them in underwear the whole time, not caring if they peed themselves, and really worked hard at getting her child potty trained. That child is now fully potty trained because her mother took the time, cared about what she was doing, and focused on the goal. 

And lastly, putting underwear OVER A DIAPER or pull-up is the stupidest, most pointless thing anyone can do. It's confusing and makes no sense. It's all or nothing. Let the kid get used to the feeling of underwear and don't get angry when they have accidents, it WILL happen, just deal with it. If you pay attention and send them to the potty every hour or so, they will be better off.