Toddlers being tied to chairs

[Anonymous]

I think millions of parents strapped their children into high chairs to eat, and to keep them safe while the parents perform x task. I’m not saying this is common with daycares but it’s certainly not tying children to chairs, and in my opinion not a “call licensing” issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think millions of parents strapped their children into high chairs to eat, and to keep them safe while the parents perform x task. I’m not saying this is common with daycares but it’s certainly not tying children to chairs, and in my opinion not a “call licensing” issue.

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Parents are certainly allowed to do that but if they do it too often like for hours a day so they can get things done, it could be considered abusive

[Anonymous]

No way. Call licensing.

[Anonymous]

our daycare class with kids ranging from 14-24mo has those chairs. They sit in them to eat and sometimes I see them in them if they are doing a task at the table (puzzle, painting) and sometimes during circle time. I dont think the next class up (2 year olds) uses them. I would prefer he learn to sit without being strapped in for meals but I can't figure out how to do that with one kid at home either!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it standard practice at daycare for toddlers 2-3 year old to be strapped to a toddler chair with a seatbelt? The daycare I toured do this for circle time, meal time, and nap time or anytime they need to contain the child. They do this with children who do not stay seated. They said it teaches younger toddlers to stay seated.



These are the type of chairs they use

https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/ca/p/AA357/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=performancemaxnonhighaov&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6uWyBhD1ARIsAIMcADrhPjBSI3zlDBnPuoqUlzTWpB_3Zbq674d9Wr0NTeCNS9CGoXxzM1IaAvdxEALw_wcB

In MD or DC it's a huge licensing violation, kids can only be restrained for safety. So, you can buckle them into a high chair, or into the stroller when you go for a walk. But otherwise restraining isn't allowed.

Even if a parent is OK with it, you have to wonder what else staff members who are willing to overlook this, are willing to overlook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No it's not okay.

I have the opposite problem. My daycare lets kids run around nonstop during meal times. WHY?! My 2.5 year old happily sat during all meals, started daycare and now we fight nonstop with her at every meal. When daycare loses control of several kids, the others all follow suit like little ducks and now none of them stay seated. I think a lot of it is teacher training. They need to work with those kids who don't stay seated. But kids should only have to sit for meals. Reading and circle time should be sitting on carpets. And all other times should be free motion.

How are teachers able to stop one kid who refuse to stay in her cot from running around disrupting other kids who are sleeping or trying to sleep? The ratio is 1:8. Seems like an impossible task. The teacher can try to teach the child but it can take weeks before the child learns what’s expected of her.

Where is a 1:8 ratio legal for kids this age?

MD is 1:3 until they turn 2. Then it's 1:6, but by that point you have kids moving up from toddlers who already know how to lie on a cot, so at most you have one new kid at a time who needs help.

The kids learn.

[Anonymous]

Our daycare (center) has used the strappy chairs for mealtimes. As far as I know, they don't use them at any other time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No it's not okay.

I have the opposite problem. My daycare lets kids run around nonstop during meal times. WHY?! My 2.5 year old happily sat during all meals, started daycare and now we fight nonstop with her at every meal. When daycare loses control of several kids, the others all follow suit like little ducks and now none of them stay seated. I think a lot of it is teacher training. They need to work with those kids who don't stay seated. But kids should only have to sit for meals. Reading and circle time should be sitting on carpets. And all other times should be free motion.

How are teachers able to stop one kid who refuse to stay in her cot from running around disrupting other kids who are sleeping or trying to sleep? The ratio is 1:8. Seems like an impossible task. The teacher can try to teach the child but it can take weeks before the child learns what’s expected of her.

Where is a 1:8 ratio legal for kids this age?

MD is 1:3 until they turn 2. Then it's 1:6, but by that point you have kids moving up from toddlers who already know how to lie on a cot, so at most you have one new kid at a time who needs help.

The kids learn.

In Virginia the ratio is 1:8 for ages 2-3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it standard practice at daycare for toddlers 2-3 year old to be strapped to a toddler chair with a seatbelt? The daycare I toured do this for circle time, meal time, and nap time or anytime they need to contain the child. They do this with children who do not stay seated. They said it teaches younger toddlers to stay seated.



These are the type of chairs they use

https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/ca/p/AA357/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=performancemaxnonhighaov&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6uWyBhD1ARIsAIMcADrhPjBSI3zlDBnPuoqUlzTWpB_3Zbq674d9Wr0NTeCNS9CGoXxzM1IaAvdxEALw_wcB

In MD or DC it's a huge licensing violation, kids can only be restrained for safety. So, you can buckle them into a high chair, or into the stroller when you go for a walk. But otherwise restraining isn't allowed.

Even if a parent is OK with it, you have to wonder what else staff members who are willing to overlook this, are willing to overlook.

Can you provide the source where it says it’s a violation in MD or DC?

Is it not a violation in VA?

If it is a violation in VA, where would one go about reporting this?

[Anonymous]

My daughter is at a daycare in VA where they still use the same small chairs with seatbelts in the 2-3s class. As far as I know, they only use it during mealtimes for safety reasons. I would run far away from any daycare that constantly strap children down outside of mealtimes. The daycare workers are misusing the chairs to avoid having to do work and I’m pretty sure it’s against regulation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They keep some kids strapped to a chair if they won’t stay in their cot. Those kids wait in the chair while other kids get lulled to sleep. When it’s their “turn” to get lulled to sleep they get removed from the chair.

This is not normal or okay.

How do you propose they do nap time when several kids won’t stay in their cot and disrupting the kids who are willing to stay in their cot and are sleeping?

An effective daycare will be able to come up with a solution that does not involve restraining a child against her will. This is why often daycares have an extra floater aide who can help with an unruly child while the main teacher gets the rest of the kids settled. Or very experienced teachers who know how to get a child to at a minimum sit quietly while the other kids lie down and then the teacher can deal with the resistant child.

Good daycares use a host of effective techniques to avoid that kind of behavior to begin with though. Unless a child has special needs, a well run daycare can get the vast majority of kids to follow a schedule and to behave in safe ways so as to not disrupt other children. And if a child does have special needs it should be discussed with the parents and another solution should be found -- physically restraining a non-violent with a documented disability for the convenience of teachers is not only a problem for licensing but potentially an ADA violation.

[Anonymous]

Meal time strapping is fine, op. I do not understand their nap time issues. In my home daycare, all under 3yrs are in pack n plays, makes nap time a breeze. They have 6 kids for 2 adults though, not 8 or 12, and only babies get rocked occasionally.

[Anonymous]

Hell to the no. Run. If they do that in open view, I can’t imagine what they do behind closed doors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meal time strapping is fine, op. I do not understand their nap time issues. In my home daycare, all under 3yrs are in pack n plays, makes nap time a breeze. They have 6 kids for 2 adults though, not 8 or 12, and only babies get rocked occasionally.

Pack n plays keep the kids confined. The issue at daycare centers are kids unwilling to stay in their cots, walking around and disrupting others who are napping

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a huge liability if there’s a fire or other emergency where they need to evacuate quickly.