Dirty secret about an industry that you have worked in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is probably not a secret BUT I worked in a retail store and we all pretty much had sex all over the place in there.

+1 in restaurants. Also, lots of drinking & drugs.

Journalism--probably 50% of the stories you read are advertisements in disguise.

Child care--oh, Lord. Let's just say parents only see a TINY sliver of what goes on.

I know someone that worked at a Montessori and I kid you not she's the dumbest person I know. Very sweet and means well but I mean DIM. We are talking lacking both intelligence and common sense. Cannot spell common words. Scary that she was an assistant teacher. She worked for a long time at a school out-of-state and could not keep a job at the schools here so at least she was weeded out. Bless her heart.

This is true of a lot of preschool and young elementary teachers, but as long as they are good with children, and teaching them the basics, does it really matter?

Probably doesn't matter because they have to go by the curriculum of their school. I've known quite a few and with master degrees who just want the time off. My niece is a real dim bulb, and she's a 1st grade teacher. Years ago I worked in the preschools which was a wake up call. After that I would never put my kids in pre-school, total waste of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with the PP about childcare. I was the lead teacher in a kindergarten classroom. It was a daycare as well. I was there during the academic part of the day. Basically 8:30 until 12:30. I also worked with licensing for several years and did inspections. I'm not going to share stories because I would just be accused of being a troll. But I swore I would never put my child in a daycare center after seeing what goes on even in the very best.

It gets better when kids become more verbal. At least then they can tell you what happens.

Yep. I've worked in NAEYC accredited, reputable programs, and I still have horror stories.

Let's just say I spent A LOT of time picking my child's center, and then I basically lived there his first month, and still keep his days very short.

I kept him home as long as possible (8 mos.) and then I actually quit my ft job to work pt when it was time for him to start child care.

What would be some horror story type incidents? Are the kids hurt?

Sometimes. I've had to report staff to DSS on more than one occasion.
One teacher used to pop kids' knuckles because it scared them but didn't leave marks.
Dislocating a shoulder by pulling on kids' arms.
Leaving kids in dirty diapers all day until just before pick-up time.
Laughing at children who are fighting.
Encouraging children to hurt each other.
Keeping the heat off except at drop off and pick up.
Teachers physically fighting in the classroom.
Teachers passing out drunk on the playground.
Teachers eating most of the kids' lunches.
Children leaving the classroom and nobody noticing.
Holding kids down at nap time...

Good lord. I could not go back to that type of work, that's for sure. It's just... well... the pay is super low, and there are few entry requirements, so let's start there. I always suggest parents find out about teacher pay & benefits before choosing a center. It's often used a proxy for quality in research.

I worked in various pre-schools and never saw any of that. Mostly just the staff not really caring. They would pull the cook off if someone didn't show up. Once I had two classes knowing there was no way one person could effectively watch that much. Parents that sucked who dropped their poor kids off at 6:00 a.m. not to be picked up till 6:00 p.m. That was very sad, and they were all walks of life. If the state showed up we would get notified before they came in the front lobby doors. If something was amiss they would pull someone from somewhere to make the ratio's look good. Also, too many kids mean't aggression again because of a lack of one on one attention. I personally think there are better child cares choices out there that are much more affordable.

[Anonymous]

I used to be an Au Pair many moons ago and now I'm a mom and I can tell you that no matter how great someone seems always have a camera or people watching. Most of the Au Pairs used to come to "our" home with their kids and it was unbelievable how badly some of these children were treated. One child refused to eat dinner and the Au pair would take him in the basement and you could hear a loud scream and they would come back up and he would be eating. I knew she was smacking him and my biggest regret is not saying anything. I wish I did. The children were ignored constantly. The parents had no clue and thought these AU Pairs were the best thing that ever happened to them. If the Au Pairs were treated kindly then they treated the children kindly, if the parents were being assholes then the Au Pairs were so mean to the children.

[Anonymous]

Financial planners barely know any more than you do about investing. If we did, we wouldn't be managing your puny assets.

Most of our clients feel that it is sophisticated and a status symbol to have us manage their investments. It is not. It just shows that they are dumb enough to hire us.

[Anonymous]

Physical therapists recommend wheelchairs when it is too dangerous for your parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle to walk (risk of catastrophic injury from a fall, poor surgical candidate, nosocomial infection, etc) and they are a high falls risk, not because they are giving up or didn't do a good job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to be an Au Pair many moons ago and now I'm a mom and I can tell you that no matter how great someone seems always have a camera or people watching. Most of the Au Pairs used to come to "our" home with their kids and it was unbelievable how badly some of these children were treated. One child refused to eat dinner and the Au pair would take him in the basement and you could hear a loud scream and they would come back up and he would be eating. I knew she was smacking him and my biggest regret is not saying anything. I wish I did. The children were ignored constantly. The parents had no clue and thought these AU Pairs were the best thing that ever happened to them. If the Au Pairs were treated kindly then they treated the children kindly, if the parents were being assholes then the Au Pairs were so mean to the children.

So sad how many "professional" parents are taking this cheap option.

[Anonymous]

Years ago I briefly worked for a "famous" crisis management consultant that was a huge fraud but even so many celebrities and high powered executives hired him. I quickly realized that he lied about his past employment, accomplishments and education. He was a master manipulator and when clients complained about unfounded billings or questionable practices he would threaten to sue them and they would go away. He worked for some awful people and industries and though he was despicable made millions!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Years ago I briefly worked for a "famous" crisis management consultant that was a huge fraud but even so many celebrities and high powered executives hired him. I quickly realized that he lied about his past employment, accomplishments and education. He was a master manipulator and when clients complained about unfounded billings or questionable practices he would threaten to sue them and they would go away. He worked for some awful people and industries and though he was despicable made millions!

Why not expose his name here?

[Anonymous]

He's still alive and to be honest I'm afraid of him....his kids and 2 ex wives are still local as well...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to be an Au Pair many moons ago and now I'm a mom and I can tell you that no matter how great someone seems always have a camera or people watching. Most of the Au Pairs used to come to "our" home with their kids and it was unbelievable how badly some of these children were treated. One child refused to eat dinner and the Au pair would take him in the basement and you could hear a loud scream and they would come back up and he would be eating. I knew she was smacking him and my biggest regret is not saying anything. I wish I did. The children were ignored constantly. The parents had no clue and thought these AU Pairs were the best thing that ever happened to them. If the Au Pairs were treated kindly then they treated the children kindly, if the parents were being assholes then the Au Pairs were so mean to the children.

This is weird. I was never an Au Pair, but I used to be a child and had no qualms communicating with my parents if I felt a caregiver was treating me unfairly, let alone badly. It only happened once or twice, but swift action was taken.

[Anonymous]

How profit-driven hospitals are. Hospitals will pick the device or treatment with the higher reimbursement rate, regardless of whether there is any solid data that the more expensive treatment or device is more effective or better for patients. People with high deductible/coinsurance may be financially ruined by this practice (bc hospitals certainly aren't going to create a paper trail of using the more expensive options on Medicare/Medicaid patients), but they aren't informed there is a cheaper equally effective option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How profit-driven hospitals are. Hospitals will pick the device or treatment with the higher reimbursement rate, regardless of whether there is any solid data that the more expensive treatment or device is more effective or better for patients. People with high deductible/coinsurance may be financially ruined by this practice (bc hospitals certainly aren't going to create a paper trail of using the more expensive options on Medicare/Medicaid patients), but they aren't informed there is a cheaper equally effective option.

+1. Even the so called "non-profit" hospitals....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give me a break with the daycare stories. The teachers at our center send their own kids there. Explain that?

+1. Our center director and many of the teachers send their kids to our center. I check on the video feed often and have never once seen teachers eating the kids' food, hitting, falling down drunk on the playground, etc.

Same - and I drop in unannounced all the time, as do other parents. Zero issues.

You are kidding yourself. Staff know when parents are in the facility. There are often code words used. "Elvis is in the building" was used whenever a parent was unexpectedly on-site at my last center. I worked with a teacher who would put her long coat over kids and pretend to be hugging them. She was pinching their little ears. Another teacher took kids in the bathrooms out the camera site and smacked them on the head with their shoes if they took them off. These were degreed teachers in accredited centers. Yes I reported.

It would take me hours to list all the scary stuff I saw in even the "best centers". There are some great teachers out there. But there are also some awful ones. Low pay plus the stress of dealing with young children and long hours with few breaks creates a less than ideal environment.

Whatever.

I think it's hilarious at people don't believe these stories. Why would PPs lie about this crap? Nobody is trying to scare anyone off from daycare, but this does exist.

I think there are nannies from the nanny forum who are pretty invested in scare stories. My kids are much older and I did all variants of childcare when they were younger so don't really have a horse in this race, but this is a pattern I've seen on DCUM.

Good point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give me a break with the daycare stories. The teachers at our center send their own kids there. Explain that?

+1. Our center director and many of the teachers send their kids to our center. I check on the video feed often and have never once seen teachers eating the kids' food, hitting, falling down drunk on the playground, etc.

Same - and I drop in unannounced all the time, as do other parents. Zero issues.

You are kidding yourself. Staff know when parents are in the facility. There are often code words used. "Elvis is in the building" was used whenever a parent was unexpectedly on-site at my last center. I worked with a teacher who would put her long coat over kids and pretend to be hugging them. She was pinching their little ears. Another teacher took kids in the bathrooms out the camera site and smacked them on the head with their shoes if they took them off. These were degreed teachers in accredited centers. Yes I reported.

It would take me hours to list all the scary stuff I saw in even the "best centers". There are some great teachers out there. But there are also some awful ones. Low pay plus the stress of dealing with young children and long hours with few breaks creates a less than ideal environment.

Whatever.

I think it's hilarious at people don't believe these stories. Why would PPs lie about this crap? Nobody is trying to scare anyone off from daycare, but this does exist.

I think there are nannies from the nanny forum who are pretty invested in scare stories. My kids are much older and I did all variants of childcare when they were younger so don't really have a horse in this race, but this is a pattern I've seen on DCUM.

Good point.

+1. DCUM is heavily populated by nannies. I don't trust a lot of what I read. Including the salaries, benefits and how bad daycares are. It doesn't mesh with my own personal experience or from what my friends/relatives say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give me a break with the daycare stories. The teachers at our center send their own kids there. Explain that?

+1. Our center director and many of the teachers send their kids to our center. I check on the video feed often and have never once seen teachers eating the kids' food, hitting, falling down drunk on the playground, etc.

Same - and I drop in unannounced all the time, as do other parents. Zero issues.

You are kidding yourself. Staff know when parents are in the facility. There are often code words used. "Elvis is in the building" was used whenever a parent was unexpectedly on-site at my last center. I worked with a teacher who would put her long coat over kids and pretend to be hugging them. She was pinching their little ears. Another teacher took kids in the bathrooms out the camera site and smacked them on the head with their shoes if they took them off. These were degreed teachers in accredited centers. Yes I reported.

It would take me hours to list all the scary stuff I saw in even the "best centers". There are some great teachers out there. But there are also some awful ones. Low pay plus the stress of dealing with young children and long hours with few breaks creates a less than ideal environment.

Whatever.

I think it's hilarious at people don't believe these stories. Why would PPs lie about this crap? Nobody is trying to scare anyone off from daycare, but this does exist.

I think there are nannies from the nanny forum who are pretty invested in scare stories. My kids are much older and I did all variants of childcare when they were younger so don't really have a horse in this race, but this is a pattern I've seen on DCUM.

Good point.

+1. DCUM is heavily populated by nannies. I don't trust a lot of what I read. Including the salaries, benefits and how bad daycares are. It doesn't mesh with my own personal experience or from what my friends/relatives say.

I would definitely tell myself the same thing if my kids lived at daycare. So heartbreaking. How would you like to spend 10 hours a day in the same room?