My annual daycare rant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, not all of us working moms are "at the Palm" or "in a plenary session." Some of us are sifting through impenetrable reports and making calls to ensure the safety of the water you drink. Some of us are working to get the funding for the very playground you are on. Some of us are cleaning the bathrooms and offices that your salary-earning spouse uses every day at the office. Some of us are driving the trucks and flying the airplanes that bring the food to the grocery store that ends up on your table. Some of us are changing the sheets of the bed of the child who is going through yet another round of chemotherapy and has thrown up yet again. Some of us are making sure that the grandmother suffering from Alzheimers doesn't wander down the street in her underwear. Some of us are sitting in a lab titrating, hoping against hope that we will play a small role in the cure for Parkinsons. Some of us are arranging the schedules of world-class violinists who will perform music for schoolkids who otherwise would never have been exposed to such beauty. Some of us are struggling child with a learning disability how to read. Some of us working to ensure that your retirement funds are secure. Some of us are training for our next tour of duty in Iraq.

Way to beat that dead horse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, not all of us working moms are "at the Palm" or "in a plenary session." Some of us are sifting through impenetrable reports and making calls to ensure the safety of the water you drink. Some of us are working to get the funding for the very playground you are on. Some of us are cleaning the bathrooms and offices that your salary-earning spouse uses every day at the office. Some of us are driving the trucks and flying the airplanes that bring the food to the grocery store that ends up on your table. Some of us are changing the sheets of the bed of the child who is going through yet another round of chemotherapy and has thrown up yet again. Some of us are making sure that the grandmother suffering from Alzheimers doesn't wander down the street in her underwear. Some of us are sitting in a lab titrating, hoping against hope that we will play a small role in the cure for Parkinsons. Some of us are arranging the schedules of world-class violinists who will perform music for schoolkids who otherwise would never have been exposed to such beauty. Some of us are struggling child with a learning disability how to read. Some of us working to ensure that your retirement funds are secure. Some of us are training for our next tour of duty in Iraq.

Way to beat that dead horse.

Are all the nasty comments coming from the same person? There are more constructive things to do during the day, than attempting to belittle strangers.

[Anonymous]

To the OP- I, too, am a SAHM.

I find your post disgusting and I feel sorry for your "perfect" child(ren) who has/have no choice but to being parented by such a nasty person.

Get a life.

[Anonymous]

This has GOT to be a joke. Someone has too much time on their hands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the poo comment. That was funny.

hahahah. she said poo.

You really need to get out more.

[Anonymous]

I have seen the same as the OP, and it annoys me as well, but I know for a fact that both my children will run arpund like crazy with other peers when they are older as well, when I am not around. I do hope they will have attanetive caregivers, though.

So when I, the boring SAHM, am at the park and I see a bunch of the wild 5 year olds, I suck it up and remind myself that they only come every so often. And most of the time, there will be one or 2 very sweet kids who interact with me and my children. I have had some of the most beautiful conversations about race and skin color etc. with some of these kids. (my kids are mixed)

So that's what I would do: suck it up, if it bothers you, go get some playground equipment for your yard and stick to yourself. You are not entitled to having the park to yourself, that's just the way life is. It is one thing to be bothered by negligent caretakers (which I am as well) but another to say all these negative things about 5 year olds who do what they're supposed to: they're being kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with PP. Daycare kids don't go to public parks except maybe once in a while for a break in routine. If they are just showing up in summer and not during the rest of the year, they are probably summer camp kids.

They daycare in my neighborhood takes the kids to the neighborhood park twice a day in nice weather. They ignore the kids unless they're yelling at them. No kidding. It's a highly regarded daycare, too.

[Anonymous]

15:01 here. I meant to add that the children themselves are well-behaved. They're preschoolers and toddlers, and are generally quite nice. Their caregivers aren't very involved with them, though, except to correct them.

[Anonymous]

who the F*** cares what the OP thinks? Really...such a ridiculous post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:01 here. I meant to add that the children themselves are well-behaved. They're preschoolers and toddlers, and are generally quite nice. Their caregivers aren't very involved with them, though, except to correct them.

While I don't like the yelling, I think free-play for 4 and 5 year olds is completely appropriate. They get a lot of structure at daycare. I don't think it would be good for the teacher to control their play at the playground other than to set appropriate boundaries when necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:15:01 here. I meant to add that the children themselves are well-behaved. They're preschoolers and toddlers, and are generally quite nice. Their caregivers aren't very involved with them, though, except to correct them.

While I don't like the yelling, I think free-play for 4 and 5 year olds is completely appropriate. They get a lot of structure at daycare. I don't think it would be good for the teacher to control their play at the playground other than to set appropriate boundaries when necessary.

15:01/15:03 here. I should have been clearer, I guess. The kids range in age from 18 months to 3 (though even at that age I think free play is fine). What I think is less okay is that the caregivers stand around and chat or talk on cell phones and often don't really watch what the kids are doing. And they intervene by yelling from a distance or grabbing the kids by the arm. If SAHMs or nannies were doing the same thing, I'd think it was inappropriate too. (For the record, I have yelled at my son when he ran into the parking lot.) Of course I see some SAHMs and nannies ignoring their kids so they can chat with each other, too. When caregivers (yes, SAHMs and nannies too) don't give the kids any attention, they seek it from other parents or caregivers. That does annoy me at times. I don't want to parent other kids when I'm at the park with mine. But my point, really, was that the daycare kids do use the neighborhood park where I live, so contrary to what some posters have said, it happens.

[Anonymous]

Reading through this thread I'm sure the vitriolic posts are all from the same person who is deliberately trying to provoke a reaction. Yuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading through this thread I'm sure the vitriolic posts are all from the same person who is deliberately trying to provoke a reaction. Yuck.

I agree, but if the OP does have kids its just illustrates how unbalanced some parents are and its no wonder people often grow up screwd up being raised by people who should refrain from passing on their DNA. Maybe a puppy would have been a better choice.

[Anonymous]

Many of the problems with daycare behavior could be solved if the daycare providers were paid more. You can get more money walking dogs than taking care of preschool-aged children.

[Anonymous]

As a mom of a daycare child, I wanted to ask the PP who has seen negligent behavior by caregivers at her local park to share the daycare name or at least the park?? I like to think that our caregivers are first-rate, and I've dropped off/picked up enough times at the park to be pretty confident that they're not sitting on their cell phones or otherwise disregarding the kids. But of course when I see posts like that one, I always worry a little that it's his school. Frankly I agree that kids need to be able to blow off steam on the playground, so I'm not worried about their behavior so long as there's someone keeping a close eye to make sure nothing gets out of hand. Thanks!

FWIW, I don't worry about what the OP said, simply because that was by far the most nutty rant I've ever read here on DCUM. Unfortunately, I don't think it's a totally uncommon sentiment among some. When I went back to work after a year, the mommies group that I'd been attending was downright horrified that I was going to use a daycare. And most of these women had had very impressive careers, but were resolved to stay home or work PT but only use nannies. Unfortunately so many people need to feel superior to justify their own choices...