My annual daycare rant

[Anonymous]

We have a three year old who is in a daycare/preschool program. We have two close friends with three year olds that are in half-day preschool at elitist Montessori schools. They spend the rest of the day with a nanny. We saw both of them yesterday. I was amazed to see how much more aggressive their children are. Their children were pushing and being physically aggressive (as many three year olds will do). My son is somewhat reserved. Although he enjoys their company, he is not one to be physically aggressive. Anyway, my point is that it is the personality of the child, not the day care. My son attends a good day care where they teach him to eat properly, clean up, and play nicely. If I did not have a child in day care, perhaps I would have the same mentality as the OP. However, through my experience I have learned that a good day care is better than a non-attentive nanny or SAHM/SAHD any day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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!

Where do you live, PP? The park and daycare I mentioned are in Takoma Park.

[Anonymous]

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

NO KIDDING!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While working moms may smugly talk about their relative financial security as compared to non-working moms (true) and how "boring" SAHMs are (also true), I'm going to talk about how no one seems to care what the HELL your daycare kids are doing while you're at the Palm or the plenary session and frankly, I've had it trying to deal with YOUR kids.

Now that summer is here, it is more apparent when the daycare kids are set loose a la Lord of the Flies on our local parks and attractions. My 2-year-old and I were chased out of a local park by a roving band of preschool thugs just today where my son was reduced to hyperventilating tears by a group of boys who threw mulch in his face, kicked his sand castle over and later proceeded to rifle through my purse (!) on a bench when they were told repeatedly they could not have my son's special toy. These boys were cherubic looking five year olds but behaved like seasoned criminals while their disinterested bovine daycare "teachers" (?) sat far away at a picnic pavillion, looking on as these angry kids threw each other to the ground and taunted other children. Who cares? They are getting a paycheck!

Sadly, I've seen this WAY too often. My friends and I groan whenever we see the daycares coming. It's always the same. These kids have no one to wipe their gross little noses. No one to care that they have no sand toys at the park. No one to care that they are behaving poorly. Sometimes I'm shocked at the lack of supervision. I was at an area mall when a group descended and these kids were outside/inside. My mother and I were like, "there are NO teachers with these kids." They were over eating pizza in a corner out of sight of these small kids.

A recent trip to Chuck E. Cheese was akin to stepping over the border into Tijuana with the little urchins BEGGING for tokens from moms there with their kids. My daughter had emptied her cup of tokens doling them out to the kids in daycare shirts when finally I had to say, enough! Sure, I feel badly but I wonder does your mother -- who probably earns more taking a poo at work than I do all year with my little freelance stuff -- know? Does she know you are out here during the day begging. Well I'm telling you. They are!

So flame me all you want. Tell me I'm just JEALOUS. But I've had it and I wanted you to know. Call it public service.

To OP,
You need help.
Signed,
Boring SAHM (who loves to see all sorts of little kids visit our parks - daycare program kids, kids with nannies, kids with babysitters, kids with grandmas and grandpas, and kids with parents)

[Anonymous]

Many thanks to the PP from Takoma Park - thankfully, that's not my son's school. His daycare is located in DC, in a fairly posh area with a nice park that the kids use daily. It's not a super-residential area (near lots of embassies) but there are obviously some families nearby, and I worry what that interaction is like. I'm confident that my son is happy and well-cared for, but if observers have legitimate reason to think otherwise, I'd want to know. Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

In defense of the OP - it was clearly written as a rant. She admits this up front. Ranting means using some colorful metaphors and exaggerating - in order to get something off one's chest. I'm not worried about OP's kids or her parenting. And for people to suggest that seems ridiculous to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In defense of the OP - it was clearly written as a rant. She admits this up front. Ranting means using some colorful metaphors and exaggerating - in order to get something off one's chest. I'm not worried about OP's kids or her parenting. And for people to suggest that seems ridiculous to me.

Sure, and when you start criticizing people like she does, in such a ridiculous and offensive way, people rant right back!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In defense of the OP - it was clearly written as a rant. She admits this up front. Ranting means using some colorful metaphors and exaggerating - in order to get something off one's chest. I'm not worried about OP's kids or her parenting. And for people to suggest that seems ridiculous to me.

Please-she obviously is in need of emotional help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Truth is, most of us don't like other people's children - especially in groups. We just blame it on their upbringing.

This is an often shared bit of DCUM "truth". I don't agree with it. I like children in general and like my children's classmates and friends. As for OP: yawn and double yawn.

[Anonymous]

Why doesn't OP assume that the parents of these kids would want to know about these conditions? It's almost as if she assumes that behind every badly behaved child is some professional mother who is too heartless to stay at home with her kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Truth is, most of us don't like other people's children - especially in groups. We just blame it on their upbringing.

This is an often shared bit of DCUM "truth". I don't agree with it. I like children in general and like my children's classmates and friends. As for OP: yawn and double yawn.

I agree, especially pre-schoolers. They're so precious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Truth is, most of us don't like other people's children - especially in groups. We just blame it on their upbringing.

I could change ten words in the initial post and I would have seen it before about indulgent SAHMs, nannies, martians....

What she said. Martians...hehe.