If one of my kids come in with a dirty diaper, I change it. Not because I know where everything is. Not because I feel it is my responsibilty, but rather to let the parent get on their way to work. I have had parents offer to change the child, but I tell them to get on their way.

In the PM, every child goes home in a fresh diaper or pull up, and babies usually go home in a fresh sleeper. But then that is me, I am anal about keeping them clean as I did with my own kids.

Ours has the same policy - whether it's written or not, I have no idea - and while it does kind of suck when we're running late, it makes perfect sense to me. He pooped while in my care, my responsibility.

Kind of like when my husband hand over our son to me in the morning so he can take a shower. If there's pre-existing poop, it's not my job to change it.

Call me terrible, but it hasn't occurred to me to change the diaper myself once at daycare. I'd be surprised if they'd let me do it, because like pps have said, I don't know the procedures (where everyone's separate diapers and wipes are, how they clean up the area before/after). When DD has pooped on the way over, I've told them and apologized.

At my daycare, every morning, babies must be changed once they arrive. Which sucks for me because I'm doing pick up and drop off so I barely make it back to the center in time in the evenings because of how long it takes for me to get out of there in the mornings. That said, I'm betting its in place due to trifling parents who probably used to send kids to daycare every morning in old, dirty diapers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This does sound ridiculous. At drop-off, I've offered to change DS's dirty diaper, but the caregivers cheerfully take him and say that they will take care of it. They know where all the cleaning supplies are (they wipe down the diaper changing pad after each change) and what the proper cleaning procedures are.

This response is similar to what I have experienced at First Baptist Church CDC in Dupont. You can offer but they are generally happy to do it so you can be on your way to work.

Same here. And they put her in a fresh diaper before we leave.

My daycare prefers to change poopy diapers themselves. They have their procedures, their gloves, their paper roll to put on the changing pad.... we parents just mess up their system.

To the OP who noticed that the ratio was off should have changed the diaper. I understand that you were late but put yourself in the providers situation. She has a room full of kids to monitor, along with parents and children to greet as they come in. That is why these policies are place. So she is probably annoyed that you tell her the baby has a rash and can't sit in poop while you are setting her down in poop instead of changing her. So she didn't have to give you a tone but I'm sure that situation was frustrating for her as well. If it were my son I would have changed him before I left because I wouldn't want him to leave him in a dirty diaper.

Anonymous wrote:This does sound ridiculous. At drop-off, I've offered to change DS's dirty diaper, but the caregivers cheerfully take him and say that they will take care of it. They know where all the cleaning supplies are (they wipe down the diaper changing pad after each change) and what the proper cleaning procedures are.

This response is similar to what I have experienced at First Baptist Church CDC in Dupont. You can offer but they are generally happy to do it so you can be on your way to work.

I can't believe the any daycare would expect the parent to do it. I would have happily changed it, especially since mom was running late. We've all got to help each other out sometimes. I would have said the child was on my clock at arrival time. Poop Happens!

We live less than 2 minutes away from our daycare, and the other morning, as we were heading out, we noticed that our DS had pooped. My husband wanted to just take him to daycare without changing him and let them deal with it, because we were running late. I refused to do so and changed him. Maybe the policy is designed to avoid situations like this?

I think this is a situation where common courtesy (on both sides) would ideally prevail. The OP should have offered to change the child or else apologized profusely and explained she was running late. After all, the kid did poop on OP's watch and it's just gross to hand over a child who needs a change. But, the provider should have graciously insisted that she would do it instead. Seems lame to have a rule about it either way.

"I was told the policy for this at our daycare is because sometimes there are not enough teachers during drop off to watch the kids and another to go change a diaper. "

So what happens to the kid who poops right after the parent leaves?

Daycare is not like preschool with a clear start and stop time for everyone. At most places, parents are dropping child off at different times within a range. While most may come in at 9am there are some earlier or later. Most kids do not arrive when it opens and stay until it closes.

PP provider here and I also send my kids home in a fresh outfit if needed, time the bottle as close to pick-up as I can and change their diapers. I like to send them home clean as well. And I will be honest, sometimes dcbaby, the one who comes poopy and hungry at drop-off every day poops 5 min before pick-up. I have been very tempted to leave it for Mom, but I always change it. Why? Because just like in your case, it's common courtesy to help out.

It's not uncommon during periods of transition for the ratios to be off, during shift changes, etc. It's not right but it is difficult for centers to avoid, especially if staff arrive late. And I do think licensing allows for less than ratio staffing at certain times during the day such a rest time depending on the kids ages.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am having a hard time swallowing why this is so terrible... it's your child, correct? I understand that it may be inconvenient, but to assume that is someone else's responsibility simply because your child pooped after you left the house... ?

But it IS someone else's responsibility at this point in the day. Not the OP, but I understand her consternation. Part of the reason for daycare is because people need to be at work and need help with their kids!

Then perhaps the parent should arrive at the daycare a few minutes earlier to allow for time in case of a situation like this.

When I had children coming in with dirty diapers and I was in the process of serving breakfast, the parent would come in and automatically change their child, because after all the child pooped on THEIR time. And I have same policy, kids come fully dressed and clean, ready for the day. Not worried if they ate or not because they jump up and eat with the kids as they come in, unless of course they are brought in well past breakfast hour.

Whether it is or isnt right, i dont see how this should be on the daycare providers clock to say hey, i gotta run here she is, she pooped.

BTW, my kids are asleep right now so this is MY time