What I saw at a "fully monitored" daycare center

[Anonymous]

The daycare workers were almost like robots towards the little children... no warmth whatsoever. The picking up, the carrying, the diaper changing, the communication. It was eerie to see.

Is this the risk when you know your every move with the children will be watched and criticized? And then may be kept on record forever?

[Anonymous]

I actually just posted to a local center's facebook page because I was so impressed with how warm, competent, and fun one of their workers was (the kids were on a field trip). You can't generalize. It sounds like that center is not for you.

[Anonymous]

It’s definitely unsettling knowing you’re being watched all day. Some teachers will be over the top because they’re being watched and some will constantly be thinking “I’m being watched” so it may take away from how they may really “like” to interact with the children- your robots.

I’ve worked in daycare and not to scare you, but I’ve heard (and seen) horror stories from daycares with or without cameras, so it really doesn’t matter. A lot of things reported have either been caught on camera or reported by a parent. If you don’t feel good about any daycare facility when you leave the tour, then chances are it’s not a good fit for you and don’t even second guess it, keep searching!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually just posted to a local center's facebook page because I was so impressed with how warm, competent, and fun one of their workers was (the kids were on a field trip). You can't generalize. It sounds like that center is not for you.

+1

[Anonymous]

Also any job gets old; give diaper, change bottle, put on playmat, repeat, repeat, repeat. Workers who have been at the job for a while probably get burned out.

[Anonymous]

They get paid $10/hr. You want hugs, pay $20/hr.

[Anonymous]

Just like with any profession, there are good ones and bad ones. We've had both a great nanny and a great daycare center. I have friends who've had bad experiences with both.

[Anonymous]

Being "monitored" has nothing to do with it. Daycare sucks in generally because babies and toddlers are not getting the attention they need. I certainly would never turst an unmonitored daycare with workers who are overworked and underpaid and dealing with four crying kids at the same time. At least someone can see if some worker is hitting the babies or shaking them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s definitely unsettling knowing you’re being watched all day. Some teachers will be over the top because they’re being watched and some will constantly be thinking “I’m being watched” so it may take away from how they may really “like” to interact with the children- your robots.

I’ve worked in daycare and not to scare you, but I’ve heard (and seen) horror stories from daycares with or without cameras, so it really doesn’t matter. A lot of things reported have either been caught on camera or reported by a parent. If you don’t feel good about any daycare facility when you leave the tour, then chances are it’s not a good fit for you and don’t even second guess it, keep searching!

+1

I agree, to know that at any given second, a parent may be watching you & analyzing your job performance is really a bit stressful.
I would hate to have cameras in my face the whole, entire work day.
I am very camera shy so I will be much reserved and not be a real goofball because I am being filmed.’
Who wants to look silly on camera.

Bet if those cameras are gone, that staff would relax their stiff manner their daycare will be a much more exciting place to spend a day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being "monitored" has nothing to do with it. Daycare sucks in generally because babies and toddlers are not getting the attention they need. I certainly would never turst an unmonitored daycare with workers who are overworked and underpaid and dealing with four crying kids at the same time. At least someone can see if some worker is hitting the babies or shaking them.

It’s always scary to leave your child in the hands of someone else but you do have some really good daycares out there. It’s sort of hard to give one on one attention but that doesn’t mean that the children (infants, toddlers and preschoolers) aren’t receiving attention. If you truly love taking care of children then “crying” will not annoy you- it’s what they do. I’ve worked in daycare for a long time and I loved my job. Yes, I had frustrating days, but that’s with any job and 9 out of 10 it was my coworker(s) getting on my nerves and not the children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being "monitored" has nothing to do with it. Daycare sucks in generally because babies and toddlers are not getting the attention they need. I certainly would never turst an unmonitored daycare with workers who are overworked and underpaid and dealing with four crying kids at the same time. At least someone can see if some worker is hitting the babies or shaking them.

It’s always scary to leave your child in the hands of someone else but you do have some really good daycares out there. It’s sort of hard to give one on one attention but that doesn’t mean that the children (infants, toddlers and preschoolers) aren’t receiving attention. If you truly love taking care of children then “crying” will not annoy you- it’s what they do. I’ve worked in daycare for a long time and I loved my job. Yes, I had frustrating days, but that’s with any job and 9 out of 10 it was my coworker(s) getting on my nerves and not the children.

+1. You forget about the cameras pretty quickly anyway.

[Anonymous]

I agree that it’s probably a case of workers being overworked and underpaid. Some daycare centers are just bad like that.

I worked for one that was so bad, I was left alone in the infant room (I was not yet teacher-qualified) with 11 or 12 children regularly during the course of one summer. Other times, I was still loaded up with at least six infants alone. I rarely got any help. I was only making $8.75/hr.

So glad I got outta there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that it’s probably a case of workers being overworked and underpaid. Some daycare centers are just bad like that.

I worked for one that was so bad, I was left alone in the infant room (I was not yet teacher-qualified) with 11 or 12 children regularly during the course of one summer. Other times, I was still loaded up with at least six infants alone. I rarely got any help. I was only making $8.75/hr.

So glad I got outta there!

That’s against regulations to have 1 teacher with six infants! I would have called licensing. I feel like infant and toddler rooms always take all the teachers, at least the centers I’ve worked for. The older rooms (2 and up) always needed an extra teacher. Normally the teachers who don’t have certifications make less. I was in MD and I started off at $11.50 (2013) and left at $16.50 (2017). Before that, in 2011, I was making 9.25.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being "monitored" has nothing to do with it. Daycare sucks in generally because babies and toddlers are not getting the attention they need. I certainly would never turst an unmonitored daycare with workers who are overworked and underpaid and dealing with four crying kids at the same time. At least someone can see if some worker is hitting the babies or shaking them.

It’s always scary to leave your child in the hands of someone else but you do have some really good daycares out there. It’s sort of hard to give one on one attention but that doesn’t mean that the children (infants, toddlers and preschoolers) aren’t receiving attention. If you truly love taking care of children then “crying” will not annoy you- it’s what they do. I’ve worked in daycare for a long time and I loved my job. Yes, I had frustrating days, but that’s with any job and 9 out of 10 it was my coworker(s) getting on my nerves and not the children.

+1
My daughter's daycare teachers were almost all very affectionate and engaged with the kids. Lots of hugs! But they were all paid reasonably well, with benefits and sick leave, and the center was clean and bright and pretty well-managed. Good centers have good staff.

[Anonymous]

My DC goes to a daycare that is generally regarded as good. I find it to be very lacking - maybe I'm expecting too much. For example, at drop off no teacher actually comes up to welcome my child - its literally up to me to get DCs hands washed and get her seated at the breakfast table if that's where everyone is. I also find teachers often ignore a crying child or will not wipe runny noses and don't change diapers as frequently as I would like. I think if they were watched, they would be much more on the ball. I'm a FTM and not American so I think my standards for childcare are probably not what others around here consider acceptable. But I do think cameras would help keep lazy day care workers more on the ball.