This incredibly long entry is for those of you wondering about the daycare situation. I have not written about all of the chaos because it has been really depressing. Here is the summary of what all has gone on. There are about a million other little things I don’t feel like mentioning, so I’ll stick to the major events in The Daycare Debacle of 2006.
Week 1: NikkiZ had two teachers. Ms. Morning and Ms. Lovely. Ms. Morning opened up the class but left at lunch every day. Ms. Lovely was there most of the day. We loved both teachers and all was good. Of course, the director (Ms. NeverOnTime) was late TWICE the first week and she ended up being forced to quit.
Week 2: Chaos erupted with the lack of a director. Several different faces were constantly rotating in the office and the owner made many appearances. There were many teachers being “trained” which added to the chaos. One teacher, Ms. SlowAsHell, seemed to spend a lot of time in NikkiZ’s classroom.
Week 3: Ms. SlowAsHell had been appointed to NikkiZ’s class officially. Many incidents were experienced where it was obvious she was not able to multi-task. NikkiZ was given to me covered in vomit. A boy classmate was sent home with poop on his back. Kids were left screaming often while she took 20 minutes to change a diaper. Parents were UNHAPPY.
Wednesday: One mother took her daughter out of the school. One child moved to the older class. There were then only THREE kids in NikkiZ’s class and Ms. SlowAsHell still seemed overwhelmed.
Thursday: One mom and I both decided to let the owner know that we were fine as long as Ms. Morning and Ms. Lovely stayed in the classroom but if they planned on leaving Ms. SlowAsHell there alone, we were going to be unhappy. We both called that afternoon. We both PRAISED Ms. Morning and Ms. Lovely and complained about Ms. SlowAsHell. We were both given weird platitudes but were not reassured things would be fine.
Friday: Ms. Lovely was fired (all of the parents LOVED HER) because she clashed with administration.
Week 4: Ms. Morning was getting worn out working with Ms. SlowAsHell. Ms. SAH was struggling to survive but was very nice and trying her best so I tried not to get too discouraged when I found out the two daycares close enough for me to use were full. But in reality? I was getting really depressed.
Week 5: Finally adjusted to Ms. SlowAsHell when Ms. Frizz showed up. Ms. Frizz was VERY strange and seemed nice enough, but I did not like her because she kept “reassuring” me that she wouldn’t hold the babies too much because that would just make the parents life difficult at home. I was APALLED by this notion and became even more frustrated when I came in one day and found her just sitting in the rocking chair and letting the babies fend for themselves. Her and Ms. S.A.H. were both there in the afternoons with only THREE babies to care for yet it seemed one was always crying. I was getting MORE depressed.
Week 6: I realized that Ms. Frizz was a permanent fixture and was getting really upset.
Wednesday: One of NikkiZ’s classmates’ mother told me she turned in her notice and was sending her son to a different daycare. It was one I didn’t know about and as close enough to still allow me to nurse. I got excited and called to tour it. (She also told me when she turned in her notice the office staff pretty much BEGGED her to stay.)
Thursday: View daycare. It was nice enough but there were three teachers and with NikkiZ, 15 babies. We found ourselves having to choose between a daycare where she was only one of two babies but with teachers we don’t like, or one of 15 with teachers we may like better. We didn’t like this decision but felt that she was better off in a place where she could get more attention.
Friday (LAST WEEK): We met Ms. Salvation and she was wonderful. She said she may be the new teacher with Ms. Morning and that Ms. Frizz and Ms. S.A.H were probably being moved to other places and classes. She was not 100% sure about this, but she was hopeful because she loved the babies. I loved her. She was wonderful. When I left, the office workers asked me what I thought about her and I gushed as much as possible. I asked if she’ll be there permanently. They say “We think so, we want to get the parent’s input first.”
Ha. If that were true? You would have never fired Ms. Lovely. Oh - and there are ONLY TWO OF US NOW. And I like her so you now have a 50% approval rating.
CONCLUSION: We don’t like this place on principle because the opinions of the parents seem so low on their list of concerns. But - it looks like they are shifting to panic-kiss-ass mode which may benefit us in the long run. Also - it looks like NikkiZ will be one of TWO babies in a class with TWO teachers who I love. In reality? That’s a great situation for her. So, we may be irritated with the owners and administration, but it looks like NikkiZ may be happy here.
As long as they stick with the plan they proposed on Friday. Ms. Morning and Ms. Salvation as NikkiZ’s teachers will allow me not to stress out every day when I leave her there.
FIVE FREAKIN’ TEACHERS IN SIX WEEKS.
I used to work in a daycare, and I was Ms. Lovely. Sometimes, daycare/preschool “politics” are ridiculous. I can completely empathize with your frustration. I hope they keep their word, and everything starts to calm down a bit.
Oh I am so sorry
I am considering a job at a church preschool and I LOVE working with kids.
Some people should.just.not.
I hope it all works out.
Turnover is so bad for the little ones.
They need a strong director.
It all starts with the management.
When you are working for so little pay, you HAVE to have a nice work environment to be able to tolerate it.
Oh, Good Lord. I hope everything gets back on an even keel over there. If not, maybe your dogs could grow opposable thumbs and learn to make bottles and change diapers.
Heck, I think my dog could change a diaper in less than 20 minutes with a thumb. Not that he would, the lazy beast.
I agree with Mary. I would workout at Bally’s and there was a different person taking care of the kids every few weeks. And my poor little guy would freak out… As soon as he got to know and like a certain person, they were gone.
I’m so sorry to hear of your daycare experience. I’ve heard it alot though. But I’m really happy to also hear that you’ve now got two wonderful teachers to lavish Nicki Z with love.
Man oh man, I do not envy you! Sounds like it’s all working out great in the end, but all of that stress you’ve been through! Hang in there, sounds like you’re at a happy place now!
Okay, that’s just NUTS. I really hope, for your sake, that this place gets its rear in gear and keeps the DECENT teachers for a change.
You ever get the feeling some people woke up and instead of taking their vitamin, took Crazy Pills or something?
Wow, that’s crazy! At least it now sounds like it’s getting better.
My job is kinda like that: I like what I do, but the logistics/administration of it are driving me up the wall. And up here, the view is great, but all I see is that I’m glad I’m only doing this until June.
Get used to the turn over. Unless you go with a bright horizon’s or a great religious based daycare this is a job with heavy turn over.
Princess went to a daycare that was 5 stars by NC standards and they were horrible. Teachers telling kids to shut up, teachers keeping ther job’s because they have the “GOLDEN” degree the daycare uses for raiting status.
Stay ontop of this situation, you might go in another day and know it’s not right. ALso, I’ve stressed over this for 3 years. We went through 3 daycares in about 1 month. You gotta put Lilz first no one else will. This is a business.
In my opinion Churche’s have lower turn over and then to be harder on their staff. Even our fab preschool has had alot of turn over, but each teacher who left was replaced by someone more superior.
I am so sorry that you guys are dealing with this right now. I hope it all works out! Good luck!