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Unregistered 08-27-2009 03:15 PM

Soiled Underwear in Day Care Centers
 
I live in Indiana and have a question. The day care my children attend have told me that it is the law that they cannot rinse out soiled underwear. They simply remove it from my child and let it sit in a bag even with poop in it without rinsing or dumping the poop from the panties all day til I come to pick them up. Of course by the time I get it home it is disgusting and the panties are usually ruined by this pt. It becomes not only gross but costly to replace the stained panties. What is Indiana state law on this? Is it true? If it is, whoever passed this one obviously has never opened up a bag of 8 hour old poop.
Thank you kindly

Former Teacher 08-27-2009 04:52 PM

Yes it is disgusting!
 
In Texas I don't think there is such as law, however I have read up on other centers and their policy is that of they can not rinse it out.

I would think it is a matter of sanitary. For years I personally would sit there and rinse out the soiled underwear until about 2 years ago. There was a boy who was 4 years old and he was just lazy to go to the bathroom. He would potty in there but he was lazy to do the other one. Well I would rinse out the soiled underwear for the first few times.

I happened to be walking out with the mother one day after she had her bag with his soiled underwear. We had a great communication. I really liked her alot. Anyway, we were walking out to her car so I could wish her and her son a good night and she walked right to the trash can. I was like "no! I already rinsed those out for you. She said do you honestly think I will put that in my washer? Even though its rinsed?"

We went on to have a long discussion and I agreed with her. It became MY policy that should a child in my care soil (THAT way not pee pee) then they would go in the trash.

Yes a few parents got upset because underwear costs money etc.. I just explained to them that I was sorry but I didn't have the time nor the staff to be rinsing out dirty clothes. Eventually over time, it became a personal "unspoken" center policy. I would think it would depend on each center.

As for the law, you might want to check Minimum Standards or perhaps the health department.

ConcernedMotherof2 08-27-2009 05:12 PM

This is one of the reasons I REALLY don't miss the days just after diapers went out the window. I've had many soiled pairs of underpants sent home with my children in plastic bags, but was never told it was the law that it be handled this way.

I saw this stage as part of potty training. Once you make the transition to cloth underpants vs. diapers or pull-ups, kids have accidents. (my daughter had WAY more than her share) Instead of approaching this at an angle of your provider is doing something irritating, it may be more constructive to communicate with them on what you can do to keep your daughter from having these accidents.

I don't know how old she is, but she's obviously old enough to be potty trained and this is what I had to do with my daughter... First, I was lucky enough to have some very understanding and experienced providers during this time and they were able to give me guidance. The communication was essential, as this point in a child's life can be difficult. I had my daughter wash her own panties out (with supervision, of course). She didn't do a very good job, but she was able to get an idea of what a mess she was making and she eventually quit making the mess. Of course, thorough hand washing after she was done was essential.

mac60 08-27-2009 06:24 PM

I would think it is more a "guideline/law, I have a mom who has told me to just throw them away when child pooped in them. I sent them home with them, I didn't want them in my garbage for 4 days.

I too will not rinse out pooped cloth panties. No way. If your child is old enough to be wearing cloth panties, they shouldn't be pooping their pants, and while I understand that if a child is ill or in a unusual situation and it happens, then oh well, just throw them out. For less than $1.75 per hour, I am not cleaning poop underwear. I think the dc was right in what they did. It is definately a sanitary issue, and I personally don't want to have to wash them out in my toilet or put them in my washer.

I will say, that if a child poops their panties, I will do my best to get the poop off by shaking them off. But I am not washing them out.

seashell 08-28-2009 05:13 AM

I will dump the poop in the toilet, bag the undies and send them home.

mac60 08-28-2009 05:18 AM

So parents, what do you think is the right thing for the providers to do in the situation where the childs poops their cloth undies?

Chickenhauler 08-30-2009 01:52 AM

I honestly don't see the big difference between rinsing out some poo and changing a filthy diaper.

If a little poo skeeves out a DC provider that badly, then they're in the wrong business.

To the lady who was throwing rinsed underwear in the trash because "I'm not putting that in my washer", I hope her husband never eats Chili or Brats and Kraut.:D

seashell 08-31-2009 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by Chickenhauler:
I honestly don't see the big difference between rinsing out some poo and changing a filthy diaper.

If a little poo skeeves out a DC provider that badly, then they're in the wrong business.

To the lady who was throwing rinsed underwear in the trash because "I'm not putting that in my washer", I hope her husband never eats Chili or Brats and Kraut.:D

The difference is, a diaper gets wrapped on itself and tossed in the trash. You don't need to scrub the diaper and you certinly don't run it through your washing machine. This is a health concern and I know that in my state, it is required that the undies be put in a bag and not washed out, which can spread germs and takes time from the children.

tinytotzdaycare 10-02-2009 03:59 PM

heres what I do
 
All of our children start potty training at 22 months and all but a few have been potty trained byt the time they were 2, I have my own technique and it works and since I dont use pull-ups here we have a lot of accidents at first...
I have had a utility sink and seperate washer installed in my laundry room. I put the majority of the accident in the toilet, then rinse the undies with dawn dishsoap (wear gloves) in the utility sink..this sink is used ONLY for this purpose. I clean it with bleach each naptime & night. Anyways during naptime I wash a small load of soiled clothing in the XTRA washer and put those clothes back in their cubby for the next time they need them.

Parents dont have to bring in clothes all the time, I always an extra outfit for them and it doesnt cost them more money. ***IF THEY HAD A VERY LOOSE STOOL I DO AS STATED IN MY CONTRACT/HANDBOOK TOSS THEM IN THE TRASH!!!

If they are wet, I rinse them and toss them in the wash as well.

Parents know that underwear WILL ALWAYS BE BLEACHED!!

judytrickett 10-15-2009 12:41 PM

As a daycare provider I don't rinse them out either. It's pretty unhygenic to rinse out someone else's underwear. Besides, if a child is not fully potty trained then they shouldn't be in underwear in a daycare setting anyway. Peeing and pooping in underwear exposes the other kids to it too. Yuck!

Unregistered 10-15-2009 05:29 PM

I think I'm just old! I used cloth diapers on my kids [long ago] so therefore I really don't have a problem rinsing out the poo from a child's underwear. Wear latex gloves, rinse most of it out, place it in a sealed bag and send it home.

I have noticed that many younger parents don't want to deal with the mess so they toss the underwear. To each his own... but it seems wasteful to me.

What about poo in the disposable diaper? Does anyone dump most of it in the toilet and flush it? I do. It cuts down on some of the smell in the diaper pail. :)

HandsOnLearning 10-26-2009 12:15 PM

toss them
 
we throw them our if they are soiled...if they are wet we rinse them and wash them here then put them back in their cubby for next time. Parents understand in the contract it states soiled underwear will be tossed in the trash for safety! Noone complains b/c most of them dont want them back anyway

Unregistered 10-29-2009 10:48 AM

soiled underwear
 
I guess my rules, are that if there is formed poop in underwear, I try and just get it to go into the toilet, if not, everything is wrapped up in a bag, and sent home for the parents to deal with.

Unregistered 10-30-2009 10:53 AM

I have a little one in cloth diapers at my home daycare, and I guess I'd do the same with underwear accidents as I do with the cloth diapers. Dump whatever poop I can and bag it up to go home. I don't have the time to be rinsing or soaking things. And as a parent, I'd want to know if my child was having accidents in their underwear, so I'd want them to come home with me, even if I did just toss them in the trash ...

canadiancare 11-03-2009 11:41 AM

I'll dump out formed poop. I have to wonder if the poster's child is ready for underwear if this is a constant occurrence.

Persephone 01-13-2010 08:17 AM

I think they should at least dump the poop out in the to potty.

And that won't put the dirty underwear in your washer would never be able to use cloth diapers.

Daycare Mommy 01-22-2010 02:16 AM

If a #2 accident happens in my daycare I would dump it out only if it's completely solid and not at all stuck on there. Otherwise I do not have time to mess with it. In my daycare, it goes into a bag along with any other soiled clothing and on the front porch for mom to deal with.

I have 6 other daycare children to be caring for. When an accident happens the provider is already taking time from the other kids to clean up the child, clean and sanitize the bathroom and any other areas that were hit. After that there is no time to be on stain patrol too.

Some questions for you though: Where would you propose the childcare provider rinse them out? The sink where the children wash their hands? And what are the children doing while she is pre-treating your laundry?

You aren't specific on how often, but it sounds like this is a frequently occurring thing. If this were my daycare, I would require that she be put back in pull-ups until she is accident free a set amount of time.

Dordhs 03-26-2010 04:13 PM

Soiled Underwear in Day Care Centers
 
Can someone please suggest some person who will stay and take care of 2 month old kid along with kids wife and grandmother.
Also please give me the rates if available.

mac60 03-26-2010 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by dordhs:
can someone please suggest some person who will stay and take care of 2 month old kid along with kids wife and grandmother.
Also please give me the rates if available.

huh????????

Daycare Mommy 03-27-2010 02:27 AM

Originally Posted by Dordhs:
Can someone please suggest some person who will stay and take care of 2 month old kid along with kids wife and grandmother.
Also please give me the rates if available.

ROFL I think you are lost.. and what are you talking about? What an odd thread to be lost on too. haha

mac60 03-27-2010 05:33 AM

Maybe they got lost looking for the spray and wash to spray the "poop stains"?????? Sorry, lol

Childminder 03-27-2010 09:02 AM

Michigan's Rules (Read the Last Line)
 
R 400.1923 Diapering and toilet learning.
Rule 23. (1) Diapering of infants and toddlers shall only occur in a designated changing area.
(2) The designated changing area shall comply with all of the following:
(a) Be used exclusively for changing wet or soiled diapers or underwear.
(b) Be located away from food preparation and meal service areas.
(c) Have access to a hand washing sink that is not used for food preparation.
(d) Have a nonabsorbent, easily sanitized surface with a changing pad between the child and the surface.
(e) Be cleaned and sanitized after each use.
(f) Have diapering/changing supplies within easy reach.
(g) Have a plastic-lined, tightly covered container exclusively for disposable diapers and diapering supplies that shall be emptied and sanitized at the end of each day.
(3) Diapers or training pants shall be changed when wet or soiled.
(4) Only single use disposable wipes or other single use cleaning cloths shall be used to clean a child during the diapering or toileting process.
(5) If cloth diapers/training pants are provided by the parent, then soiled diapers/training pants shall be placed in an individual, securely tied plastic bag and returned to the parent at the end of the day.
(6) Toilet learning shall be planned cooperatively between the parent and the caregiver so that the toilet routine established is consistent.
(7) If toilet learning equipment, such as potty chairs and modified toilet seats, are used, then the following shall apply:
(a) They shall be able to be easily cleaned and sanitized.
(b) Potty chairs shall be emptied, rinsed, and sanitized after each use.
(8) If disposable gloves are used, then they shall only be used once for a specific child and be removed and disposed of in a safe and sanitary manner immediately after each diaper change.

R 400.1923 (5) Diapering and toilet learning.
(5) If cloth diapers/training pants are provided by the parent, then
soiled diapers/training pants shall be placed in an individual,
securely tied plastic bag and returned to the parent at the end of
the day.
Rationale Containing and minimizing the handling of soiled diapers reduces the
chance that other surfaces are contaminated which prevents the spread
of infectious disease and the transmission of germs.
Technical
Assistance
The contents of a soiled cloth diaper may be dumped but the diaper
must not be rinsed.

nannyde 03-28-2010 04:09 AM

If a kid poops their pants at my house they go back into diapers until they are accident free for two weeks. I don't deal with kids being pee trained but not poop trained. It has to be both.

I don't have this happen but once every five-7 years or so. I don't switch kids out of diapers until I KNOW they are ready. They have to show me weeks of telling me they have to go before they have to go and doing both pee and poop before the unders come on.

I am VERY strict about wearing protection until they are completely ready to go into undies. It's been three years since I've even had a pee accident here. It's been seven years since I've had a poop accident. I don't want my carpet ruined to save the parents a dollar or two in diapers a day and I won't pay for staff time to clean poopy underwear and clean up the kid.

Sounds to me like the kid still isn't potty trained.

Unregistered 03-28-2010 07:32 AM

This is kind of funny in a way.
I was reading on another board where the parents were angry because a daycare staff member was busy with a child who had soiled themselves in the bathroom and their child was hurt in an altercation with another 4 year old (so this was an potty accident in a 4 year old room). They felt that the teacher was neglecting the other kids while she was cleaning up the accident child. I have been in that situation while working in a center. I was in the poop smeared bathroom with a poop smeared 4 year old listening to the other kids and peeking out the door while trying to keep little Bobby from stepping in any more of his own feces. Everything that had poop on it went into a bag, so everything that kid was wearing. Their lucky he didn't end up in the bag. No one was hurt except my nose and stomach, but I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

So, I wonder how upset OP would have been if their child had been hurt while the staff had been cleaning out poopy underwear.

I really think some parents just have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that their child is not the only and most important child in the world. Once they take them somewhere else and introduce them into a room with 10 other most important children in the world, they are not going to get the attention their parents think they "deserve".

melskids 03-28-2010 08:38 AM

i'm in NY and i was told NOT to rinse out poopy under wear or cloth diapers. it is to go in a bag and be sent home.

now, if it is formed, i will try and dump it in the toilet

i think this rule is stupid cause if a child gets poop or puke on MY blanket or whatever, that obviously is going in my washer, so why can't the poopy/ puked on clothes as well? what happens when they puke on MY carpet? i'm surely not going to be rolling that up and throwing it away.....

Daycare Mommy 03-29-2010 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by melskids:
i think this rule is stupid cause if a child gets poop or puke on MY blanket or whatever, that obviously is going in my washer, so why can't the poopy/ puked on clothes as well? what happens when they puke on MY carpet? i'm surely not going to be rolling that up and throwing it away.....

Yeah, but the amount of poop on blanket vs. poop in underwear is, I'm sure, a big difference. And after a short run I did with cloth diapers. I realized that the washing machine doesn't get things as clean as I thought it did and "things" get left behind in the machine or stick to whatever you're washing. Ew, ew, ew!!!

I definitely don't understand why anyone would want to mess with another person's child's poo any more than they have to to get the child cleaned and ready to go with the rest of their day. Parent's miss enough when their child is in daycare. Let them share in the joy of helping out with the occasional clean-up. Participating in the aftermath of accidents may help certain parents (original poster) to realize their children aren't potty trained after all and should be in pullups until the #2 accidents have stopped.

melskids 03-29-2010 08:46 AM

Originally Posted by Daycare Mommy:
Yeah, but the amount of poop on blanket vs. poop in underwear is, I'm sure, a big difference. And after a short run I did with cloth diapers. I realized that the washing machine doesn't get things as clean as I thought it did and "things" get left behind in the machine or stick to whatever you're washing. Ew, ew, ew!!!

I definitely don't understand why anyone would want to mess with another person's child's poo any more than they have to to get the child cleaned and ready to go with the rest of their day. Parent's miss enough when their child is in daycare. Let them share in the joy of helping out with the occasional clean-up. Participating in the aftermath of accidents may help certain parents (original poster) to realize their children aren't potty trained after all and should be in pullups until the #2 accidents have stopped.

i agree:) the child is obviously not potty trained if it happens again and again

Crystal 03-29-2010 09:56 AM

while I posted that I would clean them, and have in the past, it has been YEARS since this was an issue for me. I don't potty train until kids are fully ready to train. I typically have a child trained in less than two days.

If I had to clean them, I would dump it in the toilet, run it through the wash BY ITSELF, certainly not with my own families clothing, then run the washer empty with bleach. Pretty simple.

Carole's Daycare 04-08-2010 02:18 PM

I actually refused care to a family with an older almost 4 yr old boy who still pooped his pants. They were fired from a previous daycare for that, amongst other- behavioral issues. I just don't have time to dedicate to one child with that kind of mess, and I don't want the germs and mess. I might dump a formed poo in the pot- but the whole mess goes in a bag and out to the porch to go home. I simply wont risk the safetyof other kids while dealing with the extensive cleanup of a child who messes like that.

kpa0627 04-15-2010 08:46 PM

In Kansas we are not to rinse out underwear either. It's unsanitary to rinse it out in the sink so we are to put it in a bag and send it home the way it is. It might be frustrating for the parents but it's one of our rules we have to follow.

Unregistered 04-16-2010 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by judytrickett:
As a daycare provider I don't rinse them out either. It's pretty unhygenic to rinse out someone else's underwear. Besides, if a child is not fully potty trained then they shouldn't be in underwear in a daycare setting anyway. Peeing and pooping in underwear exposes the other kids to it too. Yuck!

i totally disagree on a few different levels. first of all, as a parent of children who were in daycare, i know i would be IRATE to open a bag into the washer to find a big surprise of POOP (which has happened to me with no warning). as a daycare provider of 2 year olds, i know that i found it to be common sense and common courtesy to dump the feces into the toilet and run the underwear beneath the faucet (while wearing gloves, of course) before bagging them.

secondly, i don't see how you can say (as a child care provider OR mother) that

a child who isn't fully potty trained shouldn't be wearing underwear in a daycare setting. HELLO! if a child who is potty training spends the bulk of their day in a daycare, then they will not get potty trained without the help of the childcare provider!

one of the BEST ways to potty train is by making a potty training age child wear underwear (instead of pull ups) so that they will feel the mess and not like it. GOOD daycares work with kids who are potty training and take them to the potty every hour.

you can't expect a child in your care for 8 or 9 hours a day to suddenly go from pull ups to underwear with no accidents! there is an "in between" time there where there WILL be accidents. :::sigh:::: wow - just wow.

Unregistered 04-16-2010 01:07 AM

i should also mention that there was one time when i was dumpin feces from underwear into the toilet when a co-worker told me that i didn't have to do that - to which i replied - i couldn't imagine putting it into a bag when it was so easy to move my hand over and dump it

furthermore, when i worked at a daycare, my son was in the 3 year old room (had just been moved up) and i worked with school aged children. i could see how frustrated the "teachers" in his room would get when a child had an accident, so i SPECIFICALLY requested that if my son had an accident that they send him over to me to clean him up myself. well, i got home one night and was opening his soiled clothes bag into the laundry only to find a big lump of feces. i was FURIOUS and i let the worker know it the next day. i was in the same building - just a hop, skip, and a jump away - and instead of sending him over to me, she put his dirty underwear, feces and all, into a bag. that is not only disgusting, but rude! if you aren't prepared to deal with potty accidents, then i suggest you find a new profession!

Unregistered 04-16-2010 01:52 AM

kpa0627 -

while it may be unsanitary to rinse in the sink, you can always put the underwear down in the toilet, and when you flush it, it usually takes off the feces and most of the mess from the underwear.

from there, you put it in a bag. there's no excuse for sending a turd home in a bag to someone who pays tons of money for you to care for their child.

toddletots 04-16-2010 04:53 AM

I flush the stool down the toilet if it solid, bag it and send it home. If the parent wants to toss it, it's their choice. They are made aware of what is in that bag! Some of my coworkers won't even remove the solid bm. They think it's gross, well, it is, but that is a part of working with children!

mac60 04-16-2010 05:12 AM

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
kpa0627 -

while it may be unsanitary to rinse in the sink, you can always put the underwear down in the toilet, and when you flush it, it usually takes off the feces and most of the mess from the underwear.

from there, you put it in a bag. there's no excuse for sending a turd home in a bag to someone who pays tons of money for you to care for their child.

Trust me, I don't get paid tons of money to care for someones child. And really, do you want to touch someone wet and soiled underwear, wring them out with YOUR hands after you have dipped them into the toilet. I doudt it, and I don't either.

Daycare Mommy 04-16-2010 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
there's no excuse for sending a turd home in a bag to someone who pays tons of money for you to care for their child.

You've got to be kidding me! I do NOT make tons of money and I doubt anyone on here does. I charge an average rate for where I live and only made $25k last year TOTAL watching 5 children. That was working 50+ hours per week BEFORE EXPENSES. Out of that I paid for the children's meals, activities, new toys, books, equipment, etc. so my actual income was much less!

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
while it may be unsanitary to rinse in the sink, you can always put the underwear down in the toilet, and when you flush it, it usually takes off the feces and most of the mess from the underwear. from there, you put it in a bag.

That is an absolutely disgusting suggestion. Even worse than the suggestion that we rinse it in the sink where the children have to wash their hands. Do you think that makes the underwear more sanitary to swirl around in my toilet before I bag it?

If I were a daycare parent I'd tell the provider to toss the underwear if the poop was at all smooshed into it. I would never in a million years expect anyone to rinse or scrub my "potty-trained" child's underwear even if I had deluded myself into thinking they were pocketing "tons" of money.

nannyde 04-16-2010 07:02 AM

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
kpa0627 -

while it may be unsanitary to rinse in the sink, you can always put the underwear down in the toilet, and when you flush it, it usually takes off the feces and most of the mess from the underwear.

from there, you put it in a bag. there's no excuse for sending a turd home in a bag to someone who pays tons of money for you to care for their child.



I would be happy to do your suggestion if I got paid. I think five bucks a swirl would get me to do it. Parents willing to poney up for the Ick factor? Bring em on. Otherwise they go straight into the garbage and the kid goes back in diapers.

I don't build in underwear salvage into my daily rate so even though I do make "tons of money" it's not enough to get me to do it for free.

GretasLittleFriends 04-16-2010 07:24 AM

Soiled underwear... Haven't had this issue yet.

However, earlier in the week I had a child who soiled their jeans. The child is 5 1/2 and in kindergarten.

The child was sitting at my kitchen table with everyone else at snack time 3:30p. All of a sudden the children were complaining that the diapered one was stinky. I took him down, checked him. He was dry and clean.

Throughout the evening I kept catching an unpleasant aroma. Finally close to 8p as I'm getting the kids ready for bed/winding down for the evening (all scheduled to leave at 10:30p) I asked, "ok, who pooped their pants". Low and behold the kindergartner who was one that was complaining of the smell was the culprit. This one soiled pants at afternoon snack time and didn't say anything until I jokingly asked at 8ish. I honestly figured someone had bad gas, as it wasn't a constant smell. I of course questioned this, and the child admitted to pooping pants at snack time. I'm practically in tears angry at this point, as this child has been all over my house, on furniture, carpeting, dinner table etc.

Naturally I took the child into the bathroom, grabbed a change of clothes packed for the younger sibling. Helped the child undress the bottoms to prevent a bigger mess in the bathroom only to discover this child was going commando. I WAS FURIOUS!!! At this point I was ready to go find a size 6 diaper (I have a few spares from when my son finished potty training) and put this child into it. The child proceeds to throw a fit because there wasn't a change of underwear for them, so they had to just put the sweatpants on (after having themselves cleaned up).

Needless to say this child and the other three (my son included) got to stay up late (sitting on chairs in the kitchen) while I sani-tized the house. And the pants were NOT rinsed and just put into a plastic bag. I figured if the parent felt it was ok to send the child to school and daycare without underwear on, that parent would be ok scrubbing the child's jeans.

The best part... All of this for $2/hr for that particular child. Tons of $$. :rolleyes:

misol 04-16-2010 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Daycare Mommy:
You've got to be kidding me! I do NOT make tons of money and I doubt anyone on here does. I charge an average rate for where I live and only made $25k last year TOTAL watching 5 children. That was working 50+ hours per week BEFORE EXPENSES. Out of that I paid for the children's meals, activities, new toys, books, equipment, etc. so my actual income was much less!



That is an absolutely disgusting suggestion. Even worse than the suggestion that we rinse it in the sink where the children have to wash their hands. Do you think that makes the underwear more sanitary to swirl around in my toilet before I bag it?

If I were a daycare parent I'd tell the provider to toss the underwear if the poop was at all smooshed into it. I would never in a million years expect anyone to rinse or scrub my "potty-trained" child's underwear even if I had deluded myself into thinking they were pocketing "tons" of money.

I totally agree with this.

Originally Posted by nannyde:
I would be happy to do your suggestion if I got paid. I think five bucks a swirl would get me to do it. Parents willing to poney up for the Ick factor? Bring em on. Otherwise they go straight into the garbage and the kid goes back in diapers.

I don't build in underwear salvage into my daily rate so even though I do make "tons of money" it's not enough to get me to do it for free.

I am cracking up at "five bucks a swirl":lol:

Funny though, when I was young I remember my babysitter doing exactly this. She would change my little brother's DISPOSEABLE diaper and if he pooped she would rinse it out in the toilet bowl with her bare hands, wring it out, then wrap the diaper in itself and throw it away. Since I was 9 at the time, I would sometimes change him while were at her house and just throw the poopy diaper in the bathroom trash. So, she showed me one day how she wanted me to handle the poopy diapers. :eek: She said that she did it that to cut down on the smell. I was NOT doing that so from that point forward, I just let her change all the poopy diapers after that LOL. It's WAY more sanitary to just take out the trash daily if you want to cut down on the smell. The crazy thing was that we lived in an apartment building and the trash incinerator was just 4 doors down from her! :confused:

momofsix 04-16-2010 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by GretasLittleFriends:
Soiled underwear... Haven't had this issue yet.

However, earlier in the week I had a child who soiled their jeans. The child is 5 1/2 and in kindergarten.

The child was sitting at my kitchen table with everyone else at snack time 3:30p. All of a sudden the children were complaining that the diapered one was stinky. I took him down, checked him. He was dry and clean.

Throughout the evening I kept catching an unpleasant aroma. Finally close to 8p as I'm getting the kids ready for bed/winding down for the evening (all scheduled to leave at 10:30p) I asked, "ok, who pooped their pants". Low and behold the kindergartner who was one that was complaining of the smell was the culprit. This one soiled pants at afternoon snack time and didn't say anything until I jokingly asked at 8ish. I honestly figured someone had bad gas, as it wasn't a constant smell. I of course questioned this, and the child admitted to pooping pants at snack time. I'm practically in tears angry at this point, as this child has been all over my house, on furniture, carpeting, dinner table etc.

Naturally I took the child into the bathroom, grabbed a change of clothes packed for the younger sibling. Helped the child undress the bottoms to prevent a bigger mess in the bathroom only to discover this child was going commando. I WAS FURIOUS!!! At this point I was ready to go find a size 6 diaper (I have a few spares from when my son finished potty training) and put this child into it. The child proceeds to throw a fit because there wasn't a change of underwear for them, so they had to just put the sweatpants on (after having themselves cleaned up).

Needless to say this child and the other three (my son included) got to stay up late (sitting on chairs in the kitchen) while I sani-tized the house. And the pants were NOT rinsed and just put into a plastic bag. I figured if the parent felt it was ok to send the child to school and daycare without underwear on, that parent would be ok scrubbing the child's jeans.

The best part... All of this for $2/hr for that particular child. Tons of $$. :rolleyes:

Oh you poor thing! That is disgusting. Let us know how the parents respond to this one!

jen 04-16-2010 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
kpa0627 -

while it may be unsanitary to rinse in the sink, you can always put the underwear down in the toilet, and when you flush it, it usually takes off the feces and most of the mess from the underwear.

from there, you put it in a bag. there's no excuse for sending a turd home in a bag to someone who pays tons of money for you to care for their child.

LOL! What is your version of "tons" of money??? I charge 140/week per child. So, lets see on average I work 60 hours per week. That "someone" is paying me $2.33 per hour! And out of that $2.33 an hour I pay for food, toys, activities and repairs..yeah, TONS of money.

Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, I love that I am at home, and I love that I can pick and choose what I offer and what I do not offer...and I don't offer toilet swirlies! YUCK!!!

GretasLittleFriends 04-16-2010 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by momofsix:
Oh you poor thing! That is disgusting. Let us know how the parents respond to this one!

The dad just kind of blew it off. I'm not sure if he reprimanded the child at home. It seems to me that the children aren't the top most wrung on the father's ladder of priorities though. To make things more fun, mom's not actively in the pic either.

QualiTcare 04-16-2010 09:54 PM

i'm sorry, but i've worked in "chain daycares" and part of the job description IS cleaning up after children who have accidents. when i worked there, i made 7 dollars when i started, and then 8. i absolutely cleaned up the children AND their underwear.

when you keep children from home, it's no different- cleaning up messes is part of the territory. and yes, if a parent is paying anywhere from 150-200 a week - they shouldn't have poop sent home in a bag. furthermore, if you are charging 140 and keep 5 kids - by most people's standards, that is good money!

i am charging 175 a week and only keeping 4 kids, but i went to college for four years and earned a degree. i would never consider not cleaning up a child's underwear whose parents are paying nearly 800 bucks a month - which in my opinion most def. IS a "ton of money."

nannyde 04-17-2010 03:32 AM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
i'm sorry, but i've worked in "chain daycares" and part of the job description IS cleaning up after children who have accidents. when i worked there, i made 7 dollars when i started, and then 8. i absolutely cleaned up the children AND their underwear.

when you keep children from home, it's no different- cleaning up messes is part of the territory. and yes, if a parent is paying anywhere from 150-200 a week - they shouldn't have poop sent home in a bag. furthermore, if you are charging 140 and keep 5 kids - by most people's standards, that is good money!

i am charging 175 a week and only keeping 4 kids, but i went to college for four years and earned a degree. i would never consider not cleaning up a child's underwear whose parents are paying nearly 800 bucks a month - which in my opinion most def. IS a "ton of money."

Oh I agree we make a ton of money. I just won't do that for the ton of money. I'm not in the business of salvaging a cheapo pair of undies. It would cost me more in staff time to mess with the underwear than the underwear cost. I'm not going to do it. If the parent was upset about me tossing them I would be happy to give them a spare pair of undies I have in my stock. I have people leave spare clothes here thru the years and I'm sure I could find a replacement or buy a replacement for them.

I don't think my day care parents would even WANT pooped underwear back. I've never had a poop accident here in nine years so I don't know for sure. All my kids have been here since they were babies and I potty train them. They don't go into undies until they are very successful for a very long time.

My main concern isn't the undies it's the fact that the child is not potty trained if he is havin poop accidents. I would insist on pull ups for the child while in my house for at least a couple of weeks and a spare stack of cheapo undies her for the future.

Daycare Mommy 04-17-2010 06:03 AM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
i'm sorry, but i've worked in "chain daycares" and part of the job description IS cleaning up after children who have accidents.

Cleaning up the child is our job. No argument there. Also I'm sure we all agree that keeping the daycare environment clean and sanitary for the safety of all children present is our job. Taking the extra time to wash (or rinse) feces out of the child's soiled clothing is not.

#1 Depends on the state regulations whether you are even allowed to do this, as many have already stated.

#2 It makes an even bigger mess to attempt this. (I'm guessing this is why it is against state regs in many places)

#3 Too much time considering we've already burned up lots of time cleaning child (sometimes all the way up to a bath if it's a very bad mess) and washing and sanitizing whatever else was hit (cot, couch, rugs, toilet, sink, bathroom floor). We have other children to be caring for too. (Could be another reason the state regs are there for some of us) We've already cleaned most of the mess (child and whatever else was hit). After all that it's time to get back to spending time with the other 4 (or more) children whose parents are paying us "tons of money" to provide quality daycare for. The parent can do the laundry.

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
when you keep children from home, it's no different- cleaning up messes is part of the territory. and yes, if a parent is paying anywhere from 150-200 a week - they shouldn't have poop sent home in a bag. furthermore, if you are charging 140 and keep 5 kids - by most people's standards, that is good money!

i am charging 175 a week and only keeping 4 kids, but i went to college for four years and earned a degree. i would never consider not cleaning up a child's underwear whose parents are paying nearly 800 bucks a month - which in my opinion most def. IS a "ton of money."

Soooo, does this mean that those of us who live in areas where the going rate is less than $150 have a reprieve from underwear scrubbing? :rolleyes:

I will state this again. I DON'T make a ton of money. $25k last year, even if i did get to keep it all, is NOT a ton of money. And for 8 years of being open that's my record folks! People in my area charge $100-135 and when I started it was $80-$100. Most of us are providing meals and many are doing full preschool programs as well. $140 is a bit more than I make, but still after all the expenses... this isn't a profession you get into for the money.

$175 is unheard of here (4 year degree or not). So yeah, if you feel that you've worked really hard to get where you are and earn what you earn, and you decide that scrubbing underwear is important to you, by all means keep doing it. But I'll stand by what I said. Scrubbing poo out of dc kid underwear is not job requirement to be a daycare provider.

And no (in case anyone is wondering), NONE of the daycare parents over the last 8 years have had any problem with me giving them the poo bag the few times it's happened. It's in my contract that if potty accidents happen, I will clean kid and house, they clean the clothes.

Childminder 04-17-2010 07:44 AM

Well said Daycare mommy! This post is going nowhere and I'm not sure why I clicked on it again. I guess to see why it has continued for so long.:rolleyes:

QualiTcare 04-18-2010 08:44 PM

"$175 is unheard of here (4 year degree or not)."

175 is unheard of here too BECAUSE there are no daycare directors or workers who have a degree at all, much less a degree in the field.

the requirements are typically a GED and pass a background check.

so, if you DO have a degree in the field - there will be parents who value education and a small teacher/child ratio who will pay it.

the first parent who signed up with me said she was paying $186 at a "chain" daycare (the same one i used to work for) and they had too many kids, too much turnover, etc.

so, if someone will pay $175 (or more) to a daycare that keeps as many kids as they possibly, legally can - then why wouldn't you think they would pay you as much? i don't know how many kids you keep, but i guess the fact i only keep 4 may be part of the enticement since i actually have time to pay attention to their kids.

Daycare Mommy 04-19-2010 03:29 AM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
you don't have to clean the clothes, but why would you hand a parent a bag with a turd in it?

if you're handling poopy underwear to the point where you're bagging them and tying them up to send home - there's not much extra work involved in shaking the turd out over the toilet!

and since you insist on repeating your yearly salary - did u miss the part where i said i made SEVEN dollars and then eight at the daycare where i worked?

so, obviously, it's less to do with money, and more to do with class. maybe you think you're too classy to deal with poopie (which is where i say get another job), but i say i'm too classy to hand a parent a bag of poop!

Okay. I don't even feel the need to respond to parts of this. Reread the above responses by me. I DO shake the poop into the toilet. I DO clean poo from child and floor, cot, etc. I DO NOT rinse or scrub stuck on poop from underwear. You have my reasoning in the above posts.


Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
"$175 is unheard of here (4 year degree or not)."

175 is unheard of here too BECAUSE there are no daycare directors or workers who have a degree at all, much less a degree in the field.

the requirements are typically a GED and pass a background check.

so, if you DO have a degree in the field - there will be parents who value education and a small teacher/child ratio who will pay it.

the first parent who signed up with me said she was paying $186 at a "chain" daycare (the same one i used to work for) and they had too many kids, too much turnover, etc.

so, if someone will pay $175 (or more) to a daycare that keeps as many kids as they possibly, legally can - then why wouldn't you think they would pay you as much? i don't know how many kids you keep, but i guess the fact i only keep 4 may be part of the enticement since i actually have time to pay attention to their kids.

It seems you have a corner on the market in your area. We aren't all so fortunate. Degreed providers are more common here. We have at least 5 degreed home providers and I'm sure that there are more that I haven't heard about since not everyone brings their education up every chance they get. They charge at the top of the going rates I mentioned, $135. I'm not sure why they don't charge more. Perhaps it's too much competition or perhaps it's that they aren't in this for the money.

Vesta 04-19-2010 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
"
175 is unheard of here too BECAUSE there are no daycare directors or workers who have a degree at all, much less a degree in the field.

the requirements are typically a GED and pass a background check.

so, if you DO have a degree in the field - there will be parents who value education and a small teacher/child ratio who will pay it.


but i guess the fact i only keep 4 may be part of the enticement since i actually have time to pay attention to their kids.

OR
$175 is unheard of because the local economy won't support it.
Where I live $175 a week would get you laughed out of town, because we have an extremely depressed local economy where a majority of the kids go to state funded pre-k and head start programs.
If you want to clean out poopy underwear, go for it. Just don't assume that those of who don't are undereducated fops who don't have time to properly "pay attention to their kids" because we are all keeping 30 placated in front of the television.

QualiTcare 04-19-2010 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Daycare Mommy:
Okay. I don't even feel the need to respond to parts of this. Reread the above responses by me. I DO shake the poop into the toilet. I DO clean poo from child and floor, cot, etc. I DO NOT rinse or scrub stuck on poop from underwear. You have my reasoning in the above posts.




It seems you have a corner on the market in your area. We aren't all so fortunate. Degreed providers are more common here. We have at least 5 degreed home providers and I'm sure that there are more that I haven't heard about since not everyone brings their education up every chance they get. They charge at the top of the going rates I mentioned, $135. I'm not sure why they don't charge more. Perhaps it's too much competition or perhaps it's that they aren't in this for the money.

charging more doesn't mean you are "in it for the money." it's all about the market you're targeting. why keep 7 kids at $100 each when you can keep 4 kids for $175? sure, the economy is bad, but there are always people out there that have money to burn no matter how bad it gets for everyone else. if i could advertise for $175 and get customers - why wouldn't i charge that much?!

face it - everyone who keeps children does it for the money to some extent - otherwise, childcare would be FREE!

QualiTcare 04-19-2010 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by Vesta:
OR
$175 is unheard of because the local economy won't support it.
Where I live $175 a week would get you laughed out of town, because we have an extremely depressed local economy where a majority of the kids go to state funded pre-k and head start programs.
If you want to clean out poopy underwear, go for it. Just don't assume that those of who don't are undereducated fops who don't have time to properly "pay attention to their kids" because we are all keeping 30 placated in front of the television.



if you're going to quote me, why not quote the entire thing? you took what i said out of context.

i was SPECIFICALLY comparing pricing and ability to pay attention to the kids with chain daycares, but i think you know that.

jen 04-19-2010 10:44 AM

Ewwww...so, speaking of solied undies...

My dcg, 3, clearly had a case of explosive poo! OMG! Yuck! All the way down her legs. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of said mess, I thought she simply wet (seriously, no smell AT ALL and just looked a little wet in the front) I sent her in to the bathroom to take off her jeans while I got her some clean clothes. In the 10 seconds she wasn't in there, POOP! Everywhere! Yikes! I sanitized the bathroom, gave her a shower, and bagged her nasty clothes and left them outside for Mom and Dad, who will no doubt throw the whole thing in my (outside) garbage can on the way out.

Daycare Mommy 04-19-2010 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
face it - everyone who keeps children does it for the money to some extent - otherwise, childcare would be FREE!

No, we aren't all in this for the money. Some of us are doing this to be home for our own kids. Some of us are in this because they love children and/or teaching and this is a wonderful way to make a positive impact on the world. And, yes (provided we are not independently wealthy) we HAVE to make a living at the same time or we would lose our homes and starve to death. Childcare can't be free anyway. It costs money to do this job. Someone, (parent, provider, or state) is paying for the food, activities, house, equipment, power, etc.

Daycare Mommy 04-19-2010 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by jen:
Ewwww...so, speaking of solied undies...

My dcg, 3, clearly had a case of explosive poo! OMG! Yuck! All the way down her legs. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of said mess, I thought she simply wet (seriously, no smell AT ALL and just looked a little wet in the front) I sent her in to the bathroom to take off her jeans while I got her some clean clothes. In the 10 seconds she wasn't in there, POOP! Everywhere! Yikes! I sanitized the bathroom, gave her a shower, and bagged her nasty clothes and left them outside for Mom and Dad, who will no doubt throw the whole thing in my (outside) garbage can on the way out.

Yikes! What a way to kick off the week! Hope tomorrow is better for you. :)

jen 04-19-2010 05:08 PM

Thanks!

I was right...Daddy said, Ewwww, I'm throwing this AWAY! Jeans and all...

jen 04-19-2010 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by Daycare Mommy:
No, we aren't all in this for the money. Some of us are doing this to be home for our own kids. Some of us are in this because they love children and/or teaching and this is a wonderful way to make a positive impact on the world. And, yes (provided we are not independently wealthy) we HAVE to make a living at the same time or we would lose our homes and starve to death. Childcare can't be free anyway. It costs money to do this job. Someone, (parent, provider, or state) is paying for the food, activities, house, equipment, power, etc.

Uhmmm...she did say, "to some extent." How is that any different than what you just wrote???

Vesta 04-19-2010 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
"$175 is unheard of here (4 year degree or not)."

175 is unheard of here too BECAUSE there are no daycare directors or workers who have a degree at all, much less a degree in the field.

the requirements are typically a GED and pass a background check.

so, if you DO have a degree in the field - there will be parents who value education and a small teacher/child ratio who will pay it.

the first parent who signed up with me said she was paying $186 at a "chain" daycare (the same one i used to work for) and they had too many kids, too much turnover, etc.

so, if someone will pay $175 (or more) to a daycare that keeps as many kids as they possibly, legally can - then why wouldn't you think they would pay you as much? i don't know how many kids you keep, but i guess the fact i only keep 4 may be part of the enticement since i actually have time to pay attention to their kids.

Okay so I'll quote the whole thing this time, incase someone missed it the other times it was quoted.

NO ONE in my area, center, home provider (okay, maybe some nannies do, but that's different) charges more than $30 a day.
The most popular (number wise) centers in my area are mostly propped up by state aid children.
There are no chain daycares in the area, they are all privately owned and operated. At least two that I know of have directors/owners with their Masters in ECE and both of them are active on a state level. Both of their facilities cater to lower income families and state reimbursement for this area is $22 a day.
Also to be a lead teacher at the centers a person must have 60 hours of college six of which being ECE (which is crap when they turn around and pay them all of $8 an hour). But it is what it is.
The most expensive center here has a nice name attached to it that parents look to as a status symbol. That's why they continue to take their children there, pay $150 a week, and have their children herded together in clumps of 30.

So.
I'm happy that you can charge parents the unheard of rate of $175, even though it's cheaper than the chain you worked for charging $186.
For the $2.50 an hour I make before expenses, a parent, paying me that $2.50 an hour (tons of money), will get their child's dirty underwear in a double sealed plastic bag. No formed feces, but I'm not rinsing the underwear. I will clean the child up and change them into fresh clothes, but I'm not doing their laundry.
I do like Nannyde's idea of $5 a swirl (but of course the parent's wouldn't pony up that type of money).

QualiTcare 04-19-2010 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by Vesta:
Okay so I'll quote the whole thing this time, incase someone missed it the other times it was quoted.

NO ONE in my area, center, home provider (okay, maybe some nannies do, but that's different) charges more than $30 a day.
The most popular (number wise) centers in my area are mostly propped up by state aid children.
There are no chain daycares in the area, they are all privately owned and operated. At least two that I know of have directors/owners with their Masters in ECE and both of them are active on a state level. Both of their facilities cater to lower income families and state reimbursement for this area is $22 a day.
Also to be a lead teacher at the centers a person must have 60 hours of college six of which being ECE (which is crap when they turn around and pay them all of $8 an hour). But it is what it is.
The most expensive center here has a nice name attached to it that parents look to as a status symbol. That's why they continue to take their children there, pay $150 a week, and have their children herded together in clumps of 30.

So.
I'm happy that you can charge parents the unheard of rate of $175, even though it's cheaper than the chain you worked for charging $186.
For the $2.50 an hour I make before expenses, a parent, paying me that $2.50 an hour (tons of money), will get their child's dirty underwear in a double sealed plastic bag. No formed feces, but I'm not rinsing the underwear. I will clean the child up and change them into fresh clothes, but I'm not doing their laundry.
I do like Nannyde's idea of $5 a swirl (but of course the parent's wouldn't pony up that type of money).

we'll have to agree to disagree, but in my opinion, you simply supported my point.

the educated providers who don't charge more than $30 a day are supported by state funds and large numbers of children - from what you said.

so, i don't find anything outlandish about an educated person with an "unheard of rate" along with an "unheard of ratio" charging $35 per day.

if it were up to me, considering that the first five years of a child's life are the most important - EVERYONE caring for children from birth - age 5 would have to be educated. afterall, you have to be educated to teach children in kindergarten and beyond (age 5 and UP) so why the standards are so low for the most important part of a child's life makes no sense to me, but that's just MY opinion. if kindergarten or 10th grade teachers simply needed a HS diploma - people would be up in arms, but for childcare, it's different - regardless of the FACTS that the first years of a child's life are the most important.

i think of it this way - i would pay $5 extra (probably a LOT more) for a licensed dentist or doctor who is educated in the field to perform work on me vs. someone who graduated high school, but claims to love dentistry or medicine.

why would it be any different for the person caring for/educating your child? i would pay $5 more for a licensed professional to care for my child vs. a high school graduate who can give me their word, but i guess that's a crazy way of thinking. consider me (and at least four other people in town) officially nuts.

Daycare Mommy 04-19-2010 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by jen:
Uhmmm...she did say, "to some extent." How is that any different than what you just wrote???

Maybe poorly explained.. I wrote a long response and deleted it accidentally and then tried unsuccessfully to sum it up. First off I think she took it that I'm accusing her of being in it just for the money or maybe that I was generalizing about all providers. I don't know, but for whatever reason that tiny part of my multipart response was all she acknowledged. I was just speculating why the providers here who have the higher education where I live don't try to raise their rates. Some providers aren't concerned with getting the very most they possibly can simply because they don't need that much money. (in some cases the husband's income may cover most or all expenses) So after that why try to make a huge profit? Some people will max out what they charge and some people choose not to. It's just the way it is. No judgement there. Just a fact.

I guess we're looking at a little differently. Maybe you're technically right, but I meant that I don't run a daycare because it's the most I can make. I made better money before entering daycare and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. I'm "in this" for the difference I'm making. I'm "in this" to make sure 5 other moms and dads can go work and have peace of mind that their child is well cared for. I'm "in this" because I love working with kids. That's more important than money to me. If I was just out to make as much as I could, I never would've left the office job. Money was much better there and the hours much shorter. That would be where I'd go if I was "in it for the money."

Daycare Mommy 04-19-2010 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
if it were up to me, considering that the first five years of a child's life are the most important - EVERYONE caring for children from birth - age 5 would have to be educated. afterall, you have to be educated to teach children in kindergarten and beyond (age 5 and UP) so why the standards are so low for the most important part of a child's life makes no sense to me, but that's just MY opinion. if kindergarten or 10th grade teachers simply needed a HS diploma - people would be up in arms, but for childcare, it's different - regardless of the FACTS that the first years of a child's life are the most important.

Well, thank God it ISN'T up to you. Just because the first 5 years are important does not mean that a degree is needed to bring a child through with flying colors. Parents, other family members, and daycare providers without degrees do this every day up to age 5 and beyond.

QualiTcare 04-19-2010 08:51 PM

if i was in it for the money, i could've picked any other field to major in that would've taken the same amount of time.

if i was concerned about money, i would've chosen a much more profitable business (like nursing or accounting) all of which take four years.

i went to school, worked in a "chain daycare" and had 2 small children the whole time i went to college. not to mention, i sent my children to daycare in the meantime. i sacrificed a lot to get the degree i CHOSE - which i chose for alot of reasons, money obviously not being one of them.

that being said, i ALSO didn't work, go to school, and take time away from my own children for four years so that i could provide the same quality of care/make the same money as i could have by simply using my high school diploma. if i kept more children for less money - why would i have wasted all those years in college? people DO go to college to become educated and to be the best in the field - they ALSO go to college in order to be more financially stable.

going to college has given me more options. i can be a teacher, but i can also care for children and charge more (if you consider $5 more outrageous) to parents who value the education i have.

going to college DOES have benefits - if it didn't - then nobody would go. i make no apologies for charging a whopping five dollars more per day (or whatever the difference is) considering the work i put in and the knowledge i gained as a result.

QualiTcare 04-19-2010 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by Daycare Mommy:
Well, thank God it ISN'T up to you. Just because the first 5 years are important does not mean that a degree is needed to bring a child through with flying colors. Parents, other family members, and daycare providers without degrees do this every day up to age 5 and beyond.

more like, "hopefully to god" people will realize this as time goes on. we all have opinions, but statistics don't lie.

once again, nobody would be satisfied with high school graduates educating their children (K-12) even though statistics show that the MOST important time is from birth up until Kindergarten.

if K-12 teachers have to be educated/licensed to be in the classroom, why are "teachers" who care for young children exempt, even though it has been proven that these years are the most important?

it's a fault of society - not my judgement. if society wasn't at fault for underestimating the importance of early childhood, then daycare workers would be getting paid more than minimum wage. i think EVERYONE agrees that daycare workers don't get paid enough, but of course with higher wages comes higher standards.

do i think daycare providers deserve more money? YES! i also believe more money is synomynous with higher qualifications. daycare providers won't ever make the money they deserve until the standards are raised. if you aren't for higher standards, then you shouldn't be for more money either.

Daycare Mommy 04-19-2010 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
more like, "hopefully to god" people will realize this as time goes on. we all have opinions, but statistics don't lie.

once again, nobody would be satisfied with high school graduates educating their children (K-12) even though statistics show that the MOST important time is from birth up until Kindergarten.

if K-12 teachers have to be educated/licensed to be in the classroom, why are "teachers" who care for young children exempt, even though it has been proven that these years are the most important?

it's a fault of society - not my judgement. if society wasn't at fault for underestimating the importance of early childhood, then daycare workers would be getting paid more than minimum wage. i think EVERYONE agrees that daycare workers don't get paid enough, but of course with higher wages comes higher standards.

do i think daycare providers deserve more money? YES! i also believe more money is synomynous with higher qualifications. daycare providers won't ever make the money they deserve until the standards are raised. if you aren't for higher standards, then you shouldn't be for more money either.

No. It's Thank God. (<-with a capital G btw) And high school graduates ARE educating young people successfully, Kindergarten and beyond. It's called homeschool.

QualiTcare 04-19-2010 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by Daycare Mommy:
No. It's Thank God. (<-with a capital G btw) And high school graduates ARE educating young people successfully, Kindergarten and beyond. It's called homeschool.

i'll leave religion out of it, but the matter of homeschool and successful education is a highly debatable matter in itself.

most people don't consider high school graduates to be qualified to teach children, teens, or young adults. in fact, most people don't consider high school graduates to be qualified to do much of anything other than serve food, collect garbage, and...oh yeah...take care of young children.

sorry, but i find the fact that child care providers get paid the same as fast food employees/have the same minimum qualifications (GED, in fact) to be downright pathetic - i'm sorry if you disagree.

Michael 04-19-2010 10:56 PM

We homeschool our children and we both have a high school education. Our son started college at 14. Many of our Founding Fathers and Presidents were likewise homeschooled. I am not sure where you are going with this QualiTcare. It sounds like you are just pontificating. Quality care comes in all shapes and sizes and works just fine. Most states licensing standards require a GED or high school equivalent education. You are on the opposite side of the majority of our state's guidelines.

Homeschooled:
George Washington
John Quincy Adams
James Madison
Zachary Taylor
Millard Fillmore
James Buchanan
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Theodore Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Benjamin Franklin
Alexander Hamilton
Patrick Henry
George Mason

I think their parents also would disagree with your statement. You are starting to sound elitist.

QualiTcare 04-19-2010 11:41 PM

michael,

my point is that education is important in our society - whether it's right or not. do i think i could've been an effective teacher without spending four years in college? of course i do. does my sister who spent most of her life doing drugs think she's a good mother? of course she does.

education is there to weed out the qualified from the not so qualified. are there people who would make good lawyers without going to law school? of course there are. but - what would happen if we let everyone who thought they were good at something start practicing in the field they feel qualified for?

maybe i'm not being clear, because i am definitely not "elite." in fact, i've been a food service worker and a single mother most of my life (including the time i went to college).

i find caring for children to be one of the most important jobs on the planet. so, why are childcare workers paid so little? well, it's because society doesn't value the work they do. why don't they value the work they do? because no education is required to do it. why is no education required to do it when education is required to be a teacher? the list goes on.

child care workers deserve more credit and more pay - however, they won't get it unless we start demanding that the standards be raised. when i was working in a daycare center, i worked alongside 18 year old girls with a GED who had never cared for a child a day in her life. that is equivelant to a fast food worker - and the pay is comparable - that's all i'm saying. i find it absurd that someone who puts fries in a bag has the same training as someone who raises my (our your) children. i think the pay should be higher, but naturally, with higher pay comes higher standards - regardless the field.

Originally Posted by michael:
We homeschool our children and we both have a high school education. Our son started college at 14. Many of our Founding Fathers and Presidents were likewise homeschooled. I am not sure where you are going with this QualiTcare. It sounds like you are just pontificating. Quality care comes in all shapes and sizes and works just fine. Most states licensing standards require a GED or high school equivalent education. You are on the opposite side of the majority of our state's guidelines.

Homeschooled:
George Washington
John Quincy Adams
James Madison
Zachary Taylor
Millard Fillmore
James Buchanan
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Theodore Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Benjamin Franklin
Alexander Hamilton
Patrick Henry
George Mason

I think their parents also would disagree with your statement. You are starting to sound elitist.


QualiTcare 04-19-2010 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
i'll leave religion out of it, but the matter of homeschool and successful education is a highly debatable matter in itself.

most people don't consider high school graduates to be qualified to teach children, teens, or young adults. in fact, most people don't consider high school graduates to be qualified to do much of anything other than serve food, collect garbage, and...oh yeah...take care of young children.

sorry, but i find the fact that child care providers get paid the same as fast food employees/have the same minimum qualifications (GED, in fact) to be downright pathetic - i'm sorry if you disagree.

furthermore, michael, by that comment to which i referred to "most people" i was referring to exactly that:

MOST people send their children to public and/or private schools (where the teachers have a college degree). MOST - if not ALL - people who go to college have professors with a college degree (whether they were homeschooled or not).

most educators are college graduates - even homeschooled children usually end up going to college where they are taught by college graduates.

why? well, that's a matter of opinion, apparently. the point is - education is valued in our society. you will not find a college professor who has only a high school diploma. it has nothing to do with my opinion - it's a fact.

QualiTcare 04-20-2010 12:18 AM

also, most of our forefathers and presidents you mentioned were indeed homeschooled because that was a way of life back then - some of the presidents you mentioned had very little education at all.

does that mean they weren't great people or good at what they did? absolutely not. the fact of the matter is, times have changed. our society values education. you couldn't find a president, a lawyer, or a teacher today that wasn't required to have a college education. back then, teachers were often teenagers. again, times have changed.

i think childcare workers are equally as important as the above mentioned - so why are the standards lower? that's my point.

Vesta 04-20-2010 05:19 AM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
we'll have to agree to disagree, but in my opinion, you simply supported my point.

the educated providers who don't charge more than $30 a day are supported by state funds and large numbers of children - from what you said.

so, i don't find anything outlandish about an educated person with an "unheard of rate" along with an "unheard of ratio" charging $35 per day.

if it were up to me, considering that the first five years of a child's life are the most important - EVERYONE caring for children from birth - age 5 would have to be educated. afterall, you have to be educated to teach children in kindergarten and beyond (age 5 and UP) so why the standards are so low for the most important part of a child's life makes no sense to me, but that's just MY opinion. if kindergarten or 10th grade teachers simply needed a HS diploma - people would be up in arms, but for childcare, it's different - regardless of the FACTS that the first years of a child's life are the most important.

i think of it this way - i would pay $5 extra (probably a LOT more) for a licensed dentist or doctor who is educated in the field to perform work on me vs. someone who graduated high school, but claims to love dentistry or medicine.

why would it be any different for the person caring for/educating your child? i would pay $5 more for a licensed professional to care for my child vs. a high school graduate who can give me their word, but i guess that's a crazy way of thinking. consider me (and at least four other people in town) officially nuts.


ARGHHHHH
MY point:
IN THE PLACE THAT I LIVE.
No one here. HERE. Charges over $30 a day. Because the LOCAL ECONOMY CANNOT support it.
You're throwing around $175 because of your degree, but even if you have a degree HERE (not where you live) you are not going to be compensated that amount because very few, very, very, few families ****HERE***** CAN AFFORD IT. I could charge $175 week but I would have no customers. $200 a month more than the center down the road (50x4) makes a big difference HERE.
The center that's a status symbol and charges the most money and has the really crappy ratios is actually run by someone who does not have a degree.
The ones with the formally educated directors are accredited and have great ratios. They don't charge a lot and are propped up by the state because the people they serve, my community, cannot afford their rates. Which aren't excessive, but when you make $10 an hour.....
The $5 comment was in regards to someone else's post about tacking on extra fees for extra perks parents may want.
In Illinois DCFS mandates that lead teachers have at least 60 hours of college, but they don't mandate that providers be compensated for their education. The standards aren't low, but the pay is.
It is a crappy cycle, but it's the cycle we are in.
I wonder if I was this idealistic when I first graduated?

jen 04-20-2010 07:51 AM

OK...I DO have a degree, a BA in Community Psychology with an emphasis on children and families and I gotta say that you think WAY, WAY too much of the importance of your degree as it relates to daycare.

I charge what the market in my area will support with the services that I offer. We bring in a Spanish/Music teacher twice per month, ECFE once per month, and Trave-tots twice per month. I also only serve whole foods, nothing processed, organic when possible. People pay for that, not my degree.

LOTS of other providers in my area offer similar ammenities and charge about the same as I do...with or without a degree.

You are sounding as though you think you are a better provider because of your degree. We ALL know that some educated teachers, providers, etc. shouldn't spend 15 minutes with a child much less all day and there are those who didn't even graduate from High School were BORN to do this.

mac60 04-20-2010 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by jen:
ok...i do have a degree, a ba in community psychology with an emphasis on children and families and i gotta say that you think way, way too much of the importance of your degree as it relates to daycare.

I charge what the market in my area will support with the services that i offer. We bring in a spanish/music teacher twice per month, ecfe once per month, and trave-tots twice per month. I also only serve whole foods, nothing processed, organic when possible. People pay for that, not my degree.

Lots of other providers in my area offer similar ammenities and charge about the same as i do...with or without a degree.

You are sounding as though you think you are a better provider because of your degree. We all know that some educated teachers, providers, etc. Shouldn't spend 15 minutes with a child much less all day and there are those who didn't even graduate from high school were born to do this.

amen to this. Thank you.

momofsix 04-20-2010 10:39 AM

Wow, do we go off on tangents or what?!?!
I also have a degree--Psychololgy w/ an Early Childhood emphasis and a minor in Sociology. I can do charge more b/c of my degree, and I do have one family that I DO take for free--yes I need to pay my bills, but I also have a heart and am willing to work with those who really need help too, because I love my job and I love the kids! I think what a parent pays for child care really has nothing at all to do with this discussion. It's more just a decision that each provider makes according to his/her level of comfort and state regs.
As for the first 5 years being most important, that is true. And a parent is responsible to make sure that thier children are not in front of the TV all day and are getting the care they deserve. The first five years are more about love, trust and bonding then "learning". Studies have shown that when kids do a "headstart" type program, they are ahead of their peers at first, but it soon evens out. And someone with a degree, that doesn't LOVE children could very well do more damage to a child than someone with NO education that loves them. I have a sister-in-law with special needs that is great with kids. She loves on them all the time, plays games like tag that would tire the rest of us out, reads them books and sings to them. She could never run her own day-care, but she is still a wonderful employee, and should NEVER be told she can't do what she loves because she can't get a degree. Children love her to bits!
Also, I homeschooled our 6 daughters for 9 years, and my degree didn't make a bit of difference in the education they recieved. If I didn't know something, I learned it along with them. They are growing into very successful adults and I am very proud of them.
I know this is kind of rambling--sorry:o

Daycare Mommy 04-20-2010 03:53 PM

Great posts Jen and Momofsix! And thank you for sharing about your sister-in-law, Momofsix. I did some volunteer work with special needs kids in the past and I just LOVE hearing stories like this. Beautiful.

Former Teacher 04-20-2010 04:22 PM

hmm just wondering..how did we get from dirty underwear..to this? :lol:

QualiTcare 04-20-2010 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by Vesta:
ARGHHHHH
MY point:
IN THE PLACE THAT I LIVE.
No one here. HERE. Charges over $30 a day. Because the LOCAL ECONOMY CANNOT support it.
You're throwing around $175 because of your degree, but even if you have a degree HERE (not where you live) you are not going to be compensated that amount because very few, very, very, few families ****HERE***** CAN AFFORD IT. I could charge $175 week but I would have no customers. $200 a month more than the center down the road (50x4) makes a big difference HERE.
The center that's a status symbol and charges the most money and has the really crappy ratios is actually run by someone who does not have a degree.
The ones with the formally educated directors are accredited and have great ratios. They don't charge a lot and are propped up by the state because the people they serve, my community, cannot afford their rates. Which aren't excessive, but when you make $10 an hour.....
The $5 comment was in regards to someone else's post about tacking on extra fees for extra perks parents may want.
In Illinois DCFS mandates that lead teachers have at least 60 hours of college, but they don't mandate that providers be compensated for their education. The standards aren't low, but the pay is.
It is a crappy cycle, but it's the cycle we are in.
I wonder if I was this idealistic when I first graduated?

vesta - i understand where you are coming from. i DO get your point. the economy is horrible just about everywhere you go. i live in a small town in TN - the layoffs are unreal. unemployment is sky high. it's awful.

but there are still (even in these horrible economic times) those people who have more money than they know what to do with. there is a daycare right down the street who is packed full of kids - and charges a little more than i do - and the workers are typicaly 18-25 with a high school diploma. is there anything wrong with having a hs diploma? no. are the parents who are paying that daycare more than i charge (when i DO have a degree) and a 4 child max? YES! so, charging less (even ten dollars less) when you're more "qualified" does have advantages. if there are 100 people paying $186 dollars to that overcrowded, understaffed daycare (even in our hard economic times) then it's not hard to imagine that 4 our of those 100 would be willing to pay me a little LESS for better quality care. when i first started advertising, i put $150 in my word document (sample flyer) and my husband said, "no, put $200 - you're a teacher. do u know how many people would love to have a teacher keeping their kids - especially when you're only keeping four?"

i said, "nah - $200 is too much. i'll charge a little less than the daycares around here do (the chains) and if i don't get a response THEN i'll lower the price to $150."

just an FYI - i'm not idealistic (more like realistic since it IS happening) and i didn't just graduate - i'm very much an adult with a family and home of my own.

i guess it all depends on your target market. the majority of people live on a mcdonald's budget - but there are those people who can afford to eat steak every night - regardless of the economy. i planned on advertising (which i didn't end up having to do because word of mouth prevailed) toward those people who COULD afford the steaks - and it worked. had it not worked, i would've changed my market - but it did work, and i make no apologies.

melskids 04-22-2010 03:46 AM

i thought this post was about cleaning crap out of undies...lol

degree or not, at one point we all have to do it...lol :rolleyes:

momofboys 04-24-2010 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by jen:
OK...I DO have a degree, a BA in Community Psychology with an emphasis on children and families and I gotta say that you think WAY, WAY too much of the importance of your degree as it relates to daycare.

I charge what the market in my area will support with the services that I offer. We bring in a Spanish/Music teacher twice per month, ECFE once per month, and Trave-tots twice per month. I also only serve whole foods, nothing processed, organic when possible. People pay for that, not my degree.

LOTS of other providers in my area offer similar ammenities and charge about the same as I do...with or without a degree.

You are sounding as though you think you are a better provider because of your degree. We ALL know that some educated teachers, providers, etc. shouldn't spend 15 minutes with a child much less all day and there are those who didn't even graduate from High School were BORN to do this.

ITA with you Jen! I also have a four year degree but I don't think I provide superior service simply because of my degree. Sure I do lots of extra things for my clients but nothing more than my neighbor is doing who may not be degreed. If I were to try to charge a lot more I would likely lose my clients, degree or not. Simply having a degree is not a valid reason IMO to charge more. In fact I would say I charge closer to the low end in my area (although not the cheapest). I do what I do so I can be home with my youngest & be home when my older boys get home from school.

In reference to the poop, there is NO WAY I would thoroughly clean it! Yuck!

QualiTcare 04-25-2010 12:50 AM

Originally Posted by janarae:
ITA with you Jen! I also have a four year degree but I don't think I provide superior service simply because of my degree. Sure I do lots of extra things for my clients but nothing more than my neighbor is doing who may not be degreed. If I were to try to charge a lot more I would likely lose my clients, degree or not. Simply having a degree is not a valid reason IMO to charge more. In fact I would say I charge closer to the low end in my area (although not the cheapest). I do what I do so I can be home with my youngest & be home when my older boys get home from school.

In reference to the poop, there is NO WAY I would thoroughly clean it! Yuck!

we can all agree to disagree...

but that doesn't change the facts...

parents are willing to pay a licensed teacher more than they will pay someone with a GED. it's much like i'd pay my dentist more than i'd pay some guy with a GED to rip out my tooth.

having "a degree" isn't the point - because having "a degree" and having an "early childhood degree/being a licensed teacher" is different when it comes to caring for/teaching children. i'm sorry, but as a parent, i'd be willing to pay someone an extra 5 bucks who is a LICENSED teacher (not a self proclaimed "teacher") that went to college for four years to learn about young children vs. someone who may be really nice, but couldn't finish high school. MONEY is a factor, not only in childcare, but in every aspect of life - like it or not. i like to say, "you get what you pay for" and the parents i have agree. so, obviously i'm not alone in my thinking, even if i'm the odd man out here.

momofboys 04-25-2010 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
we can all agree to disagree...

but that doesn't change the facts...

parents are willing to pay a licensed teacher more than they will pay someone with a GED. it's much like i'd pay my dentist more than i'd pay some guy with a GED to rip out my tooth.

having "a degree" isn't the point - because having "a degree" and having an "early childhood degree/being a licensed teacher" is different when it comes to caring for/teaching children. i'm sorry, but as a parent, i'd be willing to pay someone an extra 5 bucks who is a LICENSED teacher (not a self proclaimed "teacher") that went to college for four years to learn about young children vs. someone who may be really nice, but couldn't finish high school. MONEY is a factor, not only in childcare, but in every aspect of life - like it or not. i like to say, "you get what you pay for" and the parents i have agree. so, obviously i'm not alone in my thinking, even if i'm the odd man out here.

I never said you were the odd man out, I only said I don't feel like I should charge more than the going rate.;) I only have one family that I care for so I am clearly not in this to make a ton of money. The mom I provide care for told me she picked me because of my degree & because she could tell from the way I talked that I was intelligent (not my words, hers!). Apparently her past provider did not use proper grammar & she was worried about her kids picking up on that. I guess my point is that IMO it is fine for you to charge more, I would never say someone should not charge what someone is willing to pay. But in the real world many parents would take their hard-earned $$$ & go to a cheaper provider whether their previous one provider great care or not. I guess I will what happens see this fall when my parent (she's a teacher) returns & how she reacts to me raising my rates.:;)

judytrickett 04-27-2010 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by Unregistered:

you can't expect a child in your care for 8 or 9 hours a day to suddenly go from pull ups to underwear with no accidents! there is an "in between" time there where there WILL be accidents. :::sigh:::: wow - just wow.

Yeah it's called having a policy. And my policy is that you stay dry and clean for two weeks in your pull-up before you move to underwear. It hasn't failed yet in the many years I have been providing care.

ETA: I love how it is often those who are UNregistered and won't give us the courtesy of putting a name to a post who take it upon themselves to insult others by telling them that "GOOD" daycare providers allow NON potty trained kids to wear underwear and soil the providers furniture and offer an unhygienic environment for the other kids.:rolleyes:

sahm2three 04-29-2010 08:32 AM

For those who want their child's dirty underwear rinsed out in the sink before putting them in a bag, think of that next time you brush your teeth in that sink or have your kids brush their teeth in that sink. Sorry, don't think so! If it does't come out in the toilet, it goes in the bag!

Carole's Daycare 04-29-2010 07:52 PM

Bare hands! nuts! Nowdays you cant be sure daycare families dont have hepatitis. I actually know a provider at a nearby center that got hepatitis from not wearing gloves when dealing with diapering/potty issues. You can't pay me enough to risk my families health in my home to deal with a kid that makes poopy messes. As for the whole can't potty train without messes in underwear/panties- BULL I have had many, many children, including my own son, that wore pullups- and were potty trained - brought to the potty regularly- then switched to undies after 2 weeks of no pullup accidents at home or daycare. The big kid undie transition was a much lauded graduation to big kid- and if they truly had no uh-oh's in pullups- barring being ill they shouldn't soil underwear either- thats purely behavioral- and not tolerated. If you are too cheap to pay for pullups to protect the health and sanitation of the people who care for your child, as well as the other children in care, you shouldn't have had kids.



I am cracking up at "five bucks a swirl":lol:

Funny though, when I was young I remember my babysitter doing exactly this. She would change my little brother's DISPOSEABLE diaper and if he pooped she would rinse it out in the toilet bowl with her bare hands, wring it out, then wrap the diaper in itself and throw it away. Since I was 9 at the time, I would sometimes change him while were at her house and just throw the poopy diaper in the bathroom trash. So, she showed me one day how she wanted me to handle the poopy diapers. :eek: She said that she did it that to cut down on the smell. I was NOT doing that so from that point forward, I just let her change all the poopy diapers after that LOL. It's WAY more sanitary to just take out the trash daily if you want to cut down on the smell. The crazy thing was that we lived in an apartment building and the trash incinerator was just 4 doors down from her! :confused:[/quote]

QualiTcare 04-29-2010 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by Carole's Daycare:
Bare hands! nuts! Nowdays you cant be sure daycare families dont have hepatitis. I actually know a provider at a nearby center that got hepatitis from not wearing gloves when dealing with diapering/potty issues. You can't pay me enough to risk my families health in my home to deal with a kid that makes poopy messes. As for the whole can't potty train without messes in underwear/panties- BULL I have had many, many children, including my own son, that wore pullups- and were potty trained - brought to the potty regularly- then switched to undies after 2 weeks of no pullup accidents at home or daycare. The big kid undie transition was a much lauded graduation to big kid- and if they truly had no uh-oh's in pullups- barring being ill they shouldn't soil underwear either- thats purely behavioral- and not tolerated. If you are too cheap to pay for pullups to protect the health and sanitation of the people who care for your child, as well as the other children in care, you shouldn't have had kids.



I am cracking up at "five bucks a swirl":lol:

Funny though, when I was young I remember my babysitter doing exactly this. She would change my little brother's DISPOSEABLE diaper and if he pooped she would rinse it out in the toilet bowl with her bare hands, wring it out, then wrap the diaper in itself and throw it away. Since I was 9 at the time, I would sometimes change him while were at her house and just throw the poopy diaper in the bathroom trash. So, she showed me one day how she wanted me to handle the poopy diapers. :eek: She said that she did it that to cut down on the smell. I was NOT doing that so from that point forward, I just let her change all the poopy diapers after that LOL. It's WAY more sanitary to just take out the trash daily if you want to cut down on the smell. The crazy thing was that we lived in an apartment building and the trash incinerator was just 4 doors down from her! :confused:

[/quote]

i don't know why anyone in their right mind would clean up accidents without wearing gloves.

both of my own kids were potty trained pretty early. i let them wear underwear because they didn't like feeling it when they had an accident. the pull up was too much like wearing a diaper. they could pee in a pull up and never flinch. it was a lot of work/changing and washing clothes. i let them wear underwear to bed too (which meant a LOT of washing sheets) but they would wake up when they peed whereas if they had a pull up on, they'd sleep right through it just like a diaper. it would've been much easier to use pull ups and not have to wash blankets every day, but i guess it depends on the parent and the child. i see 3 year olds wearing pull ups and i think it's ridiculous. some people think it's okay and they'll do it "when they're ready." that's true in a way - everyone does things when they're ready, but throwing a little uncomfortabless in there doesn't hurt to speed up the process.

HeatherB 05-17-2010 08:51 AM

If having daily accidents.. this child would not be wearing big girl/boy underware. No way! If they parents want him/her in them.. they deal with the mess!

bigdaycare12 02-24-2011 05:11 PM

a poop in a nap
 
i had a preschooler who wasn`t potty trained i told the parents i can throw them away or they go ack in diapers they picked throw them away and in 2 weeks she just kept doing it so we put her in favorvitre cather undies and when she saw those go in the trash she pooped in the potty:)

daycare 02-24-2011 06:44 PM

wow
 
how did the old post resurface? lol
I read most of the post,, some are so gross I almost could not stand to read on but some where so funny I did..

Pull ups...you poopie or peepee your not wearing underwear at my house!!

Angelwings36 02-25-2011 05:48 AM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
we'll have to agree to disagree, but in my opinion, you simply supported my point.

the educated providers who don't charge more than $30 a day are supported by state funds and large numbers of children - from what you said.

so, i don't find anything outlandish about an educated person with an "unheard of rate" along with an "unheard of ratio" charging $35 per day.

if it were up to me, considering that the first five years of a child's life are the most important - EVERYONE caring for children from birth - age 5 would have to be educated. afterall, you have to be educated to teach children in kindergarten and beyond (age 5 and UP) so why the standards are so low for the most important part of a child's life makes no sense to me, but that's just MY opinion. if kindergarten or 10th grade teachers simply needed a HS diploma - people would be up in arms, but for childcare, it's different - regardless of the FACTS that the first years of a child's life are the most important.

i think of it this way - i would pay $5 extra (probably a LOT more) for a licensed dentist or doctor who is educated in the field to perform work on me vs. someone who graduated high school, but claims to love dentistry or medicine.

why would it be any different for the person caring for/educating your child? i would pay $5 more for a licensed professional to care for my child vs. a high school graduate who can give me their word, but i guess that's a crazy way of thinking. consider me (and at least four other people in town) officially nuts.

Just curious QualiTcare...do you need an education to be a mother? Lots of mother's raise their own children from new born to 5 years old (the most important times of their lives). What does an education have to do with rearing children? I certainly did not take an education to be a mother or to mother other children and I don't need one. I run a very successful daycare and raise happy, well mannered, intelligent children!

Angelwings36 02-25-2011 06:03 AM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
michael,

my point is that education is important in our society - whether it's right or not. do i think i could've been an effective teacher without spending four years in college? of course i do. does my sister who spent most of her life doing drugs think she's a good mother? of course she does.

education is there to weed out the qualified from the not so qualified. are there people who would make good lawyers without going to law school? of course there are. but - what would happen if we let everyone who thought they were good at something start practicing in the field they feel qualified for?

maybe i'm not being clear, because i am definitely not "elite." in fact, i've been a food service worker and a single mother most of my life (including the time i went to college).

i find caring for children to be one of the most important jobs on the planet. so, why are childcare workers paid so little? well, it's because society doesn't value the work they do. why don't they value the work they do? because no education is required to do it. why is no education required to do it when education is required to be a teacher? the list goes on.

child care workers deserve more credit and more pay - however, they won't get it unless we start demanding that the standards be raised. when i was working in a daycare center, i worked alongside 18 year old girls with a GED who had never cared for a child a day in her life. that is equivelant to a fast food worker - and the pay is comparable - that's all i'm saying. i find it absurd that someone who puts fries in a bag has the same training as someone who raises my (our your) children. i think the pay should be higher, but naturally, with higher pay comes higher standards - regardless the field.

I am certaintly not saying any of this to brag but the end I make more running my daycare (with a highschool education) than most people I know in 'professional' feilds that still had student loans to pay off in the end. I do not charge less just because I don't have a degree under my buckle, infact I charge more than 75% of daycares in my areas and have never been turned away because my rates are too high for an 'uneducated' person. I run a excellent program and have people begging me to take their children and I do all of this with just a HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA!

Candyland 02-26-2011 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by mac60:
So parents, what do you think is the right thing for the providers to do in the situation where the childs poops their cloth undies?

As a parent, I don't want my child's poopy undies!!! Ewww...throw them out, before I do.

QualiTcare 02-26-2011 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by Angelwings36:
I am certaintly not saying any of this to brag but the end I make more running my daycare (with a highschool education) than most people I know in 'professional' feilds that still had student loans to pay off in the end. I do not charge less just because I don't have a degree under my buckle, infact I charge more than 75% of daycares in my areas and have never been turned away because my rates are too high for an 'uneducated' person. I run a excellent program and have people begging me to take their children and I do all of this with just a HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA!

i'm assuming you wrote the other post before reading the one you gave this response to bc that pretty much answered the question.

people CAN and DO make good money without an education - no doubt. but GENERALLY speaking - childcare providers are not paid well and not respected by society as "professionals."

daycare OWNERS can make the same money as someone with an education, but daycare WORKERS can't (or if they CAN, they typically don't).

if daycare centers (or even home daycares) required more training/formal education for employees those employees would make more money and be more respected in general.

yuanyelss 02-28-2011 04:22 PM

I've had many soiled pairs of underpants sent home with my children in plastic bags, but was never told it was the law that it be handled this way...

Unregistered 03-01-2011 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by nannyde:
If a kid poops their pants at my house they go back into diapers until they are accident free for two weeks. I don't deal with kids being pee trained but not poop trained. It has to be both.

I don't have this happen but once every five-7 years or so. I don't switch kids out of diapers until I KNOW they are ready. They have to show me weeks of telling me they have to go before they have to go and doing both pee and poop before the unders come on.

I am VERY strict about wearing protection until they are completely ready to go into undies. It's been three years since I've even had a pee accident here. It's been seven years since I've had a poop accident. I don't want my carpet ruined to save the parents a dollar or two in diapers a day and I won't pay for staff time to clean poopy underwear and clean up the kid.

Sounds to me like the kid still isn't potty trained.


I agree with Nannyde. I don't allow kids to wear cloth underwear until they are toilet trained with NO accidents for two FULL weeks (10 days) at my house. If they have an accident they go back in diapers and the two weeks starts over. I notify parents when they have completed the two weeks and can start wearing underwear.

Look for underwear at garage sales. They don't cost that much. You have to remember that we have more than one kid to take care of and time cleaning pooped underwear means time away from other kids. I have 4 toilet training right now. I would spend my entire day cleaning underwear if I let them wear it until they were trained following the two week rule.

Meeko 03-03-2011 12:53 PM

It's not just the "Eeww" factor.

In my state, we are not allowed to "toilet swish" We are required to send it home for the parent. Health laws state that droplets even too microscopic to see or feel get airborn and the health risk is a concern. Feces is nasty stuff. On a changing table, with gloves on, it is more contained and less likely to be flying around. Rinsing/swishing etc. is more harmful. The health dept worry about hepatitis etc.

QualiTcare 03-04-2011 05:19 AM

there's really no big risk by dumping a turd in the toilet which of course you'd also have gloves on for and putting the underwear straight into a plastic bag.

i think it's funny that cloth diapers are such a big hit, but the thought of cleaning a turd from underwear is so disgusting.

jen 03-04-2011 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
there's really no big risk by dumping a turd in the toilet which of course you'd also have gloves on for and putting the underwear straight into a plastic bag.

i think it's funny that cloth diapers are such a big hit, but the thought of cleaning a turd from underwear is so disgusting.

I don't mind dumping poop in the potty...but in my experience, it isn't usually dumpable. It has been sat on, squised in, and requires a bit more effort than that. If I have a kid with that kind of accident, then of course I dump it and bag the undies. The rest of the time I throw the undies in the garbage.

youretooloud 03-05-2011 01:04 PM

I don't rinse them either. It's no more gross for the parent to rinse them than it is for the provider to rinse them. Plus, a provider doesn't really have time to go stand over a toilet... rinse, then start a load of laundry to wash one pair of $1.50 panties.

My daycare parents just throw them out. But, I still send them home.

QualiTcare 03-05-2011 10:34 PM

nobody is saying they have to be washed, but to send a turd home in a plastic bag, wrapped in a pair of underwear is disgusting and i'll dare say stupid.

first of all, if a child is having BMs so often in their underwear that it is a problem, the child shouldn't be wearing underwear. if you DO allow them to wear underwear (your choice) then you should be prepared to deal with the mess.

if and when i had a child have an accident in their underwear (which was mostly when i worked in a center) i would simply put on gloves, shake the underwear over the toilet, rinse them - and then put them in a bag. what the parent does with them after that is up to them.

as a parent, i would assume if i got a pair of underwear sent home in a bag that they were dirty (obviously) but i would never assume that there was a big turd still inside. if you have the balls to send someone a turd in a bag, then have the balls to tell them you threw their underwear in the trash. don't let them find out there was a turd in there when they open up what they think is the lid to a washing machine of CLEAN laundry.

scenario - my child went to the same daycare where i worked and rarely had accidents - he was considered potty trained. one day he had TWO accidents in a row. after his second accident, i happened to overhear the "teacher" being hateful/frustrated when she was helping him in the bathroom. luckily, i was there so i stepped in. i didn't work in the same room, but right beside it. he had another accident at home THAT night (again, so very out of character) so the next day at daycare/work i made sure to tell the lady who was being a witch when cleaning up his mess the previous day to PLEASE let me know if he had an accident OR send him over TO ME so that i could clean it up. i HATE HATE HATE for little children to sense anger and frustration when they have accidents - ESPECIALLY if it's not the norm. since it was MY child, of course i was sincere when i said "send him over to me if he has an accident."

well, the day went by - no problems. i assumed all was well. i got off work, went to get my child, checked his cubby, and i'll be damned if there wasn't a bag of underwear in there. i asked his teacher/my co-worker, "why didn't you send him to me?! i told you i'd clean him up! i think something might be wrong...you know this isn't normal, etc., etc." she just laughed it off - no big deal, etc.

i go home, carry everything inside, throw the bag in the laundry room and go back to it a few mins later. i know it was poopy underwear, but considering i always rinsed them out and they had been rinsed out the day before - i didn't think to open them up and look - so imagine my surprise when i opened up my laundry to find POOP! seriously? i tell you to let me clean up my kid which you don't do, and then you have the audacity to shrug it off at the end of the day when i ask why you didn't without mentioning that there's a turd in a bag?

come to find out - he was having accidents due to medical reasons. he was so constipated (not my fault bc of diet or anything else) that he developed a hydrocele which had to be surgically removed (see below).


Hydrocele
Processus vaginalis; Patent processus vaginalis
Last reviewed: December 15, 2010.

A hydrocele is a fluid-filled sack along the spermatic cord within the scrotum.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Hydroceles are common in newborn infants.

During normal development, the testicles descend down a tube from the abdomen into the scrotum. Hydroceles result when this tube fails to close. Fluid drains from the abdomen through the open tube. The fluid builds up in the scrotum, where it becomes trapped. This causes the scrotum to become swollen.

Hydroceles normally go away a few months after birth, but their appearance may worry new parents. Occasionally, a hydrocele may be associated with an inguinal hernia.

Hydroceles may also be caused by inflammation or injury of the testicle or epididymis, or by fluid or blood blockage within the spermatic cord. This type of hydrocele is more common in older men.




....so what would happen is he would feel like he had to go all the time, but couldn't - and it got to where when he really DID have to go, he didn't know. then, after he did pass the hard stool from constipation - soft stool would follow bc he was backed up. he wasn't being lazy and it wasn't bc he "shouldn't be in underwear" - he had to have SURGERY bc of a real problem.

point being - just because a mother chooses to WASH dirty underwear whether it be pee, poop, or BLOOD as we're all familiar with doesn't make them cheap nor nasty. if you DON'T want to clean dirty underwear then at least see if the parents want you to throw them away (which i'm sure they would if they know there's going to be an 8 hour long dried turd in them) OR put the kids back in diapers if it's an ongoing problem. either way - to think there's something "wrong" with a parent who thinks you should shake a turd in the toilet before bagging the superman undies is a little ridiculous coming from childcare providers IMO. kids, poop, gloves, big deal!

bigmama 04-05-2011 05:15 PM

poop in undies
 
i won`t wash out undies i talked to parents and i throw them away a couple weeks ago a boy pooped his underwear so bad (he was doing it for a hour) i had to throw away everthing his underwear,pants,shirt,socks,shoes,cot,blanket,and teddy bear

bigmama 04-05-2011 05:18 PM

why
 

Originally Posted by Chickenhauler:
I honestly don't see the big difference between rinsing out some poo and changing a filthy diaper.

If a little poo skeeves out a DC provider that badly, then they're in the wrong business.

To the lady who was throwing rinsed underwear in the trash because "I'm not putting that in my washer", I hope her husband never eats Chili or Brats and Kraut.:D

why ", I hope her husband never eats Chili or Brats and Kraut

Hunni Bee 04-07-2011 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by bigmama:
i won`t wash out undies i talked to parents and i throw them away a couple weeks ago a boy pooped his underwear so bad (he was doing it for a hour) i had to throw away everthing his underwear,pants,shirt,socks,shoes,cot,blanket,and teddy bear

Im sorry, I dont understand how he could be pooping on himself for an hour at daycare, and no one noticed it or cleaned him up. Because you said you had to throw out his cot and blanket, I assume it was during naptime, so maybe he did it in his sleep?? :confused:...It kind of sounds like he was left to poop on himself for an hour...maybe its just the way it was worded.


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