Originally Posted by MommyMuffin:
Anyways, my major issue is the looks the parents give me about him being in a "cage". The area he is in is in the living room with everyone else and is a space about 6 x 6. Of course there are toys in there and at nap time he comes out and has full range. Sometimes he plays toys in the highchair too.
Should I change my ways for the parents? I have told all of them about why I do what I do with the infants. Its just whenever a parent may come early and see an infant in the area they say things like, "Aw poor guy."
I'm sick of feeling guilty about it and I keep going back and forth about whether I should keep the area or not. I cannot stand how nervous I am when he is crawling after the 3 year olds and they are running around.
I have had that from a couple folks before, too.
I remind them how quickly an infant can suffer a splenic fracture, spinal fracture or ruptured intestine from an older child tripping over them and falling, knees first, onto their abdomen. Internal bleeding or Sepsis are both horrible ways to die.
I remind them that a child tripping over their head/neck can result in facial fractures, paralysis or death.
Especially if they are carrying a medium to large toy with them.
I remind them that infants are often the victims of bites, scratches, being hit with toys and hair pulling in large centers with mixed ages in the afternoons. Many combine ages to allow rooms to close down. Memories of those injuries is why I do it this way.
I remind them that every one of those injuries takes only seconds even with direct supervision in a group of 6-8 kids. That is with none being purposeful acts. I have never had an injury to an infant here, since 1994. I ask them to google "infant injured died daycare".
I don't usually hear any more about it after that.