Originally Posted by Unregistered:
You know, some of you act like you are so much better than the evil, heartless parents who send their kids to daycare. But guess what, if you're doing daycare while your kids are home, they're in daycare, too. They do not have your undivided attention 100% of the time. And remember, if it weren't for these heartless parents who can't wait to drop their kids off, you wouldn't be doing what you're doing. It's sad that some of you have such little respect for your own profession.
I don't think all parents are evil or heartless at all. I like all of my daycare parents and families. I agree with Blackcat- if my child were not one of those impossible kids who needed to be with mom only, I would probably still be working outside the home. I have impossibly high standards for my kids (which I extend to my daycare kids), so I probably would be the worst helicoptor daycare parent anyway.
But there are a lot of times when the parents just don't "get it."
When your child has a fever and is sick and needs mom and dad- take a day off and care or your own child. I have had parents take a week off to run off to Las Vegas without their kids, but those same parents can't take time off to care for their own sick kid. I also have parents who leave their child for extra hours at daycare EVERY DAY, and show up in sweat pants and t-shirts because they just wanted the extra time to themselves. Occasionally- that' okay, but every day?? Don't you want to spend time with your own kids?
Of course people have to work. So do we.. I appreciate all of my families and they appreciate me. But I will say that I took a $35,000 paycut and work 10+ more hours a week because my child needed me. We take less vacations. We don't go out to eat. So yes, I do feel that I am better than the parent who drops their kid off every day for 12 hours a day when they only work 8 hour days. And yes, I am better than the parent who drugged up their kid on tylenol and cold meds because they used all of their vacation days while on vacation. And I am better than the parent who drives the Mercedes and has the 3,500 sq foot house, but drops off their colicky child who just won't adjust to daycare. If you are going to have kids you have to be prepared to make sacrafices if you have to. Not all working parents are bad, but there are a lot of selfish parents out there who don't prioritize their own kids at all.
My current families are generally great. I don't accept the selfish parents anymore- too many behavioral issues with the kids.