Facetime With Parents

Staying logged out for privacy.

It was strongly urged by my state to encourage parents to keep their children home if they do not NEED care and if they do bring their children to limit the number of hours in care when possible. While this request causes them to not get full use of their contracted hours, it shouldn't be a huge problem. A lot of them already had random week days off for a variety of reasons (i.e. shift work, 4-12s) before the virus. Currently, some of my parents are still working as usual, some are now working from home, and one is not working at all (with pay). One guess which one had the biggest problem?

Anyways, next month's newsletter I would like to write up a positive swing to children now getting more face time with their parents. I'm keeping my hopes low but when we all return to normal, but I'm hoping a lesson in all this is parents will be encouraged to spend a little more time with their children when possible.

Can anyone help me with this? I'm struggling to put it into words without sounding passive aggressive or snarky.

[Ariana]

Do not expect anyone to get any of it! I wouldn’t waste my time personally. I know you mean well but in the grand scheme of things they are not going to suddenly start wanting to be parents because you wrote something in a newsletter. It is the same reason why they don’t want to spend the time with their kids when they are off and complain on social media non stop about how horrible being a parent is. My friends and I are having quite a laugh at some of the parents suddenly finding themselves with their kids 24/7

If you do go through with it, maybe something about enjoying quality time together during these uncertain times is good enough.

[Annalee]

I agree with Ariana, a quote/post/recommendation in a newsletter will NOT change, necessarily, how a parent thinks. Not saying I haven't fell in this "way of thinking" before and used newsletters to hopefully altar how clients think/do things, but experience tells me "Child care providers are good at what we do, but are not miracle workers". I lean more toward "this is how ms. xxxx will operate during this or that and leave it at that". Just my opinions!

[boy_mom]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I'm struggling to put it into words without sounding passive aggressive or snarky.

Because it is passive aggressive and snarky... unfortunately many parents we meet in daycare do not parent the way we do, many don't see the value of spending time with their kids the way we do, but it doesn't mean they should get a lecture from us!

[Lawson2]

I’m so very sorry to hi-jack your thread. If anyone sees this, how do you start a new post? I don’t start one very often, so when I go to do so, I can never find how (it’s probably right under my nose, but I can’t seem to find it).

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Lawson2

I’m so very sorry to hi-jack your thread. If anyone sees this, how do you start a new post? I don’t start one very often, so when I go to do so, I can never find how (it’s probably right under my nose, but I can’t seem to find it).

Click the Daycare Center and Family Home Forum link up top. Then the New Thread button. Both on the left, towards the top.

There are several sub-forums. You just pick the one that most closely resembles your topic.

[Lawson2]

And the question I wanted to post was (similar to yours)...

You as a provider, what is your take on parents basically being forced to spend this time with their children? Do you think things will change, eyes will be open, or do you think it will go back to being the same? Meaning... I was a nanny whose families never spent any hands on time with their children. If they weren’t with me, they were in enrichment classes. My mother works for care as a back of provider and she says 70% of the families she works with- the kids are out of control. I live in an upper class town and the parents are going haywire on the local message boards- and we are only a 1.5 weeks into the kids being home. They just aren’t used to being with their them....

Me on the other hand... Yes, it’s not all rainbows with my own two kids (they are 9 and 3). They argue, it’s noisy... But, they live a simpler life and are home with me, so this isn’t really that different for us. We are lucky to have a large yard and walking trails near by, so they are outdoors quite a bit...

Because I worked for decades with families who spent very little time with their children, it is a sore spot for me.

I posted on my social media how refreshing it was to see families out walking and kids out in their yard playing. Hardly any responses, because a lot of the families banned together to complain about how tough this is being how with their own children...

It’s almost like a sign from Mother Nature to slow down and reevaluate what is important in life. If you aren’t going to do, it, I’ll find a way to make you. Of course, not taking lightly the
safety and health of everyone and the economic impact all of this will have. For those things, I pray for normalcy. 🙏

[Lawson2]

Thank you Cat Herder. I’ll take a look. Sorry about that. :-/

[Cat Herder]

I add upcoming community events for families, crafts ideas, recipes, games, free museum/state park/theatre dates and developmental milestones education on our program page.

Many parents parent how their parents raised them. Their parents may not have had this information readily available to them. I, myself, got my first computer the same day our kids did.

I know when our kids were coming up I had to spend a lot of time searching out information to find fun opportunities for us and to keep them engaged in their community. If I were working from an office that had restricted internet, not for personal use, I would not have found most of the things I did. Once they get home from work they are tired and still have dinner, housework and bedtime routines. Many just get stuck in survival mode and are in a depressive sort of autopilot. Some can't see it until they come out of it.

I am thanked quite often for this information and they do participate in quite a bit of it, now. I don't bother posting expensive activities, though. That just makes it feel daunting, not fun, light and easy.

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Lawson2

Thank you Cat Herder. I’ll take a look. Sorry about that. :-/

Not a problem at all. Stick around!