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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>DCM Has No Respect For Me Or My Rules!
Neekie 12:15 PM 06-26-2012
I was upset this morning by DCM's remark. I have had many injuries in the past because of kids wearing flip flops on my playground. Everything from torn toe nails to cut feet and even a broken toe. And last summer my granddaughter broke her foot from wearing flip flops in a grocery store. So I have a rule at my day care that all kids must have tennis shoes or at least sandals that buckle up tight around their feet and have closed toes. So this morning DCG comes in flip flops and DCM said, "She doesn't have her tennis shoes, but I want her to go outside anyway because she needs to get rid of some energy and she is not going to break her toe!" I said she could go out and play in the sandbox, but not run around in flip flops. I refuse to relax that rule even for one parent because then I might as well not have that rule at all. I just felt so disrespected!
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Heidi 12:17 PM 06-26-2012
Remind her at pick up that she absolutely, positively MUST have proper footwear. If she'd like to leave an extra pair of tennies at your house and go back and forth in flip flops, that would be no problem!
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Kiki 12:20 PM 06-26-2012
Wow, what a day for parents I guess. Sorry!

>< I have extra shoes here for this reason. I have a mom that either brings her girl in flip flops, or shoes that are way too dang small/big and they just pop off of her feet. Every time she does, at pick up, I hand mom the shoes and say, 'These didn't fit! She borrowed some from us today.', normally she doesn't bring them back.

At pick up: 'Bye Jenny, don't forget your shoes tomorrow so you can play tag with all the kids, they sure missed having you in their game!'
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Mom&Provider 12:23 PM 06-26-2012
You must stand behind your rules! I would have said X can go outside, but must sit in one area, no running or skipping etc. DCM has no way of knowing if her daughter will hurt her toes/feet or not, but it's your daycare and your rules...period.

I agree with the pp'er, remind her at pick-up that your rule is no flip-flops, please send her with proper shoes. Period.
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Neekie 12:31 PM 06-26-2012
Originally Posted by Heidi:
Remind her at pick up that she absolutely, positively MUST have proper footwear. If she'd like to leave an extra pair of tennies at your house and go back and forth in flip flops, that would be no problem!
Yup, Heidi I have done this many, many times over and over again. It goes in one ear and out the other. LOL And I have said she could leave extra shoes here. She continues to ignore the rule. And she is not the only parent that I am having this problem with either. All of them are continually forgetting shoes, but this is the first time someone has been this snarky with me. I am gettiing so fed up with this shoe deal that could just scream.
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Neekie 12:33 PM 06-26-2012
Originally Posted by Kiki:
Wow, what a day for parents I guess. Sorry!

>< I have extra shoes here for this reason. I have a mom that either brings her girl in flip flops, or shoes that are way too dang small/big and they just pop off of her feet. Every time she does, at pick up, I hand mom the shoes and say, 'These didn't fit! She borrowed some from us today.', normally she doesn't bring them back.

At pick up: 'Bye Jenny, don't forget your shoes tomorrow so you can play tag with all the kids, they sure missed having you in their game!'
Kiki, that sounds just like me at pick time around here. LOL "Now don't forget to bring your shoes tomorrow." I feel like a broken record. LOL
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Neekie 12:36 PM 06-26-2012
Originally Posted by Mom&Provider:
You must stand behind your rules! I would have said X can go outside, but must sit in one area, no running or skipping etc. DCM has no way of knowing if her daughter will hurt her toes/feet or not, but it's your daycare and your rules...period.

I agree with the pp'er, remind her at pick-up that your rule is no flip-flops, please send her with proper shoes. Period.
Yeah, she was only allowed to go in the sandbox today. "DCM has know way of knowing if her daughter will hurt her toes/feet or not"...Yeah, exactly!
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JenNJ 12:37 PM 06-26-2012
I have this issue as well. If the kid wear Crocs, sandals, flip flops, dress shoes, etc. they do NOT play on the playset and can not run. No riding toys, no kicking a ball, etc. They can draw with chalk and play on the grass. They can also use the trucks to dig in the dirt/mulch. That's about it.

I remind the CHILD. "Steven, tomorrow wear your sneakers so you can climb on the monkey bars and go on the slide. We can't wear Crocs and climb, ok?" 9 times out of 10, the kid will wear sneakers the next day.
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Neekie 12:45 PM 06-26-2012
I am thinking I might just have to go out and buy a cheap pair of tennies for all the kids this year. I have never had to do that before. And I hate to start that cause then they will expect it every year. It just breaks my heart though that we bend over backwards to provide an nice, clean, safe environment for the kids. obey all the laws, work our butts off and try to please every parent amd they can't do simple something for us such as provide proper footwear for their children. And actually this rule is for the safety of their children, not for me.
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DCMom 01:07 PM 06-26-2012
Originally Posted by Neekie:
I am thinking I might just have to go out and buy a cheap pair of tennies for all the kids this year. I have never had to do that before. And I hate to start that cause then they will expect it every year. It just breaks my heart though that we bend over backwards to provide an nice, clean, safe environment for the kids. obey all the laws, work our butts off and try to please every parent amd they can't do simple something for us such as provide proper footwear for their children. And actually this rule is for the safety of their children, not for me.
If you choose to do this, charge them for the shoes.

I totally understand your frustration. I have 8 awesome families and 1 that couldn't follow a rule if it came up and bit them in the butt. Go figure why the kids don't listen either...I rarely terminate (twice in 20 years) but they are close. Very close.

Example: today the 5 year old comes in....soccer cleats. I didn't realize it until we were going outside after breakfast. Called mom. She said 'That's ok, I said he could wear them, because he left his tennis shoes at Grandma's'.

Really?? I would have preferred the flip flops he wore yesterday
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Willow 01:10 PM 06-26-2012
I had a parent refuse to bring sunscreen. Her kids "tanned" so she bucked my rule of not going outside without it on.

I offered one day to buy some for her and just add the charge to her invoice. She brought it the next day.

I would send out a notice asking that all parents bring a pair of reasonable shoes to keep there or you will be adding a $10 charge on the next invoice to go buy each child that doesn't have their own a pair.

You should not have to shoulder that expense.
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Kiki 01:12 PM 06-26-2012
Originally Posted by Neekie:
I am thinking I might just have to go out and buy a cheap pair of tennies for all the kids this year.
We have a local paper here that does a free online classifieds, they have a 'FREE!' section under there, I have a box in my basement of things I have collected from that. I never paid for extra shoes, they are using ones that I have received for free that have been washed, and placed into the box.
Same with any extra clothing for the parents that refuse to bring back-up outfits.
I just have one rule with it, it doesn't leave my home, or I'll never see it again.
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Hunni Bee 02:08 PM 06-26-2012
We go through this same battle every summer. We don't allow any open-toe or open-backed shoes. Every year around April, we start seeing the sandals. We start sending the notices out. The parents start the "MY child...".

I am not going to have the battle of "Nay-Nay, sit down. No bikes. No running. No slide. You have on sandals" X 1000. Its not fair to me, and certainly not fair to the child. So the farthest they can wear sandals is into the door, where they must immediately change shoes. If they don't have a change of shoes, they go home and get one.
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Blackcat31 02:13 PM 06-26-2012
I would NEVER go out and buy something because a parent refuses to follow my policies. I would also never allow a parent to be so disrespectful in regards to my policies in which they signed and agreed to!

The issue would be solved immediately if you do a spot check at the door upon arrival...no proper footwear (per contract agreement) then no stay.

I know it is a tough situation to be in, but so is court when a parent sues you for the injury their child received while in your care.

Plus, the whole blatant disrespect issue woud have me writing a term letter for not following policies.
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gbcc 03:24 PM 06-26-2012
Something must be in the air today with parents

Stick to your gut. I have noticed if I bend one "tiney rule", I am expected to bend several "tiney rules" during the week from that point on.
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Kaddidle Care 03:25 PM 06-26-2012
That whole thing irks me too but when half the employees are in flip flops it's hard to enforce. The worst offenders are the workers with their own children.

I recently wore slides to an evening event at the Center and it wasn't 5 minutes before a little squashed my toes.
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countrymom 06:14 PM 06-26-2012
I follow the school policy. It has to have a backing and closed front toes. So I don't allow flip flops on the littles, but I do allow crocs. they are quick to put on and they are great for kids as they air their feet too. I hate runners in the summer. I had a boy one summer who wore his runners all the time, the problem was that when his shoes got wet they never got fully dried. Well, you can imagine what happened next, after constant wearing, his feet started to peel so bad that he needed medication to fix them. the dr also said that wearing tennis shoes and having sweaty feet you are more likely to get athletes feet.
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EchoMom 06:33 PM 06-26-2012
Maybe I'm wrong, but if they send their kid in bad shoes and get hurt is that your fault? And if they sign something that says you are not financially responsible for injuries, then does it matter what shoes they wear and if they stub a toe or something? I could be completely wrong, I'm asking, i really don't know.

I have a 2yo with WIDE flinstone feet and his shoes are always too small and HARD to get on. We go on long walks and today he got a blister on his pinky from the croc shoe rubbing. I don't know if the parents will be mad at me for that, I don't see it as my fault, but I suppose they might. I just think if they hurt their toe because of shoewear that's their fault not mine, right? So if they're ok with the risk why should I care what shoes they have on?
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Blackcat31 07:57 PM 06-26-2012
Originally Posted by glenechogirl:
Maybe I'm wrong, but if they send their kid in bad shoes and get hurt is that your fault? And if they sign something that says you are not financially responsible for injuries, then does it matter what shoes they wear and if they stub a toe or something? I could be completely wrong, I'm asking, i really don't know.

I have a 2yo with WIDE flinstone feet and his shoes are always too small and HARD to get on. We go on long walks and today he got a blister on his pinky from the croc shoe rubbing. I don't know if the parents will be mad at me for that, I don't see it as my fault, but I suppose they might. I just think if they hurt their toe because of shoewear that's their fault not mine, right? So if they're ok with the risk why should I care what shoes they have on?
Good and probably true logic but I dont think those two things apply to some of the sue-happy people out there now days. Kwim?
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