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C'est la vie. 09:11 PM 06-08-2012
Heres a big daycare faux pas... DON'T steal other kids clothing!!!

I've had several of my daughters items and one special blanket of my sons go missing from daycare. And everytime they do I think "THIS is a one of a kind item.. how the heck can another parent take it home mistaking it for their own childs belonging?"

I've finally realized that they DON'T realize it doesn't belong to their child.

Two weeks ago my daughters sunhat went missing. Items that my children wear often become special to me. They build memories. It took me months to stop being furious when my sons blanket disappeared (being one of his sleep lovies, that was hand made by my husbands aunt and being NECESSARY to to put my son to sleep.)

Well today I'm walking out with my class of children (I work at the daycare) and I see a girl in my sons class wearing my daughters hat. Her cubby is right next to my sons so it becomes clear to me what happened. It got put in her cubby by mistake and they 'claimed' it as their own hat. I had already talked to the teachers and described the hat. So when the child wore it in to daycare today they thought it must be hers because it came in with her. So it's been at her house for TWO WEEKS. GRRR. I stop and talk to grandmother pointing out that she's wearing my daughters hat that I've been looking for. Grandma disagrees with me and says "No that's her's, she's had it for a few days."
"No," I disagree "That's Cara's, I've spoken to all the teachers about it, it went missing two weeks ago and my sons cubby is right next to your grand daughters. It's one of a kind."
Grand ma replies "No this is her hat I'm sure."
"Uhh, no. I'm afraid it's not, it's my daughters. It's one of a kind. Made on Salt Spring Island, my daughters had that hat since she was 1.5 and it's very likely that theres not another one that looks like it in Canada. It was a gift from her grandparents and she's been wearing it for 3 years now."
Grandma says "Oh well I'll ask her mom." Jumps in the truck and drives away WITH MY DAUGHTERS HAT!!!

It's so infuriating. If my kids pop up with a belonging I don't recognize, I question. I wonder "hmm, where did this come from? I didn't buy it. Their dad didn't buy it, perhaps I should look in to this further." But NO. I've found here that people just claim items as their own. Have they no shame???

I've talked to my sons teacher and she assures me that mom will return the hat, she's not the type to keep it. Never the less was it necessary for grandma to speed away with it on a Friday night. I'll be upset if I don't get it back now. The blanket was the last straw for me. I try now to be very carefull with their belongings. I'm sure that this hat at one time even had a mabels label on it. I better get it back on monday morning. Or I'm pulling out the photo album with images of my 1.5 year old daughter wearing this hat.

I have to admit, I've had parents deliberately keep weirder items. It makes me so mad.
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Michael 11:06 PM 06-08-2012
https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=stealing
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Unregistered 11:17 PM 06-08-2012
That is so terrible I'd be livid if my children's items went missing like that. My son is currently missing a sweater at school and I'm annoyed about that but a blanket! Oh no! Awful.
I'm across the pond from Saltspring Island by Butcharts...nice to see other "locals" here.
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Hunni Bee 11:39 PM 06-08-2012
No, they really dont notice/care. I've sent home extra clothing that had another child's or the daycare's name on it, and saw the kid wear it for the next months.

They just consider it free additions to the child's wardrobe.

I understand your frustration though
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cheerfuldom 06:12 AM 06-09-2012
well my parents here notice and they do return things that get sent home by mistake. Not everyone is like this!
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EchoMom 06:17 AM 06-09-2012
Doesn't putting your child's name on everything solve the problem?
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C'est la vie. 06:36 AM 06-09-2012
Originally Posted by glenechogirl:
Doesn't putting your child's name on everything solve the problem?
You would think wouldn't you? I've had several things with mabels labels all over them disappear and never come back.
This go missing, they just do. I just don't understand the hoarder instinct to keep things that are obviously not something you bought for your child.
Random items of clothing don't come in to my house without me knowing who bought it. So how do children come home with new stuff and parents don't think to look in to it.

I have seen children wearing stuff I've donated to the daycare as if it's their own. It's always parents who 1. arent's poor. 2. under dress their child daily. Never bring in spares.. then just claim the daycare clothing.

WHY???? UHHH. If you can afford coach purses, and a brand new pair of Pumas ever week, then spend a few bucks and stop stealing my kids hats. The same thing happend with my daughters very clearly marked winter hat.
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Kaddidle Care 07:18 AM 06-09-2012
2 words.. SHARPIE MARKER! Label everything you bring into daycare.

Send your children in playclothes to Daycare and leave the good stuff home. Anything special you send to Daycare or School will be at risk for getting lost. It just happens.

The blanket should have been put in your child's bedding bucket unless it goes home every night. I suggest you have 2 if it's something the child won't sleep without. One for Daycare and one for home.

There are many things that are brought into Daycares that shouldn't be sent. Toys especially but that's a rant for another thread.
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Crazy8 08:28 AM 06-09-2012
Originally Posted by Kaddidle Care:
2 words.. SHARPIE MARKER! Label everything you bring into daycare.

Send your children in playclothes to Daycare and leave the good stuff home. Anything special you send to Daycare or School will be at risk for getting lost. It just happens.

The blanket should have been put in your child's bedding bucket unless it goes home every night. I suggest you have 2 if it's something the child won't sleep without. One for Daycare and one for home.

There are many things that are brought into Daycares that shouldn't be sent. Toys especially but that's a rant for another thread.
I agree, I require EVERYTHING that enters my home be labeled with the child's name. I know it doesn't help now, but had that hat had your DD's name in it problem would have been solved when you saw the other girl wearing it.
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Unregistered 10:10 AM 06-09-2012
While it is upsetting to lose a special item, why on earth would you send one of a kind items to daycare? The whole sentence about it taking MONTHS for you to stop being furious about the lovey blanket is in and of itself alarming. Stop sending the stuff that is ever so special or make sure you have a back up. Things happen, mistakes happen and grandma probably saw that the little girl was wearing it several days in a row and then to have to be stuck in an unwanted confrontation at the daycare....i would have high tailed it out of there to get away from the "crazy lady".
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C'est la vie. 11:57 AM 06-09-2012
One more time.. I had a mabels label in it. Same with the winter hat, and same with the blanket. I didn't double check in the week before it went missing, but those iron on labels take effort to pull off. So I'm pretty sure there would still be a label in it unless it was forcibly removed.
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MyAngels 12:07 PM 06-09-2012
Originally Posted by Kaddidle Care:
2 words.. SHARPIE MARKER! Label everything you bring into daycare.

Send your children in playclothes to Daycare and leave the good stuff home. Anything special you send to Daycare or School will be at risk for getting lost. It just happens.

The blanket should have been put in your child's bedding bucket unless it goes home every night. I suggest you have 2 if it's something the child won't sleep without. One for Daycare and one for home.

There are many things that are brought into Daycares that shouldn't be sent. Toys especially but that's a rant for another thread.
Yep, this. It doesn't help you now, with the things already lost, but since it's obviously a problem, I wouldn't send anything to daycare with your child that they can't do without, or that you don't want lost. Doesn't make it right, obviously, but that's just the way it can be sometimes.
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JustAMom 12:19 PM 06-09-2012
Why do people continue to ignore the fact that she DID label her child's things? Oh, and been there, done that. My daughter's clothes got sent home with the wrong kid, I saw the other child wearing them. Fortunately they were from eBay and not expensive at all. I don't send anything with or on her that I don't mind getting ruined or lost. Still, it's annoying that other parents do this.
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krosey5 03:23 PM 06-09-2012
Originally Posted by JustAMom:
Why do people continue to ignore the fact that she DID label her child's things?
I'm wondering this same thing

OP, sorry you are dealing with this. I find it odd that the parents don't notice. I would notice! Hopefully the grandmother acutally asks the mother & you receive your hat back!
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Live and Learn 03:49 PM 06-09-2012
I would not send anything too precious to that daycare. Especially something that is one of a kind, necessary for the sleep of your child, expensive or sentimental. KWIM?

I think I missed something......If the girl was wearing your daughters hat and it had a label in it...... Why didn't you just take the hat off the girl's head and show grandma the label.
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C'est la vie. 04:01 PM 06-09-2012
Originally Posted by Live and Learn:
I would not send anything too precious to that daycare. Especially something that is one of a kind, necessary for the sleep of your child, expensive or sentimental. KWIM?

I think I missed something......If the girl was wearing your daughters hat and it had a label in it...... Why didn't you just take the hat off the girl's head and show grandma the label.
She was buckled in her car seat... grandma was just shutting the door as I was passing with 8 children on a walking rope... besides people don't like it when daycare providers tackle their grandchild to snatch off a hat. I still have to be professional and polite.
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Luna 06:17 PM 06-09-2012
If the hat isn't returned, you could politely let the parents or Grandma know that your daughter is missing a hat that looks just like that one, could they please check inside and see if it has a label with your daughter's name on it. If the label is missing, there really isn't much you could do. I understand how and unfamiliar item of clothing goes unnoticed. Parents might think Grandma bought this hat for her, Grandma thinks parents bought it...
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Blackcat31 07:31 AM 06-10-2012
Do you have any photos of your DD wearing the hat? If so, take it to the director so she can shpw the family who has the hat that it clearly belongs to you.

Oh, and as far as the Coach purse comment, maybe they can afford it because they get the kids' clothing and other items at a five finger discount.....
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Kiki 07:50 AM 06-10-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Do you have any photos of your DD wearing the hat? If so, take it to the director so she can shpw the family who has the hat that it clearly belongs to you.

Oh, and as far as the Coach purse comment, maybe they can afford it because they get the kids' clothing and other items at a five finger discount.....
I would take in the pictures as well. When my oldest DD was in a center, I took the junkiest clothes we had in, along with the oldest most worn out blanket. I was too afraid that her items would get lost, or stolen by other parents. It's really just sad what people will do.
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countrymom 07:19 AM 06-11-2012
you would be so amazed what kids bring home and parents don't realize. Or better yet, how does a winter coat end up in lost and found, when its winter here. Do the parents not realize that their child didn't come home with a coat. Many coats that are in lost and found are expensive brands.
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Crazy8 09:30 AM 06-11-2012
Originally Posted by C'est la vie.:
She was buckled in her car seat... grandma was just shutting the door as I was passing with 8 children on a walking rope... besides people don't like it when daycare providers tackle their grandchild to snatch off a hat. I still have to be professional and polite.
I did miss the part about it having a label in it, so sorry for not seeing that, but I think you could have very nicely asked grandma to please check to see if your childs name label was inside the hat. You could have done that very professionally and very politely. Actually, as an employee of the daycare I wouldn't have even gotten emotional about it and wouldn't even have brought up the fact that it was YOUR daughter's - would have just mentioned that the hat looks like one described as lost in the daycare and could you please check to see if it had a label in it.
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Live and Learn 10:44 AM 06-11-2012
Originally Posted by C'est la vie.:
people don't like it when daycare providers tackle their grandchild to snatch off a hat.......
Tackle?
Snatch?

I don't think I said that.
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C'est la vie. 07:04 PM 06-11-2012
Originally Posted by Live and Learn:
Tackle?
Snatch?

I don't think I said that.
LOL I was making a joke. Point is that the child was already buckled in her car seat.
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