Day care providers,

How long do you write detailed daily reports? I started my family day care two years ago, so my first infant is now turning two. I feel like I should not still be writing down every time he poops and what it looks like! I did change his daily report from an infant report to a toddler report when he turned one, but his parents still wanted to know times and details for naps, diapers, feedings, how much he ate, what toys he played with, and his mood throughout the day.
Also, with the cost of ink, having to print them out every day is killing my wallet!

Please let me know what you include on your reports and how long you continue to do them.

Thanks!

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according to OUR licensor, we have to do it until they are out of diapers. So if you still have a 4 yo in a pull up, then you do an infant/toddler report for them as well.

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Tried it for a while and it was a complete waste of my time and paper and ink.

The parents SAID they liked them, but I watched closely and they ended up on the floor of their cars (or even in my driveway), left in cubbies for weeks etc.

They ASKED about the child's day at pick up and so I ended up telling them everything on the paper anyway!

Si I stopped doing it.

If a parent really, really wanted one, I would have them use up THEIR ink and paper and bring you a pile to fill in.

But honestly, how long does it actually take to tell them in person that Timmy had two bowel movements and ate all his lunch?

Make the parents pay for the forms and I won't be surprised if they suddenly don't need them any more......

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I'm sure you are right about that. I have a kid who turned one not long ago. The papers rarely made it home, EVER. I never saw the parents even glace at them. I stopped his when he was 1. It was a waste of my time, paper, ink, etc. My new infant's parents ask for the form and look at it and I bet they will ask to continue to get one after age 1, but I no longer do it automatically after age 1.

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Thank goodness in CA we're not required to do it at all. I tried it for a while and the parents never really looked at them. When I told them I would stop doing it 2 families said that they "needed" them and so I required them to provide the forms for me ... wouldn't you know that they suddenly didn't need them as badly anymore

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I would never in a million years waste time writing out daily reports. I would rather give a quick face-to-face update at the end of the day... and when I need to be more detailed, email. I can imagine how often parents don't even glance at these things let alone actually READ them. So many parents don't even read the contracts they sign with us, or leave their children's crafts in the car for months at a time, or "forget" basic common sense houserules despite the signs on the door, the newsletters, etc.
I know not all parents are that way, but there are too many for me to spend that kind of time and paper on someone that the majority wouldn't be interested in.

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I used to do it until the children turned 18 months. It didn't take long to realize I was writing pretty much the same thing every day... so, I quit doing them. I will ask brand new first time parents if they'd like them briefly while they adjust to daycare and until their child is transitioned in and on a pretty consistent schedule... most say not to bother.

Some parents might want to know what their kids are eating... I found it works really nice to write the days menu on a dry erase board and hang it by the kids cubbies for the parents to see if they want

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Well, I guess I have strange clients, then. They actually keep every single report in a binder at home. They don't even let the kids carry the daily reports because they don't want them to get wrinkled!! We are in New York and I don't think there are any requirements to having a report, but my clients certainly couldn't do without them. They have actually referred back to the first child's reports now that they have a second child, to see when they tried certain foods or how their naps were similar or different.

I print out a monthly menu now (like a school menu) so I don't have to write that down every day.

Maybe I will just start doing it electronically, so it is emailed to them and then they can use their own paper and ink at home.

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Welcome to the forum!

You have been upgraded so you can post freely now.

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That's awesome I wish I had more parents who were actually interested in their child's daily activities. Good for you!!

And yes, email is the way to go!

Also, welcome to the forum!

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Ugh the daily report is very frustrating for me! When I started it I advertised that I would do it, and I made the mistake of writing down everything, including a little bio about what we did that day.

Well now I am full and taking the time to do it every day takes up time that I don't have. I am working hard when the kids are awake, and I really don't want to give up the small amount of peace and quiet at naptime that I have to do it. Stupid first year mistakes.

I know that my parents appreciate it though (the ones who do read it).

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I stopped doing daily reports when I moved to a larger city. I give daily reports at pick ups. If there is anything abnormal, etc.. I tell the parents. I tell the parents of an infant, when they last drank their bottle, and if they had a bm, and that is about it. I always tell them if they were fussy, didn't sleep, or didn't eat well as well. It was a total waste of time, and the parents didn't even look at them anyways!!

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I only do an infant report when I start a new baby. Thats so the parents can get a feel for the schedule Im getting their child on. But once the babies are in a good routine and the parents know they are in a routine, I stop doing the reports.

I just will tell the parents if the kids did anything funny, ate something new, or a weird BM or no BM.

All in all I only do an infant report for maybe 2 months.

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If parents insist they want them, I email them at the end of the day!

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I have a little white board by the door. When the toddler does something cute, I make a note on the board so that I can remember to tell her. I tell the baby's mom when he had his last bottle and if anything new happened, and that's it. I did the reports when I first started and no one cared. We all talk a lot, so they don't feel left out of the loop.

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Wow. Not true in every state. We are not required to do one ever.

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I usually do it until they are 12-18 months and I only do it upon request.

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I have one from my organization. It's on a laminated chart, and I fill it in for the infants and erase every day. I only do it while they are mostly having bottles. If parents want one to bring home they can either copy the info themselves, or bring me a chart.

Mine just has eating and sleeping, not diapers.

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We aren't required to do it in home daycares here either but I still do it for an infant until they are eating more solid foods (probably about 8 months or so) at that time I do not see the need for it. My parents will still come in and ask me what time their child's last bottle is..hello? Read your form. I do it also so I can remember myself. When I have 10 children it gets hard to remember when the last bottle was for my infant so the form actually helps me more than anything. But it is a pain and I usually only have one infant at a time so therefore only one form at a time.

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I use the MMK daily report and email it to the parents. I fill it out at nap and when they wake up and put in the rest and send it off So easy peasy!!!

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same here... my parents love them. I had one family who kept them in a binder - not sure others do but if they happen to leave it behind at pick up they will be looking for it the next morning knowing they forgot it.

I do them as long as I have the child - which is rarely ever past age 4. My reports used to be a full page but to I cut them down to a half page a while back - I don't write all the things we do - just diapers, naps and meals and a place to write if they need more diapers, formula, etc.

I only print up a few - then have people who will photocopy them for me so its not costing me much money and it takes a total of 5 min. a day to fill them out so I am very willing to do it as long as my families appreciate it - and I've never had one who didn't.

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I used to do these but for me, its a big fat waste of time. Worse is when a parent looks them over ONLY to find mistakes you made. Too long between diaper changes, not enough food eaten, didnt get outside time that day.....

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I usually do it when they are infants. It helps ME know when they were fed and such. I had a mom, who I still have, but the kid is 3.5 and I stopped when she was like 1.5. the mom said "oh, you dont do those little sheets anymore?" and i said, umm, no!

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My contract says I will do them untill 1. I usualy stop around 6mo when the parents lose interest. When they leave themon the counter more than they take them home I stop making them.

I have never had a parent ask why I stopped. I think they are just s relieved as I am to stop.

I kinda understand there need in a center where they change teacher through the day....but not in a home where it is the same provider and I have plenty of time to alk about the childs day.

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I do them on MMK and email them to parents when a child first starts. Usually for about the first 3-4 weeks until I get a good idea what their normal routine is. After that I just let parents know if something happened different than their normal routine each day. I have so many pick ups and things going on between the time they wake up from nap and 530 and then I have my own family to deal with. No time to sit there and fill one out for each kid everyday. Plus it never fails, I will fill them out and then the child will poop again, or do something that would go on the form, or not eat their snack. You know Murphy's law.

I had a mom that wanted to know every detail of everyday like what toys he played with from what time to what time. Who he played with from what time to what time. What order he ate what food in. I just told her I didnt have the time to always document during the day so when I did fill one out it would be in the evening after my own kids went to bed and would just be guestimating from memory. It would be $10 extra a week, or she could hire a documenter, to come sit and keep track of monitoring his activities throughout the day.

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I stop when they turn age 1. At that point I send a weekly menu out on mondays via email. Ink, paper etc cost too much and my parents throw them in the back of the car. I do have seperate Supply Note to send home for diapers or other supplies the child may need.

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I use baby connect here and the parents love it, it even has a cool chart thing so you can see over all their napping and eating schedule. Its free if you use it on the website, but the app is only $5 and totally worth it.

babyconnect.com

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I do infant/toddler daily reports until age 2. Some families don't read them so I keep less detailed on those kids. It is almost at this point something for me to keep track of the kids schedules. If baby a is crying I can go to his paper and see what he needs instantly rather than trying all the different things first. The parents I have that do read them LOVE them. I was actually chosen over another provider because of my daily sheet! One parent puts them in a file of baby stuff because it is part og her childs life she wants to remember. The little funny notes at the bottom saying different things she did.

I also use it as a communication system. If I am going on vacation I write it on there and highlight it a week before as a reminder. Since I started doing that there have been no questions asked about vacations. I also write down when they need more supplies. That way I remember to tell the parent at p/u.

I couldnt live without daily sheets for the little guys.

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Wow! Do they ask you to photograph every bowel movement too??!!!

I can see that some parents would like to read one...but a binder????!! Heaven help them when their child starts school...they'll need a storage unit for all the paper if they want to keep it!

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I use Baby Connect also! I love it! And the one family I have reads it

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