and Mom enrolled her self professed diva with me in hopes of turning that around. Mom calls herself a princess and 'kind of an indoor girl' and doesn't want dcg to be such a priss. (her words, not mine!)

anyway, fast forward through winter when dcg whined and followed me around outside the ENTIRE time, EVERY DAY, TWICE A DAY. I thought beautiful weather in spring/summer would improve it, but that hasn't helped AT ALL. It just went from 'too cold' whining to 'too hot' whining (60-70* is NOT too hot!)

She whines to dcm about it, and dcm has gone so far as to ask me if dcg can not go out (no) and if my older dd can watch dcg indoors atleast for afternoon recess (no).

The newest issue is not dressing her appropriately in hopes that we won't go outside. Yesterday she brought her in shorts and a tank top with no jacket (it was 42 at am recess) and I TOLD her at drop off that I would be putting her in her backup outfit to go outside but in the future she needed to bring weather appropriate clothes so that dcg could go outside or she would have to go get them before dcg could stay. Yesterday, dcg wore the backup outfit home, and of course, came dressed in flip flops (don't allow those ever) and a sundress (again, low 40's) I turned her away at the door. Dcm was of course, livid, and came back 30 minutes later with sweats, sneakers and a jacket in hand.

I am typing up an email to dcm about dcg's continued issues with outside, it is now mentioned almost daily at drop off AND pickup by either dcg and/or dcm. Before summer comes (when we spend every possible minute outside except for nap) I think it's best we decide now if we are working together to help dcg or parting ways.

Is that too harsh? Aside from the eternal outdoor whine, dcg is a sweet kid and I have zero other issues.

She loves flowers, and the ONLY thing that engages her outdoors is our 'flower station' (small table with topsoil, plastic pots, kids gardening gloves and tools and fake greenery/flowers) She told dcm about it and dcm freaked out about her playing in dirt and told her not to. (oh goodness, store bought DIRT stored in a covered container!)

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No, it's not too harsh. I would also set up a "whining station", and not allow her to follow me around making life miserable.

Make a little nook outside with a garden gnome and a nice little bench. When she starts complaining, tell her to go talk to the gnome about it. You'd love to talk to her if she;s hurt or has something nice to tell you, but whining makes your ears hurt.

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Daycare mom has issues, and she's projecting her issues and fears on her child. I feel bad for her daughter.

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Email sent, now we'll see what happens. If she does want to work on it, I am giving it another 2 weeks to see improvement. I truly believe that if her Mom encouraged her to play outdoors, it would help.

She for sure has issues! She told me the other day she doesn't like to sweat, so that's why she won't work out. Hard to lose weight that way. LOL!

Heidi- she doesn't so much as whine (or she puts herself in the cry spot outside) but she follows me around pouting, and telling me she is too cold/hot/itchy/tired/hungry/has to go potty/needs a drink/too many bugs/the grass is too green/too many leaves on the tree.... YOU NAME IT! Love the gnome idea, I will be doing that!

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it sounds like moms issue, not yours. but either way, your program is all about the outdoors and it doesnt sound like a good fit.

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No real advice, just wanted to say that I love your flower station idea! That's great!

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Ditto, I want to add that to my outside, too! I hope it works out for you

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That was going to be my comment too. I may steal your station idea..

I also like Heidi's suggestion.

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I have one that loves to be outside, but only to sit. He will not walk, run, play, etc unless I take away all the chairs. He just sits.all.the.time. Go to the park and he will just plop down on the edging. Walking to the park and it's whining and screaming. The other day he was doing it and some lady was walking by and commented on how he was trying really hard to get some attention and then chuckled. She could tell it was so fake. Drives me bonkers. I ignore him every time. Dcm carries him or pushes him in a stroller everywhere. Won't ever let him walk.

Good luck! Hope it works out so you don't have to listen to it all summer!

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The flower station idea happened accidentally. I brought home fake flowers from the cemetery (that I put out during winter) and the kids had SUCH a blast 'planting them' around the yard, that I made them their own little spot to do it in. The $ store has kids gloves and tools, pots and soil. I had a small outdoor table, just added a large lidded Tupperware container. Viola! They played flower shop today for over an hour and dcg was happy to arrange flowers. Mom is going to love (sarcasm intended) the photos of her little florist getting dirty.

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Laurel

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Exactly what I was thinking! I will definitely have to steal this idea!

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Ditto

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Me too! I'm going to make one

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What a lovely family.
I hope they get with the program.

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I've made plans to make a flower station now. Thanks for the idea!!

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I had one like this. ALWAYS found a spot to sit down, inside or outside. Did not want to do anything really although we didnt have tantrums. I never did figure her out and eventually had to term after four or five months because i was downsizing. I think there might have been a special needs issue there....

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I don't think you're being harsh at all. Sounds as though dcm has forgotten why she enrolled her kid in your day care in the first place! Hopefully, your email to her will wake her up.

I love your flower station idea. I may have to copy it, too.

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Ditto.

I fall back on licensing whenever I can: "I understand, but according to licensing I'm required to take all of the children outside every day..."

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See, the one summer I spent in an actual "daycare" (which I despised, btw), I hated playing outside. I had no friends, was in 2nd grade (i think, don't remember for sure), there was almost no shade, and I didn't want to play on the tiny, scorching-hot playground...i wanted to read my own book that I had brought. The daycare teachers wouldn't let me *sigh*. They wouldn't let me bring my book out with me.

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Aww, that's sad- who wouldn't let a child bring a book outside!?

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DCM has promised to encourage DCG to play outside and has two weeks to change HER behavior towards outside by encouraging dcg and supporting her when she does play well.

We will see! I really hope so, because other than this issue, dcg is an awesome kid and dcm is an awesome client!

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thanks for the idea. I have a sand table, but I'm going to put dirt in it and buy some fake flowers, omg my kids are going to love it. now to figure out which sand table I want to use.

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That's what I wondered then, and every time I've thought about it since then. It was the dumbest thing ever, IMO. I've often wondered if they didn't realize it was my own book, or something.

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I would be fine with bringing a book out and sitting under a tree or something and reading. DD does that a lot, but it's drawing stuff. I also know tho, that she gets plenty of movement throughout the day. When I know it's going to be hot in the afternoon, we go to the park in the morning and stay home in the afternoon. We have plenty of shade with our 20+ trees. I honestly don't think dcm cares if he is moving around or not. He is on the heavier side and doesn't sleep well. I have told her that getting him out of the stroller and walking will help with both those issues. I refuse to push him in a stroller here. That is reserved for under 15-18 months only. He's almost 3.

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