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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Friday Fun - Crazy Requests From Parents
slorey 09:59 AM 10-11-2013
This thread stems off another thread in which a mom asked the provider to warm baby's breastmilk in her bra. Just wondering what kind of crazy requests have you had from parents? And did you agree to the request or refuse?
Sorry if there are already threads about this. For some reason the search function does not work on my nook.
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Unregistered 10:53 AM 10-11-2013
I had a lady come over for an interview with her 4 and 5 year old kids.
She told me they were super attached to her and probably would have a hard time being away from her,maybe even a bit shy.
The kids were so excited when I showed them the playground.Asking me to please push them on the swing,came right up to me and held my hand.Completely ignored the mom the whole time,you could tell they were so excited to be away from her smothering them. Super sweet kids and I thought the interview was going great until she said."What time do you eat lunch because I want to make sure I get here in time to breast feed them."
I was so caught off guard I was like "Who are you breastfeeding? Do you have an infant also?" She was talking about the 4 and 5 year old and thought she would come in twice a day to breastfeed them. I of course told her no and that pretty much ended the interview.

A parent I had enrolled was confused about how the food program worked because she would tell me when she was almost out of formula so I could send some home for her? Say what! She didn't understand that the food program only reimbursed me for the meals that were eaten at the daycare. I wasn't buying formula for her kid. I told her no too!
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Leanna 11:07 AM 10-11-2013
No bites yet? I was looking forward to reading these

I've haven't ever had any really crazy requests. Weird ones like "DCG has had a lot of microwaved milk lately so can you not warm her bottle in the microwave"? Lol! First it says in my policies that I don't microwave bottles and if the baby has been having a lot of microwaved milk and you don't want he to...how about don't microwave her milk!!!!
Another (potential) bad request:
DCM interviewing: "Well, we don't use wipes. When we change her we just turn on the faucet and wash her off." I was like, "Um, no" before that was ever formulated into a request!
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Childminder 11:20 AM 10-11-2013
Had a parent that wanted me start using only sippie cups that she brought from home, even though I have in my contract no sippies or toys from home, because I refused to hand wash mine for him to use. My dishwasher with a sanitation cycle couldn't get them as clean as hand washing can.
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CedarCreek 12:02 PM 10-11-2013
To spank their child if they were misbehaving. Nope!
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JoseyJo 12:05 PM 10-11-2013
Originally Posted by CedarCreek:
To spank their child if they were misbehaving. Nope!
I get this one all the time! I just laugh and say we cant do that of course :-)
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Shell 12:07 PM 10-11-2013
The most "uncomfortable" request I've had so far- Dcm asked me if her mom that I had only met once, could spend the entire day at my house ( 9 hours), since she had nothing else to do while dcm was at work and she was visiting

I finally told her that licensing would not allow for someone that wasn't an assistant to stay more than an hour or so. I know some people may have welcomed the additional help, but it just put me in a weird position!
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MyAngels 12:40 PM 10-11-2013
I had a mom ask me once to exclude another child from care for the week before her child's birthday so her kid wouldn't be sick for his party. The other child had allergies (yes actual allergies ). I said no, and she pulled her kid the same day. I found out later that she went through 4 other daycares in 4 months after that.
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crazydaycarelady 12:47 PM 10-11-2013
I had a mom show up one day and hand me latex gloves and some ointment. She told me 4yo dcb had been pushing so hard in the bathroom he was pushing a portion of his bowel out of his rectum. If it happened I could just shove it back in!


Um......no.


Also dcm (same one amazingly) asked me to look through dcb's poopy diapers so they could confirm whether he passed the nickel he swallowed AT HOME!
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JoseyJo 12:47 PM 10-11-2013
We advertise that we spend time outside every day, go on field trips every week, serve healthy homemade food.

A DCM called because she saw our ad and during the interview she requested that we:

1.Either keep her child inside at all times or put mosquito netting over our whole (100 ft X 100 ft) play area.

2.Stop going on field trips because she didn't want her child transported

3.Let her child eat chick nuggets, hotdogs and cereal because that is what he liked

4. AND not to let him nap



She was very upset when I told her that we weren't a good fit.
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Unregistered 04:14 PM 10-11-2013
I have a daycare child that is starting on Monday...sweetest little girl EVER!

However, the mom is nuts. She's a helicopter parent that dictates how her daughter does EVERYTHING. She requested:

-I not let her daughter color with markers, crayons only, and no using glue or gluesticks. (A HUGE part of our curriculum is art...and I say the messier and more creative, the better!)

-I not take the kids on walks to the park two blocks away because her daughter doesn't know how to cross the street. (I only have a few kids now, and she would be in the wagon since she's one of the littlest. But regardless, they have to learn sometime!)

-I only give the child apple juice, but no milk. (I don't ever give kids juice because the massive amounts of sugar outweigh any health benefit! She didn't have a reason for not feeding milk, and I'm required to serve it, so no discussion there.)

-I peel apples, peaches, grapes, and HOT DOGS so the girl doesn't choke on the skin. (She also admitted to me that her daughter has terrible constipation...maybe too much sugar juice and fruit with no fiber? But hot dogs....really?)

I'm terrified to even take this girl on. The mom is neurotic and talks to me for hours on the phone twice a week for the last few weeks just about how to care for her daughter. She even called my references and chatted with them for over an hour. I have a bad gut feeling...
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daycare 04:20 PM 10-11-2013
Not really a request but I have had a parent try to convince me that her child was allergic to the wind. She will throw up if you let her go in the wind. Also, she was allergic to foods on certain days...... omg we just laughed
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Scout 05:04 PM 10-11-2013
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I had a lady come over for an interview with her 4 and 5 year old kids.
She told me they were super attached to her and probably would have a hard time being away from her,maybe even a bit shy.
The kids were so excited when I showed them the playground.Asking me to please push them on the swing,came right up to me and held my hand.Completely ignored the mom the whole time,you could tell they were so excited to be away from her smothering them. Super sweet kids and I thought the interview was going great until she said."What time do you eat lunch because I want to make sure I get here in time to breast feed them."
I was so caught off guard I was like "Who are you breastfeeding? Do you have an infant also?" She was talking about the 4 and 5 year old and thought she would come in twice a day to breastfeed them. I of course told her no and that pretty much ended the interview.

A parent I had enrolled was confused about how the food program worked because she would tell me when she was almost out of formula so I could send some home for her? Say what! She didn't understand that the food program only reimbursed me for the meals that were eaten at the daycare. I wasn't buying formula for her kid. I told her no too!
I am all for breastfeeding and did it myself but,...When they can ask you AND spell their name I draw the line!
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Scout 05:06 PM 10-11-2013
Originally Posted by crazydaycarelady:
I had a mom show up one day and hand me latex gloves and some ointment. She told me 4yo dcb had been pushing so hard in the bathroom he was pushing a portion of his bowel out of his rectum. If it happened I could just shove it back in!


Um......no.


Also dcm (same one amazingly) asked me to look through dcb's poopy diapers so they could confirm whether he passed the nickel he swallowed AT HOME!
Wth!! This child needed M E D I C A L help! Some people are so...
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TwinKristi 05:09 PM 10-11-2013
Oh these are funny! I don't think I've had any excessively weird requests like some of you, just one mom who wanted a bib every minute of the waking day and was very particular about his things. Use rash ointment without a rash, send home his cups and items every day for washing, had to take home his personal linens every week. It was kinda overboard and I was happy when she gave me 2wks notice.
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Laurel 05:13 PM 10-11-2013
A mom said her 4 year old son ate his grapes peeled. I did take him but I told her that I wouldn't peel grapes for a 4 year old. I told her to feel free to send in peeled grapes for him if she wanted to. She didn't. She did understand it was a weird request. She said "Oh I know we spoil him too much."

Ya think?
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Laurel 05:16 PM 10-11-2013
Originally Posted by Scout:
Wth!! This child needed M E D I C A L help! Some people are so...
so anal??

Couldn't resist!

Laurel
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Laurel 05:19 PM 10-11-2013
Originally Posted by TwinKristi:
Oh these are funny! I don't think I've had any excessively weird requests like some of you, just one mom who wanted a bib every minute of the waking day and was very particular about his things. Use rash ointment without a rash, send home his cups and items every day for washing, had to take home his personal linens every week. It was kinda overboard and I was happy when she gave me 2wks notice.
I require parents to send two clean sippy cups every day. I just rinse them and send them home. I've done that for years. Mainly because when I had 6 children it filled up too much of my dishwasher.

I had one parent over the years who wanted to take their linens home every week and supply her own. I didn't mind that though. Just a bit weird though.

Laurel
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cheerfuldom 05:23 PM 10-11-2013
A mom told me her child was allergic to snow and a variety of other odds and ends. Allergies caused this child to tantrum, refuse to eat or sleep, cry a lot, aggressive behavior toward others (they gave notice later on, thank goodness)

Parents that wanted me to feed their child with a medicine dropper because she wouldn't take a bottle, and please feed her outside because outside was soothing. I jokingly asked "what will I do with the other kids I am watching?" and was told they would be fine alone in the house without me (termed)

A mom lugged in a HUGE stroller and asked that I put her 18 month old in the stroller and jiggle it until he went to sleep and by the way, that doesnt always work so feel free to leave him up during nap. (termed)

Allow a one year old to hit, punch, pull hair and bite others because "he doesn't mean it in a mean way, he is just an aggressive snuggler" and the other kids should learn that this child just has a different way to snuggle others (termed)
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Unregistered 05:40 PM 10-11-2013
Had to log out for this one, but you guys know who I am.

I had someone who, during the interview, requested her child NOT nap in the same room as other children. She said that because it is a home daycare, she's just not sure what other kids might do to her child if they are sleeping in the same room together. She implied the worst.

I really felt like anyone with concerns like that should not be looking into home daycare, period.
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Sugar Magnolia 05:41 PM 10-11-2013
Many of you have heard this one from me before......always a treat to repeat it though......
The "my child is doing elimination communication and she pees in the sink at home. We want you to continue that here." lady. Oy. Uh, no. I had to term her after the second time I caught her holding dck over my sink. Silly me to think she understood "no" upon enrolling.
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MarinaVanessa 05:46 PM 10-11-2013
I had one mom ask me not to tell her son no ... I told her NO.
I had one mom ask me to come to her house to pick up her son and then drop off him off at the end of the day .... um, no.
I had one mom ask me to scrape all of the cinnamon off of cinnamon graham crackers that SHE brought for her son ... nope.
I had one mom ask me to feed her son twice as much as I was supposed to because she was afraid he would end up on the failure to thrive list. He was in no way even close to being underweight ... nuh-uh.
I had one mom DEMAND that I watch her son during my vacation that I gave 6 MONTHS advance notice for because SHE forgot to find child care ... HAHAHAHAHAHAH NO.

"I had one mom" literally means one mom. This was everything that this same mom asked me to do.

This is the same mom that returned my contract and handbook to me at sign-up with writing in the margins with red pen (stuff she wanted added in), crossed out entire sections, changed a bunch of things like hours and fees. I saw the contract and handbook and LOL'ed while I went to get a new copy of each for her to sign .
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dbslas 06:52 PM 10-11-2013
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:

Allow a one year old to hit, punch, pull hair and bite others because "he doesn't mean it in a mean way, he is just an aggressive snuggler" and the other kids should learn that this child just has a different way to snuggle others (termed)
I am dying here
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Childminder 07:00 PM 10-11-2013
Originally Posted by :
Also dcm (same one amazingly) asked me to look through dcb's poopy diapers so they could confirm whether he passed the nickel he swallowed AT HOME!
Uh no, but I'll save them for you.
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racemom 08:14 PM 10-11-2013
I had a dcm ask me not to put a pink bib on her daughter when she was a baby because she didn't want her to be a girly girl. Guess who wears a dress skirt everyday to 1st grade?

Another mom asked that I not let her 3 month old daughter play with a certain rattle because it had winnie the pooh on it. She didn't want her to become fixated on cartoon characters. This mom also never wanted us to say the word no. We should come up with a more positive way to say it. I figured out their way when the little girl shook her head at us!
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Sunshine74 10:04 PM 10-11-2013
Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia:
Many of you have heard this one from me before......always a treat to repeat it though......
The "my child is doing elimination communication and she pees in the sink at home. We want you to continue that here." lady. Oy. Uh, no. I had to term her after the second time I caught her holding dck over my sink. Silly me to think she understood "no" upon enrolling.
A little OT here, but I have to share.

Years ago, before I even know what elimination communication was (I think I was still in high school), I saw a woman holding her child who looked to be about 2, over a sink to pee. In a crowded public restroom, at a theater. The kind where you dress up to see a live show, not the movie kind.
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Bookworm 10:20 PM 10-11-2013
I have one now that wants:

*Me to feed DCG because DCG doesn't want to get food on her hands
*Me to check every time DCG goes potty to check and document what DCG does
*Me to make sure DCG wears mittens outside so she won't get dirt on her hands

I said NO to this and now I am a mean teacher. This also applies because DCG has to get up and get her own water bottle which is about 3 ft away from her because I won't get it for her. DCG has to have her own water bottle because our water may be contaminated. I have more if more if anyone is interested.
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MyAngels 10:23 PM 10-11-2013
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I have a bad gut feeling...
I can tell you - from personal experience - you should be trusting this feeling

No way in a million years would I take on the family you have described.
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se7en 10:20 AM 10-12-2013
Why can't some parents just stay home or hire a nanny ? Some of these are ridiculous. If parents want their child to be watched by others, they need to be more open to germs, dirt, etc. Poor kids.
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MotherNature 04:56 AM 10-14-2013
Originally Posted by Laurel:
so anal??

Couldn't resist!

Laurel

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Soccermom 09:43 AM 10-15-2013
I had a DCM come in the first day with a small cooler. She kept signaling for me to come down the stairs after DCB (5 years old) went into the playroom. I went down and she opened the little cooler....there were 4 baby bottles in there full of milk. DCM told me they were for DCB and if he was feeling scared, lonely, worried or shy that I should lie him down and give him one.
WHAT??! Um....No!
My then 1 year old didn't even still take a bottle, no way was I gonna give a baby bottle to a 5 year old!!
I told her to take her cooler home and that if DCB was feeling any of these things, we would address it with words and snuggles.
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coolconfidentme 10:00 AM 10-15-2013
I had a parent ask me to not use a purple bottle on her son. I replied, "As soon as you stop bringing the formula in a purple container."

(I match the my bottles to the parent's formula containers so I don't get them mixed up on who gets what.)
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littlemommy 12:05 PM 10-15-2013
DCM brought in a potty chair, telling me to potty train her son that was in my care 10 hours a week. Told me to clean the potty chair, as she had just picked it up from someone. It had dried poop in it.

She told me she was bringing him for a free lunch and asked if I could make extra so she could eat.

the same mom asked if I could put cayenne pepper or hot sauce in his mouth when he bit. She was termed. This all took place in 2 days.

A different mom asked if I could spank her kids, and not make them nap.

Another wanted me to only serve chicken nuggets or hamburger helper. um, no.
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Tags:crazy parent, daycare experiences, funny
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