I've been having this issue on and off for the past two years. Families register and their children are very neat and cleanly. When they've been here between a week or two months, they start coming in smelling. Not like a kid smell. Like a body odor smell. Also, I have parents dropping off children with soiled diapers. I'm not sure how to address this as terming doesn't seem to help. I just get the same issues. It's very odd to me, because I don't have any parents who don't work and the parents are always well dressed and smell decent. How would you address this?

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Hi. I feel for you-because I am having the same issue with smell. I have a dcg who is under 1 yr. the smell of dogs and cats on her clothing, blankets and carrier is nauseating. I have been putting her things in the garage for fear that otherparents will notice the odor at drop off. I casually mentioned to her mom about pets, asking her if they had any. They have three dogs, three cats and a litter of six new puppies IN THE HOUSE!
As far as the soiled diapers, I haven't found a way around this one. I have had a few children over the years that,upon arrival, will still be in the diaper they wore all night long. It will be FULL! There is no excuse except laziness for it !

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When it comes to the overnight diapers, I explain that one, it's against my written policy to bring child in a soiled/wet diaper (which I make them change if they say little did on the drive over) and two... I usually have a different version of the brand family uses (or I mark the ones I put on) so I know when a parent is fibbing & say look, it's considered neglect & I can prove it. It usually doesn't happen again

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I don't have that issue but as far as a dck in a full diaper, I will change them right before nap time, then 2 hours later it is completely sogged out again. So possibly it wasn't from all night?
It's a touchy subject to address without having parents feel attacked, I think. I would just wash the child briefly with a wet washcloth, if possible, and could you get away with throwing their clothes through a washer while they're there, if it's really bad? Aside from stating in your policies that children are expected to come to dc clean and ready to start their day, not sure what else you could do, unless you add a statement about allergies within your dc and they need to be extra vigilant.
If they arrive in poopy diapers, I'd probably not say anything because I'm sure I've inadvertently sent kids home once in a great while in a poopy diaper. I always check them late afternoon before pick-up but they are sneaky lil munchkins and my nose doesn't work the best.

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I have a chapter in my book called "Pig Pen's Parents" which goes into specific detail of how to deal with parents who bring children dirty.

The short of it is that you have to TELL them and you have to expect them to bring the child clean EVERY SINGLE DAY.

It's the fact that you don't want to hurt their feelings or broach such a touchy subject that ALLOWS them to do it.

Usually... tho.. most providers don't want to bring it up because they don't want to loose the income if the parent gets mad. So if your decision is truly about the money than suck it up and do what you can with the kid when they are in the house.

There is NO middle ground in this parental behavior. none
There isn't a way to do it nicely.
There isn't a way to hint at it.
There isn't a way to get them to stop lying about the child coming in a dirty diaper with "he pooped on the way over". The only thing you can do is have a changing station at the door and REQUIRE the parent to change the child every day if they come soiled. Then VOILA the kid stops pooping on the way over.

Here's the link to the book. The chapter is specific about the way to word things with parents, the common parental phrases used when excusing their child's lack of hygiene, and the psychology of parents who allow their child to be dirty.

https://www.amazon.com/Daycare-Whisp...=doing+daycare

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"WOW Buddy, you sure have a full diaper. Here Mom!" hand child back and hand parent supplies.

It never happens more than once (although I do have a dck wait to poo IN THE CAR. Every morning and every evening. HAHAHA! We have tried everything, even different pick up and drop off times. I just told Mom to leave him and I'll get him. If I'm super busy, she changes him real quick for me.

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As far as odors/not bathed kids. I mention it. "Dck will need a bath tonight before returning to dc tomorrow. He's getting pretty stinky!"



EW though, that we even have to say these things.

I don't understand the parent who changes the kids clothes but not the diaper. It's literally 20 extra seconds.

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I do. One is that they most likely sleep in their daycare clothes and two the parent is lazy. They want to pull the kid from bed to and take to car seat. They think it's a win when someone else has to change the poopy diaper. They do it between husband and wife... they do it to the provider "cuz that's what she's getting paid for".

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Why even have kids?

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$$$

Too many parents are on assistance, and on assistance, the more kids you have, the more money you get. They collect, do very little for the kids, and have easy spending money.

Not all are like this, but I personally know a few. One was single with 5 kids, 4 different fathers, and was told by her worker she had to get her tubes tied or her assistance would be cut off.

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I have been lucky with the smelly part lately but years ago I had a little girl who smelled like smoke so every morning I would strip her, wash what she came in wearing a put on a spare outfit. I never did say anything to the parents.
Currently I have one family that recently split up, when the Dad drops her off in the morning she is totally still in her night time diaper even if she is wearing an outfit and not pj's. I have a really hard time saying something about that issue.
I think parents just get lax about things like that. I guess theirs not much you can do about that besides what you are already doing.

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