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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Suspended for a Sandwich
Maddy'sMommy 08:31 AM 03-07-2014
http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/shin...171537406.html

A daycare centre in my neighborhood.

I agree with the no outside food rule, but I wonder if there is a better way to enforce.
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craftymissbeth 08:34 AM 03-07-2014
The consequence does seem pretty severe, but they obviously take allergies very seriously... so if a three day suspension is what works for them to prevent it from happening and the parent signed off on it when they enrolled then it is what it is IMO.
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Blackcat31 08:51 AM 03-07-2014
Originally Posted by craftymissbeth:
The consequence does seem pretty severe, but they obviously take allergies very seriously... so if a three day suspension is what works for them to prevent it from happening and the parent signed off on it when they enrolled then it is what it is IMO.
That's what I was thinking too. A rule is a rule.

If you don't think you can abide by it, then don't sign on with that place

Plus, the dad is saying it was an accident and his DD brought it in without his knowledge. Why would a parent NOT notice what their child was carrying??

I never allowed my kids to eat in the car. I feel pretty strongly about WHERE people should and shouldn't eat personally.

I guess I think that sometimes a certain rule can really seem over the top but all of us on this board KNOW first hand, that most rules are made because someone somewhere thought they were the exception to something.

Most those things are stuff we figured was common sense and it's a shame that some of those odd rules have to be put in writing but again, if someone somewhere didn't listen or use their brains, we sadly are left with no choice but to put that rule in writing.

If this parent KNEW ahead of time to NOT bring food in and that the consequence was suspension, then suck it up Buttercup and take the punishment.

Stop looking for sympathy and ways to make you the exception.

Dr Phil isn't someone I admire but he was spot on when he said "If you are big enough to do it, be big enough to own it."
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daycarediva 09:22 AM 03-07-2014
Originally Posted by craftymissbeth:
The consequence does seem pretty severe, but they obviously take allergies very seriously... so if a three day suspension is what works for them to prevent it from happening and the parent signed off on it when they enrolled then it is what it is IMO.
ITA.

I don't have kids with food allergies and I don't allow outside food. My reasoning? It's junk.

I will stop a parent on my doorstep and direct them back outside for the kid to finish her chocolate donuts and root beer. Or kool aid. Or brownie (it's a protein brownie, so it's good, right?).
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snbauser 09:42 AM 03-07-2014
While I agree that the punishment is harsh my thoughts are 1 - he signed the policy so he knew the consequence if it happened and if he knew he had given the child the sandwhich, then he should have made sure he knew what she did with it if she didn't eat it. And 2 - as most of our policies are - it was probably made because there were parents who just couldn't seem to follow the rule and due to life threatening allergies, it could be a deadly mistake. It's similar to the late fee policies we implement. When I started my late payment was $5/day. I had one parent who didn't seem to to think $5 was a big deal and still regularly paid late. When I raised it to $25/day suddenly it was an issue. Is $25/day steep? Maybe. But it makes parents think twice about not paying on time.
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Leanna 10:33 AM 03-07-2014
I think the rule is great. What if the little girl had decided to share her sandwich with a friend who was allergic?

If the parents keep their children enrolled at that center I am sure they will not break the rule again. It is sad to say, but often if the consequence for breaking a rule doesn't inconvenience the parents, it probably won't be effective.

I have a no outside food rule here too. I don't really have anyone who challenges it right now, but I might think about implementing a rule similar to this one to try to prevent any future issues.
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Mom of 4 10:56 AM 03-07-2014
Our school handbook is pretty intense. It's grade school.

The handbook addresses a very in depth dress policy.

The parents sign off that they agree to it.

Then school comes, and of course, they break the rules then complain and whine how life is unfair because their kid wasn't supposed to wear short shorts or green hair.

If you don't like the rules of the school, my state is a "School of choice" state so you can request your kid go to another school, heck another district in another city if you want.

There is NO reason for parents to act like they are "wronged" of their "rights" or their kids' "rights' because they agreed to the rules and then didn't really "agree" to them after all. That is not the school/daycare's problem.

You signed the contract? Then you agreed and don't get to complain. Don't agree? Go somwhere else? Don't have "options?" Darn, you still have to follow the rules. Simple as that. I hate our self-entitled, spoiled rotten generation of parents and kids.
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Maddy'sMommy 10:59 AM 03-07-2014
I agree that if he signed the policy then that's that. Don't sign up for rules you don't agree with.

I think 3 days is harsh though, but not my daycare, not my rules.
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Scribbles 11:13 AM 03-07-2014
Originally Posted by Maddy'sMommy:
I agree that if he signed the policy then that's that. Don't sign up for rules you don't agree with.

I think 3 days is harsh though, but not my daycare, not my rules.
Consequence that are harsh have double the impact.

If a consequence is that strong, I bet they have zero repeat behaviors.

There are a million posts a day about parents continually breaking rules so I can totally understand why that center reacted so harshly.
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Heidi 11:23 AM 03-07-2014
I can see where it could happen, the kid putting it in their pocket. Personally, I think 3 days is a little harsh, BUT also think that the way the policy is written, it seems like the 2 year old is being punished, not the parent.


I think a ONE day suspension for the family might have been more appropriate. First offense, and it should inconvenience the parent, not hurt the child. It says the older child was allowed to attend. That means, they're putting it on a 2 year old to know better.

I would never have such a policy; and generally discourage outside food, but if it's brought in and it's reasonably healthy, I make the child sit down at the table to finish it (I only have one where it's come up).

HOWEVER, if I had a school full of children, some of which had severe allergies, I would certainly have to handle it differently than my 5 families.
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Tags:enforcing policies - consistency, read your contract, read your daycare contract
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