So DCP picks up DCB and DCG and I tell him DCG has been pretty whiney today and seems tired. (as she's acting whiney with dad at that moment). So DCD says 'Oh, how was DCB today?" I say fine. He says "Oh that's good because he got sick last night"

Ok, I JUST sent out sickness policy reminders and had parents send back a signed sheet saying they read them. I'm ticked mom didn't mention anything at drop off. I HOPE DCG isn't sick and that's why she was whining. I will ask on Monday and talk to mom about not telling me. I will assume since he had a cold and he's my drooler kid that he had an upset stomach due to that. He did act fine that day and the day before here. Who knows!

Then another parent after telling them DCG seemed tired today and fell right to sleep (normally doesn't) he tells me that she was up most of the night.

I'm thinking a letter to parents about what communication they need to tell me each morning is in order?

What do you have parents tell you at pick up??

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I usually always ask how they slept and if they ate before coming to daycare. I find those questions get parents talking about what was going on at their house!! Some parents do lie though because they can't miss work or don't want to miss work.

I wouldn't send a letter I'd just tell them face to face what the expectations are (which is your plan anyway). A letter is just gonna get tossed in the garbage and half read. Clearly the sickness policy wasn't read or was ignored. I get much better results when I deal face to face and then send a follow up e-mail if needed.

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Thanks, I will start asking those questions at drop off.

Hopefully that will help. I have a few parents that aren't very talkative so maybe this will help.

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Look at it this way; it is most beneficial to YOU to know how the child's evening was so YOU need to be the one to ask. Get in the habit of asking about the things YOU want to know about. Is Jimmy's new tooth still bothering him? Did Lisa sleep okay last night? Has Bobby's appetite returned? Ask the parents what YOU need to know since the information affects you.

If the parent needs to know how the child's day was because that information affects them, then they ask me. If they don't ask me then I usually don't mention it. The only behaviors I tell parents is information I need them to know. Kwim?

I don't want to spend time giving a parent a complete run down of how their child's day went if they really don't care or pay attention to it. Let's face it, there are parents who ask about every little detail of the day and others who ask very little. Some people see the correlation and others don't.

I let them tell me what they want to know and I ask about what I need to know.

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I also ask questions every morning both to the parents and kids. "How was your night?" "How was dinner, what did you have?" "Did you go right to sleep at bedtime?" "Were you snug as a bug in a rug?" "How is your cough today, DCG?"

If Mom and Dad don't confess if something is up then DCK's will for sure.

Just last week I had a dad tell me nothing but when I asked how DCG was she told me, "I have a real sore froat and a cough like this....hack,hack....but dad said I had to come to see you today so I guess its ok." Me, "Did dad give you any medicine?" DCG, "Nope, dad said you would be cranky if he gave it to us but he said if we feel worse you'd call him on his phone and give us med-cine if I cough more."

This whole conversation happened in front of dad. He confessed everything. lol It was a little throat tickle and they both had coughs from a cold last week still.

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