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CraftyMom 09:48 AM 02-09-2014
How do you feel about getting the kids ready to go home?

If I have time and know exactly when to expect a parent I will get their coats and boots on, IF I have time. Trouble is parents don't always show up when they say.

I personally don't feel I should be getting 6 kids' coats and boots and mittens, hats and everything on at the end of a busy day.

What are your thoughts??
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Oss_cc 10:30 AM 02-09-2014
For me, it depends on the family. My three full time daycare kiddos have parents that are on the ball with pick ups and drop offs, so I'll help out with coats etc if needed, but usually don't have to.
My part time DCG is another story. Drop offs and pick ups are a nightmare because DCM lets her rule the roost. So if I know she is on her way, I will get DCG ready right before so I can hand her off quickly.

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craftymissbeth 01:16 PM 02-09-2014
I get all of my kids 100% ready to go. Then again, I have specific pick up times. If a parent tells me they'll be here at a certain time then that becomes their pick up time for the day and I have them ready then. If they show up after that time I just give them a warning and let them know their child has been playing in their coat and gloves waiting for pick up. It's only happened once, though and they got my point.

I get them ready because I dislike when the parents linger, plus I have one dcg that throws herself on the ground and acts terrible when dcm tries to get her ready.
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Maria2013 01:32 PM 02-09-2014
Originally Posted by CraftyMom:
How do you feel about getting the kids ready to go home?

If I have time and know exactly when to expect a parent I will get their coats and boots on, IF I have time. Trouble is parents don't always show up when they say.

I personally don't feel I should be getting 6 kids' coats and boots and mittens, hats and everything on at the end of a busy day.

What are your thoughts??
I don't mind getting the kids ready IF I have the time.....the parents that want their kids ready, will send me a "I'm 5 minutes away" text, but they know I may or may not get them ready for them
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MommaB3 01:55 PM 02-09-2014
I have all my kids have their stuff together and their shoes on. For infants I have their bags, car seats, etc. laid out and ready to go so pick up isn't a long process. I want them in and out as fast as possible.


I have 2 reasons for doing this. One, I don't want to make the parents have to wait for their kids to put away their stuff and get their shoes, coat, hat, etc on. Some of them would easily be here for 15 minutes waiting for their kids. I have never had my own personal children in a daycare setting but I don't think I would want to spend extra time waiting for my kids to get ready at pick up before being able to head home after working all day. I'd want to be in and out.

Second reason, I personally don't want the parents there that long! Kids tend to act up more and break the rules when their parent or other kids' parents are there and if it's the last parent of the day I just want to be done!
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Blackcat31 04:18 PM 02-09-2014
Normally, I don't get anyone's child ready to go.

I have a half gate that separates my main daycare area and the coat/cubby room. Once a parent enters the house, the kids go out the gate and the parent takes it from there.

My pick up policy is that parents schedule a time, let's say 5:00 for pick up and that means they need to have readied their child and be out the door by 5:00.

I will on occasion have an older child head out into the coat room and start getting ready to go if a parent calls or texts and asks me to....in case they need to be somewhere quickly.

As for the younger ones that can't dress themselves, I would help them get ready before a parent arrives if they request but only if I am not in the middle of something else.

But it isn't something I do on a regular basis.
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jenn 04:42 PM 02-09-2014
Mine all have set pick up times. I have them 100% ready to go out the door when the parent arrives.

I dislike parents coming in at pick up as they tend to linger and the children tend to act up. Even if a parent arrives early, I do the putting coat/hat/gloves on, because the child knows that I am not going to play any games.

I think it is just up to the provider what they want to do and how they want to spend their time. I don't think there is a good or bad, right or wrong.
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Cradle2crayons 05:42 PM 02-09-2014
My parents text before they drop off and pick up so everyone is ready when they arrive. If it's after 830 pm and the kids are asleep, then they just wake them and go because everything else is ready. I don't allow diaper bags etc so it's pretty easy.
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kendallina 07:21 PM 02-09-2014
I don't get anyone ready. Most of my kiddos, though leave at the same time, I run a 9-12 preschool. But even on the days where I have kids with later scheduled hours, I don't do anything to get them ready except make sure their stuff is in their cubby.
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CraftyMom 08:00 PM 02-09-2014
Thanks everyone for sharing, it's a lot of help to see different points of view
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Daycaregranny 08:56 PM 02-09-2014
It seems that most kids in my daycare , for whatever reason, decide one day to freak out on their parent at pick up. I really don't know what spurs it on but it happens. I started using a technique that works for us. After the first time I pull my parent aside a explain that this happens and to help them not have this a recurring issue I need them to help me out. I tell them to tell their child that if they act like that they will leave them at daycare. When it happens the next day the parents are to immediately say I told you I was going to leave and they do 1st time 15 min 2nd time 1/2 hr. The kids never do it again. My older kids crack me up when one of the little ones start to do it, they look at them and shake their heads and say yep your gonna get left behind. Works every time. At least so far. My parents always get their own children ready to go.
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Blackcat31 06:32 AM 02-10-2014
Originally Posted by Daycaregranny:
It seems that most kids in my daycare , for whatever reason, decide one day to freak out on their parent at pick up. I really don't know what spurs it on but it happens. I started using a technique that works for us. After the first time I pull my parent aside a explain that this happens and to help them not have this a recurring issue I need them to help me out. I tell them to tell their child that if they act like that they will leave them at daycare. When it happens the next day the parents are to immediately say I told you I was going to leave and they do 1st time 15 min 2nd time 1/2 hr. The kids never do it again. My older kids crack me up when one of the little ones start to do it, they look at them and shake their heads and say yep your gonna get left behind. Works every time. At least so far. My parents always get their own children ready to go.
So if the child acts up, the parent is to leave them with you at daycare for another 15 minutes as a consequence?

I don't know if that would sit well with me or my DCP's.

Being in daycare all day while your parent works is stressful enough but then to have your parent "threaten" to leave you there even longer seems kind of counterproductive as well as making "daycare" be the "bad" place to be....

I also think that there are more appropriate ways to help children make the transition between daycare and home easier and less stressful. I think that asking a parent to work with you means asking them to help their child adjust and understand the change that happens when they move between one environment to another by talking with their child about this. Sometimes the repeated conversation about what's going to happen every day helps a child eventually understand that this is the daily routine and the way it is going to be.

I think for the younger kids who don't understand discussion, the drop off and pick ups could be done swiftly and quickly so the child understands through repeated consistent routines day in and day out, that getting ready to go at the end of the day IS part of the routine and expected behavior.

Kids undergo a somewhat stressful moment when their parent arrives to pick them up. It's that same euphoria we as adults feel when we've had a long day away from home and we walk in our front door and feel that wave of relief of being home. Your safe, warm, comfortable place.

Kids feel like that sometimes when their parent arrives for pick up. That wave of emotion comes out in different ways for different kids. Some instantaneously get whiney or cry. Others can get crazy and wild...their emotions running amok. While others get defiant and test boundaries since two of their day to day authority figures are now present at the same time.

Kids need assistance, reassurance, help and support understanding this change. Not a threat to leave them there longer.
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NeedaVaca 08:55 AM 02-10-2014
I have not had many pick up problems and have a routine in place that is the same everyday. We drink milk at 4:30, put on shoes, sit on the couch while I read stories and sing songs. I have a big picture window so as soon as a parent pulls into the driveway I put on jackets/hats/mittens. It takes no time at all and they are ready to go when the parent walks in, then back to stories
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SilverSabre25 09:15 AM 02-10-2014
Parents get their kids ready to go. I will "facilitate" with older kids somewhat when parents are not doing a good job keeping control. 'dcb, your mom said you need to get your shoes on. you need to do it.'

My 5 yo dcb who goes to preschool, I do have him put his shoes on right around the earliest end of the "window" in which he may be picked up. That's because he dawdles and takes for.freaking.EVER and the people who pick him up stand there with my door open and it's in the middle of the day and i just want him GONE so i can move on.
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BrooklynM 09:25 AM 02-10-2014
I get them all ready to go, but since we are in California, the kids don't have big coats and boots, just sweatshirts and shoes.

Personally I hate it when parents threaten to leave their kids here because they actually want to stay so it makes it way worse! Plus, if they didn't want to stay, I never want my house to be looked at as a punishment.
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nanglgrl 09:29 AM 02-10-2014
All of my parents come at the same time or within 5 minutes of it so i have the kids get their gear on and help the ones that need it and we wait for their parents. The parents knock on the door and hand me their child, every once in a blue moon they stand in the entryway or come to the playroom if we have to discuss something. I never have problems with pick up or drop offs. I do it for a variety of reasons: we have a lot of snow so I hate having wet puddles all over the floor and then wet socks. I don't like to have parents standing with the door open while their child gets ready and my heat or air conditioning being wasted. It puts a quick stop to parents that tend to longer and I don't have to worry about the tantrums due to changing of the guard. Also, my entryway is small and all of my children basically arrive at 8 and leave at about 3:15 so if I have people standing there it's dangerous (entry is right by stairs going down) and crowded. I do post pictures all day long of the children engaged in activities and on occasion I make sure parents come to the playroom because if my child was in daycare I would want to see the space from time to time but doing it this way works best for me and my clients have never seemed to have a problem with it.
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mema 10:41 AM 02-10-2014
When it's nice out, the kids are already ready because we are outside. When we are not outside, it depends. Most of my parents come right at closing, so 10-15 minutes prior, we clean up and then head to the door to get ready. I want everyone out at 5, but most of the parents get here at 4:59. If they get here earlier, they can get them ready. I only have 1 older one that can do everything. If I didn't do that, it would be 5:15-5:30.
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CraftyMom 10:49 AM 02-10-2014
Originally Posted by mema:
When it's nice out, the kids are already ready because we are outside. When we are not outside, it depends. Most of my parents come right at closing, so 10-15 minutes prior, we clean up and then head to the door to get ready. I want everyone out at 5, but most of the parents get here at 4:59. If they get here earlier, they can get them ready. I only have 1 older one that can do everything. If I didn't do that, it would be 5:15-5:30.
This is an issue I have. I close at 4:30, last mom comes at 4:30 to 4:40 (which I did not approve and just told her it has to stop). She wants to cuddle and snuggle before getting coats on, doesn't leave until 4:45 at least. I want the kids GONE at 4:30! She can snuggle at home. I may start getting the kids ready just for the sake of getting everyone out the door!
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mema 10:54 AM 02-10-2014
Originally Posted by CraftyMom:
This is an issue I have. I close at 4:30, last mom comes at 4:30 to 4:40 (which I did not approve and just told her it has to stop). She wants to cuddle and snuggle before getting coats on, doesn't leave until 4:45 at least. I want the kids GONE at 4:30! She can snuggle at home. I may start getting the kids ready just for the sake of getting everyone out the door!
I use to not get them ready and the parents would take forever. I would even start getting myself ready like I had somewhere to be-sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't. Didn't matter. They would sit and chat or the kids would resist and run. I would tell them I need to go. They can finish chatting in the car. I was met, by one parent, with rude comments about how I was being pushy and then haven't seen their child all day and just wanted to talk. Great, but do it out of my home. Now, I just don't give anyone the chance. If it is 4:55 and your not here, your child will be in the coat and shoes.
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Tdhmom 10:58 AM 02-10-2014
Originally Posted by craftymissbeth:
I get all of my kids 100% ready to go. Then again, I have specific pick up times. If a parent tells me they'll be here at a certain time then that becomes their pick up time for the day and I have them ready then. If they show up after that time I just give them a warning and let them know their child has been playing in their coat and gloves waiting for pick up. It's only happened once, though and they got my point.

I get them ready because I dislike when the parents linger, plus I have one dcg that throws herself on the ground and acts terrible when dcm tries to get her ready.

Same here! My dck's are always ready to go. I don't like small talk
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Jack Sprat 11:32 AM 02-10-2014
Depends on the child. I one dcm that will stay forever. So that child is always ready, shoes, coat and hat on. Everyone else has shoes on and coats are out waiting. The baby is almost always in car seat by the time dcd gets to door. He is one who likes to linger as well.
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LeslieG 11:40 AM 02-10-2014
I make sure they put their shoes on after nap and before snack so they are at least a little ready if their parent comes during snack time. Though, I pretty much know when parents will be here, so depending on the kid, I will put on their jacket, gloves, etc. I started doing this because I have a couple kids who think it's time to run around and not listen to their parents at pick-up time, and parents would struggle to get their jackets on and ready to go…. I don't want to stand there for 10-15 minutes waiting for them to start listening to their parents… I like fast pick-ups!
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Daycaregranny 10:09 PM 02-10-2014
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
So if the child acts up, the parent is to leave them with you at daycare for another 15 minutes as a consequence?

I don't know if that would sit well with me or my DCP's.

None of my parents has ever had an issue with it.

Being in daycare all day while your parent works is stressful enough but then to have your parent "threaten" to leave you there even longer seems kind of counterproductive as well as making "daycare" be the "bad" place to be....

Other than a child's first week I can't remember any one of my children being stressed about coming to my daycare. They are always excited to be there. I can assure you that my daycare is not a "bad place" in any of my daycare kids or parents minds.

I also think that there are more appropriate ways to help children make the transition between daycare and home easier and less stressful. I think that asking a parent to work with you means asking them to help their child adjust and understand the change that happens when they move between one environment to another by talking with their child about this. Sometimes the repeated conversation about what's going to happen every day helps a child eventually understand that this is the daily routine and the way it is going to be.

Of course the parent has this conversation. It's when the very next day it happens all over. When little jimmy starts saying "No I'm not leaving!" It's at that point mom/dad says fine see ya later. Done. Little jimmy is shocked they left. Confused as to what happened. Probably cries. Then they come back in in a few minutes and say "ready to go?" And he goes. He gets it that when mom/dad say its time to go then it's time to go. No more drama.

I think for the younger kids who don't understand discussion, the drop off and pick ups could be done swiftly and quickly so the child understands through repeated consistent routines day in and day out, that getting ready to go at the end of the day IS part of the routine and expected behavior.

My little ones who can't speak never have an issue, they are much easier when it's time to go.

Kids undergo a somewhat stressful moment when their parent arrives to pick them up. It's that same euphoria we as adults feel when we've had a long day away from home and we walk in our front door and feel that wave of relief of being home. Your safe, warm, comfortable place.

Um nope. Never experienced this either. 99.9% percent of the time we have no issues with this. The only time there is "stress" is when dck decides to test their limits and parent starts begging for them to cooperate and it goes on forever. That's why I started asking parents to do this. It works.

Kids feel like that sometimes when their parent arrives for pick up. That wave of emotion comes out in different ways for different kids. Some instantaneously get whiney or cry. Others can get crazy and wild...their emotions running amok. While others get defiant and test boundaries since two of their day to day authority figures are now present at the same time.

Kids need assistance, reassurance, help and support understanding this change. Not a threat to leave them there longer.
I have never thought of it as threatening more a life lesson. Actions have consequences.

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Lyss 10:21 PM 02-10-2014
My parents have pretty clockwork schedules so I know when they are coming. I change diapers, wipe faces, & occasionally put on shoes but gathering bags/blankets/art and putting on coats is all parents. Well except for one, a DCM that tends to linger and chat so DCG is 100% ready to go
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Cat Herder 05:18 AM 02-11-2014
I have them freshly dressed in clean clothes, face/hands washed, hair styed/brushed, coat/shoes on and ready to go out in public. It is one of my niche perks. I am full care.

My clients text if they are picking up outside of their window because they like the service. They know they may find them covered in glue, glitter and paint otherwise.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 05:45 AM 02-11-2014
Children that get picked up outside of the regular pick-up time (earlier) get ready when their parent arrives. Children that get picked up in the 20 minute pick-up window at the end of the regular day get ready with everyone else and are ready to go when their parent arrives.
My two later pick-ups get ready when parent arrives. Sometimes this doesn't go well. Yesterday one of the 3-year-olds threw his shoes at Grandma and got disciplined leaving Grandma to try to coddle him to make up for him being told no.
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Blackcat31 06:00 AM 02-11-2014
Originally Posted by Daycaregranny:
I have never thought of it as threatening more a life lesson. Actions have consequences.
I am glad this works for you. We all need to do what works best, but I think you missed my point.

There are more appropriate ways to help a child (and parent) manage transitions other than to threaten them with being left somewhere.

Whether it works for you or not doesn't make it appropriate or best practice.

Eating nothing but fast food "works" too but isn't what most people would consider appropriate or healthy for young children...kwim?

Oh, and fwiw.....I was never at ANY time insinuating your child care was a bad place to be.
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Daycaregranny 11:39 AM 02-11-2014
Oh, and fwiw.....I was never at ANY time insinuating your child care was a bad place to be.

Thank you for that.

I guess it's all how someone perceives things. We use action/reaction practices here all the time. I hate timeout, won't do it. I guess I see it as a "threatening" practice. If you do this I'm going to make you bound to a chair screaming. Often when a child is doing something inappropriate or is not on task I will have the discussion. "You know if you keep throwing in the house your not going to be able go with me on our walk today ( or whatever). You have to listen." It's their choice. If they throw things again they don't get to participate. They stay back with another teacher. It's not so much to us as threatening as a action/reaction. In short order all my kids get it. Actually most of the time just giving them the eye works, haha.

What I do not like at pick up is seeing a parent frustrated that they can't get their child to listen to them. They look like a fish out of water! Some would look sad and dismayed that their kid was acting like that, some would get made and actually argue with the child. All with others watching, not ok. Some just let their child get their way and sat down waiting for the child to say it's ok to go now. Again, not ok. At least in my crazy mind. I used to step and and say "mom said its time to go" and most of the time it worked but my parents felt like I had more idk control or something and each day was a do over as they fail I stepped in situation. I found this to be not a place I wanted to be. I want my parents to take more control over their own children. So now with this method, mom comes in, child acts out, ok bye. No drama. Kid learns when mom says let's go, it's time to go. Period. There is no pull and play, no power struggle.

In truth we all do things differently, we all have our own methods and that's ok.
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