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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Pool Time Guilt Trip
MsMe 12:48 PM 07-15-2011
Does anyone else get a hard time about the pool?

EVERY morning nearly each mother asks "So are you taking little Suzie to the pool today?"

EVERY morning I reply with, "Well I don't know yet, it all depends on the weather, and our manners, and If Ms. X can take us today. Like I told you yesterday I can never garentee a pool day "

We are a 2 provider center that has low numbers in the summer (teachers kids take off) and provider #2 is only part-time (really only takes kids to the pool and she is not (nor is she required to be) avilable each and every day).

We average 2-3 pool trips a week. 1 with both providers and 1-2 the SA two/three littles and Ms.X.

I know the reason they ask is bc they want them 'worn out' at the end of the day. I cringe at the end of a pool day when parents say "oooh I am so excited little Johnny is going to go right to sleep after dinner, you really wore him out today!! THANKS!!"


If it is a nice day and Ms.X is unavalible and we do not go to the pool I treated like a bad guy,,,even if we have gone 1-2 times already in the week!

SORRY PARENTS POOL TRIPS ARE A TREAT AND NOT A REQUIREMENT!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone else have parents like this?
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cheerfuldom 01:00 PM 07-15-2011
I could see how that would be really annoying. My DC parents get like that occasionally about our walks. Their kids don't get out of the house much so me taking them is all they ever get for the most part. One mom said that her 1 year old had never been in their backyard and another said that her 9 month old had never been in an out door baby swing even though they have one. They just don't take them outside at all.
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nannyde 01:09 PM 07-15-2011
The way to solve it is to attach additional fees to it.

They get two swimming trips per week and any additional trips will be 15 dollars per kid and you must have at least X number of kids sign up. The money needs to be paid in advance and YOU schedule the two free times (like every Monday and Friday) and the days when you have the funds to do additional swimming.

If you don't have enough parents scheduling and paying for the additional swim days you will not go.

If the parents of the kids who WANT to go and pay are upset about not being able to have the extra days then your answer is "we didn't have enough participation this week... we will see how next week goes... here's your money back or would you like to apply it to next weeks bonus swim day?"

OR

Just charge for every trip. Ask parents how many swim days they would like to have and have them pay up front. Make the fee enough to cover the staff assistant AND make money for the extra work.

OR

Charge them at the end of the week for every time you go swimming. If it's fifteen a trip and you go two times it's an additional thirty. If you go three it's an additional forty five.

The reason you are having problems is because you aren't separating the money from the regular day care fee. Once there is a fee attached you have a chance you won't have any takers.

If you advertised on enrollment that you do two/three/four swim trips per week in the summer then they will want FOUR. Whatever you gave them as the max number of times per week will be their minimum. Be careful next year to NOT agree to ANY swim trips and have it be a bonus as it is happening OR charge a fee for it to cover the extra.
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PitterPatter 01:11 PM 07-15-2011
Originally Posted by MsMe:
Does anyone else get a hard time about the pool?

EVERY morning nearly each mother asks "So are you taking little Suzie to the pool today?"

EVERY morning I reply with, "Well I don't know yet, it all depends on the weather, and our manners, and If Ms. X can take us today. Like I told you yesterday I can never garentee a pool day "

We are a 2 provider center that has low numbers in the summer (teachers kids take off) and provider #2 is only part-time (really only takes kids to the pool and she is not (nor is she required to be) avilable each and every day).

We average 2-3 pool trips a week. 1 with both providers and 1-2 the SA two/three littles and Ms.X.

I know the reason they ask is bc they want them 'worn out' at the end of the day. I cringe at the end of a pool day when parents say "oooh I am so excited little Johnny is going to go right to sleep after dinner, you really wore him out today!! THANKS!!"


If it is a nice day and Ms.X is unavalible and we do not go to the pool I treated like a bad guy,,,even if we have gone 1-2 times already in the week!

SORRY PARENTS POOL TRIPS ARE A TREAT AND NOT A REQUIREMENT!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone else have parents like this?
Not over a pool but if they napped longer than 1 hr and I didnt make them wake up I get barked at. If it rained all day and they didn't burn energy outside I have been asked why they cant run inside (lol riiight)

An old client would call and tell me she will be late and to feed her son dinner so she didnt have to buy him a meal when they go eat with her friends at Olive Garden. Other times she just wanted to go to the gym and said let him eat with u so I dont have to stop and buy him anything.

Yet another parent has said many times she is glad I feed her kid every meal of the day so she only has to wake him up bring him and pick him up and get him ready for bed. THAT was the saddest of all!

I actually have 1 client now that says little johnny gets to much sun here because hes not sleeping well at night. (hes not even tan)
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MsMe 01:28 PM 07-15-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
The way to solve it is to attach additional fees to it.

They get two swimming trips per week and any additional trips will be 15 dollars per kid and you must have at least X number of kids sign up. The money needs to be paid in advance and YOU schedule the two free times (like every Monday and Friday) and the days when you have the funds to do additional swimming.

If you don't have enough parents scheduling and paying for the additional swim days you will not go.

If the parents of the kids who WANT to go and pay are upset about not being able to have the extra days then your answer is "we didn't have enough participation this week... we will see how next week goes... here's your money back or would you like to apply it to next weeks bonus swim day?"

OR

Just charge for every trip. Ask parents how many swim days they would like to have and have them pay up front. Make the fee enough to cover the staff assistant AND make money for the extra work.

OR

Charge them at the end of the week for every time you go swimming. If it's fifteen a trip and you go two times it's an additional thirty. If you go three it's an additional forty five.

The reason you are having problems is because you aren't separating the money from the regular day care fee. Once there is a fee attached you have a chance you won't have any takers.

If you advertised on enrollment that you do two/three/four swim trips per week in the summer then they will want FOUR. Whatever you gave them as the max number of times per week will be their minimum. Be careful next year to NOT agree to ANY swim trips and have it be a bonus as it is happening OR charge a fee for it to cover the extra.
I have no intention of charging extra for swim days, it does not cost me any extra money to take them and Ms.X and I really like pool days I just don't like being hounded about them. All parents provide summer pass to the pool for their child. I NEVER garentee ANY pool days, I tell each parent at the start of the start of the summer that we will go when and if we can.

A Mom called today to check so that she could find out how her night was going to be with her kids. I could hear the excitment in her voice when I told her they were at the pool. The really funny part is on her day off she will not take her youngest boy to the pool bc he is 'too wild' and only takes the older one who is allowed free run of the whole (HUGE)pool at just 5 yrs old.
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cheerfuldom 01:29 PM 07-15-2011
yeah you are always going to have complaining about something. I agree in general with nanny on this though. Make your contract bullet proof (no negotiating about policies) otherwise the parents will of course want the most services and special stuff possible and will keep asking because there is no firm rule set.
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MG&Lsmom 01:37 PM 07-15-2011
DCB did not come 2 days last week because it was hot and DCD was upset that I would not take him in my backyard pool. Nevermind it's not a licensed part of my home. He's also upset that I don't take him the backyard at all, where we have a huge dome climber, swings and gigantic sandbox. None of which can be seen from the front of the house or any area parents are allowed. He only knows they exist because his friend came to give us a mowing quote. There's a reason my backyard is off limits, it's out of compliance for licensing and I refuse to cover my backyard in sand just to be.
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MarinaVanessa 01:45 PM 07-15-2011
Just tell them that they should feel lucky that their kids get a pool day and that Mrs. MarinaVanessa has a pool and that her daycare kids NEVER go swimming .

We have a pool in our complex (I live in a condo) and because of the liability I just don't take the kids swimming period. My daycare parents are bummed but what can they do? I've even had a DC mom ask me if she could use my pool once after pick-up. Um no ... no it's only for residents. She then asked me to call her if we ever went swimming on the weekend or evenings so that she and DCB can go with us ... um no.
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Country Kids 02:02 PM 07-15-2011
Originally Posted by MG&Lsmom:
DCB did not come 2 days last week because it was hot and DCD was upset that I would not take him in my backyard pool. Nevermind it's not a licensed part of my home. He's also upset that I don't take him the backyard at all, where we have a huge dome climber, swings and gigantic sandbox. None of which can be seen from the front of the house or any area parents are allowed. He only knows they exist because his friend came to give us a mowing quote. There's a reason my backyard is off limits, it's out of compliance for licensing and I refuse to cover my backyard in sand just to be.
Do you have anywhere outside for the kids to play? As a parent I would be upset if I knew my childcare provider had all that but the kids weren't allowed to play on it.
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Cat Herder 02:07 PM 07-15-2011
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
Do you have anywhere outside for the kids to play? As a parent I would be upset if I knew my childcare provider had all that but the kids weren't allowed to play on it.
I have all that AND a box of chocolates... The State is the one that says we cannot allow daycare kids on it.

The daycare has it's own "approved" playground.

What are your regs for that kind of equipment
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cheerfuldom 02:14 PM 07-15-2011
can you do a limit like 2 days a week depending on the weather? that way 2 days is the max and they will least stop asking at that point? just thinking out loud here.....
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Country Kids 02:23 PM 07-15-2011
Originally Posted by Catherder:
I have all that AND a box of chocolates... The State is the one that says we cannot allow daycare kids on it.

The daycare has it's own "approved" playground.

What are your regs for that kind of equipment
I have a swingset, did have two but just got rid of one. Had it like that for 11 years. Have a climbing set with two slides, a playhouse, and another little climber with a slide. Would love to get a wooden playstructure but a little spendy for right now. Also have a sand area and and area for riding toys. Have a teter totter that swings around and goes up and down plus a little one that just rocks back and forth. Just not allowed to have a pool of any kind-not even a plastic wading pool.
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MsMe 02:52 PM 07-15-2011
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:
can you do a limit like 2 days a week depending on the weather? that way 2 days is the max and they will least stop asking at that point? just thinking out loud here.....
We are more than happy to take them ANY day we can if it were 5 days a week, but it doesnt always work out that we can (even if the weather is nice enough)

It remeind me of when kids is asking for a drink.

"Can I have a drink?"
"Can I have a drink?"
"Can I have a drink?"
"Can I have a drink?"
"Can I have a drink?"
"Can I have a drink?"
"Can I have a drink?"
"Can I have a drink?"

Just bc you ask a 100 times doesnt mean I am going to get it any faster!!!!!!!

I just don't know how to get get it across to the parents that YES it will be a pool day any day that we are able. That asking me (infront of their child and it puts the idea in their head!) is not going to magicly remind me to go to the pool bc I forgot it was there and I was going to keep their kids locked up inside all day sleeping!!!!!
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nannyde 03:48 PM 07-15-2011
This reminds me of my staff assistant and her hours. I've had this with every staff assistant I have ever had.

I pay my staff assistant a set schedule every week whether she does them or not. I have her paid until 5:45 p.m. every day.

Friday is a day when we are often lucky to get everyone out the door by 4:30 even though we have kids scheduled until 5:45. About nine Fridays of ten we are off early.

When we have week after week of being off early the times when we have to work until 5:45 my staff assistant is unhappy. I've had a number of times when she realizes we have to work the full day and she asks to leave early because she has planned this or that. When I say... no... you are scheduled to work until closing she says "but I HAVE to go to blah blah blah".

When we are running eight kids full time she is fine. When we have blocks of time (like most of the summer) when we have five or six kids daily she really struggles when we go back up to eight.

The job IS for eight kids and working till 5:45. The job is NOT early outs and five kids.

The only way to solve it is to have a LOT of extra work for her to do when we have five kids. I make sure I have her do deep cleaning and organizing when we are low on kids. I make sure her hands are busy every minute.

If I do THAT then she is happy when we have eight kids. Eight kids is way easier than watching five AND tearing into cabinets and reorganizing.

The only way to solve the upsetedness for no early out is to have her stay till 5:45 whether we have kids or not. Sometimes I have to do that for a few weeks in a row so when she does get out early on Friday she appreciates it SO much instead of expects it.

Even though.. in the end... it's the same hours and the same work... it's all in how she sees it. I have to manage it because it doesn't take long at all before she thinks the job is until 4:30 with five kids.

So this is the same with these parents. They will only see the side of it where they get the swim trips as what they are paying for. They won't see the days of no swimming as what they are paying for unless you give them a time where they have a couple of weeks of no swimming at all or attach money to when you do go swimming.

My staff assistant doesn't care about what WORDS I put to the "the job IS eight kids until 5:45". She actually cares about when she has to DO eight kids and work until 5:45. Sometimes I have to give her the schedule AND the workload that she is being paid to do to get her to understand that when she gets easier and earlier that it is a bonus not the actual job.

I've had this with EVERY staff assistant. If I paid them based on the actual hours and a rate of pay based on the number of kids they would want the full hours till 5:45 and eight kids every day. They would be HAPPY to be that full and work the late hours. The problem is when they get the SAME pay to work less hours and have less work to do... That's when the conflict comes in.

I don't ever want an unhappy staff assistant so it's my responsibility to show her what the job REALLY is so when she gets early and easier she actually sees it as special and in her favor. If early and easy are her day to day job for ANY length of time she's unahappy when she's faced with what she is actually being paid for every day regardless.
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Kaddidle Care 08:11 PM 07-15-2011
When did it become your responsibility to take their children to the pool?

That's for Mom and Dad to do - sorry. Don't you worry yourself about it.
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cheerfuldom 07:15 AM 07-16-2011
well at this point if you aren't willing to set any schedule with the swim, I would tell each parent specifically, "do not mention the pool or swimming in front of the children" and then if they ask i would respond with "I'm sorry but we don't talk about that in front of the kids, it makes them upset if we aren't able to go" and refuse to answer the question.
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kitkat 08:02 AM 07-16-2011
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:
well at this point if you aren't willing to set any schedule with the swim, I would tell each parent specifically, "do not mention the pool or swimming in front of the children" and then if they ask i would respond with "I'm sorry but we don't talk about that in front of the kids, it makes them upset if we aren't able to go" and refuse to answer the question.
Exactly what I was going to say!

MsMe: Kudos to you for even offering to take them to the pool! I think it's a great idea that you make the parents buy a pool pass. In my town our pool pass is a patch that we have to attach to a swim suit or towel. Is that how yours work also? If so, are towels/suits sent daily so that families can use their pass on nights/weekends? I don't have kids during the summer, just my own, and we are 1 block from the water park/pool. If I do get older kids during the summer at some point, I might copy your idea. Just wondering how you work the pass thing.
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nannyde 10:19 AM 07-16-2011
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:
well at this point if you aren't willing to set any schedule with the swim, I would tell each parent specifically, "do not mention the pool or swimming in front of the children" and then if they ask i would respond with "I'm sorry but we don't talk about that in front of the kids, it makes them upset if we aren't able to go" and refuse to answer the question.
Oh I don't think the parents will have much problem not talking about the pool in front of the kids. The problem is the parents asking the provider about the trips.

If she says don't mention it in front of the kids she's going to have the same convo's where the parents are hounding her ... they just will do it over the phone or have the kid walk away so they can do it.

I don't think it's too much to tell a kid they aren't going to the pool. Telling a parent "not today" who wants the special for their kid and the special the parents get not having to do the pool and the worn out "early to bed" kid IS what the problem is.

One trick that works is saying "we'll see". So if the parent calls or asks just say "I haven't figured that out yet.. we'll see". The only side effect of that will be that you could get pounded with calls and texts trying to find out what you decided.
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MG&Lsmom 10:32 AM 07-16-2011
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
Do you have anywhere outside for the kids to play? As a parent I would be upset if I knew my childcare provider had all that but the kids weren't allowed to play on it.
I think I'm a little offended. I'm a licensed provider. Of course I have an outdoor play space. My front yard is the approved outdoor play space. I have 10 cozy coupes/vehicles, 3 small slides, a cube climber, a sand table, three tunnels, basketball hoop, free access to a bucket of different balls, bubbles, chalk and art easel and more. There is more than enough fun things to do in my front yard. It's the fact that this particular dad does not feel it is fair to have things on my property that his son is not allowed to play with. This includes toys inside the home as well. He feel that what ever is located on the premises is free for the taking.

Our regs require safe fall zones, like most states, around equipment higher than 2ft off the ground. For a home daycare with any child present under 3 years (my DS is 2.5), the ONLY approved safe fall zone material is sand. Too many cats and animals roaming to free in our neighborhood to use sand. Like I said, I refuse to turn my backyard into a large litter box to satisfy the licensor.
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Country Kids 04:32 PM 07-16-2011
Originally Posted by MG&Lsmom:
I think I'm a little offended. I'm a licensed provider. Of course I have an outdoor play space. My front yard is the approved outdoor play space. I have 10 cozy coupes/vehicles, 3 small slides, a cube climber, a sand table, three tunnels, basketball hoop, free access to a bucket of different balls, bubbles, chalk and art easel and more. There is more than enough fun things to do in my front yard. It's the fact that this particular dad does not feel it is fair to have things on my property that his son is not allowed to play with. This includes toys inside the home as well. He feel that what ever is located on the premises is free for the taking.

Our regs require safe fall zones, like most states, around equipment higher than 2ft off the ground. For a home daycare with any child present under 3 years (my DS is 2.5), the ONLY approved safe fall zone material is sand. Too many cats and animals roaming to free in our neighborhood to use sand. Like I said, I refuse to turn my backyard into a large litter box to satisfy the licensor.
I didn't mean to offend you. From the post you had written it sounded like all your play equipment was in the backyard. You didn't say anything about toys in the front yard. So do you not have to have sand in the front yard with any of your equipment? We don't have anything under our play equipment and the state has never said anything about having it. It is interesting how state to state changes the regulations for us.
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MG&Lsmom 06:43 AM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
I didn't mean to offend you. From the post you had written it sounded like all your play equipment was in the backyard. You didn't say anything about toys in the front yard. So do you not have to have sand in the front yard with any of your equipment? We don't have anything under our play equipment and the state has never said anything about having it. It is interesting how state to state changes the regulations for us.
As I wrote, all equipment 2ft tall and over requires a safe fall zone., this doesn't include bikes. I have toddler slides and a toddler climbing cube, all just above the 2ft height requirement. Technically yes, they require sand, however my licensor deems a good cushion of thick grass is fine for that equipment and the ages of my dcks. She asked taht I use those foam mats if I had babies just learning to walk. I don't take anyone under 18m, so a nonissue. This is a new reg for all daycares licensed after Feb 2009 and all exisiting licensed daycares relicensing reqs after Feb 2010. Almost all the daycare providers I know have chosen to remove play structures rather than making the modifications to comply with the new regs.
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nannyde 07:05 AM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by MG&Lsmom:
Almost all the daycare providers I know have chosen to remove play structures rather than making the modifications to comply with the new regs.
Seen all over America

The cost of the modifications become so high that the income on the kids doesn't suppport it.
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Unregistered 07:18 AM 07-18-2011
If you know in the morning at drop off, could you put a sign up so they don't have to ask, they know as they come in?
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MsMe 07:38 AM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by kitkat:
Exactly what I was going to say!

MsMe: Kudos to you for even offering to take them to the pool! I think it's a great idea that you make the parents buy a pool pass. In my town our pool pass is a patch that we have to attach to a swim suit or towel. Is that how yours work also? If so, are towels/suits sent daily so that families can use their pass on nights/weekends? I don't have kids during the summer, just my own, and we are 1 block from the water park/pool. If I do get older kids during the summer at some point, I might copy your idea. Just wondering how you work the pass thing.
A patch would be great! Here it is a plastic card (the size of a CC) with a picture and exp Date. You can get individual/family/full year/summer. Our pool is huge and more like a water park (it drives me nuts, but that is anothor story) it is $6 per child per visit so a pass is the way to go. I do not require anyone to get one but they all do.

I do require they get an spare pass to leave at my house.....as you can imagaine it is murder sharing a pass with Mom and Dad and it coming (or rather not coming) and going each day.

I also require a suit/towel/sunscreen be left with me for the WHOLE summer it does not go home untill Fall. I provide all water wings and toys.
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dEHmom 07:40 AM 07-18-2011
I've been wanting to take the kids to the park pool/beach....It's basically a gigantic wading pool surrounded by sand all around. it's shallow and gradually gets deeper up to 7.5 feet in the center. I've never been there, and I'd love to take my kids there, but I worry I cannot handle the daycare kids and my own at the beach. 1 of the dcb's loves the water and will be in and out of it. The other will not go near the water, so I would have 1 on the beach and one in the water.

How do you all handle more than 4 kids at a pool/beach? There are lifeguards on duty there, but I still worry that 1 might wander too far into the water, and the other would be left on the beach. I would put lifejackets on them of course, but just curious what other's experiences are.
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MsMe 07:42 AM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
Oh I don't think the parents will have much problem not talking about the pool in front of the kids. The problem is the parents asking the provider about the trips.

If she says don't mention it in front of the kids she's going to have the same convo's where the parents are hounding her ... they just will do it over the phone or have the kid walk away so they can do it.

I don't think it's too much to tell a kid they aren't going to the pool. Telling a parent "not today" who wants the special for their kid and the special the parents get not having to do the pool and the worn out "early to bed" kid IS what the problem is.

One trick that works is saying "we'll see". So if the parent calls or asks just say "I haven't figured that out yet.. we'll see". The only side effect of that will be that you could get pounded with calls and texts trying to find out what you decided.

This is what I have always replied with, and you are right Mom does call every afternoon to find out waht I have decided.

I really just wish they would get the point. Every time they have asked (some with children that havebeen here 5 years) you think they would get the point.

I have even said, I WILL NEVER KNOW INTHE MORNING. EVEYDAY IS DIFFERNT, I CAN NEVER GARENTEE A POOL DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
in my meanest, nice to daycare daycare voice.
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MsMe 07:54 AM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by dEHmom:
I've been wanting to take the kids to the park pool/beach....It's basically a gigantic wading pool surrounded by sand all around. it's shallow and gradually gets deeper up to 7.5 feet in the center. I've never been there, and I'd love to take my kids there, but I worry I cannot handle the daycare kids and my own at the beach. 1 of the dcb's loves the water and will be in and out of it. The other will not go near the water, so I would have 1 on the beach and one in the water.

How do you all handle more than 4 kids at a pool/beach? There are lifeguards on duty there, but I still worry that 1 might wander too far into the water, and the other would be left on the beach. I would put lifejackets on them of course, but just curious what other's experiences are.
Once our SA kids pass a swim test (that the pools gives) and their parents agree they are allowed to roam the pools, slides, and lazy river on their own (with check-in times) that is usualy 1-3 kids. There is a small 1-3yr play area about the size of a large living room with a family slide, a couple of fountains, and a shaded area. One provider can saftly watch 1-4 kids easy. 2 providers 1-6 kids. We all wear bright orange floaties and everyone at the pool knows a kid in orange belongs to us All kids are taught pool manners and if they are wild and don't fiollow them they stay home.....I do not take animals to the pool. Too dangerous.

Thankfully we have all kids now who like the water, if we had one who didn't they would not be going on a day with only one provider. When only one is going she takes only the kids she knows she can handle saftly. That means our 1yrs don't get to go as much as the others, saftly not fairness first.

We had two 13 year old boy drown at our pool last sumemer during a private party. Water saftly is everyones #1.
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wdmmom 08:08 AM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by Kaddidle Care:
When did it become your responsibility to take their children to the pool?

That's for Mom and Dad to do - sorry. Don't you worry yourself about it.
DITTO! I'm waiting for my daycare parents to ask me why I don't do field trips or take the kids swimming anymore. How about since I am at capacity and I haven't raised your rates. Now do you want to take my 4 kids swimming?! LOL

I was just talking to Nannyde about this this morning! If I could have every parent contribute to a pool day (offer to bring towels and take back home to wash, someone fix up sandwiches, etc) , I'd be more apt to doing sprinkler/pool days but they haven't yet and I'm not holding my breath.

Parents today want what they want and they want it for free.
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nannyde 08:15 AM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by MsMe:
Once our SA kids pass a swim test (that the pools gives) and their parents agree they are allowed to roam the pools, slides, and lazy river on their own (with check-in times) that is usualy 1-3 kids.
Our regs wouldn't allow this. The parents could not sign or agree to anything short of careful supervision at all times. We would have to have an adult with every kid every minute. We aren't allowed to let any age group play outside in the back yard without an adult.

If you had to have an adult within eyeshot of every kid at all times would you be able to do it? Meaning keeping the older kids in the area that is safe for the little kids?
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SilverSabre25 08:16 AM 07-18-2011
Sooo...

MsMe...

Are you taking the kids to the pool today?

::ducks::
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laundrymom 10:27 AM 07-18-2011
I would tell moms, I WILL CALL YOU IF WE HAVE A POOL DAY.
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MsMe 10:49 AM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
Our regs wouldn't allow this. The parents could not sign or agree to anything short of careful supervision at all times. We would have to have an adult with every kid every minute. We aren't allowed to let any age group play outside in the back yard without an adult.

If you had to have an adult within eyeshot of every kid at all times would you be able to do it? Meaning keeping the older kids in the area that is safe for the little kids?
Yes, they would stay with me in the area were it was safe for the smallest child.
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MsMe 10:50 AM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by SilverSabre25:
Sooo...

MsMe...

Are you taking the kids to the pool today?

::ducks::
Yes, Ms. X took 4 kids to the pool today. I am home with 3.
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nannyde 12:58 PM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by MsMe:
Yes, they would stay with me in the area were it was safe for the smallest child.
It would change the experience for the school agers ... wouldn't it?

Being able to free range a big pool is very different than being in a little kiddie area. It would change the adults perception of how "fun" it was if they had ALL the kids within a few feet of them at all times.

Would it be a good activity for the kids if you had that kind of restriction. Not counting the first couple of weeks... but beyond that?
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Meyou 01:33 PM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by dEHmom:
I've been wanting to take the kids to the park pool/beach....It's basically a gigantic wading pool surrounded by sand all around. it's shallow and gradually gets deeper up to 7.5 feet in the center. I've never been there, and I'd love to take my kids there, but I worry I cannot handle the daycare kids and my own at the beach. 1 of the dcb's loves the water and will be in and out of it. The other will not go near the water, so I would have 1 on the beach and one in the water.

How do you all handle more than 4 kids at a pool/beach? There are lifeguards on duty there, but I still worry that 1 might wander too far into the water, and the other would be left on the beach. I would put lifejackets on them of course, but just curious what other's experiences are.
I take my crew to a beach at a lake. The park grass borders the sand so I set up my chair. wagon and area very close to the edge of the water and the sand but on the grass (easier for eating). The kids can play on approx 1/3 of the beach, the area closest to me. This gives them about 40ft x20 ft area to play in. The 20ft side being on the water. They are allowed in the water up to their belly buttons within the 1/3 of the beach once they are 3.5 and in swimming lessons. The little ones are only allowed in very shallow water but they stick to the sand anyway. This whole area is lifeguarded and I'm literally a 2 sec sprint from any one of them.

I bring nets for catching stuff, buckets and shovels for them and let them go.

Then I sit and watch like a hawk.

Anyone that breaks a beach rule plays in the grass behind my chair for the rest of the day and holds my hand for the whole walk home instead of playing chase. I have maybe 1 rule broken a week and it's normally one of the 2 year olds who wanders once in a blue moon when she sees a sparkly beach toy she likes.

ETA: They sit in a circle on the grass to eat lunch. I have lunch ready and call to them. They rinse off the sand in the water and I wrap each one up like a burrito with arms sticking out and they each on their lap with legs sticking out straight.
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MsMe 01:41 PM 07-18-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
It would change the experience for the school agers ... wouldn't it?

Being able to free range a big pool is very different than being in a little kiddie area. It would change the adults perception of how "fun" it was if they had ALL the kids within a few feet of them at all times.

Would it be a good activity for the kids if you had that kind of restriction. Not counting the first couple of weeks... but beyond that?
probably not, but that is not they way it is and they DO get to have fun and I enjoy pool days
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kitkat 07:01 AM 07-19-2011
Originally Posted by MsMe:
A patch would be great! Here it is a plastic card (the size of a CC) with a picture and exp Date. You can get individual/family/full year/summer. Our pool is huge and more like a water park (it drives me nuts, but that is anothor story) it is $6 per child per visit so a pass is the way to go. I do not require anyone to get one but they all do.

I do require they get an spare pass to leave at my house.....as you can imagaine it is murder sharing a pass with Mom and Dad and it coming (or rather not coming) and going each day.

I also require a suit/towel/sunscreen be left with me for the WHOLE summer it does not go home untill Fall. I provide all water wings and toys.
Thanks for the info! Your water park sounds similar to ours, but yours sounds bigger. We only get one patch per person in the family and it has to be sewn onto a suit or towel, so it would have to be shared between home and here.

Originally Posted by MsMe:
probably not, but that is not they way it is and they DO get to have fun and I enjoy pool days
Your dcks are very lucky! I bet they'd be happy to go even if they only could stay in the kiddie area.
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Tags:guilt, playground surfaces, pool, regulations, water safety
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