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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Parent Complained About All My Crafts
sahm2three 09:38 AM 11-20-2012
We do a LOT of crafts/projects. That is how I teach. I send something home every day. Sometimes something as little as a white piece of paper that we drew shapes on and traced our hands. Sometimes a craft project. But something every day. Yesterday, a dcb handed his project to his mom, and she exhaled and said, "Another one?" She then turned to me and said, "Do you mind slowing down on the stuff sent home? It is kind of overwhelming." DCB was kind of crushed, and I just felt hurt as well. I put so much time and thought into what we do. And to find out it isn't being appreciated is very disheartening. My other parents GUSH about the projects and papers. SOOO many times I see that they have posted pics on their facebook pages the kids holding their days project. So I know that for the most part they are very well received. And the kids LOVE doing them. So do I! And they are all learning so much! Most of my 2 year olds know all the basic shapes and colors! They are recognizing some letters too. So I know I am doing a good job. So what do you do with this one parent? Not send their stuff home? That doesn't seem fair to dcb. I thought about asking dcb if I can hang his stuff up here. Not sure what else to do. What would you do?
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SquirrellyMama 09:41 AM 11-20-2012
I would just hang it up at your house. I used to do that with papers. We would put them up around the daycare room.

I can understand where the mom is coming from a little bit. I always feel like the clutter is going to suffocate me.

You don't have to send everything home. Kids bring things home from so many places that it can be overwhelming.

K
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daycare 09:49 AM 11-20-2012
I hang a lot of the art up here at the house for the kids to see, so that they can see their accomplishments.

I take their paperwork, like tracings, drawings and etc and I put them into a folder. Each child has a folder and I have dividers in them by month. I keep all of them from when they start, this way we can see their progress over time. I don't let the parents take them home, but will share them with the parents when the child does something really cool.

When they graduate out of my program, I will give them the book. I love it, the parents love it and it seems like the kids do too.

They are very proud of their folders....
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MamaBearCanada 09:51 AM 11-20-2012
How rude and ungrateful! If she doesn't want to keep them all then she can select her favourites and trash the rest when DCB is asleep. You would think she would love that her son is being creative.

You could:
1. Ignore her. If she brings it up again tell her you are not going to curtail his learning and creativity and that it is up to her how she stores his treasures.
2. Keep his work for x amount of time then get DCB to choose x favourites to take home
3. keep his work til the end of the month/year then place it all together and send it all home at once

If you chose 2 or 3 DCB's feelings might be hurt but some kids wouldn't care about the stuff going home til later. It would depend on the child.

You are doing a wonderful job by the sounds of things!
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sahm2three 09:57 AM 11-20-2012
Originally Posted by daycare:
I hang a lot of the art up here at the house for the kids to see, so that they can see their accomplishments.

I take their paperwork, like tracings, drawings and etc and I put them into a folder. Each child has a folder and I have dividers in them by month. I keep all of them from when they start, this way we can see their progress over time. I don't let the parents take them home, but will share them with the parents when the child does something really cool.

When they graduate out of my program, I will give them the book. I love it, the parents love it and it seems like the kids do too.

They are very proud of their folders....
OMGosh! I LOVE that! I am going to do this! This time of year, however, we do a LOT of projects. Today we made plastic cup turkeys. We talked about the colors we used to make the feathers, how many eyes they have, what sound the turkey makes. What shapes they can spy that we used to make the turkey. Lots of stuff. I guess I always love to see my kids stuff, and I keep what I want and might hang a coloring sheet for a week or so, and then I throw it away. So I assumed the parents would want the work their kids did on a daily basis. So I will just start keeping their daily sheets here and just send the projects home after displaying them here for a bit. I hope that is toning it down a bit for this mom.
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countrymom 10:01 AM 11-20-2012
I would make even more and send more home. I think that was the most rudest comment ever. My children (and mine are older) always make things for me, i put it on the fridge and then after a week I throw them out. My children love to display their stuff and it shows pride and ownership when they see their art work. What a ungrateful mother---and considering she doens't have to buy the art supplies or sit with her kid to do it is really pathetic.
signed another art lover!
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daycare 10:02 AM 11-20-2012
Originally Posted by sahm2three:
OMGosh! I LOVE that! I am going to do this! This time of year, however, we do a LOT of projects. Today we made plastic cup turkeys. We talked about the colors we used to make the feathers, how many eyes they have, what sound the turkey makes. What shapes they can spy that we used to make the turkey. Lots of stuff. I guess I always love to see my kids stuff, and I keep what I want and might hang a coloring sheet for a week or so, and then I throw it away. So I assumed the parents would want the work their kids did on a daily basis. So I will just start keeping their daily sheets here and just send the projects home after displaying them here for a bit. I hope that is toning it down a bit for this mom.
some parents just dont feel the same way about this stuff as we do. ONe of my favorite dcf was like this, and I just had to come to terms with it and not fault them for feeling the same way about it that I did.

Of course they were never rude about it, they just said if you could send them home weekly or bi-weekly, that would be great.

I was also told about some APP for smart phone that lets you take a picture of each art project and then at any point you can order a book of all of the pictures of their art work. Sounds cute, but it sounded like a lot of work to me, so I declined the offer....
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daycarediva 10:32 AM 11-20-2012
I send them home weekly. It is hard for ME when my kids come home everyday with lots of things, and so I got each of my daycare kids a folder and it goes home Friday and comes back Monday. If it is a bigger project, it gets displayed here and then goes home monthly when I change out the theme.

Very, very rude dcp.
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melilley 10:37 AM 11-20-2012
What nerve of that parent! I would post it up and not give her any of it, make a point to show it to her daily and maybe she will come to realize how special that kind of stuff is! Or keep it and at the end of the month put all of the artwork/projects it in a bag and send it home. That way she can decide what to do with it and the child hopefully won't hear or see her say anything about it. Here's a story for you: I once gave a parent a bag of artwork (I placed it in the child's cubby) and the next day I found the whole bag in the garbage! I hope the child didn't see her throw it away! I don't understand how parents can do that! Maybe I'm a little obsessive, but I have a whole tote of my child's art work and projects, I could not bare to throw them away, especially if she was excited about them!
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littlemissmuffet 10:38 AM 11-20-2012
Originally Posted by sahm2three:
We do a LOT of crafts/projects. That is how I teach. I send something home every day. Sometimes something as little as a white piece of paper that we drew shapes on and traced our hands. Sometimes a craft project. But something every day. Yesterday, a dcb handed his project to his mom, and she exhaled and said, "Another one?" She then turned to me and said, "Do you mind slowing down on the stuff sent home? It is kind of overwhelming." DCB was kind of crushed, and I just felt hurt as well. I put so much time and thought into what we do. And to find out it isn't being appreciated is very disheartening. My other parents GUSH about the projects and papers. SOOO many times I see that they have posted pics on their facebook pages the kids holding their days project. So I know that for the most part they are very well received. And the kids LOVE doing them. So do I! And they are all learning so much! Most of my 2 year olds know all the basic shapes and colors! They are recognizing some letters too. So I know I am doing a good job. So what do you do with this one parent? Not send their stuff home? That doesn't seem fair to dcb. I thought about asking dcb if I can hang his stuff up here. Not sure what else to do. What would you do?

Overwhelming? Seriously???

Whatever - some parents are just never happy with anything. I would continue sending home the projects/crafts. I don't keep any artwork here unless a child gives it to me, because they all want to show mommy/daddy and bring it home. I don't care what happens to it after that...

I know some parents keep every little scrap. Some pick and choose and keep the very special things. Some don't keep any of it and throw it all in the trash. Some take photos of each project and keep the photo instead of the actual project.

And that's what I would tell this mom - "We do projects each day, and we sned them home each day - what you choose to do with them after that is up to you, but they do get sent home as the child is proud of their work and want to show you."
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melilley 10:40 AM 11-20-2012
Originally Posted by countrymom:
I would make even more and send more home. I think that was the most rudest comment ever. My children (and mine are older) always make things for me, i put it on the fridge and then after a week I throw them out. My children love to display their stuff and it shows pride and ownership when they see their art work. What a ungrateful mother---and considering she doens't have to buy the art supplies or sit with her kid to do it is really pathetic.
signed another art lover!
Haha, good idea..make more and send more home! If only we were all bold like that!..lol
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Willow 10:40 AM 11-20-2012
I sort of get where she's coming from because my son is a "keeper" of everything. If he so much as drew a dot on it, it MUST be saved

At school he brings home a project once a week or so. He's 8, in the 3rd grade, and I already have several totes of his art filled. There were many so I moved several of them out into the garage. I was hoping he'd forget they were there so I could start weeding through them and throwing out much of the regular school paperwork stuff but no go. While my husband is out working in the shed he'll help him until he gets bored and then go through his bins reminiscing with glee.

He can easily let go of old toys, out grown clothes, and he keeps his room immaculate but his artwork....it just means so much to him, so I don't push it. I told him when he moves out though he's bringing 99% of it with him so he'd better have a cash stash to rent a moving truck just for them.

That said, if he were bringing home a project every single day? We'd reach hoarder status in record time no doubt.



I'm not saying you should change anything you're doing, or that her comments were right or wrong (if she were having an issue with the amount being sent home she certainly could have spoken to you privately).....just trying to open minds to the idea that she her intentions aren't necessarily malicious or ungrateful.....she could just be overwhelmed with what to do with it all and that's ok.
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jojosmommy 10:56 AM 11-20-2012
I understand the feeling. My ds makes crafts here and at preschool and it quickly gets to be alot.

My suggestions:
Send some home in the am at drop off. Mom can take them to work and hang them there, or toss them and dcb will probably forget about them. My son sends pictures to dads work all the time

Have her bring you a manilla envelope with grandma's address on it. Let dcb put projects in the envelope occassionally. Give it to mom to mail these special things to gma.

Have kids save 2 projects a week to give to the nearest nursing home. Maybe someone therewill enjoy it.
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sahm2three 11:03 AM 11-20-2012
I just feel bad for dcb. They are all so excited to show mom and dad, and most of the parents are so excited to see what they have done. This little guys face just dropped when she reacted that way. Oh well, I will be excited for him and ask him if I can display them on the bulletin board by the entryway for ALL the parents to see!
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cheerfuldom 11:03 AM 11-20-2012
this is just plain rude. she could have asked for a compromise in a different way, you know? I would have a little box for his things and let him pick just one or two to take home on Fridays instead of sending home things every day. The other providers had some good suggestions as well. either way, this mom made a big mistake in belittling your work and her sons work....I can just see his disappointed face I know my 4 year old comes home with a butt-load of stuff from kinder and even though sometimes I feel that I dont have the time to look at every scrap, I have to remember that its not about me, its about her. To her, one scribble is very exciting and she loves to go thru her papers and tell me about what she learned. its important to HER that I take the time to listen. This mom was being rude and selfish.
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SunshineMama 12:26 PM 11-20-2012
Originally Posted by sahm2three:
We do a LOT of crafts/projects. That is how I teach. I send something home every day. Sometimes something as little as a white piece of paper that we drew shapes on and traced our hands. Sometimes a craft project. But something every day. Yesterday, a dcb handed his project to his mom, and she exhaled and said, "Another one?" She then turned to me and said, "Do you mind slowing down on the stuff sent home? It is kind of overwhelming." DCB was kind of crushed, and I just felt hurt as well. I put so much time and thought into what we do. And to find out it isn't being appreciated is very disheartening. My other parents GUSH about the projects and papers. SOOO many times I see that they have posted pics on their facebook pages the kids holding their days project. So I know that for the most part they are very well received. And the kids LOVE doing them. So do I! And they are all learning so much! Most of my 2 year olds know all the basic shapes and colors! They are recognizing some letters too. So I know I am doing a good job. So what do you do with this one parent? Not send their stuff home? That doesn't seem fair to dcb. I thought about asking dcb if I can hang his stuff up here. Not sure what else to do. What would you do?
Um wow dcm!

My kids have way too much arts and crafts. They know that I cant keep it all, so I take a picture of all of their artwork, upload it to shutterfly, and make photobooks out of it, when we have enough pics uploaded. It cuts down on the mess. I share this tip with all of my dcp's and they have never complained about too many crafts.

I am shocked at dcm... really.... "You're investing way too much time and money into my child and teaching them way too much. It's way to inconvenient for me to be bothered to have to look at all of the work my child does." geeze
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MarinaVanessa 12:52 PM 11-20-2012
Personally I would just stop sending stuff home. Everything. I'd tell the child that their stuff is so awesome that I want to keep it at DC.
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country girl 12:59 PM 11-20-2012
I do sympathize with the amount of crafts that go home. With my own kids I keep everything and then wittle it down from time to time. But for the mom to voice that in front of her child is just plain ignorant to me.
I love the idea of the folder though that someone had. The kids could even make their art into a scrapbook and it could be sent home that way.
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daycare 01:10 PM 11-20-2012
I feel for this kid....my son is a hoarder of his art work, or any paper work he makes of any kind.

Well one day I thought he was napping and I went through the massive mile high of his papers/art, kept the really cool ones and threw out a ton.

Well he went out to help big brother take out the trash and guess what he saw. Yup I had to dig it all back out and tell him how sorry I was.

He cried so hard and was so upset with me. He did get over it and in the end we did throw some away, but I felt like dog poo..

I should have gone to him first and talked it over with him and asked him to decide which he wanted to let go of.

I would just love to have an electric shocker that zapped the parents every time they did something stupid......lol JK, ok no I am not
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allsmiles 01:11 PM 11-20-2012
she shouldnt have made that comment in front of her son..thats the part i dont like.. she could have come to you in private so her son wouldnt have been so disappointed???
i also did not like alot of stuff coming home everyday and i incorporate that in my day care.. we send SELECT items once a week and we have a space by the door with things hung up on the wall for them to show off to their parents
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SilverSabre25 01:29 PM 11-20-2012
That's totally poopy of her to say such a thing, and in front of her child! I have WAY too much paper clutter and my DD is a prolific little artist, but I don't even bat an eye when art work comes home from school or other places. I also routinely go through it and toss the ones that don't make me smile or I don't remember the story, or I have 15 that are virtually identical.

BUT

I hesitate to send much home with my dcks because I know how parents can be sometimes (from reading on here). I'm trying to make an art gallery on our walls in our playroom...if only I could find my bulletin board letters...then I'll put up cork strips and use push pins (hush) to put up most of our work.
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LK5kids 01:57 PM 11-20-2012
Oh, my!!!!
I have a friend who lives in another city and her provider doesn't do any projects, not even story time and she'd LOVE for her do something with her child even once with her child.
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crazydaycarelady 02:04 PM 11-20-2012
That is disheartening. Maybe for ungrateful dcm you could just send the projects home on Fridays.
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Soccermom 04:35 AM 11-21-2012
Originally Posted by daycare:
I feel for this kid....my son is a hoarder of his art work, or any paper work he makes of any kind.

Well one day I thought he was napping and I went through the massive mile high of his papers/art, kept the really cool ones and threw out a ton.

Well he went out to help big brother take out the trash and guess what he saw. Yup I had to dig it all back out and tell him how sorry I was.

He cried so hard and was so upset with me. He did get over it and in the end we did throw some away, but I felt like dog poo..

I should have gone to him first and talked it over with him and asked him to decide which he wanted to let go of.

I would just love to have an electric shocker that zapped the parents every time they did something stupid......lol JK, ok no I am not
I got caught doing this same thing one time Daycare so I know how awful you feel. I find it very hard to get rid of my children's artwork and crafts which made it even harder. Now each of my children has a bin with their name on it and we put important things in it but my DD would keep EVERYTHiNG so I started hiding the ones I don't want to keep inside a cereal box, then I close it up and throw it in the trash
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seebachers 05:04 AM 11-21-2012
stop "making" crafts and let them be creative. They don't have to take home everything they make - finger paint with pudding......cool whip on the table.......mixing colored ice cubes.....textures.......etc. We only "take home" approximately one craft a week. That way parents aren't overwhelmed and both parent and child are excited about their project.

Also, if you are interested, there is a site called Artsonia that you can upload artwork to. The parents then can log onto the website and see their child's artwork and send it to relatives and loved ones around the world. They do try to get you to buy stuff every so often (key chains featuring your child's creative genius) which is a great for Christmas gifts etc.


I do understand where the OP daycare mom is coming from. I refused to throw away everything that my son made in the beginning - it broke my heart to get rid of anything he made and overwhelmed my storage space. I got over it pretty quickly when school started, LOLOLOL.
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countrymom 05:29 AM 11-21-2012
Originally Posted by Soccermom:
I got caught doing this same thing one time Daycare so I know how awful you feel. I find it very hard to get rid of my children's artwork and crafts which made it even harder. Now each of my children has a bin with their name on it and we put important things in it but my DD would keep EVERYTHiNG so I started hiding the ones I don't want to keep inside a cereal box, then I close it up and throw it in the trash
we have a bin too and only keep the special ones, the rest, well they magically go inside a black garbage bag when the kids arent' home. I can't do the cereal box because my kids go in the recycle bin all the time to take the cardboard out
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Mommy2One 06:39 AM 11-21-2012
My provider does a lot of crafts, papers, worksheets, etc. She regularly sends home 3 sheets/day. I love that she's doing them - my daughter's learning her numbers/letters/shapes, she's getting to develop her fine motor skills, my daughter enjoys them and it's good practice for school. It sounds like the mother was rude in her wording and hurtful to her son in her timing - not cool - But I can understand that it gets to be too much, especially because at first I felt like I had to save EVERY paper. Now the letter of the week collages go in a notebook, the holiday items get displayed until the holiday is over then boxed up with the other decorations for next year, the best art goes on the fridge for a while then in a keepsake bin and the rest goes quietly into the trash. It seems to work well for clutter control and my daughter has never seemed to notice the missing sheets - maybe because there's enough that gets displayed and praised.

Maybe you could speak to this mom when her son's not around and say something like "Sue, I'm sorry you find the amount of paperwork we send home so overwhelming but it's really important for the kids to do it. It's helping them learn their colors/shapes/numbers/letters, they're developing motor skills like coloring, writing and cutting that will be important in kindergarten and most importantly they enjoy it. I would just keep it here or throw it away but little Billy is so excited to show it to you and I know you wouldn't want to hurt his feelings. If it's getting to be too much to store, maybe you could sneak a few pieces into the trash after he goes to bed. You could also take a picture of him with it, store the best pieces in a scrapbook or upload them to this cool sounding website I heard about called Artsonia (etc.)"
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