Patricia - posted on 05/18/2012 ( 2 moms have responded )
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My son is 2 1/2 and has been going to the same day care center since he was 3 months old. We have been very satisfied with his day care center and the staff up until recently when we've begun to have some concerns.
Approximately 5 or 6 months ago about 3 of the teachers that had been there since my son began coming there (and who both my husband and I AND my son all loved) all quit at the same time, mysteriously. Since then there has been very high teacher turn over there and they are struggling to keep teachers there for more than a month or two, and in some cases new teachers have disappeared within just days. The latest teacher isn't very friendly, doesn't smile when you greet her, and overall just seems like a grump who doesn't want to be there.
Also recently my son has had a couple incidents with other kids and has come home with marks on him. Most times they tell me what happened, but the last couple times they didn't and I had to bring the marks to their attention. When I ask my son how his day was, he frequently states that a particular kid "hit me". I don't know if he's making this up, or if he's remembering a previous incident, or if he really is getting hit a lot and the teachers aren't catching it. I don't want to completely disregard my sons reports, but I also know that he is very young and could possibly be beginning to explore with lying. But with all the teacher turn over recently, it doesn't seem impossible to me that these teachers just aren't paying enough attention to how the kids are interacting with eachother and not doing anything when one of them hits.
There ARE some positives to this place. My son LOVES his friends that he has made there. There are at least 3 other kids who run up to him and give him hugs when we arrive in the morning. He also really likes the day care director and assistant director - my husband and I also like them and think they are good with the kids and run a clean and organized center. They are close to home and are affordable. My son has learned a lot and he socializes well with kids, I think both in large part due to his time here at this center. When we were choosing day cares initially, this one just seemed like the right one in our guts.
Now I'm wondering if my gut is telling me it's time to move on. Any opinions you can give me based on what I've told you here, or any advice from moms who have made the switch and have tips to offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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