Child Care

My daughter has a neighbour who ran a dayhome and she had similar demands, she also treated the kids very meanly, not allowing them to play with her kids toys, and making them wait until after her kids had eaten to eat. She had her licence revoked by the city last year.

I've not dealt with that, but I'm looking into finding daycare for my children currently. I work 9 hour days, and the hours are really messed up, so I need to be able to find someone that can babysit up until 9 pm so that I can work my schedule, without having them live with me. I had a babysitter, but he up and left me hanging without any warning, and left me in a lurch. I was lucky enough that my mother was able to come stay, and watch the girls. Unfortunately, I've not been able to work this past week really, since I'm fighting my 7 year old's dad for custody, and the fact that he feels he's free to come take her whenever he wants. Facing losing my job, I don't know what to do anymore, but I'm going through the legal resources available to me, to see what can be done.

i have not had that experiance but i was always worned about home day cares. I have heared and seen some things on tv that put me off them. this women is crazy, and not to be there for you and your child but what she wanted out of it,showed shes not there for the kids but the money. good thing you did not leave your child there. thats great you found a place for him and he is safe.

I've never heard of demands such as though. Most home daycare providers get one or two weeks of paid vacation, but not 24 days....that's almost an entire month! And I've never heard of letting the CHILD decide who gets to pick him/her up, that's ridiculous. You and your husband are the parents, you should be the ones who decide on the people allowed to pick him up. What if he decided he didn't want to go home with one of you two? Would she refuse to release him to his own parents??

I certainly wouldn't leave my child with a person with such demands. And if I were running a daycare from my home I certainly wouldn't have the nerve to demand that many paid vacation days or any such crazy demands! It sounds like she's in it more for the money rather than really caring for the children.

I hate looking for daycare for my children. When I lived in the city my two girls had to go to some of the worst daycares because I had little choice. One time I picked up my kids, who were about 6 and 3 at the time, and asked how their day was and my older daughter told me that all the kids were in the back of the building watching "The Sixth Sense". I couldn't believe it! That's not a movie for kids! Another time she told me that they were on the playground and the "teachers" were teaching them how to "pop-dance", when I asked her what that was she got up and demonstrated - she looked like some sleezy girl in a club trying to pick up a guy, clearly a sexual dance, I was appalled! My aunt used to run a home daycare, without a license, and she made the kids stay in one room all day and watch TV or play with toys while she played games on her computer in a another room of her house. It was crazy. Thankfully I don't have to work anymore so I can stay at home with my son until he is ready to start school.

I have not heard of such demands and I would never accept them either. 24 days vacation wouldn't we all loved to be paid for that. You are right all kids have a time or two when they want to stay and play and I would never allow anyone to not make my child go with the person that I sent to get them. It all sounds a bit odd to me. I am lucky my kids are past that stage but I remember what it was like trying to find one. I went to one ladies house that had a "time out chair" it had a belt acrossed it to strap the child in. I left their and cried in my car for a very long time. It is really hard to find good day care. After my awful experences I learned that going to local churches and getting referrals from them worked out much better for me.

It is certainly a learning experience when interviewing a babysitter. I hired a mothers' helper for my children just so I could get out and have some alone time for an hour or two a week. This college student told me that she worked at a day camp and had lots of experience babysitting. She was a nightmare. She never changed my daughter's diaper and half the time never showed up at appointed times. I do think it's a good idea to look for a stated licensed daycare center, but be wary of anything out of another person's home. For some reason they tend to make outrageous rules like you stated. I hope you can find someone you trust who isn't going to take advantage of you.

To tell you the truth stories like this make me fear ever going back to work again. I had my aunt who had baby sat few kids on regular basis but the way she kept those babies was pathetic. no hygine or cleanliness was ever observed. only thing she was good at was dressing up the kids again just before parents came to pick them up. I used to think it was horrible. that has left me with so much distaste about crexhe and day care, I am not sure I want my kid to go throught this. lets see by next july what will I choose to do, I am still postponing it as far as I can.

I almost can't believe these stories! Well, I can, because so many people deal with their own kids like that. My DS went to a friend of ours for daycare while I worked and we didn't have any problems like that with her. I'm starting my own daycare in the next month or so and would never dream of doing anything like that. I wasn't even expecting to get a weeks' vacation, but another mom who does a daycare told me that it's standard. I'm planning activities and games and all sorts of things for the kids to do, and won't let them watch TV except for Sesame Street in the mornings (DS loves it and I wouldn't separate him from the other kids). I'm working on deep cleaning my whole downstairs area so that cleanliness won't be an issue or anything. I feel so bad for any parent or kid who has to be in a situation like that!