Well,
I'll tell you what has been happening at my son's school. It's long, but I promise there is an actual question that needs answering.
1) Since October, the teachers in his class have switched around or left FOUR TIMES. This is a slight concern. But, the big concern I have is that TWICE I've gone to pick him up, and the first time, I knew NEITHER teacher, nor did they stand up (it was naptime, they were doing busy work) and say "hi, I'm ___, who are you?" I had to say "I'm ___'s mom, and you are?" I expressed my concern at the time to the director. She did nothing. Then, it happened again a few weeks ago... I mean, these people didn't know who I was and they were going to LET ME TAKE MY SON... sure, the chances are slim I was a wierdo, but WHAT IF?!
2) there is a prob with SANITATION... I picked him up two weeks ago AND he said "mom, I need to wash my hands?" I said "ok, why the urgency", to which he replied, "because I have poop on them". I cleaned them (wipes & purel)... I couldn't get a straight answer as to what had happened... but when we got home, and he pottied here, I noticed POOP all over the back of his pants. The UPPER back. Again, I called the director and got the "blow off" response.
3) We decide to switch schools, and it just so happens my dh and I were picking our son up together, and we LOVED the new school, BTW.... right away we could tell the level of professionalism was better. I mean, organized, curriculum-wise, and security (they even have the classroom cams). So we walk in and the director says "can I talk to ya'll?" We say "yes, is everything ok"... "oh yes, Mrs. ___ gave notice today and I wanted to let ya'll know!" - ARE YOU KIDDING ME! All the assistants are quitting because of the chaos in that class and I think because of the head teacher who does NOTHING... SO I say " that's ok, we are giving two weeks notice today too, the letter is with our check". AND, when we went to pick our son up, his shorts were on INSIDE OUT AND BACKWARDS... and, he said he was in trouble. I said to the teacher "what did he do?"... are you guys ready... She said "he and several little boys were PLAYING IN THE BATHROOM"... now, can someone please tell me a) why several little boys were in the bathroom with my son and b) why my son's clothes were on inside out and backwards...
UGH...
so my question is... and I do have one... I had to give two weeks notice and I can't take him to the new school till March 3rd... The new school is ENDLESS DISCOVERIES! VERY IMPRESSIVE! Should I take him back to this other school, or keep him home with me for a month?
What would you do?
If you got this far, thanks for reading... Hope to get good advice.
E.
Thank you guys so much for your advice, personal messages, etc.
My husband and I talked about it this morning. We are not taking him back. Yes it sucks to lose $304 for two weeks (3 days/week), but hey, you guys are right... he's worth it. We went to Primrose because we thought it was best... but $$ doesn't always equal quality. Paying for the most expensive care doesn't insure it will be the BEST. We've thoroughly checked the other school and it puts Primrose to shame. But remember, Primrose are franchised... not all will be as good as others.
We had to give two weeks notice because our contract states we do, and therefore they could have come after us for the $$.
But we don't have to subject our son or ourselves to that school any more.
Oh and as for the "dilemna" of not keeping him home. I am a SAHM, but I like my alone time, as we all do. My husband travels a lot in support of Marines. Three days/week to be without my son kept me sane. lol
OH, and FYI... I spoke to the director/owner every time I had a prob. They did a bunch of "we'll look into it's". When we gave notice that we wouldn't be coming back, they never even acknowledged it. Can you imagine? Never responded. NOTHING. Cashed our check though for two weeks care... so I guess we are out that $$... but whatever.
Thanks for all the activity suggestions.
Take care,
E.
No questions at all, I wouldn't take him back. That is just awful, I would definitely report them to the state!
I'm glad you like Endless Discoveries...I'm thinking of taking my 3 1/2 yr old there next year.
If you need to get out and play in the mean time, we are not to far from Endless Discoveries and would love to play.
E., based on this info you should not even have to give that much notice. Geez I would be ticked and would tell the director this is unacceptable and my child should not have to be in this environment, dont take him back what kind of place is this? Scarry. Good luck to you.
Not that you need it, but I agree with your decision not to take him back.
You need to report this, for the sake of others children and their parents. There is an agency. Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
www.dfps.state.tx.us/child_care/about_child_care_licensing
And you can look up everything that has EVER happen with the daycare and this agency. Write ups, violations ect. You can see the actual notes of the investigator. How many times they have been written up, and for what.
Good Luck,
P.
I feel you are doing the right thing....sometimes we suffer a little in the pocketbook (which is not right). I think it is what is in the best intrest for your child and that is worth more than any amount of money! Way to pick up on all the signs!!
Eliyah
I would not send him back to that school. We've been to schools that were alot like this & I was never comfortable dropping them off....until I found Endless Discoveries too. You will absolutely love this place. I have school age kids, so we just use them for the summers & holidays. They really care about your kids & the security is great too. If they don't know you, they will check your ID.
If your fortunate enough to be a sahm then I don't understand why the delima of keeping him home for a month. I have two children and I have experienced day cares the turn over in employees is high and your kid is going to be a number. I would keep him out not only for the conditions you described but also for the sake of his emotional stability. Its hard on the little guys to keep starting over. You don't want him to get adjusted and then pull him out again....not to mention your feelings of worry. Its not worth it.
E., I take my two kiddos to Endless Discoveries and have for going on 4 years. My daughter is in the Pre-Kindergarten class with Mrs. Beverly and my son is in the older toddlers class with Miss Samantha. If you have the means to keep your son at home until you make the transition to the EDCDC, I would, because it sounds like he will continue to be mistreated, expecially now that you have given your notice. Best wishes to you and I look forward to seeing you around EDCDC! Sounds like our kids will be in the same class. :)
Hi E.! I'm so relieved to hear you didnt send him back to that aweful school. Now, I'm concerned about the other little kiddos that go there. I also have a four year old and I would be crushed if my daughter was enduring that sort of treatment and i didnt know about it. I do kinda relate though. My daughter's school was sending her home with a dirty hands, socks full of sand and inside out, her hair all stuck to her face, and so on. So, i talked to the director and they made a massive improvement. Aiden comes home clean and neat now. and every other kid is clean too. Good luck and please dont foget the other kids at that school. they need you.
~A
No question -- DO NOT TAKE HIM BACK! You are obviously uncomfortable -- and with good reason!! Always do what is safest and best for your baby!!!!
Gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that you and your son have gone through this. Nothing is worse than trusting someone with your child and time and time again they give you reasons not to trust them. I think the fact that you are even considering not taking him back to that school means that you should go with your gut. It may give you some peace of mind just to keep him home with you until the 3rd. This experience has probably been just has hard and stressful for him and spending some extra time with his mommy before he starts his new school might benefit him too. Try to think of lots of activities ahead of time, because it could be a long couple of weeks. Maybe get a few playgroups together, visit the zoo, ride the Train (trinity railway express tickets are cheap and its lots of fun), go to the park, jump houses, etc. It sounds like the new school is just what you all need. Best of luck!
Gosh, E.. That's downright scary. If it were me, I would absolutely not take my kiddo back there. It sounds like he's getting no real supervision, and the poop thing alone would be enough for me to want to pull him out. That being said, I would wholeheartedly agree with the other posters about reporting this school to the authorities. You may be the one fortunate parent who actually knows what's going on there, and if something fishy was going on in my son's school that I wasn't aware of, I absolutely would want the parents who did know to take the necessary steps to ensure that it's nipped in the bud.
The people you need to contact to report the school is the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services.
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Contact_Us/hotlines.asp
Hope this helps!
Good luck to you and your son!
E.
I don't know where this place is but I would report them to the state! If you need a good alternative to the place you have decided on, please e-mail me... we LOVE our pre-K/daycare!
Good luck!
E.
I would take my kids out without a seconds hesitation. The things you are picking up on are visual, you don't know what is happening that you cannot see the results of on your son. Better to keep him at home and play with him while you can. Lots of playgroups are out there doing fun things that you can keep him occupied with during the day. That sounds like an awful situation. Good luck!
Based strictly on the sanitation issues...I would recommend not EVER taking him back to the old preschool! He really came home with poop on his hands?? Gross! It would be worth keeping him at home with you for that month and making sure he is well cared for than dumping him back at that school that has no business taking care of kids. I would also suggest reporting the school the the proper authorities, maybe even listing a comment about the school on this website (under Local Business Reviews) so that parents looking into that school can get an insiders view before subjecting their kids to that disgrace of a provider! It kills me to hear of facilities like this who take your money and send your kid home with poop all over him or who can't even take the time to put his pants on right! Good for you for making the decision to move him to a better place!
It sounds like price may be a factor -- you get what you pay for? YOu can't skimp on day care - it is not worth it. If you are a SAHM - find a mothers day out that you have researched extensively. If you are determined to take your boy to childcare - then I would suggest Primrose or another high-end facility. I know cost doesn't always equal quality - but staff costs are probably the #1 way in which to increase profit - so they are not hiring qualified persons. You need to get a check-list and go to the facility you are selecting and do an interview and inspection. Ask questions like 'turn-over, qualification and acceditations for staff, fire escape plan, tornado plan, ask to look inside the refrigerator, bathrooms. Ask about their staff training. You have a right to inspect every single thing.
Regarding the 'bathroom incident'. I hope you have not given them the 2 week pay. I would refuse this and tell them you are having an investigation into the matter by a law enforcement offical. It is unacceptable that this was allowed etc - I will also say a bit suspicious as well.
Remember - the caretakers of your child - shape his life. There will be lasting impacts.
My 2 boys -(4 yrs apart) had the same caretakers at Primrose for at least 5 years. Happy staff, well paid, consistency, NO ISSUES!
wishing much sucess with selecting a new center.
(there is another good center on Chapman Road (corner of Smithfield and Chapman) I can't remember the name - but the owners are former Primrose directors. Have heard excellent reviews on them as well).
I don't have any experience in this my self or at least not yet. My son is only 6 weeks old so he has not gone to daycare yet. However I have checked out his day care on-line. You should most definitely report this. You can call 800-252-5400 or go on-line to www.txabusehotline.org. At the bottom of this web page it will also direct you to the Department of Family and Protective Services or you can go to www.dfps.state.tx.us you can look at all claims that have been made against the daycare centers at this site. I found it reassuring to me. I am having a hard time knowing that I have to put my infant son in daycare. I don't think I will worry so much once he can talk and let me know what is going on but right now this is the best I can do. I know that if I was thinking about taking my son to that daycare I would want to know that things were just not right. It is the states responsibility to check into the issue and find out if anything illegal is going on. Now I don't know if you should leave your son at the daycare or not. I would say for you to trust your gut! I think that's why God gave us mothers intuition. Hope this helps. J. :)
I would take him out asap.
Hello,
My name is L. and I feel that you most diffently should report these incidents.You can report them to the school board in your district.I would keep my child at home until I could get him into the other school.By keeping him in the school he's already in could do more damage to his emotional,mental,and physical attitude towards others.First off your child's well being is the most important one in this sitution.Write down each incident,the time it took place what was going on when you picked your child up ect....
I pray that the Lord will guide and direct your path in this very serious circumtances.
E.,
Take your son out ASAP. You also need to file a complaint against the old school with the licensing department. The only way those things get corrected is when parents speak up. It is UNEXCUSEABLE that your child came home with poop all over his backside. The school has to be licensed by the State of Texas. I would pull my son immediately and only pay for the services you have used. (ie if you only used 2-3 days on the month prorate the tuition and only pay that amount.) I would then get the address to the licensing agency and write a clear,concise letter with the incidents listed and dates if you can remember them. At least it will go on file. Kinda like the Better Business Beaureau.
I am so sorry you had to have an experience like this. It is hard enough to place our children in a day care/school situation and we assume they will take care of our child up to certain standards. Then to have these things happen. UGH is right!
Good Luck and you will be happy with your new school.
S.
