The boys seem to like it well enough, though.
I'm not sure if I'm just still adjusting (it's only been 4 days) and things will get better, or if this is how it really is.
Day 1 - Tuesday.
We walk in, and the woman says, "I don't have a sign-in sheet for them because I didn't know if they were coming this week or next week." Oooookay. I thought I had clarified that with the other woman, but perhaps not. Yes, we'll be here. Then she asked how much they would be there to determine whether they were worthy of their own cubby or not. (Huh? There are like 20 cubbies and 10 kids. I think they can spare 2.)
The old daycare provided lunch, but we have to pack a lunch for this one. NBD, but we don't really have the provisions for such things on hand quite yet. I pack both lunches in one big insulated bag. Identical pairs of things, so there's no confusion. I told her we were new to this and were still working it all out. I got a note home saying they would need their own lunchboxes with their own names on them, napkin, fork, drink, etc. Oookay. I thought we could wing it for a few days until I could make a Target run, but whatever. So that afternoon I spent 2 miserable hours in walmart quickly picking out lunch boxes and containers and drink cups and whatever.
Day 2 - Wednesday
They didn't stay for nap on Tuesday, but she did tell me they would need a pillow and a blanket. They only had a blanket at the old daycare, so we didn't have pillows on hand. She was very specific that it should be a SMALL pillow, and how I wouldn't believe how some parents bring full-sized stuff for their kids. The horror!
During the same walmart trip, I looked for small pillows and let the boys pick out their own. We ended up with some pillow pet animal thingies that kids use for pillows sometimes. When I showed up with them on Wednesday, she side-eyed them and said, "We try to discourage these, because the kids play with them instead of napping." Oookay. Wish you had said that before I dropped $20 on pillows they can't use now.
Sure enough, Dex got his pillow taken away during nap that day. Hell, the kid has only napped maybe 20 times in the last 2 years. I told her he wouldn't sleep but would lie quietly.
Day 3 - Thursday
When I dropped them off, she said, 'Just so you know, most of the parents pick their kids up pretty early, like by 3:30 or 4:00." Well, snarky btch, you're open until 6, and I am OOT next week, so their father will be dropping them off early and picking them up at 5:58. You'd think I told her she had to run a mile barefoot in the desert dragging a sled with 20 screaming children on it. Grr. I clarified that it would only be at the beginning of the week, and she seemed slightly relieved at that.
Day 4 - Friday
Desmo has had a rash on his face this week. Doesn't bother him, no fever, etc. I had called the pediatrician yesterday, and they said just to watch it for now. When he still had it this morning, she was all "You know, we don't really like them to come with a rash until a doctor has determined what it is."
Seriously?! Is that a RULE or just you not wanting to watch any more kids than you absolutely have to? Old daycare had state regulations that they had to follow - vomiting, diarrhea, or fever meant they were home for at least 24 hours. Rashes were not part of the sickness rule. And I had told her what the pediatrician said about just watching it.
She also griped to me this morning about how one kid didn't come today, and his mother didn't call until 8:30. He usually comes in at 6:30, but she doesn't have to be there until a kid is there, so she had been at work for 2 hours for no reason.
Dex has also told me that she yelled at him. Which may just mean a raised voice when he failed to do what she asked after 10 requests, but it's not encouraging. He also told me he wasn't allowed to sleep with his pillow again on Thursday. Again, that might be that he got it back and lost it again due to misbehavior, but it might also mean that she just withheld it. I'd like to know one way or another.
I have so many forces pulling me in a million directions about childcare. H's new job has him gone a lot more than he used to be. All of the dropoffs and pickups are on me, as is lunch making and pillow purchasing. My mother is constantly pressuring me to keep them home as much as possible, like daycare is the 7th circle of hell. I'm also trying to save a few dollars by keeping them home. On the other hand, I am a horrible SAHM, and I get no work done while they are here, which leads me to work late into the night, then sleep horribly, then wake up early to do it all over again.
I do not need to be taking the daycare lady's feelings into account when determining that schedule. If I do choose to send them at a certain time, I shouldn't be worrying whether that's really OK with her or if she's just going to tolerate it. She makes it seem like it's OK if my kids are there if she has to be there for another kid anyway, but if it's just them, she'd rather just go home, thankyouverymuch.
Ugh. If you made it this far, thanks. I don't know whether I don't think I can address things today, then I am OOT at the beginning of next week, then my parents are visiting, and I won't see the school again until June 11. So I guess I have to see how it goes.
This teacher is the assistant in the Montessori classroom during the schoolyear, and I do want them to do the school in the fall, so I do need to make sure I don't give her extra reasons to hate my kids.