5 Things You Should Never Do To Your Daycare Provider

Daycare Provider Image Credit Shutterstock.com

When you are a parent you aren’t just faced with a new relationship between you and your child, but you are also starting new relationships with all your little ones new care provider’s. That includes doctors, lactation consultants, nutritionists and for some daycare provider’s. As a parent myself I decided to become an LNR provider to help other moms with affordable childcare while also being able to help my families budget. I was a daycare provider for over five years and during that time I learned a lot of things. Including these 5 things you should never do to your daycare provider.

Not Fully Read Paperwork

I loved a lot of the parents that came through my doors, they were fabulous but sadly there was something that a lot of them had in common. They never read the paperwork, or if they did it certainly wasn’t in full. Which means that right off the bat we wouldn’t be on the same page. A great provider will want to have solid and open communication which means outlining all the expectations from both sides. Not taking the time to read paper work fully means that you are immediately not communicating the way you should be. You always read the fine print and that even includes your daycare providers.

Bring Sick Kids

All of us understand that you have to work in order to provide for your family and when your little is getting sick all the time it can be a huge strain on your work relationships. Which is why I have had more than a few parents bring sick kids to daycare in the hopes that the little one will go unnoticed. Sadly they do not and we usually figure it out pretty quickly which means we end up calling you away from work anyways. This is one of those bumps that comes with parenting and is universal for all of us. Sick kids make working a really big struggle for you and for your provider when you get them sick. Getting your provider sick can also mean just more missed time especially if you rely on an LNR when there is only one staff member.

Daycare provider

Image Credit Shutterstock.com

Be Late

Whether it is in the morning or picking your child up at the end of the day being late doesn’t just put your day out of order too – it also affects ours. As a provider I held a strict schedule throughout the day in order to juggle each child’s nap time needs, food needs and activity needs. It was a big job and being late in the morning could mean everyone misses out on outside play due to naps and other factors. Which to me always made me feel bad for the little ones who were on time and still had to miss out as we had to be at home and wait for our late arrival. Being late at pick up could mean your little one is playing all alone and no one likes to feel that way. Being a provider out of my own home and providing care till 5pm, late pick ups would mean that my families dinner time would be moved until the child was picked up. Hungry kids are never pleasant – all of us mothers know this. Never a good car ride home for your little one and not a great night for mine.

Let Custody Issues Get In The Way

We understand that families aren’t always perfect, but what we all have to be is adults. As providers we will do exactly what courts have instructed and nothing else. We will take all precautions to keep the child in our care safe just like our own child so keeping family drama away from the daycare setting is essential. This includes being a mediator between two parents sharing custody and, inevitably, daycare provider. It isn’t a providers job to send messages between two adults or help them find a middle ground. Be adults, be kind and act with reason.

Forget A Supply Drop Off

Providing for kids is a hard job and sometimes it is hard enough to keep track of what you need at home let alone what your daycare might need. Making sure you’re provider has all the supplies they need for your child is a big thing. Every parents worst nightmare is going into a change room with a child only to find out you have forgotten the diapers and for provider’s this is a very real nightmare. Not only do you have just your own to care for you also have a couple more in tow who will loose out on fun if you need to stop along the way or call a parent for a supply drop. Always make sure you and your provider are on top of what your little one needs – it goes both ways for this one.

With these should not’s in mind you and your provider will hopefully be off to a great start and a long lasting relationship. It all honestly comes down to common courtesy.

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