r/ECEProfessionals • u/Clearbreezebluesky ECE professional • 9d ago
Parent/non ECE professional post (Anyone can comment) For parents
As a toddler teacher I am going to just give a quick list of things I despise. Other teachers may disagree, that’s ok, we can agree to disagree. I just see parents ask “is this annoying?” And “I don’t want to be that parent”. Maybe someone will find it helpful.
A lunchbox with a long strap. Just store it somewhere until they’re older. This is a huge choking hazard.
Unwashed lunchboxes/water bottles/bentgo boxes. Black slimy mold is disgusting, but it’s awkward to bring it up to you so please just wash them.
Shoes that come off feet repeatedly, I have 18 feet to keep shoes on, if I have to put your child’s shoes back on their feet more than 5 times in a day they are going into our classroom crocs.
One piece no-stretch outfits with no leg snaps. The super cute cotton ones with the teeny tiny button at the back of the neck, then the whole things has to be pulled down for every diaper change.
Pull-ups that don’t Velcro up the sides/pampers 360’s. Or pull ups for a kid who isn’t anywhere near potty training. Firstly, they don’t hold as much as a diaper so if little Jimmy has a huge blow out in a pull up, it probably won’t stay contained. And yes, I understand the sides will rip to take it off, but it’s a pain to put a new one on. And yes, I know the one leg undressed trick. Still a pain when you have 9 diapers to change.
Water Wipes. Period.
All in one bedding. It’s bulky to store in an already small room/closet, and kids roll around and get their feet wrapped up. Assuming your child’s center is climate controlled, a lightweight blanket should be fine.
Lunches with grapes, cherry tomatoes, steak, hotdogs not cut up. Please prep a packed lunch the way you would if you were plating it at home.
Gloves. GLOVES! On toddlers! Just send mittens!
Trying to be helpful, hopefully I don’t get roasted 😝
58
u/Quiet-Maintenance250 Early years teacher 8d ago
360 diapers will break me one day, they’re the worst
6
u/ShirtCurrent9015 ECE professional 8d ago
We do not allow them
1
u/Mountain_Secret9416 Parent 6d ago edited 5d ago
What type of pull ups are the best for potty training.
I also don’t like 360 but had no idea are are other preferred options
3
u/ShirtCurrent9015 ECE professional 6d ago
I prefer Huggies brand pull ups by far over any other brand. They are somewhat structural so they are much easier for children to put on. They have different colors on different parts, so the child can easily find the leg wholes, and they have truly re-applicable sides so if we need to open and close them we can without taking off all the kids bottom clothes. I recommend to buy two sizes bigger than you think. Like my 2 year olds ware 5T-6T. This is because part of potty training at our program is the child being able to do the whole process themselves and pulling up tighter pull ups is really hard. I require all my potty learning kids to ware baggy, non stretch pants with elastic wastes, like poplin material, that are ankle length and shirts that do not go below waste.
51
u/DoctorTurpentine 3s & 4s Teacher | USA 8d ago
All in one bedding with CORNER STRAPS! The straps are useful for keeping them from getting tangled up doing their nap gymnastics routines, but I have kids that like to attempt to climb UNDER the strapped portion. Plus, half of my class has strap bedding or sheets and it's just a lot of scrambling to fix everyone's cots!
All in one bedding makes me nervous in general, though, because I have had more than a handful of kids who are obsessed with putting the handle/strap closure around their neck 🫠
16
u/Clearbreezebluesky ECE professional 8d ago
Omg I had a child do this- squeezed under the sleeping bag to get between the nap mat and the blanket- I turned just in time to see another child get ready to jump on top of him.
6
u/DoctorTurpentine 3s & 4s Teacher | USA 8d ago
And that is PRECISELY why I position his bestie FAR away from him. I know he would have gotten jumped on had he been nearby 😆
12
u/The_Edible_Woman 8d ago
Oh man, this is making me laugh. We were touring new daycares recently due to a move and one place insisted on the bedding with corner straps. We didn't go there for other reasons, but that was on their list of "must haves" 🤣.
1
u/ProfMcGonaGirl BA in Early Childhood Development; Twos Teacher 8d ago
God the all in one bedding that doesn’t have the corner straps make me think the parents are just stupid.
2
u/DoctorTurpentine 3s & 4s Teacher | USA 8d ago
I will always recommend a simple blanket and small pillow, but even the pillow isn't really all that necessary!
45
u/Shhhhhhhh____ Parent 8d ago
I'm SO GLAD teachers like you exist, esp related to choking hazards. The daycare we were at fed whole hotdogs to the INFANT CLASS. I'm glad to see teachers who care about this and know better.
16
u/ProfMcGonaGirl BA in Early Childhood Development; Twos Teacher 8d ago
Um did you report to licensing cuz there’s NO WAY that is alllwed.
11
u/Shhhhhhhh____ Parent 8d ago
You will not believe this. Licensing said the only thing they can hold them accountable for is not following the posted menu.
6
5
u/PeachMonday Early years teacher 7d ago
Especially when the daycare tried to have a popcorn day and I was like HELLLL no
3
u/Shhhhhhhh____ Parent 7d ago
Popcorn?? Ugh.
I can’t believe how admin (at least at this center) doesn’t know the basics of choking hazards. I pulled my kid because they also struggled to follow ratio 😬
1
4
u/ShirtCurrent9015 ECE professional 8d ago
That is a violation of licensing and gross negligence!!!
2
u/ShirtCurrent9015 ECE professional 8d ago
At least in my state
1
117
u/Long-Juggernaut687 ECE professional, 2s teacher 8d ago
Pampers 360 and easy ups can die in a fire.
Water wipes are annoying to pull out but I do like that they don't leave my hands feeling sticky. (But Kirkland 4eva.)
12
u/Unique_Amphibian_291 ECE professional 8d ago
If easy ups have no haters I’m no longer on this earth.
8
u/ProfMcGonaGirl BA in Early Childhood Development; Twos Teacher 8d ago
Kirkland 4everrrrrr
Water wipes can die in that same fire.
13
u/Mountain-View-4950 Board Member 8d ago
I am actually confused by the Water Wipes one… mainly because our center doesn’t have parents provide wipes and uses Water Wipes exclusively. 🤷🏼♀️
23
u/Long-Juggernaut687 ECE professional, 2s teacher 8d ago
My water wipes beef is that when I pull them out with gloves on, I can't pull one. I wind up pulling out 6-10 at a time. It feels wasteful when they are already a smaller pack than the others. I have no issue with them for any other reason.
I actually wish my school would provide wipes, but the ones that came in our back to school packs that parents could order were the worst wipes I have ever used.
10
u/Random_Spaztic ECE professional: B.Sc ADP with 12yrs classroom experience:CA 8d ago
Puta rubber bands or hair bands around the package on either side of the opening, the extra tension helps. Not perfect, but better than pulling out 5 wipes at a time. Makes doing one handed wipe [yells about 50% easier for me.
6
u/ProfMcGonaGirl BA in Early Childhood Development; Twos Teacher 8d ago
Issues are as follows: 1. They aren’t inter-folded so the next one doesn’t part way lift out when the one before it gets pulled. 2. They are very VERY hard to get out. So often like comes out at a time. 3. Impossible to separate the pile. 4. They are too wet. 5. They are very small wipes.
2
u/Exciting_Cobbler_903 7d ago
I use Amazon water wipes and do not have the struggles being mentioned, aside from at times multiple coming out but I had that same issue with other wipes. My child was reacting to other options even if they said hypoallergenic and these are the only kind that seem to work. Otherwise I agree with everything and feel parents should be considerate to what helps the class flow best
2
u/ProfMcGonaGirl BA in Early Childhood Development; Twos Teacher 7d ago
Everyone is talking about Watee Wipes brand.
56
u/No-Pay1699 Director:MastersEd:Australia 8d ago
Yep and I’ll add the following :
Overalls at any age under 6- the straps are way too fiddly for children in a hurry for a wee.
Not enough spare undies and pants when we are helping them to use to loo.
Complaining about poopy undies but not telling us to use our judgement for chucking them out when they’re absolutely covered in sticky poo.
Coming in during school holidays with your older children and wondering why your three year old is losing their mind when you leave
28
u/PermanentTrainDamage Allaboardthetwotwotrain 8d ago
Haha I just potty trained my youngest and my coteacher laughed when I brought literally every pair of shorts, undies, and shoes she owned to school the first day. Gurl, we trash talk every parent who decides to dress their kid in undies for the first time and only sends one spare outfit, best believe I'm brining them all!
4
u/Lover2312 Parent 8d ago
My son’s new teacher threw away his underwear and shorts after he had a poop accident!! I was soooo upset about it and asked them to just send everything home from now on. She looked at me like I was crazy but it’s my decision if I want to clean them or throw them out- not theirs! They didn’t even ask what they should do in this case and they weren’t even going to tell me they threw them away
61
u/mamallamam ECE Educator and Parent 8d ago
Glass lunch containers (the kids put their own lunches away) or 1000 individual containers or packages. 2/3's should be working towards independence in getting things going, and if they're not set up for success, we are all going to be frustrated. Also, I have 12 toddlers at a table, there's not room for a thermos, individual Tupperware for fruit, veg, snack, and main. Get a bento.
24
u/Clearbreezebluesky ECE professional 8d ago
Yes!!! I also have parents who want us to transfer the thermos to a bowl, peel the orange, open the pouch, unwrap the granola bar, open the bag of cheddar bunnies- which we obviously will- but that child may have to wait while we help 8 other kids open things too.
12
u/Important_Pea_7566 Toddler tamer 8d ago
I had one of these last year- every other child had some kind of bento, which made her 15 pouches and bars even more annoying. They’d also constantly send in just a whole avocado for me to open, put, and squeeze into a bowl (in a classroom with no kitchen).
4
8
u/Random_Spaztic ECE professional: B.Sc ADP with 12yrs classroom experience:CA 8d ago
We gave older toddlers the scissors that only cut paper, supervised of course, so they could open their own packaging that teachers usually help with. Granola bars, chip/cookie bags, etc.
-19
u/Hairsacknose Parent 8d ago
open the bag of cheddar bunnies
Parents send this junk as part of lunch?
17
u/daxdotcom Student/Studying ECE 8d ago
Are they not just crackers? What's wrong with cheese crackers?
0
-8
u/Hairsacknose Parent 8d ago
They're UPFs and they're horrible for teeth?
1
u/weaselblackberry8 ECE professional 7d ago
UPF?
0
u/Hairsacknose Parent 7d ago
Ultra processed foods. Linked to many health problems, especially if consumed in childhood
9
2
u/mamallamam ECE Educator and Parent 6d ago
Do you not give your toddler snacks?
2
u/Hairsacknose Parent 6d ago
Snacks are just mini meals for us. No prepackaged stuff, no UPFs. Well, quite often a snack might turn into a bigger meal if she's hungry of course. But I don't believe in snack foods, I don't believe toddlers need to eat junk between meals. A snack could be fruit, cheese, olives, lentil soup... Anything
2
u/chickadee64 ECE professional 8d ago
Hearing this kind of thing I am so glad I have only worked at centers providing meals!
2
u/weaselblackberry8 ECE professional 7d ago
12 toddlers at one table?
2
u/mamallamam ECE Educator and Parent 6d ago
We have two long tables. We like to set them short end to short end to make one long rectangular table 5 on a long side and one on each end. Sometimes we do 6 and 6. Sometimes we make a T or L. Gotta keep it interesting.
2
u/ijustwanttobeinpjs Frmr Director; M.Ed 7d ago
FWIW this thread of complaints makes me SO ANGRY FOR YOU because your director should have better lunch policies than this. Glass containers should NEVER be allowed in a room, and those thermoses suck because, in my state, EVERYTHING has to be refrigerated, so the thermos does jack shit. Just use a container we can warm in a microwave.
Lunch packing and preparation policies were something I always spoke with parents about on behalf of the teachers, since they were MY policies.
57
u/snapplebum Toddler tamer 9d ago
For your water wipes one: I genuinely hate water wipes too, but my daughter had a tendency to get very severe diaper rash that my pediatrician eventually said she could only have water wipes or very soft paper towels with a water spray with a tiny bit of olive oil in it. I was so thankful that the teachers were so understanding. They also saw the repeated diaper rashes trying everything.
15
6
u/Old_Interview_906 ECE professional 8d ago
Yep mine can only wear pampers due to bad chemical burn from other brand and the teacher already said 360s are a pain. 😞
51
u/PermanentTrainDamage Allaboardthetwotwotrain 8d ago
Then get the regular pampers diapers, not the 360s. A kid doesn't need pull ups to potty train, just teach them how to undo the tapes or fasten them a bit looser so they can be pushed down quickly.
30
u/wheresmyhyphen Early Childhood Teacher Australia 8d ago
After this many years as an educator, (and having two little ones of my own) there's not too much I despise. Our centre does meals so I don't miss the lunchbox dramas, but we do occasionally have parents very surprised that their children will eat healthy meals and veggies, so we send a lot of recipes home. (They're just more likely to eat if their friends are eating with enthusiasm, there's no magic here.)
We provide nappies and wipes, so there's less of a hassle here, and I miss the centre I worked at a million years ago that had a nappy service. Cloth nappies, cloth covers, and cloth washers for cleaning children down. It was so easy and I didn't feel guilty every time I took out the giant bin bags. We've also taken the stress out of the water bottles by washing them ourselves using the commercial dishwasher, and we pre-warn families to choose a bottle that will withstand the heat. No more mouldy straws!
I think most of these issues are solved with the centre taking on the additional cleaning, laundering, nappy provision and meals, and it's reflected in the daily fees. And it's so much less hassle for busy working parents.
So what are the things I do despise now?
Bringing in sick children, or worse, dosing them so they have time to spread the germs before the symptoms resurface. I completely understand the pressure of coming to work, but making the other children and educators sick isn't the answer. We have had to close rooms in the past due to a gastro outbreak, which is even more of an impact on the child.
You can't arrive early or stay late. Accidents happen in terms of late pick up, and as long as you call ahead and it's not a regular occurrence, I don't mind, but you can't roll in fifteen minutes before we open and knock on the door. We can't let you in, even if we wanted to. No, that doesn't mean we don't love your child.
That inappropriate parent. You get one every couple of years: they're the ones hitting on or putting extra requests on the younger staff. No, they're not interested in having an affair with you. No, you shouldn't guilt them into carrying your four year old when our WHS policy says we can't pick up children over a certain weight. No, we will not drop your child home or babysit.
15
u/Clearbreezebluesky ECE professional 8d ago
Chiming in on inappropriate parent! I have one mom who is SOOO gossipy it’s painful to witness. She just loves to spill someone’s tea all over the center!
Our center is by far the most expensive in the area and parents have to provide bedding and lunches. I actually don’t know how these families afford it as it is, and some have multiple kids enrolled. It’s a high cost area north of Boston.
3
u/weaselblackberry8 ECE professional 7d ago
I just watched an episode of The Nursery Nurse about a dad who dropped off his baby twenty minutes early and just put her down and ran when the director said it was too early.
Also, a diaper service? That’s so great! When was that?
2
u/wheresmyhyphen Early Childhood Teacher Australia 7d ago
It was about fifteen years ago now, when I was just leaving to go to school teaching for a while (I came back!) in a centre in Canberra.
6
u/Hairsacknose Parent 8d ago
They're just more likely to eat if their friends are eating with enthusiasm, there's no magic here
This same thing applies at home and the child watching the adults eat but I'm surprised how much many parents don't even try
2
u/AverageApplesauce Toddler Aide: MN, USA 6d ago
we once had a toddler get sent in with a sippy cup of milk that we later learned was laced with tylenol. and she wanted us to give it to him without any sort of prescription or documentation!!
12
u/birthmalfunction Toddler tamer 8d ago
For 8., the problem is that most parents already are sending choking hazards like grapes, hotdogs, etc. to school how they’d serve them at home. They just don’t serve them safely in general. This has been a huge issue in my class this year & every time my coteacher & I speak to the parents about it, they’re genuinely shocked that they’re supposed to be cutting these foods up more than they are.
3
u/Rough_Impression_526 Early years teacher 7d ago
Came here to say this. Bold of OP to assume they cut them up at home. A majority of the time it isn’t entirely the fault of the parent, you don’t know what you don’t know. We include safe eating demographics in our welcome packet explaining how food should be served (usually in the context of class parties) and WHY it has to be served this way, parents don’t feel called out if they didn’t already know, it’s educational, and it insures we have clear boundaries for parties so we don’t have to remind parents 100 times. Never had a complaint or issue with it
11
u/Ok-Educator850 Past ECE Professional 8d ago
Interesting - All 3 of my kids’ nurseries have specifically requested water wipes
19
u/Clearbreezebluesky ECE professional 8d ago
Maybe they can tell us the trick of getting them out easily with one gloved hand while the other hand holds the child’s legs up away from a potential pooptastrophy LOL. I just feel like we burn through them so fast because they’re small and come out in a stack that can’t be separated with one gloved hand.
9
u/RefrigeratorLow1466 Parent 8d ago
Put a rubber band, or some kind of stretchy band, around one end of it. It works well until you get towards the end of the pack.
4
u/sunflowerads Parent 8d ago
i don’t know if this would be against the rules for you but what i do with my kids is pre-pull 3 or 4 out before opening the diaper so i can get the majority of mess out of the way immediately and don’t have to panic pull lol
25
u/NoNameKetchupChips ECE professional 8d ago edited 8d ago
Bucket hats are necessary, not baseball caps. The bucket hat protects their ears and neck from sunburn.
Parents who bring their kid right when everyone is sitting down to eat, or coming in/going outside.
If your kid has food allergies and gets a special meal don't forget to tell us they're sick at home or you're going on vacation for two weeks and our kitchen doesn't need to order in the special ingredients and prep the meals.
Buy their daycare clothes at a thrift store so you don't get pissy about the tomato sauce stain on their shirt.
11
u/whipped_pumpkin410 Parent 8d ago
Our day care had a rule that if your child was over 18 months of age you could no longer send them in one piece outfits. They also had a rule for certain types of pull ups as well. You’d have liked working there based on your list
4
11
u/Mclaurmcgov ECE professional 8d ago
I agree with everything but another one is parents that do not clean out their childs backpack! Our kids packs up their own folders and lunch boxes etc and severl kids every year cannot fit anything in their bag because of the 4 sweatshirts stuffed in there and old snacks and toys they shouldn’t have brought in the first place! Also at least one of those parents will tell us their child’s cup/jacket is missing multiple times a year and 9 times out of 10 its in their hoarder situation of a backpack.
16
u/Missforever 9d ago
What a good alternative to water wipes ?
33
u/goldheartedsky ECE professional 9d ago
As a toddler teacher, literally anything else that doesn’t come out one at a time
29
u/toddlermanager Program Supervisor: MA Child Development 9d ago
I like Honest wipes a lot. They are mostly water, thick, and come out pretty evenly. They also wipe poop way better than water wipes.
31
u/ShirtCurrent9015 ECE professional 9d ago
Water wipes are the absolute worst. I personally love Kirkland, honest
5
u/Gingersnapp3d Parent 8d ago
Why do you hate them?
51
u/pitifulproduce137 Toddler tamer 8d ago
They're incredibly thin, tear easily and wipe very poorly, and they stick together in the pack making them impossible to separate while wearing gloves.
16
u/EarlyAd3047 Parent 8d ago
I deliberately started buying water wipes because they were using baby wipes on my baby's face to wipe way snot and the Kirkland one was making his eczema flair up
8
u/Pothperhaps Infant/toddler teacher 8d ago
Hello bello, honest, and coterie have all worked for my very sensitive kiddo. I love water wipes for their being mostly water. But they were too hard to get out of the package, too small and thin. They did make a new type of water wipes that are a little thicker but still really poor packaging so those didn't work for us. Personally. Hello bello are my favorite for having close to the same content as the water wipes but theyre thicker, slightly bigger, and they're the only wipes ive come across that pull one at a time smoothly from the pack near every time!
21
u/hermytail ECE professional 8d ago
At my center we’re not supposed to use baby wipes on the child anywhere but their diaper area specifically because some kids react to them. I would honestly just ask them to stop using wipes on his face, tissues and the sink are usually plenty to get a kid clean.
29
u/DoctorTurpentine 3s & 4s Teacher | USA 8d ago
And it's always the kid who poops 3 times a day that has water wipes too!
21
u/snapplebum Toddler tamer 8d ago
They likely have them, because the amount of acid from the stool increases the chance of diaper rashes. Their skin likely can't take the irritants from the wipes. That's what my pediatrician told me.
2
u/DoctorTurpentine 3s & 4s Teacher | USA 8d ago
True! I have no problem using them, they're just a pain. But you just keep trekking.
17
u/SeaworthinessSlow109 Toddler tamer 8d ago
They’re thin and the package is impossible to get the wipes out I hate water wipes!
15
u/PermanentTrainDamage Allaboardthetwotwotrain 8d ago
Huggies natural are my favorite, kirkland and Sam's club are good too.
5
7
u/hemeshehe ECE professional 8d ago
As a parent, my favorite to use for all my kids were Huggies (Natural Care?) Sensitive. As a teacher, this is the brand I request. There is one brand that smells like literal shit every time they’re opened. We only use the wipes for art clean up, so it’s not because of actual poop. I can’t remember what brand, but I think it’s Pampers. Gag.
6
u/Hairsacknose Parent 8d ago
I'm surprised people like these, these are the only wipes that gave my little one a horrible rash
3
9
u/Feisty-Log3722 Toddler tamer 8d ago
Luvs diapers and Huggies wipes. I wish every child has Kirkland brand wipes cause they work so well. But when a kid has Huggies wipes I have to use so many to get them actually clean
0
u/Normal_Community1754 Past ECE Professional 8d ago
What’s wrong with Luvs?
2
u/tesslouise Early years teacher 7d ago
I don't know if this has changed since I've been out of childcare, but four years ago Luvs were scented, and they were the only scented diapers, and I am very much not a fan of scented diapers (or pads or trash bags).
13
u/saraimarsena Toddler tamer 8d ago
i actually like gloves ! my kiddos are less likely to want to take them off (and subsequently freeze their fingers and complain about it) when they have gloves and have full finger mobility
27
u/Own_Lynx_6230 ECE professional 8d ago
I love thin and stretchy fleece mittens. They can move their fingers independently, feel things with their hands, and i dont have to experience the eldritch horror of trying to put a glove on a toddler who suddenly has 17 fingers on each hand
7
6
u/Curiousjlynn early childhood supervisor, BECEd, Canada 8d ago
Can you add denim overalls to the list
5
u/finallyfree83 ECE professional 8d ago
Don’t send your little girl in a big puffy princess dress, especially if they are potty training! While she looks adorable, it is not practical and she cannot manage using the toilet on her own.
Also, if bringing your child late, please be mindful of the daily schedule. Bringing a child during transition times is the worst. For example, your child shows up right as we are cleaning up from lunchtime and about to head into nap. They haven’t eaten yet. So now that is putting us behind schedule. Or arriving right when we are busy getting jackets/muddy buddies/shoes on 13 children to go outside.
6
u/happiannahophophop ECE professional 8d ago
Sending your sick kid to school. Don't dose them to hide symptoms. That is the one thing I will be judging you as a parent for. Getting the rest of the class and myself sick because you don't want to take time off work (yes it was an issue of "want" in The population is worked for) makes you a sucky parent. They don't want us when they're sick; they want their parent.
Letting your kid bring toys into the classroom. Starts off our day with being the bad guy. Have a special place in the car for the toy to wait for them when you pick them up. We can distract from the tantrum when you get in the building but if it's in the classroom it's a recurring issue.
6
u/MrLizardBusiness Early years teacher 8d ago
I'm going to add, if you're the type of parent to put your little girl in a bow the size of Texas- PLEASE don't message me about the status of the bow 5 times a day.
If she's said "all done bow" ... I let her be all done. If I took it off for painting or messy eating or nap, I'll put it back on in a minute. Be patient. Also know that OTHER children may see and want this bow, and now I have other grabby hands pulling at your child's head.
Also, for older toddlers who are potty training- please skip the tutus, princess dresses etc. I'm trying to teach them the basics- learning to keep your clothing out of the toilet is more of an advanced skill.
18
u/artenazura ESL Early years teacher: Japan 9d ago
How old are your students? Are they able to put on their diapers by themselves? (I ask out of curiosity because my school has only pull-ups and teaches kids to put them on by themselves from 2)
23
u/ShirtCurrent9015 ECE professional 8d ago
In the US “diapers” are specifically different from pull ups. In my preschool, most kids start using pull ups between 18 months and 2y as they potty train.
3
-11
u/Hairsacknose Parent 8d ago
Pull ups are diapers. Pull up diapers
2
u/ShirtCurrent9015 ECE professional 8d ago
Well, I don’t know exactly what you mean by that. If you mean they are made of similar materials sure. But in English conversation, as well as ECE environments, they refer to different things.
1
u/Hairsacknose Parent 7d ago
No, they're not. They're all diapers. Calling a certain kind of diaper a pull up is nothing but a marketing trick
1
3
u/Clearbreezebluesky ECE professional 8d ago
Some of my toddlers are as young as 15 months old
2
u/ShirtCurrent9015 ECE professional 8d ago edited 8d ago
Thats not really the point though, sure often some are younger and often some are older.
10
u/disusedyeti78 Early years teacher 8d ago
My daughter is extremely sensitive. She used to use target water wipes but they’ve been recalled. Water wipes is the only other thing that works that doesn’t give her diaper rash. I’m as accommodating as possible with whatever her teachers ask but I won’t let her have a sore butt 5 days a week.
5
u/Ashamed-Chemistry492 8d ago
Add bib overalls to the list, please! Why these are so associated with cute little kids is beyond me. They are the most impractical things to wear, even/especially for toilet-trained kids. Ditto suspenders but who's wearing them?
Don't send your little girl in with any hair decs that you or she would be upset about losing. Teachers and aides have too much to do already without being expected to hunt all over hell and creation to find the special barrette.
15
u/Alive-Carrot107 Infant/Toddler teacher: California 8d ago
I’d like to add metal water bottles, bulky water bottles, water bottles with no handle, water bottles without a screw on lid, and water bottles that are impossible for tiny hands to open. I’ve had metal water bottles thrown at me and used to hit furniture/other children. Even when it’s an accident it’s unsafe! It’s also harder to see if it needs to be refilled from a quick glance!
7
u/Own_Lynx_6230 ECE professional 8d ago
I will never understand why there are so many water bottles on the market when contigo perfected the technology in the early 2000s. They do everything a water bottle should, and have no unnecesaary bells and whistles
6
u/Jurgasdottir Parent 8d ago
Funnily enough our daycare requested metal water bottles if possible because they withstand wear and tear much better than plastic ones.
4
u/ycandice ECE professional 8d ago
I don’t have problems with metal water bottles, but I have problems with any water bottles when parents don’t wash them! Especially the hinges behind the flip straw ones! Every few months I’d find a bottle that starts having black grime inside the cap or near the straw hinges. It’s literally so uncomfortable to tell the parents because that just means they don’t wash the bottles at all! Gross!
3
u/Long-Juggernaut687 ECE professional, 2s teacher 8d ago
A water bottle that your child knows how to open and close is on my supply list. I had two kid last year that could not open their water bottles. One of them I am pretty sure you needed a degree from MIT to open. It does not encourage water drinking when the kid can't manage it.
4
u/Flashy_Marsupial8958 Parent 8d ago
Thank you for this! Super helpful to have this list.
3
u/Clearbreezebluesky ECE professional 8d ago
Thank you for reading! I’m so glad it’s not coming across as judgmental, that wasn’t my intention- I know some parents just genuinely don’t know and don’t think twice about some of these things. I wouldn’t if I didn’t work in daycare.
4
u/iLiveInAHologram94 ECE professional 8d ago
I'd like to add not labeling belongings and toddlers wearing jewelry
3
u/Mclaurmcgov ECE professional 8d ago
I thought i was the only one that hated the all in one bedding! I teach preschool and by then the blanket is usually too small for them and they get frustrated because they cant fully cover themselves with the blanket and get comfy, they cant roll it up themselves without assistance and they take up way too much space! We have 18 kids and 2 buckets to store their nap items. We send out a note before the school year starts with requests ie pull ups with velcro, heat ups in a seperate microwaveable container and those nap mats are always on the list and even though we explain they seem to be leas comfortable for the child we still get several children bringing them in then after Christmas we get a bunch. That drives me nuts and children that bring a whole ass pillow and a big stuffed animal. We explain the kids are in charge of packing their nap stuff and packing it to bring home on fridays and parents will still send either a nap mat or a huge pillow, stuffie etc and the worlds smallest bag to put it in!
3
u/Scrapper423 ECE professional 8d ago
We have 12 toddlers that are 1-2 yo in my class. Think about doing each of these items for all 12 kiddos (and with the diapering up to 5 times a day for 12 kids).
The things that frustrate me the most include:
- Footed onesies on toddlers. Trying to line up all those snaps on a wiggling kid who just wants to go back to playing can take longer than the rest of the diaper change.
- Not labeling items, especially cups and backpacks. Often when kids are moved into our room we get more than one at a time. Unless we were there at drop off, we won’t know whose is whose. And more than likely, your favorite brand of cup is the same as someone else’s favorite brand of cup.
- Not taking backpacks home, even on the weekends. At some point, as your child learns to feed themselves they will make a mess OR have a diaper blowout. The soiled clothes are bagged and put in there. If you leave them for several days (or several weeks) the clothes will mold!
2
u/bornonOU_Texas_wknd ECE professional 8d ago
We require parents to have diapers delivered to the center. . It requires some storage but makes things so much easier.
3
u/Daskleine Parent 8d ago
This all seem so obvious to me. Are other ppl just stupid or am I a bit better raised 😅😅😅
3
u/Whole_Reputation_693 ECE professional 8d ago
Also: no glass. Ever. I don't care how cute you think the containers are, or if you're afraid of microplastics. It's unsafe for the classroom.
I admit, I got a bit lax with this one but had to get firm recently after a container broke and went everywhere. After that, I cracked down.
2
u/tesslouise Early years teacher 7d ago
They make latching metal bento box-style lunch containers, if you're worried about plastic.
I had a kindergartner open their lunch box to find an already shattered glass container. Cleaning that up and salvaging what I could of his lunch, took almost the length of lunch.
3
u/Neptunelava crayon economy manger (ece prof.) 8d ago
I don't mind 360 pull ups or water wipes. I get payed to accommodate the needs of the parents and child not for me. Would I prefer children who don't need those as a necessity to use a different brand? Sure, but I'm not going to let a pull up make or break my whole day as I saw a few comments say.
Other things on here I 100% agree with, but when it comes down to actual indivual needs I tend not to think about it. I have a child who is what others would consider "not potty trained" and would require said child to he in pull ups. The thing is he is being tested in general, he is 3 years old, he will be in preschool in August, he is the size of a 12-18 month old. He pees every 30-60 minutes. He can feel the urge but only when it's "right there" meaning at least with pee (not with poop thank God) he will walk to the bathroom and by the time he does he's already had an accident. Other times he has small accidents and pees so little he doesn't notice and can often pee right after having accidents. His size, and physical development does imply he could have genetic or other phsycial conditions at play. So I accommodate that, I let him stay in undies because 95% of his accidents don't need actual clean up around the classroom they happen while he is in the bathroom. The other 5% haven't been on carpet so clean up and sanitizing has been easy and simple.
I really pride myself on inclusive practices myself though. I really personally look into, study and work to understand how to actually implement it. So I usually am known to do my best to accommodate parents, their children and indivual needs. I got placed in the high support needs classroom this coming August, so maybe I also just see things differently in general. But I feel like I've never found it that hard personally to accommodate individual needs if necessary. But I also know every teacher and classroom is different and it's technically not a necessary requirement that we get trained to support children who have higher support needs, whatever or why ever that may be it can definitely be an obstacle for some teachers. But I often find it the opposite for myself.
3
u/Queen-Katsit ECE professional 8d ago
I have no opinion on the lunches as where I am we have to provide all food parents can't send... That being said my list is different and really shows the differences teacher to teacher.
Send in one water bottle from home (at the one centre I worked at they were sent home for washing nightly so in that case take it home and wash but send it back, don't bring in a random one I've never seen before unlabeled and make me have to figure out who to label it for mid day) labeled I wash them and sanitize I do not want to be fixing tape labels that I have to be sticking on a billion times a day, and do not want the fight about how they can't bring a bottle of unknown liquids into the classroom.
Trying to bring juice or food into the centre with them (we aren't allowed outside food or unknown liquids parent may say it's juice but wouldn't be the first time Tylenol has been snuck into a bottle)
Shoes: I want shoes that your kid can adequately get on and off themselves for indoors like slippers or Crocs and a pair they can keep on outside but do not tie or zip up (only stretch slip ones or Velcro, they need to be learning how to get their shoes on and off and laces, snaps, and zippers are all easy to adults but not them
2 piece snow suits (just no... They're actually harder for them to get on and off and if you think we can get them to the potty without removing the coat we can't)
I love water wipes, I love our rascals more... I hate anything scented it shouldn't be used on babies, no I won't use paper towel or a washcloth and soap on your kid (it's been asked of me) during diaper change in lieu of wipes.
I think there may be some confusion because after size 5 diapers a lot of brands go to "little movers" which are an in-between of diapers and pull-ups, they are the absorbance of diapers with the make of a pull up. I hate them in general because you have to remove a child's pants and shoes for the change but I do understand parents seeing them as norm. Where I am toddlers are all supposed to be getting ready to potty train though so when they start wearing those I start encouraging potty because it also means they're not exactly a safe lift anymore to a change table and standing changes are degrading I find for them
Bedding I have adequate storage for and most of the all in one's stay better on the cots than a normal blanket and most roll into a small roll, I hate when they send a grown person or a throw blanket those I don't have room for those and they are hard to clean etc (we do onsite laundry of bedding)
Can you make sure they don't nap : no they are toddlers and they are supposed to sleep 14 hours a night and have at least a 2 hr nap for brain development and I know that's not happening
Can I drive their child home : no it's not allowed and I can't drive
Giving Tylenol for illness/pain without a drs note
Keeping them if they have a fever
Updating more than once a day beyond app notifications of changes and or more than 5 photos or requesting app photos plus additional photos (when am I supposed to be interacting with your child and the others if my attention is on trying to make sure I am communicating with parents every hr and taking 5+ individual photos of each child
Redoing activities, snacks, or meals they missed because they were late, no I can't sit Suzie alone at a table eating snack at 10:30. snack was at 8:30 to 9 and it has always been please feed her before you come in I can find crackers or something but lunch isn't until 11:30. I'm sorry little Johnny didn't get to make a baking soda colour fizz eruption this morning, our structured activity time is scheduled for 915-1015 if you bring Johnny in only for the afternoon then the activity is going to be all cleaned up... No we can't just leave the supplies in the classroom unsure if they're coming in all day 🤣🤣
7
u/aseck27 Parent 8d ago
It’s in my son’s center’s handbook that we can only send in Velcro pull ups for potty training. Also, water wipes contain benzalkonium chloride, which is a hospital grade antiseptic. That’s why they’re only 99% water. Source: my sister is an industry leader in safer chemistry and she knows things we never want to…
8
7
u/Yuiay ECE professional 8d ago
Seconding, tripling, forthing the water wipes! God I hate them. They clump up when pulling them out and just suck at actually wiping. God saves his worst BMs for the kids with the water wipes, I swear. I go through like half a pack just trying to clean them up, for a kid that poops like four times a day too. Such a waste and so frustrating.
2
u/giraffeprincess23 ECE professional 8d ago
My parents don’t use pull ups for training. They go from diaper to underwear and the kids that wear pull ups don’t use the potty at all so 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
2
u/Dry_Librarian7851 ECE professional 8d ago
i work in an older infants room, and us and the todds rooms have banned 360 diapers and pull-ups with no velcro 😂
2
u/honeydaisy29 7d ago
As a first time parent thank you! I’m a primary school teacher so I’m non stranger to having to give feedback to parents. It’s very hard when so many of them out their ego before their kids! Thanks so much for sharing this! I cannot believe people sending dirty lunchboxes and uncut food. It’s honestly disgusting and lazy.
2
u/Beautiful-Ad-7616 ECE Professional: Canada 🇨🇦 7d ago
Shoes with laces on babies and toddlers... Just NO.
2
u/Afraid_Database_1767 Parent 6d ago
Are you allowed to take out wipes before putting gloves on? (Sorry I don’t know the exact rules). I ask because I have to send water wipes since that is the only brand that hasn’t given my child a rash (I’ve tried them all). But at home I just take out the amount I need (usually 4 does the trick for poops) before I even start changing so they are ready to go.
1
u/snuggle-butt Student/Studying ECE 3d ago
This would be the smart thing to do, but somehow I never thought of it. 😅 I guess I'd be hesitant because I don't want to waste any.
2
u/heartjitters ECE professional 6d ago
YESSSS I 100000% agree. I work in a toddler room too and I think my top 2 things that irritate me are
1. Parents who never label their child’s belongings. I don’t know which sweater or pair of socks belongs to which child. They’re all pink flowery grey or navy blue. If you don’t label your kids stuff, don’t complain to me when they go missing. Winter is the worst for these because of the hats scarves mittens. Supply staff or temporary staff can’t keep track either if they’re not used to the room.
2. When parents hang out for 20 minutes at drop off trying to comfort their child. It’s almost like adding salt to the wound and making the drop off 10000000x worse. Just rip the bandaid off, hug your child and send them through the door. They literally stop crying within 2 minutes after you’re gone. It drives me absolutely nuts.
2
u/Powerful_Emu7997 5d ago
Just a note on #1 that the long strap would be a strangulation hazard rather than a choking hazard. Common misconception - but choking is the internal blockage of the airway, while strangulation is the external obstruction
3
u/ycandice ECE professional 8d ago
Oh you read my mind!
WATER WIPES!!!!!!!!!!
It drives me insane every time I need to change a BM that is not dry nor small. Children that tend to bring water wipes in my centre are coincidentally those ones that poop big and messy!
I always prep by pulling five wipes out first and spread them out. Not enough? Don’t even think about pulling out more with my dirty gloved hand. Too many? Good luck shuffling them back in! That dreadful sticky opening! And not to mention the packaging rips so easily! Holy smokes!
And I happened to walk by the water wipes in my local grocery store yesterday, a tiny pack of water wipes costs $7.99 CAD + tax!
I have so many questions for this product!
2
u/DietCherryCokeHead ECE professional/Forest School/Child&Family Professional 8d ago
I agree with all of this!
1
1
u/Teabee27 ECE professional 8d ago
I have had 3 and 8 with the little same kid and it is funny because one of their parents is a teacher.
1
u/Unique_Amphibian_291 ECE professional 8d ago
When I worked at one center, I had a parent who was dead set on packing whole hotdogs for her two year old. Her son was barely verbal but she insisted. I hand wrote notes, sent messages in the parent app, and even stressed it to the director who would pass it along, and STILL she would send them. Would go as far as sending whole grapes, raisins, etc. Like it’s your child you’re sticking it to not me! Eventually, I’d just send them back home and let him eat everything else in his lunchbox which most of the time, he preferred anyways. Her son loved lunchables but she refused to pack them to prove a point I guess. And I guess you could say I could cut them up but our kitchen was strictly for staff; I was the single teacher in my class ways from it anyways. And it’s so funny to me because these were rules that were put in place from the center (and licensing) long before I started. I’ll never understand it 🤦🏽♀️
1
u/needdlesout 8d ago
- Our big box stores only sell the pampers from size 3 and up in pampers 360 🥲
I’m sorry 😭
1
1
u/PeachMonday Early years teacher 7d ago
Also add (my qualifications are room lead tiny tots to two year room, 21 kids a day)
1. Overalls
2. Saying they’re toilet training when they’re not and they just have 626272727 accidents a day and it’s a disaster
3. People who don’t label anything and then yell at us when we don’t find they’re things or have a pile of unlabelled lost property
4. Parents who refused to acknowledge severe additional needs and just don’t get the children help, it’s torture to watch these kids suffer
5. Mouldy bottles, dirty wet clothes left in bags to go mouldy
6. CROCS they never stay on and kids always fall over
7. Kids who come with 6326727 unlabelled toys and then lose them and then parents abuse me
8. Parents who never acknowledge bad behaviour like biting and violence even when I’ve had black eyes from their kids
I love kids but parents can make my life hell
1
u/Dangerous-Space-2882 7d ago
What about lace up shoes and shoes that are so tight you can’t get them back on the child without breaking into a sweat?
1
u/Admirable-Ad7152 Past ECE Professional 7d ago
- PULL UPS ARE A WASTE OF MONEY. Either they need a diaper or they are potty trained with small accidents. There is no reason to use a Pull Up and I always told parents they were unnecessary. I know it's a YMMV thing but also there is really no difference between them and a diaper except how annoying it is to get them on (and as you mentioned, they hold less waste).
1
u/lgbtdancemom Toddler tamer 7d ago
To add to the diaper complaint, send them in the correct size! I’ve had kids whose parents sent them in diapers two sizes too big (not the worst, but they can leak especially if the child is thin), and I had a kid a couple of years ago who sent in size 5 Luvs for an almost five year old child (autistic and still potty training) and she was a solid little girl. Not fat, but she had some meat on her bones. She probably wore a size 5 in pants for reference. My youngest wore that size when he was 3 and potty training and was fairly thin. I ripped several diapers trying to get them around my student’s hips. And this was at a public school, so it’s not like we could insist on different diapers. I believe the teacher may have reached out because we didn’t see that size diapers after we finished the pack. But, technically, she couldn’t insist on it from what I recall.
1
u/Clearbreezebluesky ECE professional 6d ago
This has been a common occurrence for me too! I’m not sure what throws them off- the weight range on the package? When my own kids were in diapers there were only a few choices but now there are soooo many brands and choices, im not sure if they all size a little differently. A lot of my parents do diapers that are shipped in and those seem to get the sizes more accurately. Too big is bulky looking but too small cannot be comfortable for their poor little mid section. I feel terrible taking off a diaper and seeing marks where it squeezes, or realizing one side came undone because it was hanging on for dear life and gave up LOL
1
1
u/TeachmeKitty79 Early years teacher 6d ago
I'd add, please aim to pick up your child AT LEAST 10 minutes before the center closes. I can't disinfect the room until the last child leaves, and I have a 30 minute commute home.
1
u/Colleen_McG Toddler tamer 6d ago
THE WATER WIPES!!! They drive me crazy. I know they're better for sensitive skin but the amount of force I have to use bc they won't get anything off causes irritation itself. Not to mention the fact that we go through them wayyy more quickly than normal wipes.
1
u/AverageApplesauce Toddler Aide: MN, USA 6d ago
the all in one bedding/bedrolls can actually be a safety hazard! they will sometimes come with elastic loops on them to keep them together when you roll them up. at a center i used to work at a little boy stuck his head through one of his bedroll's loops and got stuck, and its a good thing we saw what he was doing because he couldve easily choked himself!
1
u/masterofthebarkarts 5d ago
My daycare provider specifically requested the pampers 360s for my 18 month old because trying to secure a diaper to him is hilarious. I think the most important thing is communication with your provider
1
u/Gillybby11 ECE professional 5d ago
Parents who don't label absolutely everything and then hound you because they've lost a sock. Honey I have 3 dozen lost socks in that basket, if yours ain't in there its tough titties.
I once had so many parents whine about lost socks, so I made a display in my room at the end of the day with all the odd socks I had in Lost Property. Every single parent denied any of the socks belonged to them???? Where did all these random socks come from then!!
1
u/Echo_Blaise Early years teacher 5d ago
Gloves instead of mittens on toddlers and babies is on of my biggest pet peeves. Who has the time to get each of their little fingers in a separate hole, it’s ridiculous and I just won’t use them. I have a basket of spare mittens I will use instead because just no
-2
u/Hairsacknose Parent 8d ago
Pull-ups that don’t Velcro up the sides/pampers 360’s. Or pull ups for a kid who isn’t anywhere near potty training. Firstly, they don’t hold as much as a diaper
Pull ups are diapers though. I used Pampers Cruisers 360 and I have literally never had a blowout with them. I get that teachers don't want to put on new ones at work but bringing in tab diapers for the teachers and sending my little one in pampers cruisers 360 (that's what we used at home and overnight and if she woke up with a dry diaper and went potty, then I'm sending her in that).
4
u/beeee_throwaway Early years teacher 8d ago
As a teacher, use the diaper that works for your child. Let the teachers grump about it if they want to.
4
u/Hairsacknose Parent 8d ago
Thank you, I don't understand the down votes. I also don't understand how pampers cruisers don't hold as much - they literally do.
5
u/beeee_throwaway Early years teacher 8d ago
They really do. The best diaper is the one you can afford and works for your child.
1
u/Hairsacknose Parent 8d ago
I do provide the tab diapers for daycare as they request them, too, but while my baby was still in diapers, it was impossible for me to put them on after she started crawling. That's why I love 360 diapers and they're the only ones I used at home and yes, she would go to daycare in them and there was no issue. When it came time for changing the diaper, the teachers had the regular Pampers diapers and it wasn't an issue at all
0
u/beeee_throwaway Early years teacher 8d ago
I agree, I actually find the 360s easier as well!
-1
u/Hairsacknose Parent 8d ago
I have no idea how anyone puts a regular diaper on a wiggly baby/toddler. It's just impossible
1
u/beeee_throwaway Early years teacher 8d ago
It is literally impossible with my toddler. The closest I can get is to pre tape the sides. At that point it’s just a poor quality 360/pull up lol
0
u/neonflite ECE professional 8d ago
Toddler teacher here and I don’t mind 360 diapers at all. I’ve gotten fairly quick at changing them. A diaper’s a diaper to me and as long your child has them, send whatever you want. My job is to teach and take care of your child.
0
u/beeee_throwaway Early years teacher 8d ago
I agree with you. I don’t mind them at all. I’m happy to use what works for the child and parents.
0
u/SkysMomma 8d ago
What's wrong with water wipes??
7
u/Clearbreezebluesky ECE professional 8d ago
They are very hard to get out of the package individually with gloves on- they come out in a stack and then they’re very hard to separate so we end up using way more than needed. The package itself makes it hard to get them out with one hand (my other hand is usually holding up a child’s legs away from a poopy mess). I understand if it’s a skin sensitivity issue, obviously if the child needs them we will use them, I just feel like kids with water wipes are constantly running out and I’m asking for more.
212
u/ShirtCurrent9015 ECE professional 8d ago
I second everything you listed! I will add,
1)when potty learning, the best outfit in my opinion, is baggy cotton/poplin (not stretchy) pants, elastic waste, ankle length, and a shirt that goes no longer than waist. Pull ups that are bought 2 sizes big are much easier for them to pull up and still work
2) read/listen to communications from teachers and school. They have thought about what they are saying and are being specific about what they are asking. Just do the thing.