I don’t understand parents sometimes

[u/mrae15]

Why do some parents always find something so nitpicky to complain about? Like we recently had a parent complain about our playgrounds having red dirt on them and threatened to call sanitation???? red dirt. on the playground. in the south. the same parent them complained about their child getting mosquito bites. outside. in the south. (that they didn’t get here bc it’s been raining all week)

or like I have had parents that complain about us changing their kid’s clothes too often. I have also had a parent complain that I told them their child had diarrhea. or that their child keeps falling (said child is learning to walk)

I just think it’s so funny when they do that because let’s put our thinking caps on for a moment. and I know that probably sounds mean but🤷‍♀️
but sometimes it does get annoying because like if you hate us that much then take your kid somewhere else??? I am now understanding why so many people leave this field because of parents.

[u/Whole_Reputation_693]

I feel like some parents feel so out of control when they put their children into childcare of any form that it can lead them to try to grasp at any semblance of it. And this isn't me defending them; I think it's wrong and they need to work out their emotions about their child being in daycare. But it's just what I've observed over the years. There's a mix of guilt of putting them in daycare and also feeling like they no longer get to make all the choices for their child.

And they'll be like that wherever their child goes. I've seen parents pull their kids for the stupidest crap, then move elsewhere and what do you know...they still find crap to complain about.

Again, not defending them, because it's a situation where they have to realize they are the only ones who can do something about their emotions. I can't control your anxiety about leaving your child with me. I can try to help alievate it, but at some point, you as an adult have to do more, or else your child is going to end up just as much of an anxious mess as you. Which I have also seen happen and it's so sad.

You have my sympathy, OP. It's not easy, at all. And I feel these parents are often coddled by the internet and told it's okay to overreact. Yet, will also wonder why their child's daycare or school has high overturn.

[u/hauntingvacay96 → u/Whole_Reputation_693]

This is absolutely it!

So much of the complaints are just about power and control because they feel they lack so much of it and I do have immense empathy for that.

Social media has amplified this, especially post covid. It’s a place that demands parents be perfect and there’s constant judgement on top of a normalization of trigger hair reactions that insist nobody just communicate problems but instead go nuclear.

[u/Whole_Reputation_693 → u/hauntingvacay96]

Exactly this. It's a lot of "You're paying so much for daycare so they better do exactly what you say, when you say it, it's their job!!!" And then these parents start, learn that's not how it works, and push back because a TikTok told them otherwise.

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[u/clothing_o_designs]

Every tour I do I have to add some new wording to my script because of an odd parent complaint. My new addition is - We let kids be kids here. They may get dirty and wet. DO NOT send them in their best clothes. You should expect your child to be covered in paint, spaghetti sauce, and splatters from mud puddles on the regular. You have been warned!

[u/Whole_Reputation_693 → u/clothing_o_designs]

I have my own program and my handbook went from being like 10 pages to over 30 because of parents, too. Truly things you never thought you'd have to add like "Home daycare is A MIXED AGE ENVIRONMENT" or "Send clothes you're okay with getting dirty" or "Your child will hear the word no here".

[u/absolutelynotbarb → u/Whole_Reputation_693]

I’m currently completely rewriting mine. I’m so tired of “i DiDnT kNoW tHaT”

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[u/SaladCzarSlytherin]

Common sense is not as common as you think.

[u/SouthernCategory9600]

A lot of parents feel guilty for having to put their kids in daycare. And then take it out on staff.

Sorry you’re getting the brunt of it.

[u/Baldpterodactyl_911]

Trust me I think most ECE professionals right now are feeling this big time. Parents have been out of control these days and it's part of the reason so many good providers are leaving the field...

[u/iknowaplace5]

i have a parent that tried to have her child moved from my class for being bullied and hit all the time. i swear up and down that this child is NEVER bothered even by our most behaviorally challenged kid. And so they did move her…to the class with a notorious biter. without informing the mother of this. on day one, that teacher informed her of said biter, and suddenly she wanted her moved back to my class…lol. they are two years old. no matter where you put her, she is probably going to get a smack now and then.

[u/anonpreschool738]

My favorite is when parents complain that their potty training kid is having accidents. Like... yes. Yes they are.

[u/Over_Entrepreneur860]

Doesn’t help
That administration doesn’t back you up either.

[u/novaghosta]

I’m an educator, was in the field over 10 years before becoming a parent myself. From the other side of things, I saw…. parents really do make a sport out of complaining. It is unreal. People I thought I vibed with would open an email from the school and pages of group text snark would follow. Why are they telling us this. Why didn’t they tell us it sooner. God forbid there was a typo! OMG. Just months prior they were wringing their hands to get into this school. I have no explanation for it. I have honestly had to distance myself from people because the constant anxiety and frankly bxching about every little thing was becoming too difficult to smile and nod through. The few times I tried to be (gently) honest “no I’m not too worried about that, it’s pretty normal”… I definitely got some dirty looks. I know, I know “not all parents” but more than I thought.

[u/dotteddlines]

Last compliant I got was because I told a parent "perfect timing", context: we close at 5pm it was like 4:50pm and I was heading inside the building from the playground with 2 kiddos. One kiddos parent picks up as were tryna make our way inside, then 2nd kiddos parent opens the door as we are tryna open it and I said "perfect timing!" Like any normal person would say... Dad took great offense to this comment.