Infant room daycare question

[vanillacourage]

Sorry, long.

DS2 is the youngest in the infant room at his daycare. At the one my older son went to they had two separate rooms for those under 1 year - after they got really mobile they phased into the room for older infants. At this school all the under 1's are together, and my DS is the only one who isn't crawling, or in some cases even trying to walk.

As a result when I drop him off if the teacher is busy feeding/diapering I'm told to just put him in the bouncy seat or Exersaucer so he doesn't get "run over" by the other kids. The teacher has told me that for him to get much time on the floor that she or the other teacher have to sit down right next to him "to make sure he doesn't get sat on", and it usually only happens when "most or all of the other kids are asleep or don't need something" - which, how often does that really happen?

I said something to her today that now that he's rolling over I want him to get as much floor time as possible, and gently hinted that he shouldn't be hindered because the other kids are more mobile. How would you keep tabs on the situation, or push it with the teachers/director?

[karinothing]

So DS's daycare has 4 infant rooms. They were all a mix of kids, but they just realized the problems you are mentioning and once DS transitions to the older infant room in two months his room is becoming a non-mobile infant room.

Anyway, does your state have any regulations on this issue. My daycare just tells me that "for liscening" they are not allowed to leave the babes in the bouncy seat for over 10 minutes or something. Our state also apparently requires a certain amount of tummy time each day (I think at least 30 minutes total) and the teachers have to mark it on a sheet. So, I would start by looking at daycare requirements for your area.

Anyway, I guess I would just flat out tell them that he needs to be on the floor. Our center has a ball bit (that has no balls) and they put the non mobile infants in there so that they don't get run over by the other guys. They also do a pretty good job of just making sure that the other kids don't get rough with the smaller babies, that is their job after all. I am a firm believer that kids need a lot of tummy/floor time, so I would probably push it. Can you just tell them that he needs tummy time each day and ask them to limit his bouncy chair time to 30 minutes or so? I mean you are paying them IMO they need to listen to you.

[ejpint]

I would be concerned about that. Also, something about the way you worded that makes me feel like the teacher:child ratio isn't high enough?
I would absolutely talk to the director - it sounds like the teachers aren't really concerned about it. If it were me, I would probably put it in an email so I was sure to stress the importance to me (I tend to come across too soft in person). I would then follow up in person. Maybe this is just the way they operate, but this wouldn't sit right with me.

[Deleted]

Hm yeah I would not like that either. Ask if they have any regulations like Kari was mentioning about how long the babies can stay in one thing - I think ours is 15 minutes, it may be 10. Now if he falls asleep in the swing they do leave him there but every time when I pick him up he is somewhere else- floor, swing, bouncer, crib, being held, etc. It's clear that he is switched about throughout the day. His room has only non-mobile infants but he is the youngest one and one of the bigger ones (who I think is about to get switched) does swat at him sometimes when i'm there, but the teachers are pretty quick to swoop in.

So basically I guess what I am saying is, while I'm not unsympathetic to the teachers, I also think they could probably do a better job than what they are doing. He needs floor time especially since you have made a point of asking about it. I think for the next few days I would kind of bring it up as a "how did he do on the floor today" to get a feel for how long he was on the floor and if you don't think it's enough I would reiterate both at drop off and pick up that you expect X. I know it's easier for them to leave him in a chair or the like for most of the day, but you would think if the babies were all being super active they could even put your guy in his crib for some tummy time or some time flat on his back.

[vanillacourage]

I should add that one of the most mobile babies is the director's daughter.

[cjeanette]

How many kids are in this room?

[mmmomof2]

I might look for a new DC. The one we used had a non-mobile section for the tummy time phase (like under 6 months), and then a section for the sitters, crawlers, new walkers. Then a separate section for the very young toddlers. I would be concerned that he was being left in a bouncer/exersaucer too much.

Do they have a videocam for you to check in through out the day?

[CloudBee]

I'm surprised they can just separate them with one of those play yards, stretched open. You know, those giant things that are like a bunch of hinged baby gates that can be closed into a circle, or formed into basically any shape, or used as a large straight partician.

[Ashley&Scott]

That's not fair to your DS. I know they're trying to keep him safe but they need to have a better system. I would say something to the director since the teacher's only solution is to wait until everyone else is asleep. Maybe they can arrange the room so that a playmats are blocked on 2-3 sides so it's easier for a teacher to help guard from the crawlers/walkers.

Like Kari our daycare's rooms divisions are heavily based on development rather than age. Newborns, non mobile infants, crawlers & early walkers, toddlers. As kids achieve new milestones they move rooms.

[sarahbear]

I'd find a new daycare. That's totally unacceptable, in my opinion.

[pierogigirl]

Aug 23, 2012 10:40:36 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I'm surprised they can just separate them with one of those play yards, stretched open. You know, those giant things that are like a bunch of hinged baby gates that can be closed into a circle, or formed into basically any shape, or used as a large straight partician.

If you are not looking for a new daycare, I would ask them to get one of theses play yards for DS and future non-mobile babies. Our dc has two rooms for infants= non-mobile and mobile.

[kittycatlove]

For us DS was the youngest for a while in the infant room that goes from 6weeks to 15 months, but they separate out the mobile from non-mobile. We were concerned and mentioned something because it seemed like anytime we checked on him he was in an excersaucer...We mentioned it to the director and it seemed to get better. He's now the youngest in the toddler room, but since they are all mobile it's not so bad.

[SusanBAnthony]

Ours was all one room, but one end was baby gated off to be a safe area. 90% of the time, though, one of the three teachers was sitting on the floor playing with the babies, and could protect the small ones.

[vanillacourage]

Thanks all. There are 7 kids in the room, with two teachers (though when I drop DS2 off there's usually just the one there). I am not going to look for a new daycare over this as both kids just started there in June, and we'll move DS2 to a new place when DS1 starts kindergarten next year. If this were a major safety issue then obviously it would be different.

I like the idea of asking if an area can be set up as a safe zone for non-mobile babies. I will talk to the director about it.

[pugz]

now I'm curious which daycare you use!

[cjeanette]

Aug 23, 2012 11:58:54 GMT -5 pugz said:

now I'm curious which daycare you use!

Well it has to be MO with that ratio so prob not one you would be looking at

[vanillacourage]

Aug 23, 2012 12:00:26 GMT -5 cjeanette said:

Aug 23, 2012 11:58:54 GMT -5 pugz said:

now I'm curious which daycare you use!

Well it has to be MO with that ratio so prob not one you would be looking at

Their ratio is 1:4, DS2 is usually the 5th baby dropped off so a floater comes in as I leave, until the 2nd teacher gets there.

Pugz, I will PM you.

[galaxy8227]

Aug 23, 2012 10:40:36 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I'm surprised they can just separate them with one of those play yards, stretched open. You know, those giant things that are like a bunch of hinged baby gates that can be closed into a circle, or formed into basically any shape, or used as a large straight partician.

This is what our daycare does as well. It's great cause the babies get plenty of room to crawl, attempt to walk and the older kids can still run around like madmen without them knocking over a baby. DS is still in the play yard (doesn't walk yet) but he loves to stand in the yard and watch the older kids run around. I think it helps motivate him

[cjeanette]

Aug 23, 2012 12:05:26 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

Aug 23, 2012 12:00:26 GMT -5 cjeanette said:

Well it has to be MO with that ratio so prob not one you would be looking at

Their ratio is 1:4, DS2 is usually the 5th baby dropped off so a floater comes in as I leave, until the 2nd teacher gets there.

Pugz, I will PM you.

Oh I wasn't implying they were doing anything wrong. 1:3 is the ratio in KS. I knew it was higher in MO.

[Deleted]

My DS went to an in-home so he has always been the youngest since they can only have 1 child under 1 with a certain license. Our daycare lady had this little heavy plastic "corral" that she put around DS so the other kids didn't accidentally fall into or hit him.
I don't think its fair that your child is always in the exersaucer because they don't want to watch to make sure he doesn't get sat on--I'd probably address it with your teacher/director and make sure he's doing a min amount of tummy time and I'd ask that they write it down.