Day Care Complaints

A few months ago - Max's daycare implemented a 'no time-out' policy. According to the 'corporate policy' - time outs are bad for children, and accordingly, are now no longer allowed. The new policy is to 'redirect' the child. So basically, when Max hits another kid, the teacher takes Max's hand (gives him attention) and kindly takes him to another area of the room and 'redirects' him to a different activity (again - giving him more attention). So - the kid who does something wrong is given a lot of positive attention. Guess what - I was a psych major. I know behavior modification rules - you give a kid attention - they will continue to do whatever it was (i.e. - hitting, biting, etc). (See earlier blog regarding hitting/biting.)

I was rather irritated with this policy. Yes - I know that there are HUGE debates that go on around us about the most effective way to discipline children. Spare the rod, not the child, bite the kid when they bite you, give them a minute of time out for every year old... There are libraries of books, etc. regarding the various techniques, methods, etc. Guess what works for Max? Time out. SOMETIMES - when he is having a bad day - he PUTS HIMSELF IN TIME OUT! Guess why - because he needs to be able to wind down a little. Sigh...

So, I no longer have a say in how my child is disciplined during the majority of his waking hours. Yes - I am a bad mother because I work... [I am not a bad mother at all - I actually think I am a pretty good mother, thank you...]

Today when I picked up Max, he was exhausted. He sounds like he is getting sick. His eyes were droopy-tired, he didn't jump up with his same enthusiasm. Instead he curled up in my arms. I asked the teacher if everything was OK - and guess what she said... (You will never guess, so I will just tell you...)

"'The Little Academy' (I disguised the name of the school so you wouldn't know what evil corporation I am referring to) has a new policy. We are no longer allowed to turn off the lights during naptime anymore. None of the children were able to sleep, so Max didn't get a nap today."

WHAT?!?!? They are no longer allowed to turn off the lights?!?!?! What kind of nonsense is this? I asked the director about it. She told me that it was a new policy from corporate headquarters. I told her I was concerned. I have been there before during naptime, and when they turn off the lights - it is not DARK - there is still sunlight coming in through the windows. But it isn't the same glaring-artificial-lights type of light. The director said that there were supervisory issues that corporate was concerned about, and that a new company that had recently merged with them followed this procedure - and so 'The Little Academy' decided to enact it as well.

They do not seem concerned that children have a hard time sleeping in full light - in a classroom full of their friends, full of toys. there is no 'cue' (i.e. turning off the lights) to help switch their bodies into nap-mode. I know on weekends when I do get to put Max down for a nap - he needs the curtain drawn, or to be in a darker room. I NEED THAT WHEN I TAKE A NAP - AND I HAVE NARCOLEPSY!!!! I FALL ASLEEP ON THE DROP OF A DIME!

Well, even more infuriating than the new policy was the manner in which the director answered my next question: Have you told the parents about this new policy? NO. When are you going to tell us? "We are waiting to see how it goes, but there will be a parent newsletter going out at the end of the week."

Oh, the mispelled, grammer-ridden parent newsletter! I feel so comfortable leaving my child in their hands.

With the time out policy, I could SORT OF understand the reasoning behind it. But I cannot see ANY reasoning at all behind this new lights-on policy. I am so, so frustrated. I think it is time to start looking for a non-corporate, smaller daycare facility. I want my son to spend his days in a setting where I - as the parent - have some say in how he is disciplined, his naptimes, etc. I don't want these personal decisions being made by a 'corporation' anymore. This is just not acceptable anymore.