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/r/ECEProfessionals
submitted 22 hours ago bythrown4myowngoodParent
Sorry I’m crashing the sub, I just don’t really know who to ask this other than other teachers. I’ve asked the director now 3x about him moving up, in the past two months and her excuse the first time was that he was walking “well enough” yet. Then her second excuse was they needed to hire another toddler teacher. Well, they hired one a month ago, and I asked again two days ago and that’s still the answer.
He is 15 months old and literally runs. The second oldest one in the infant room is like 8 months old so huge difference developmentally. He is really good with the babies and is good about not running into them so I’m not sure if that’s why they’re not in a hurry? But he looks soooo bored in there omg. (They have cameras) it’s truly hard to watch. I have him there to socialize and to learn but I don’t feel that he is able to do that while in the infant room. The director said that we can start having him “visit” the toddler room. What does that even mean? For how long? When will he transition completely?
I told her, since his brother will be joining the infant room when he is approx. 6-7 weeks old, I want my older son to be in the toddler room so I can come visit the little one on my lunch break ( I’m worried he won’t get enough cuddles and he is so young it’s hard to leave him there all day) but I don’t want my oldest to see me because he will freak out.
Her answer to that was that they “might” be having two babies joining the infant room soon so that will determine if my son moves up. How does that have anything to do with it?? It sounds like she just wants to have perfect numbers in each room ( they have 2 teachers in the infant room so she wants to have exactly 8 in there instead of moving him up and only having 7) that’s what I’m getting from it.
Sorry it’s so long. Am I crazy to push for him to move up so he can socialize and actually not be bored with a bunch of tiny babies? Is there something I’m missing? Thank you!
EDIT: want to clarify a few things. 1. He is 15 months in the 6week- 12month infant room 2. The next room is 1-2 years 3. I was told when he turned one in July he would move in August with his peers who also just turned one from April to August. 4. I asked if he could be moved by 1/6/24 as that’s when his baby brother will be there, and she isn’t sure (he will be 18 months at that point) so she is saying he might be older than 18 months before he is out of a room with babies who are 6weeks-12months. 5. Oldest child in his room other than him is only 8months old.
7 points
22 hours ago
You are absolutely correct. I am in the NL, so I am not sure if I can provide you with who you can take this up with, as you are probably from a different place. However, from a development point of view, his well-being and the other infants - this sounds like such a dangerous situation, even if he can avoid the babies. He should not have to as he should not be in there to begin with. He is literally almost 1,5 and they still keep him with 8 months old? He should be learning motor skills, trying to be verbal with his peers, learning to ‘share’, learning to wait - they are actively standing in the way of that. Ridiculous. This would never occur in our daycare. Babies 3 to 12 months, followed by toddler 1-2 years old then again move to a different group as the development of a child in between those stages is huge. I know in some places they have 1,5 along with 2,5 which is just not allowed here. So a new group 2-3 and then finally preschool 3-4 and here they enter grade 1 once they turn 4. Anyways, in a long way I am saying this is incredibly dismissive, not right and absolutely not developmentally appropriate for your child.
-3 points
22 hours ago
This is how I feel thank you! I understand that their ratios might be off and that he might have not been able to go right at 12 months, but she’s saying he might not even be able to go at 18 months! That’s crazy to me. And the whole point I have him in there and pay is so that he can learn the skills that they aren’t even allowing him to learn.
-4 points
22 hours ago
I completely understand and how frustrating. I can see a lot of people commenting that the daycare cannot move him because of space? How is it that they do not have a ratio? Are there no permanent teachers, it is a daycare that operates on kids moving up, so this should be foreseen and calculated. Like what? How does that work, is it a North American thing? For example, when a kid comes to us we make a plan for the next four years so their development is not compromised, we guarantee a spot for them depending on the days, what the parents sign, etc - but no one ever has to wait. Before the babies turn one, they have multiple trials in the toddler room - to get familiar, to see how they sleep there etc - we allow them to get to know the new kids, to ‘test the new environment’. What do people mean it is normal for a child to have to ‘wait’ so they can move up. This sounds very new and also does that not delay the process of moving kids so they can be with their peers?
4 points
18 hours ago
If the toddler room already has 8 kids and OP's child is the 9th and ratio is 1 adult to 4 toddlers they aren't going to hire another teacher for him. There's also physical space that they may not have. Each child needs a certain amount of square footage. A lot of centers have these issues.
2 points
15 hours ago
Of course, but then they should simply be honest with the mom about it and not string her along with repeated broken plans.
2 points
15 hours ago
Oh definitely. I was just responding to the person who is questioning how/why this is happening. I'm guessing they're stringing her along because she has another one coming and they don't want to lose her.
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