Baby school, baby school, a thousand times baby school.
I haven't posted on this topic since I started back to work. And actually, this week was better than last week. Sheila was warmer, at least to me, and Jeannie has continually showed me that she is attentive toward Atticus, at least when she knows I'm coming. So I feel a little better about things, but I still don't feel satisfied. I'm not sure what to do, because Penelope has started her new class, and she LOVES it. It's a moot point right now, because nobody else has any openings. I'm on some waiting lists, and if I get a call, I'll go take a tour, but I just don't know.
But for the sake of documentation, because future reflection (read: obsession) is going to be required, I'm pasting some emails and chats I had with Blair.
Written August 17, three days in:
If anything, I've seen Sheila a few degrees warmer than before, but I keep coming in when all the babies are asleep or she's about to go on her lunch break. She did make me laugh yesterday; the director brought in these new state forms that all the employees had to complete to show that they have good moral character or something, and it had a long list of offenses that they had to confirm they had never been convicted of. The ladies started reading off some of the things. They got to prostitution, and Sheila said, "They never let us do anything!" Which, you know, not the funniest thing on my knee, but at least she seemed to have a pulse when she said that.
Then today, Jerusha told me she talked to her mom last night, who said that Sheila is good with the babies, but she's just not good with the parents. I kind of suspected that could be some of it. Sheila doesn't like it when the parents want her to "coddle" their babies. I'm not sure if that was Jerusha's word or her mom's, or Sheila's. I mean, babies need to be "coddled," though I generally have negative associations with that word, so I wouldn't use it to describe the care that babies require. I can understand feeling annoyed by people telling you how to do your job, but that's part of teaching, no matter what age group you teach. Anyway, I'm not sure if Jeannie's assessment of Sheila should make me feel better or worse.
Also, Jerusha said that the day care often takes advantage of Jeannie, who she says is the type of person who lets people walk all over her. For example, because Sheila has been there longer, she gets to pick her schedule, and she goes in at 7:30. If Jeannie is scheduled for 8, but when she gets there only 4 babies are there, she can't clock in until
the 5th baby gets there. However, it would not surprise me in the least to learn that they get out of ratio sometimes, because I saw that happen in the toddler rooms. And today, Atticus was the 4th baby, and Sheila was there alone, and it was about 7:30, so half an hour before Jeannie was scheduled, and as I walked out, I saw the 5th baby arriving.
Meanwhile, I've called a whole bunch of other day cares just to see if anyone has openings and what their rates are. C-bury is very well thought-of in town, but they just filled up their 3-year-old room, so I got on the waiting list. DG is where Annabelle goes, but they just stopped taking babies. TC is also well thought-of, and NAEYC accredited, but their baby room waiting list goes until November 2011. Those babies aren't even conceived yet! CN has openings, and they have a compelling website, but I felt before that they seemed very corporate and sterile--ie, cold, which is what I'm complaining of now. I also got some third hand info that suggests one of the baby room people may be not the most loving. So I don't know. Then there's this one day care I've never heard of before, but their baby room is tiny, just 4 babies! But they are full. Natch.
Maybe things will get better? I don't know. I also am not sure if this is all really as bad as I think or if I'm just sensitive about leaving my baby at day care. Also, I do believe that sometimes parents worry needlessly when they themselves may not care for a childcare facility or a teacher, when it matters more if the children are happy and cared-for. I want to make sure that's not what I'm doing. Yeah, Atticus may sit in a bouncy seat more than I like, but if he's not being left to cry, and if he doesn't seem unhappy, then maybe I should just deal. Which is why I'm not yanking him out this very minute. He continues to seem okay.
Written August 18:
Today was okay. At lunch time, Atticus was (as usual!) in his bouncy seat, watching Jeannie feed another baby. I mean, I know he gets held when he's being fed, but when I come in, they are expecting me and are feeding someone else. I'm sure he also gets held, at least by Jeannie, if he is upset. I saw her juggle two babies today, because they both wanted to be held. She made it happen! She also told me yesterday that in the afternoon, Atticus was fussing, but he refused his bottle, and so she gave him his pacifier and held him close. She thinks he probably wanted to nurse ( :-( ), and she held him until he fell asleep, but he "got pretty mad." That was at the end of the day. When I came to pick him up, he was still in the crib where she put him when he fell asleep, but his eyes were open. I think he had just woken up, but he just kind of stared blankly and looked like he HAD been upset at some point earlier. Which, shiiiit. Staring blankly makes me feel really bad. He doesn't stare blankly when he's been with me all day long. However, I don't think that whatever he was going through could have been avoided with a more nurturing Sheila, because it sounds like Jeannie was giving some nurturings.
Anyway, where was I going with this? I guess what it comes to is that today is day 4, and so far I have only ever seen Atticus with Jeannie. Come to think of it, I have only really seen Sheila with the babies who are older, like 6 months to 10 months. Maybe that's how they divide the labor? Anyway, Jeannie seems to be good with Atticus, and while she's not holding him every second, she seems to try to fulfill his needs.
The other part of this is that I kind of hoped I wouldn't care for Penelope's new teacher, because then I would feel even more righteous indignation and more free to leave. But I met her new teacher today, Ms. Kabrina, and I really liked her. She just kind of explained what they do in her class, stuff like learning the letters of the alphabet and how to recognize their names; and they have circle time, which is kind of structured, as well as center time, when the kids pick what activity they want to do. Seems pretty standard, but I liked the classroom, and I liked the teacher. And I like that Penelope is moving up with her friends.
Given that the only opening in town right now is with CN, I don't think I'll switch, because I don't think that would be any better. Maybe if C-bury calls me, or the other one with 4 babies in the baby room, I'll go do a tour. For now, I think I'll just try to stick it out.
You know another thing that sucks, though? Since I want to come at lunch time, I have to take an hour lunch instead of a half hour, so I leave at 5 instead of 4:30. Then when I get there, sometimes I've wanted to nurse Atticus before we left. Which means that by the time I get to Penelope, it's laaaaate. Her day is probably at least 45 minutes longer at the end than it used to be because of all that. But at least she's usually occupied and enjoying herself when I come to get her.
But for the sake of documentation, because future reflection (read: obsession) is going to be required, I'm pasting some emails and chats I had with Blair.
Written August 17, three days in:
If anything, I've seen Sheila a few degrees warmer than before, but I keep coming in when all the babies are asleep or she's about to go on her lunch break. She did make me laugh yesterday; the director brought in these new state forms that all the employees had to complete to show that they have good moral character or something, and it had a long list of offenses that they had to confirm they had never been convicted of. The ladies started reading off some of the things. They got to prostitution, and Sheila said, "They never let us do anything!" Which, you know, not the funniest thing on my knee, but at least she seemed to have a pulse when she said that.
Then today, Jerusha told me she talked to her mom last night, who said that Sheila is good with the babies, but she's just not good with the parents. I kind of suspected that could be some of it. Sheila doesn't like it when the parents want her to "coddle" their babies. I'm not sure if that was Jerusha's word or her mom's, or Sheila's. I mean, babies need to be "coddled," though I generally have negative associations with that word, so I wouldn't use it to describe the care that babies require. I can understand feeling annoyed by people telling you how to do your job, but that's part of teaching, no matter what age group you teach. Anyway, I'm not sure if Jeannie's assessment of Sheila should make me feel better or worse.
Also, Jerusha said that the day care often takes advantage of Jeannie, who she says is the type of person who lets people walk all over her. For example, because Sheila has been there longer, she gets to pick her schedule, and she goes in at 7:30. If Jeannie is scheduled for 8, but when she gets there only 4 babies are there, she can't clock in until
the 5th baby gets there. However, it would not surprise me in the least to learn that they get out of ratio sometimes, because I saw that happen in the toddler rooms. And today, Atticus was the 4th baby, and Sheila was there alone, and it was about 7:30, so half an hour before Jeannie was scheduled, and as I walked out, I saw the 5th baby arriving.
Meanwhile, I've called a whole bunch of other day cares just to see if anyone has openings and what their rates are. C-bury is very well thought-of in town, but they just filled up their 3-year-old room, so I got on the waiting list. DG is where Annabelle goes, but they just stopped taking babies. TC is also well thought-of, and NAEYC accredited, but their baby room waiting list goes until November 2011. Those babies aren't even conceived yet! CN has openings, and they have a compelling website, but I felt before that they seemed very corporate and sterile--ie, cold, which is what I'm complaining of now. I also got some third hand info that suggests one of the baby room people may be not the most loving. So I don't know. Then there's this one day care I've never heard of before, but their baby room is tiny, just 4 babies! But they are full. Natch.
Maybe things will get better? I don't know. I also am not sure if this is all really as bad as I think or if I'm just sensitive about leaving my baby at day care. Also, I do believe that sometimes parents worry needlessly when they themselves may not care for a childcare facility or a teacher, when it matters more if the children are happy and cared-for. I want to make sure that's not what I'm doing. Yeah, Atticus may sit in a bouncy seat more than I like, but if he's not being left to cry, and if he doesn't seem unhappy, then maybe I should just deal. Which is why I'm not yanking him out this very minute. He continues to seem okay.
Written August 18:
Today was okay. At lunch time, Atticus was (as usual!) in his bouncy seat, watching Jeannie feed another baby. I mean, I know he gets held when he's being fed, but when I come in, they are expecting me and are feeding someone else. I'm sure he also gets held, at least by Jeannie, if he is upset. I saw her juggle two babies today, because they both wanted to be held. She made it happen! She also told me yesterday that in the afternoon, Atticus was fussing, but he refused his bottle, and so she gave him his pacifier and held him close. She thinks he probably wanted to nurse ( :-( ), and she held him until he fell asleep, but he "got pretty mad." That was at the end of the day. When I came to pick him up, he was still in the crib where she put him when he fell asleep, but his eyes were open. I think he had just woken up, but he just kind of stared blankly and looked like he HAD been upset at some point earlier. Which, shiiiit. Staring blankly makes me feel really bad. He doesn't stare blankly when he's been with me all day long. However, I don't think that whatever he was going through could have been avoided with a more nurturing Sheila, because it sounds like Jeannie was giving some nurturings.
Anyway, where was I going with this? I guess what it comes to is that today is day 4, and so far I have only ever seen Atticus with Jeannie. Come to think of it, I have only really seen Sheila with the babies who are older, like 6 months to 10 months. Maybe that's how they divide the labor? Anyway, Jeannie seems to be good with Atticus, and while she's not holding him every second, she seems to try to fulfill his needs.
The other part of this is that I kind of hoped I wouldn't care for Penelope's new teacher, because then I would feel even more righteous indignation and more free to leave. But I met her new teacher today, Ms. Kabrina, and I really liked her. She just kind of explained what they do in her class, stuff like learning the letters of the alphabet and how to recognize their names; and they have circle time, which is kind of structured, as well as center time, when the kids pick what activity they want to do. Seems pretty standard, but I liked the classroom, and I liked the teacher. And I like that Penelope is moving up with her friends.
Given that the only opening in town right now is with CN, I don't think I'll switch, because I don't think that would be any better. Maybe if C-bury calls me, or the other one with 4 babies in the baby room, I'll go do a tour. For now, I think I'll just try to stick it out.
You know another thing that sucks, though? Since I want to come at lunch time, I have to take an hour lunch instead of a half hour, so I leave at 5 instead of 4:30. Then when I get there, sometimes I've wanted to nurse Atticus before we left. Which means that by the time I get to Penelope, it's laaaaate. Her day is probably at least 45 minutes longer at the end than it used to be because of all that. But at least she's usually occupied and enjoying herself when I come to get her.