Expectations and procedures re kids' possessions
My 4yo son, as he often is, was barefoot today at childcare pickup. Unlike every other time this has happened, the staff then couldn't locate his shoes. They did try pretty hard, but eventually they gave up and said "sorry, we'll hopefully find them tomorrow!"
So I carried him home on my back for six hilly blocks while pushing a baby pram with one hand, a feat of which I am only very barely capable. (I am not averse to being barefoot in public in all circumstances, but our walk home passes a couple of pubs, a few people who drink in the streets, and about 15 houses worth of garbage bins. Broken glass is not a theoretical concern.)
Do you think it's reasonable to complain about this? I realise it would be super helpful for them (and me!) if he was capable of keeping track of his hat, shoes and bag. But… he isn't. Cognitively, it just doesn't happen and it won't for a while. (I seem to recall I struggled with this in high school. Well, not with shoes, but with stuff, generally.) So it seems like they should have some kind of backup plan for this, like a loaner pair of sandals or something.
As a practical matter, we will probably stash some old shoes in his daycare bag and hope he doesn't snare them for dressups. But it's one of those times when I don't actually know what normal is and would like to before I complain.
Also, from last time: thanks for the advice about my son's toilet training regression. It actually resolved itself a day or two after that. I think that's one of the few times I've posted here and in doing so got the problem to disappear! It lasted maybe two weeks all up.
Update: my husband did speak with the director about this. What seems to have happened is that my son either put his shoes in the bucket that children playing in the sandpit are supposed to use, or thought he did. Then he or another child threw them over the fence into a neighbour's yard, where they were found this morning. (I have no especial reason to think he was the culprit, but also no especial reason to think he wasn't. On the balance, he usually can't resist telling us things like that, so I'd guess not.)
My husband had trouble getting across that we weren't so much worried about one specific set of shoes as that this might happen a second time and that we need to have some assurance that he will leave the building in enough clothing to get home safely each day. So I am not clear whether anything will be changed to prevent clothes continuing to go over the fence.
So I carried him home on my back for six hilly blocks while pushing a baby pram with one hand, a feat of which I am only very barely capable. (I am not averse to being barefoot in public in all circumstances, but our walk home passes a couple of pubs, a few people who drink in the streets, and about 15 houses worth of garbage bins. Broken glass is not a theoretical concern.)
Do you think it's reasonable to complain about this? I realise it would be super helpful for them (and me!) if he was capable of keeping track of his hat, shoes and bag. But… he isn't. Cognitively, it just doesn't happen and it won't for a while. (I seem to recall I struggled with this in high school. Well, not with shoes, but with stuff, generally.) So it seems like they should have some kind of backup plan for this, like a loaner pair of sandals or something.
As a practical matter, we will probably stash some old shoes in his daycare bag and hope he doesn't snare them for dressups. But it's one of those times when I don't actually know what normal is and would like to before I complain.
Also, from last time: thanks for the advice about my son's toilet training regression. It actually resolved itself a day or two after that. I think that's one of the few times I've posted here and in doing so got the problem to disappear! It lasted maybe two weeks all up.
Update: my husband did speak with the director about this. What seems to have happened is that my son either put his shoes in the bucket that children playing in the sandpit are supposed to use, or thought he did. Then he or another child threw them over the fence into a neighbour's yard, where they were found this morning. (I have no especial reason to think he was the culprit, but also no especial reason to think he wasn't. On the balance, he usually can't resist telling us things like that, so I'd guess not.)
My husband had trouble getting across that we weren't so much worried about one specific set of shoes as that this might happen a second time and that we need to have some assurance that he will leave the building in enough clothing to get home safely each day. So I am not clear whether anything will be changed to prevent clothes continuing to go over the fence.