After holidays retraining :(

[sunnydays]

Okay...need to vent! I ended up being closed for a week and a half and some kids were away for a full 2-3 weeks because of their holidays as well over Christmas/New Years. Now we are back to reality and the kids do not seem to be digging reality much. Right now I have two screaming after having slept for a full 45 minutes :( The three youngest (two 14 months and one 22 months) walk around putting their hands up all day long wanting me to pick them up and carry them around (the 22 month old has to be at least 30 pounds)...one of the 14 month olds keeps going to the gate at the bottom of the stairs and crying for his mom (he never did this when he started with me in October)...even the 3 year old is a bit weepy and keeps asking over and over and over if her mom is going to pick her up. Oh the fun times! I normally close for only a week at a time and now I know why! They have all been coddled and carried around and thrown off of their schedules and I have to retrain them all now! Anyone else going through this right now?

[Spixie33]

I have a bunch of tired/cranky children all week who walk in every morning rubbing their eyes and looking half asleep while the parents apologize saying that they went to be late. I think all my dcps put away nap and bedtime during the 10 days I was closed and just let the kids go to be late and wake up late. Now the poor kiddos are having a hard time with the early mornings. (okay ! I admit it - I personally did the same and feel just as tired and miserable but I am a grown up) lol

I have had a couple of issues getting them to nap the last few days and some want to be carried more which isn't happening. I hope that next week things get smoothed out.

[sunnydays]

Yes, Spixie....I think part of the problem is that I am tired too and just not in the mood for all of this! I had a realy busy holiday time which involved travelling across the country due to a family emergency and I am just tired and definitely have a case of the January "blahs"...maybe they are feeling that and that's why they are not happy to be here :(

[gramma]

Okay...need to vent! I ended up being closed for a week and a half and some kids were away for a full 2-3 weeks because of their holidays as well over Christmas/New Years. Now we are back to reality and the kids do not seem to be digging reality much. Right now I have two screaming after having slept for a full 45 minutes :( The three youngest (two 14 months and one 22 months) walk around putting their hands up all day long wanting me to pick them up and carry them around (the 22 month old has to be at least 30 pounds)...one of the 14 month olds keeps going to the gate at the bottom of the stairs and crying for his mom (he never did this when he started with me in October)...even the 3 year old is a bit weepy and keeps asking over and over and over if her mom is going to pick her up. Oh the fun times! I normally close for only a week at a time and now I know why! They have all been coddled and carried around and thrown off of their schedules and I have to retrain them all now! Anyone else going through this right now?

same thing here

[Manue]

Oh I hear ya. All the kids seem to need/want extra attention and are all super grumpy and tired. I also feel this way.... Its been a rough week for all of us :(
Im glad to hear we arent the only ones!!!

[playfelt]

Here too - Wed was first day back and all of them came in crying including the 2 and 3 year olds that haven't cried at drop off since they were babies. I could have said naptime was 8:15 and they all would gladly have gone without issue. The babies did but the girls made it to 11 before they crashed. Lunch was as soon as the babies got up mid morning just in case. Thursday was better. Girls came in at least not crying. Babies still weepy. It is now Friday and still haven't totally undone the damage done by their holidays but made a start - now to see if I have to restart on Monday after a weekend home.

The wanting to be held is the worst part. My 16 month old has even regressed more than he was. He was at least standing and cruising before the break. Now he just sits and whines and sometimes attempts to crawl after me but mostly just cries. Thank goodness it was only a 3 day week.

[Momof4]

I feel terrible for you ladies. My daycare families were off for a week and a half and the children were so happy to be back it was crazy. They got right back into our routines and we had a good time the last three days. Except for my newest child who is quite young and woke up from nap screaming Wed. & Thurs. but I assumed because he was expecting to be at home when he woke up and he was back to normal today. I feel very lucky.

[Smitty]

yes I am in the same boat. whiney, wanting to be carried toddlers and the school age kids are a complete wreck! They are constantly fighting, tattletailing, name calling etc. Thank God for Monday- Again "it's the most wonderful time of the year"! back to school! thanks for listening to me vent!

[Mamma_Mia]

my "clingy" child has been sick all week and over the holidays so I'm sure he's been babied at home for SURE. He hasn't been here with me yet but his sister has (he has asthma issues...nothing contagious) so I'm NOT looking forward to Monday drop off.

[apples and bananas]

I didn't close at all this year. I chose to stay open and available except for Christmas day, boxing and new years day of course. I didn't have a lot of attendance, but I had some and because of the little bits and peices I feel like everyone is ok.

Some were excited to come back.

I actually had one who never sleeps through an entire nap with out at least one crying spell sleep for 3 1/2 hours not a sound. Wow!

I hope yours train back quickly.

[playfelt]

I was only closed for the three stat days too except that all of my parents took time off so I had almost two weeks with reduced numbers and no one from end of day Fri 21 to Wed morning Jan 2. The break was so welcome but yes paid for it this week. I think we made enough progress that next week will be ok but not going to waste much time this weekend planning much and am going to just wing it. Mostly we are taking down Christmas and putting up winter and transitioning. Since the group is young they didn't really remember Christmas last year anyways so now everything Christmas is fun for them. The books make sense, the games make sense, etc.

[Serendipity]

I was closed for two weeks as well and like Momof4, mine were all so happy to be back that I think the first week back, was the best week we've had in a long time! They were all so tired from not having a routine schedule over the holidays that nap time was easy and longer than normal. Meal time was the same.

I'm starting to think I should close for a week every two months or so just so the kids can come back as happy as they did after the new year.

[fruitloop]

Yes, I hate taking holidays for that reason. It took me a month to get 1 of my newbies settled in and happy. Now he is right back at square 1. It makes it hard to want to take holidays when kids revert back but we need the break.

[Momof4]

Oh no Fruitloop, the newbies are definitely the challenge. That happened to me in the fall when I went to Ireland and I had a newbie who started over from scratch too. I feel for you!

Well, this week we are all back to reality, 5 days to work, ouch! Good luck to all of us.

[kidlove]

That's the downfall of a long break....every year when I take my time off during Christmas and New Years, I enjoy so much the peace and quiet with my family, they clean house and the freedom to go where ever when ever. BUT and a big but....when I get to the last day a vacation, i remind myself to get braced and ready...the fun is over and the hard work to begin!!! not only do I need to retrain myself, due to the peace and ease of cleaning and freedom, but I also need to step in and retrain every little child in care who has been spoiled rotten by extra time with Mom and Dad and other family to visit, Grandparents who spoil and Aunts and Uncles who laugh all day long at the childs every move. NOW, have to be the bad guy reminding that "no, you are not any more special than any other child in this room" have to retrain naps, eating habits and the need for attention they feel they are still obligated to. I hear ya! Try this one for size....my first day back I not only have a fuller than normal house, due to my two older kids home still on break, and a few more (past kiddos) come back for a day or two still on break...but, about 3 hours into my day, I get a puker........all over my daughters bedroom floor, she had the flu!!!!!! Welcome back to work!!!! Steamed my floors and furniture until 9 pm that night! I could spit in the eye of the person who says..."must be nice to stay home for a living!" ha......has it's downs just like any office job or out of home career. :) None the less, we dodged the flu for anyone else and the carpets are cleaner than ever. :)