When you know more then the parents...

[apples and bananas]

A parent comes to drop off their child and in conversation they say something like...

"Little suzy said her abc's last night! for the first time!" or

"Johnny said your name all the way here this morning"

Ok, well, suzy's been saying her ABC's for 2 weeks now because she learned it at daycare. And Johnny won't stop saying my name during the day! LOL

How do you respond? Do you let the client know that they've been doing it for weeks? Do you just celebrate the milestone?

[Crayola kiddies]

I would say "yes we've been practising "

[Dreamalittledream]

As a Mom who was in tears b/c my first son took his first steps @ daycare...I just let it go & let the parents treasure the moment.

[mimi]

Yeah I agree with Dream, just smile and say he's a smart boy. They KNOW where he learned it. :rolleyes:

[Bookworm]

Yeah, I just tell them we've been practising too. I also had a mother tell me I had permission to push her daughter down if it looked like she was going to take her first steps here instead of at home. I never tell the parents if their child took their first steps here, and when they come to me and tell me, I always say, "I knew it was coming, glad you got to see if first".

[Other Mummy]

Yup, agree with the others on this one. Let them know you've been practicing, but let them think they completed this "milestone" on their own. Especially the first steps when you have an infant.

Parents feel immense guilt leaving their kids (I did when I worked outside the home when my son was little) and will be over the moon thinking they have experienced all the "firsts". It's a daycare providers secret that these first steps and milestones were done days or weeks whilst in our care :laugh:

[mimi]

Yeah, I just tell them we've been practising too. I also had a mother tell me I had permission to push her daughter down if it looked like she was going to take her first steps here instead of at home. I never tell the parents if their child took their first steps here, and when they come to me and tell me, I always say, "I knew it was coming, glad you got to see if first".
WHAT? Push her child down? WOW!:no:

[Bookworm]

Mimi...I guess I should explain she was joking about me actually pushing her child down. I would never do it. She just didn't want her to have her first steps here.

[mimi]

thanks for clarifying Bookworm! That really bothered me

[playfelt]

Yes agree - keep the info to yourself. Oh great news that she is doing that at home; we have been working on our letters at daycare. Then you haven't lied either in the sense that just because she has been able to do it at daycare for two weeks the ability to carry the info home and redo it is also a milestone.

There is also the option to let parents know when child has mastered some skill at daycare but then you run the risk of the parents grilling the child and spoiling their interest in further mastering the task.

Walking always happens at home first. Often it happens at pickup in that child turns sees the parent and then toddles over at least a few steps. I get all giddy and do the oh my goodness those are real steps as if it is the first time for me too. I knew it was going to happen soon he has been trying so hard as if he wanted to.

[mimi]

I have a daycare parent that takes all the credit for her daughters achievements. When I mention something she has done successfully here she always says "oh yes, she's been doing that at home for a long time". We don't sit in front of the boob tube all day lady, the kids actually learn things here too. LOL

[sunnydays]

I agree with the others. Like Dream, my son took his first steps at daycare and his provider told me...I went home and cried :( I wished she hadn't told me. I am now very careful not to tell parents if a child hits a big milestone like that for the first time with me. In fact, I have a little guy who didn't walk until 19 months, but when he finally did it, he did it here with me (I really worked on it with him). I just hinted to the parents that he seems really ready and they might want to give it a try that evening. The parents sent me an elated email with a video attached of their child walking. They said they had a feeling he had done it already with me, but that I wanted it to be their moment. They were really really happy. I wouldn't have wanted to take away from that moment.

[Sandbox Sally]

I really keep it on the DL if any milestones happen here. When presented with a comment like the one in the original post, I smile and say, "oh that's great. We've been practicing". If they push further, I wouldn't lie, but they never do. :D

My sister in law took care of my first daughter when she was tiny while I went to work. My daughter took her first steps while at my sis in law's house. Sis in law didn't tell me until last year. My daughter is 13! :laugh:

[Mamma_Mia]

I wouldn't count saying the ABC's as a "milestone"....unless it was their first words or steps etc. I would do the "we've been practicing" line but otherwise I'd say nothing until the parents found out on their own.

[Momof4]

Put yourself in the shoes of the parents who know they are missing out on so much. I also make sure they take their first steps at home or whatever the case may be before I make any announcements.

The great clients are the ones who come in and say "Have you been practicing the abc's because dckid said them last night"? Those are the golden clients who know we are working hard to teach their child and it's paying off and are actually giving us the credit. That happened to me last week and I almost fell over. Usually it's the way you described and they think they taught their child.