White capris and dressy shoes?! Seriously?!

[DaycareLady]

Little girl, 14 months, comes today in the cutest outfit...but it includes white capris! She isn't really walking yet and my driveway is rock/dirt and side yard where the play stuff is is still muddy! Both my toddlers came in fancy little dress shoes! Needless to say the babes white capris are now dirt and grass stained and both toddler shoes are muddy!! I feel really bad, should I wash all these items?! I didn't want to hinder anyone's play by constantly telling them where to play to stay clean...did parents expect me to change them before going out?! I sent out a news letter the beginning of April that said my side yard is always wet until June/July and to please send child in rubber boots or appropriate foot wear!
*sigh*

[bright sparks]

Honestly, I would just say what you wrote in your original post to the parent's. This is daycare and you did not want to hinder their playtime by telling them not to play and stay clean. I always tell parents when they sign up not to send their kids in their best clothes. I would think that if you send them home with stained pants and shoes and give an explanation then they would learn their lesson or don't care anyway. If you just sent them home dirty without comment then parents might be a bit peeved. If you wash the clothes you are just setting yourself up for disaster.

[DaycareLady]

so true! thanks bright sparks!! The one toddlers shoe got stuck in the mud and then she was walking around in her sock too!! uhh!

[JennJubie]

I have dcg that comes in pretty frilly dresses every day. I flat out tell the parents that she is going to get dirty.

[bright sparks]

so true! thanks bright sparks!! The one toddlers shoe got stuck in the mud and then she was walking around in her sock too!! uhh!

Sorry but I totally laughed. Bless her...hopefully she wasn't to bothered though

[Dreamalittledream]

Trust me; send them home dirty a couple of times and parents will learn to send them in more appropriate clothing. I always used to say to my own provider for my boys when she would apologize for them being dirty from playing outside...a dirty kid is a happy one:).

[JennJubie]

In my case, it turns out the parents are perfectly okay with her getting the pretty dresses dirty. They're of the mind set that the dress won't fit forever, so she might as well be happy wearing them and getting dirty.

[sunnydays]

I agree with the others...but also wanted to add, do you ask parents to supply splash pants? All my dck's have splash pants here so if it is muddy, I throw those on and then I don't have to deal with the muddy clothing and mud being brought into the house etc.

[Sandbox Sally]

I had a family who always sent their daughter in cute little dressy clothes, and they would invariably be super pissy when I sent her home with ruined white tights. SHRUG. Sorry! We play, I warned you, she got dirty. I am not going to make her sit out because she's dressed inappropriately. It isn't her fault.

[michellesmunchkins]

I have one of these too only she is almost 4. Comes in tutu's every single day of the week!!! No shorts or tights underneath now that the weather is warm either...today has white tights under shorts so yep she is going home mighty dirty tonight. I would NEVER wash their clothes. I remind parents countless times that we play outside and that splash pants would be a good idea, and not to send them in good clothes but this particular child runs her parent's household so she always wins! They seem really pissy when she goes home dirty but oh well...I've done my job by letting her play and be a kid!

[Wonderwiper]

I agree with everyone else...send them home dirty! I tell all my parents during the interview that we roll in the dirt and they will go home filthy and happy!

I am like that Mom, I dress my girls in super cute outfits sometimes because I love how cute they look and don't give a rats as# if the clothes get dirty, that's what washing machines are for!!

[Wonderwiper]

Obviously weather appropriate clothing is a must. I wouldn't have my girls playing in the rain in little sun dresses!

[mom-in-alberta]

I hope you did not wash everything!!
I have absolutely handed over muddy kids at the end of the day. There is a section in my handbook that states that "dress" clothing is not to be worn at daycare. And that, like Dream said, a dirty kid is usually a happy one.
I don't think I have had any parents yet that are cranky about it. And if they were? Tough tootsies.
I do feel badly on occasion, because inevitably, the days we have spaghett with red sauce are the days that ALL the children are wearing pristine white shirts. LoL. Whooooops.

[JennJubie]

If it's something like pasta sauce on a white shirt, I have wet and bagged the shirt, and sent dck home in spare shirt. I don't wash their clothes. I'm afraid that if I ever did it once to be nice, it might be expected in the future.

[Momof4]

I had a family who sent their daughter in frilly dresses and bright white shoes when she was very small. That didn't last long because I will not tell children they can't play in dirt or puddles or mud and I put painting smocks on them but accidents happen. I kept stressing that we have FUN here and they caught on pretty quickly.

[DaycareLady]

None of the parents seemed too concerned, thank goodness! I did say "well at least you know they were having fun! Can't promise it wont happen again tomorrow!!" lol