Parent leaving child in driveway and leaving

[Other Mummy]

:ohmy: In my almost 4 years of doing daycare, this is the first time I've encountered this. My last drop off of the morning of a 3yr old dcb. Dcd rings bell, opens my door as I'm walking up from the daycare to answer door. He tells me he is running late cause of the snow (I'm in Southern Ontario/Toronto). Dcb is standing on my walkway which is right next to the driveway. I peek my head out and dad is rushing to get back in his car, turns on the ignition and starts BACKING out of my driveway as his son is standing literally 2 feet away from dad's moving car!!! I yell out "WAIT" to dcd. Dcb is calling out "daddy!". I'm terrified he's going to run into the car or fall and get hit as there is a lot of snow out in the path (even though hubby cleared it at 5:00am).

I don't even have shoes on. I run out in my SOCKS! Grab daycare boy as dcd is pulling out of my driveway. WTF!!! I'm going to have a very long chat with DCD at pick up tonight. I'm livid. Not only did I have to leave the other daycare kids unattended..but his son could have been seriously injured.

Every other parent at least walks their child in, gives them a hug and says goodbye (most even undress their child of their outer clothing). I don't care if he just left him inside the door and hastily left, but he left the kid in the driveway/pathway.

Letter going out tonight that all parents MUST see their children inside prior to leaving. DCD would have been VERY late for work if he had to take his child to the emergency room this morning. What a friggin idiot. Can you tell I'm mad. I'm still shaking.

[5 Little Monkeys]

That is crazy!! I would definitely be having a talk with him as well.

I request that all parents undress their own child and bring them down to daycare. I don't have time to be undressing them and supervising the others. The parents are expected to tell me about their night/morning as well.

[Daycare123]

This is completely nuts!!! I expect that all parents undress their own child and see them at least into the daycare...wow.

[AmandaKDT]

That is so unsafe! This is in my parent policy handbook:

'Children will be supervised, either directly or indirectly, at all times while in the child care home. The childcare provider assumes responsibility for the child when the parent has made verbal contact with the provider and leaves the home. Parents will assume responsibilty for their children at all other times.'

All my parents also undress their own children.

The only exceptions I make are for my school age kids, I have an 8 year old that walks to school by herself so I don't mind that her parents don't walk her to the door.

[Other Mummy]

AmandaKDT, This is also in my policy and handbook! I texted dcd to let him know we need to discuss at pick up! If this ever happens again, Instant Termination.

[mickyc]

That is crazy! I also have it in my contract that parents are responsible for undressing their child in the morning which means coming downstairs with them. I have had parents who are too lazy to come down and just undress their child and make them carry their coat down themselves and I thought that was ridiculous. I cannot imagine a parent ever doing what that dad did.

[Lou]

He was able to walk up, ring the doorbell and walk into your house, but wasn't able to pick up his child and bring them in??? WTF is wrong with him? I hope he feels really dumb.

[daycaremom9]

Oh wow, it kind of blows my mind that we need to have policies for basic things that you would think any parent would know.

[Lou]

How did your little chat go?

[mickyc]

Very interested in how things went at pick up time

[Other Mummy]

Well....let's just say I don't think dcd will be doing anymore drop offs like yesterday morning.
I texted dcd mid morning and asked him if he or his wife will be coming to pick up dcb this evening as we need to have a talk about the manner that dcb was dropped off this morning in my care.

Dcd called immediately and practically begged me not to discuss this with his wife. I told him that is why I'd rather talk this issue with him. And that if my hubby did that it would be World War 3 at my house! He apologized right away for his irresponsible behavior and that it will never happen again. I reminded him that if it does, it's instant termination.

Did I let him off....Hell NO! I told him to save his apologies for his son. I also reminded him that he put my other daycare kiddos in jeopardy (I had an unsteady toddler on the potty, and two other dck's painting...ok, so that's not so bad...but I envisioned paint everywhere, handprints, dumped paint, etc) and as I had to run out and retrieve his son in my SOCKS!

I reminded him of page 5 of my policy that states "no child shall be left unattended in the driveway..must be brought in and undressed...etc". I told him in no uncertain terms that I don't care how late he is for work in the future, he needs to bring dcb inside the daycare and hand him off. He really put his tail between his legs and I could hear in his voice that he felt really, really stupid. So he should! I'd rather have a very ashamed feeling dcd then an injured child due to parental negligence!

And dcd gets my IDIOT award for 2013!