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I am a new daycare provider and my new mom just told me today that her 12 month old had a bite mark on his arm last night. I am pretty sure that my friend's 23 month old must have done it yesterday when I was in another room. I heard him cry but thought that he may have been hit with a toy. I feel so bad and cannot stop thinking about it. Any words of advice or similar experiences. Thanks for your help and support.
First of all, relax! Stuff happens with little children, tempers flare and 2 seconds later they are laughing together. Kids are nuts! Obviously there was no blood or you would have noticed immediately. It's awful when you are in the next room and hear a sickening crack and you just know somebody got hit over the head with something and you go back in the room and everyone is looking innocent except the child who is crying. These things happen all the time.
Second, always remain calm and in control if a parent asks you a question like this. Tell them the truth, that you were out of the room, heard the cry and immediately went to the child's aid. The 12 month old most likely couldn't verbalize or even point to the arm because 12 year olds just cry, so how could you know what happened with a lack of blood (thank goodness). But let the parents know that your eyes are off the children very rarely.
I can see from my kitchen through my dining room and into my living room/toyroom and I almost always have my eyes on all the children, even when preparing meals. But this kind of thing happens here too once in a while.
Now relax and enjoy your weekend and don't worry about a thing. As for the biter, watch that child like a hawk next week and if that happens again deal with it with a timeout or removing the child from the other children at the very least so that he learns the behaviour is unacceptable. By 23 months a child understands discipline and when an adult is using a raised, firm voice to show they mean what they are saying.
Thanks so much, momof4, for your words of support. I have 4 kids of my own but it is so different when you are responsible for other people's kids!
Oh yes, you have that right! But take heart, because other people's children will listen to us a lot faster than our own children.
I agree, kids get hurt a lot! I had a new child who fell twice on his first day, ended up having two big bumps on his head at pick up time. I felt awful!