Food Diary

[playfelt]

I used to do the reports but then questioned their value. If the parent trusts me to feed and care for their child then they need to trust that I did. Besides I can write anything in the book to please or should I say appease a parent and will admit I have. If parent said nap was to be 9:00 then that is what I wrote even though it was really 9:15 because when I was honest mom questioned me. I am not a nanny reporting to a supervisor and that is what I have always been made to feel like when doing reports - like I have to justify how I spent my time while on duty.

I speak to each parent at pickup and note anything out of the ordinary or comment on the day but that is all now.

After a couple of months it gets to be boring and routine and seems like a waste. Whether the child got changed at 9 and 11 or 8:30 and 10:45 has nothing to do with the child`s bowel habits but more with my play schedule that day so it is meaningless. Does a poop at 9 or 10 really matter? As stated above I note to parents things out of the ordinary to watch for as in didn't poop yet today or pooped already twice or didn't feel like eating much today. As for nap I let them know what time their child woke up for infants so it helps to determine evening routine but again we pretty much move from event to event and by a certain time infants are just woke up to finish the day before hometime so parent would be told if child woke up alone or if I had to wake them - simple verbal sentence.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I used to do the reports but then questioned their value. ....

This is my feeling as well - I kept those logs in CENTRE care because communication was a challenge for parents ... they dropped off to one caregiver in the morning and picked up from another and in the midst of the day 2-3 more caregivers might have assisted in their care ... the communication logs about 'what I did today' in regards to the eating, sleeping and pooping was as much for PARENTS as it was for PROVIDERS sharing the duties

At home - it is just me and 5 kids I am able to 'remember' the day pretty well and tell parents verbally quicker than I can 'record it. That said I keep a personal log for MY EYES because there are stuff I need/want to have a written record of for tax reasons or 'recollection' if a challenge arises ... so yes I do 'track' these things however I only share it with the parent if I have a CONCERN otherwise my frame of mind is if they are happy and healthy at the end of the day than yes they ate, slept and pooped as they needed so lets focus on conversations on things that are IMO more valuable to know

I honestly tell clients when they ASK for something like this "in the grand scheme of 'memories' you want cherished from his/her childhood would you rather I spent my time creating a How I ate ,slept and pooped journal or would you like me to use my energy and free time to plan an awesome experience for your child each day and snap some photos and do a little journal about what MATTERS 20 years from now .... who they WERE as a child, the things they enjoyed, the triumphs they had and so forth because YES that I will do