Any tips to help a new one settle in?

[apples and bananas]

i had one like this... she started at 12 months and would stand at the front door and cry all day. My only saving grace was that she ate well, but would still cry as she was eating. She did this behaviour for 3 weeks! Yup... 3 weeks of walking to the front door crying.

I made the mistake of taking them outside before pick up one day so mom came through the gate... guess where she stood when we went outside after that day? yup.. right at the gate.

One days she just stopped. We went about our daily routine and if she wanted to stand by the door and cry that was up to her. She had the right to express herself... just like I had the right to ignore it. LOL

She's great now... sleeps 3 hours at a time... eats like a champ... comes to me in the am and says bye to mom... she even walks around her house all weekend saying my name. LOL

Hang in there... it's so hard to see them upset, but it's a process they have to go through. And if mom decides to pick up mid day then all the power to her... less noise for you to deal with in the afternoon. Don't try to force anything... he'll get comfortable in his own time.

Oh! And have a bottle of wine always ready to pop open at 5:30 when all the kids leave... it helps.

[apples and bananas]

Well, they've decided to quit sending their son. Mom emailed me last night and said that he is more whiny and clingy at home (won't go to bed and won't let mom out of the same room as him, etc), so they are just going to send him to stay with grandparents all the time. While I am a bit relieved, I'm also a little sad because I know this poor guy isn't going to get any better about being away from his parents or learn how to interact in a group setting with other kids. I was willing to push through the crying phase (which I'm sure would have ended at some point, although it would have felt like forever) but parents are not. I hate to be judgemental at all (I am well aware that I'm not always the perfect parent!) but I feel like they should have continued on, at least for a month, before caving in to a one year old. IMO they aren't doing him any favors in developing his social skills. Rant done. Thanks for your replies everyone!

We must have been writing at the same time. Too bad you've lost him. It sucks to go through all of that transition for nothing.

[Momof4]

First, I never do half days because how are the new children supposed to learn how our days work? They need to learn the entire daily routines. It takes weeks for full-time children and sometimes months for part-time children before they are comfortable with daycare. Every day is a learning process for them and for us. We get to know their signals for hunger and frustration and tiredness so we can make our routines work for all the children. They learn that there is a schedule to be followed and that they don't rule the house like they do at home.

I hope your next clients will be better clients.

[apples and bananas]

First, I never do half days because how are the new children supposed to learn how our days work? They need to learn the entire daily routines. It takes weeks for full-time children and sometimes months for part-time children before they are comfortable with daycare. Every day is a learning process for them and for us. We get to know their signals for hunger and frustration and tiredness so we can make our routines work for all the children. They learn that there is a schedule to be followed and that they don't rule the house like they do at home.

I hope your next clients will be better clients.

I like half days but I think they are more for me then the new child. I think half days give me a chance to get to know the child and gives me a break in the afternoon if the child is a problem. I always have drop off happen at the same time. When the child starts full time they just stay longer

[Momof4]

That's funny apples & bananas and that's why it's so important for us to give each other our advice. What works for one of us won't work for another and we learn by trial and error in this business, but it's great to have all of the ideas at our disposal so we can try different methods. I tried half days with one client for a few months and it was so disruptive I couldn't continue. So they took full days instead of losing their space.