Parent on Vacation

[Sandbox Sally]

A little "me time" is one thing. The post was started about 2 weeks vacation and the child here full-time the entire 2 weeks! That's not a little me time. That's screwed up priorities.

For sure. I was commenting on the whole thing, of parents going home to make dinner, or taking kids to daycare on days off, not just about the original post. Other posters before me were doing the same.

I totally agree with you. Please see the last sentence of my post.

[playfelt]

Personally I would rather the child stayed in daycare and stayed in routine. Nothing worse than taking two weeks back from vacation to get the child back into routine.

Entertaining kids all day is a lot of work and having a child sitting at home with no one to play with will be expecting the parent to do it and not all parents are good at playing - that is why they go to work at an office and we go to work in the playroom. Also it is no fun for a child to play by themselves at home while parent gets caught up on stuff that has been let go. Ok so what if they go for lunch with a friend. That doesn't mean they didn't spend the morning cleaning out a closet and taking a load of clothes to good will or giving the kitchen cabinets a good scrubbing. Both things that would not be fun or safe to concentrate on with the child underfoot.

And yes if they have to pay us anyways they might as well let us do the playing and feeding and supervising while they do what they want to do. Maybe that is the penalty we have to pay for not letting families not pay if they don't use us. The child in most cases is better off at daycare.

[Wonderwiper]

Honestly...I really don't understand why some posters are upset. Unless you expect a break just because the parent is at home why are you complaining? I am open 10 hours a day and don't care if you use 2 hours or 10, you pay me the same amount. How other parents choose to raise their children and organize their time has nothing to do with me.

[gcj]

I just feel bad for a little 2 year old who's dad has 10 days off and sends his kid all ten days from 8-5. A little balance is all I'm asking for. Maybe A morning??? For the kid?

And yeah...maybe I'm just ever-so-slightly jealous of this so-called "me time". What is that again?

[Sandbox Sally]

gcj, how old are your kids? Me time happens again. I promise. My youngest is almost 9 now, and after years of losing myself a little, and having next to no time to myself, I have tonnes of it now.

[gcj]

I was kidding around....mostly. I'm getting there. They're 7 and 5. Getting there in between gymnastics and hockey! Actually, that's become my entertainment! After being very sick 2 years ago, I learned the importance of me time!

[mom-in-alberta]

I just feel bad for a little 2 year old who's dad has 10 days off and sends his kid all ten days from 8-5. A little balance is all I'm asking for. Maybe A morning??? For the kid?


This.

Because the little two year old in question (very often) grows up to be a hard-to-manage 5 year old. Or an out-of-control teenager. Because I think, for me, what it comes down to is part of a larger picture.
The family I mentioned earlier, with the 3 kids? It was more important for mom to have an entire 10 hours to herself than to spend one extra hour with her kids. They saw that, and I could see in their behaviour what that was doing to them. At a time when they needed her the most, she was entirely focused on herself.
Am I blowing this out of proportion? Maybe. But I, personally, wasn't referring to the parent who *in general* puts the childrens needs before their own. I was referring to a larger pattern of ME-FIRST-parents.
I have little kids right now, and big kids. They are 11, 9, 5 and 1. I miss out on a lot, because I am busy doing their things right now. But the way I see it (and you give me hope here, Alpha!), I have plenty of time to get manicures. They are only this little for a little while.
I guess I just wish other people thought this way, too.

[Momof4]

Today I had a parent with a day off and last week too, they took a day off with their older child but brought baby to daycare. I don't mind one little bit when that happens. This same Mom brought her older child to daycare 3 days/week when she was bonding with her baby. I didn't have any problem with that either. This is a great family and I know they adore their children.

However, my problem family that I mentioned in my first post that ticked me off pushed lots of limits and those are the families that get to us. They have ALL their priorities messed up. The child was the worst behaved and more behind than any other child his age and I truly believe if his parents spent time with him and didn't leave him for 9 hours a day with me even when they were on vacation he might be a happier, better behaved child.

We know these children very well when we spend long weeks with them. We are intelligent women who can see exactly what is happening to the families in our care, they shouldn't underestimate us. They are paying us to raise their children it's true, but I still think they should take the responsibility as parents and BE parents whenever they can. All my other families are like that, the other end of the spectrum and I'm so grateful to have them in my daycare.

[Trace of Angels]

That's a little harsh, no?

I don't find it a little harsh alphaghetti. I worked for three years in a licensed centre and had so many children that would come every day for 11 hours a day Monday to Friday 52 weeks a year!!!!! Those are the parents that I am talking about. I know it's not every parent but I thought we were talking about the ones that WERE doing this. And it does make me sad. I thought we were entitled to our opinion on here?

[DisneyPrincess]

I didnt read all the posts, but parents on vacation or not... they are aloud to use the daycare so why would they pick up earlier. Yes its sad they dont spend that much time with their kid. In Quebec, I use to pay 7$ a day for daycare. I often had my kids with me, as much as I could, but here in Ontario, its so darn expensive, they want to have their moneys worth I guess. Yes again its sad that its on their child ''expense''.

Parents are tired and exhausted and like their time off alone, I find especially dads. Although we are tired and exhausted... all the way until our closing time, well its the profession we chose right ?!?!