What was she thinking?

[mimi]

At pick up we were in my backyard. Dcm comes to pick up her son who I have posted about before. Very big boy (3 yrs old) and his parent kneel before him like he is their God................. .anyway. My exit gate is at the side of my house where the kids are not allowed to play. I am escorting mom and dcb out when she approaches my gate and says " see xxxxx this is how you open it. You stand on your tiptoes (he can then reach) and then you just lift the latch and it is open."
I just stared at her and then blurted out "are you kidding me?" She replied "Oops, haha, I guess that wasn't the smartest thing to do" and off she went. Now I am going to have to move the latch up after that demonstration.

[JennJubie]

Wow. Some people have no common sense at all.

[dodge__driver11]

You know what i would do?? And this sounds totally harsh, but I would have her pay for you (if it costs ) to make any changes to the gate...If it doesn't cost I would simply say "Gates stay closed for child safety and this sill will be taught by me when and if appropriate."

[Sassygirl]

Unbelieveable! Some people are just CLUELESS!

[playfelt]

I agree with dodge. Buy a new hook and eye type latch you can put up out of reach and then photocopy the bill and hand it to the mom with a comment like your "lesson" the other day will cost you one new latch to put at the top of the gate or your child will no longer be safe at my house. IF she pays it fine but I would let it go after that in the sense that you got your point across.

[Crayola kiddies]

what a twit .....charge her for labor to install the thing too ; )

[playfelt]

Kind of sounds like a passive-aggressive power trip on her part - she knew better for sure. Keep your eyes and ears out for other signs and don't be afraid to speak up and put her in her place the next time she starts something like that.

I would also be speaking to the boy even right in front of him mom to address the rules at your house and remind him that if you ever catch him so much as trying to reach the gate latch that he will be sitting in time out for the rest of the playtime and suffer additional consequences should he not learn from the first incident. It lets mom know again that her actions will cause hardship for the chid potentially and she has no one to blame but herself.

Another good option would be a padlock on the gate with you wearing the key and you can let her in and out at your schedule and is she doesn't like having to wait a bit well she brought it on herself.

[Artsand crafts]

OMG is people getting dumber??? How can you ensure the safety of her son if she is teaching him how to stop keeping your daycare safe?????? Wow! This is a new one for me...

[Skysue]

Why move anything he needs to know that it's like a front door etc...he needs to ask you before even thinking of touching it! PERIOD

[playfelt]

Problem now is because the caregiver knows the child can open it there is the risk that he will and another child might escape while she is busy tending to another child in the yard so for the safety of the daycare the provider needs to change the locks - higher, stronger, type, etc.

One of the things I did when we had the new fence put in was to have two gates put in. One is at the front and one is at the back so parents need to come through two gates to get to the yard, latches are very high but it means from the back of the house no one can get down the side of the house. That is where the gas meter and the air conditioner are.