In the news: A center, rather than a home daycare!

[jammiesandtea]

So 5 kids from a French center-based daycare attached to a school here in Ottawa (Orleans area) disappeared while they were all playing outdoors in the playground (not fenced), (and not properly supervised either, apparently). They made it unnoticed to the woods surrounding the property and ended up on the other side of the woods at a woman's house who is luckily a good person, and apparently a grandma. She brought them back to the daycare.

My first two thoughts were: So glad they are safe and nothing terrible happened to them! And, thank god it happened on a center's watch instead of a home daycare! We don't need any more bad press. And centers are NOT the holy grail of child care.

http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipI...ylistPageNum=1

[mimi]

Thank goodness nothing happened to the kids. If I was one of the parents I would be extremely upset.
I think now some people will think the only safe place for their children is with a relative.

[cfred]

Has CBC been all over this too? Or do they just reserve their crucifixions for home daycare providers?

[jammiesandtea]

Someone on another board I posted this on made another excellent point about it as well: This is another example of how many parents no longer teach their children to respect authority, rules, and boundaries. Yes, they are young children, but kids aged 3, 4, and 5 are old enough to be taught to stay where they are allowed to be playing, and NOT to run off.

I am in NO WAY excusing the teachers. They were neglectful and should be charged with neglect, in my opinion.

But kids need to be taught to respect authority, and to obey the rules and boundaries. Those parents should ALSO be mad as hell at their KIDS for that behaviour, and there should be serious consequences for the little brats.

[jammiesandtea]

Has CBC been all over this too? Or do they just reserve their crucifixions for home daycare providers?

I don't know if it's been on CBC yet, cfred. I think it should be brought to their attention though, if not!

[Momof4]

Oh jammiesandtea, thank you for letting us know about this incident and I agree with everything you said about centres, but thank goodness for that lovely kind neighbour returning the children unharmed.

[cfred]

Someone on another board I posted this on made another excellent point about it as well: This is another example of how many parents no longer teach their children to respect authority, rules, and boundaries. Yes, they are young children, but kids aged 3, 4, and 5 are old enough to be taught to stay where they are allowed to be playing, and NOT to run off.

I am in NO WAY excusing the teachers. They were neglectful and should be charged with neglect, in my opinion.

But kids need to be taught to respect authority, and to obey the rules and boundaries. Those parents should ALSO be mad as hell at their KIDS for that behaviour, and there should be serious consequences for the little brats.

It's interesting that you say that. In an unrelated story....I had friends who had gone to a cottage with relatives, one of whom was a 3-4 year old girl. Apparently the girl had opened the door and wandered out toward the lake without anyone noticing. She had been gone for a few minutes before anyone noticed, they panicked, ran and got her (she was completely fine by the way). HUGE finger pointing and trying to lay blame on whoever was most irresponsible or wasn't paying enough attention. Apparently it was a pretty big spat. I asked my friend if anyone had thought to get angry with the child? I mean really, by 3 yrs of age, my kids and all my daycare kids have known to never, ever open that door. And it they did and actually went out.....well....wrat h of doG. I agree completely that children are given way too much leeway these days. They need to be taught at an early age that some things are unacceptable, dangerous and will incur a swift and unpleasant repercussion.

[betsy]

Come to think of it.....that directress from that daycare, wasn't she the childcare "expert" being interviewed by CBC or CTV during the death of a child in a unlicensed home daycare? I could be mistaken....

[mickyc]

For myself I would be very upset at the school but I agree, I would be asking my child what she thinks she was doing! This is what happens when we don't allow children freedom to play alone and unsupervised at home. They aren't being taught the skills they need so when they are let out somewhere that they aren't fenced in they think it is OK to go exploring. They aren't taught to respect boundaries because they likely have helicopter parents who watch every move they make and they aren't learning to think on their own. By the mother's reaction that child is learning to blame other's for his actions. He should have been disciplined and mom should be talking with the school director without him present!