I had the same incredibly over-reacting behaviour with a previous dcg, almost 4 at the time. In this case, it became pretty clear that there were ZERO rules at home, and the meltdowns worked on her parents. She freaked, they gave in. She freaked here, she was put in time out, and she had no idea how to handle it. There's only so much we can do to teach appropriate behaviour if it all goes out the window at home. I kept at it for 6 months before I had to throw in the towel. Six months with meltdowns every other second, that would last for an hour quite easily, was just too much. Some parents just don't seem to realize that letting their child have everything they want the second they want it just to avoid a tantrum is TERRIBLE parenting and makes our job nearly impossible. I doubt my previous clients' new daycare will last much longer than I did. You may be in the same boat if the parents don't start actually parenting. Good luck!