Quote Originally Posted by Lee-Bee View Post
Alright ladies help me out,

I have a 14.5 month old that was doing great for the last 2 months then just up and lost it and started screaming non-stop. I sent the kid home thurs afternoon and told them to keep the child home Friday as the child was not eating or drinking and was just screaming non-stop and clearly was just not fit for group care. I then went on vacation for a week and we are back and it is the same screaming non-stop.

They took the kid to the doctor and were told he's perfectly healthy that it is likely a combination of teething and personality and that "most kids go through this phase" gahhhhh I'd like that doctor to come hang out for a week and say that at the end of the week. I have worked with many kids this age over the years and I totally get that they go through phases and they throw tantrums and have bad days and phases where they are miserable due to teething etc. BUT tantrums have a start and an end and do not last 10full hours EVERYDAY for weeks. This is not 'tantruming' sure it could be teething...could be personality...but it is inacceptable in group care. The other kids are walking around with their hands on their ears in distress.

The parents said they have started to ignore it at home and the child tends to stop. Great BUT...I can't completely ignore it here...well, I can but the other 4 kids don't and they are too young to learn to leave the child alone so they try to bring toys to quiet him etc.

So, I pulled out the playpen and when the child screams the child now goes in there until calm. BUT... when the child does stop the child starts right up as soon as I make way to the playpen. So, do I still let the child out out and see if the child recalms in a minute and if not put the child back in...or do I just leave the child in the playpen?

I know the ladies on here tend to say don't remove a child from the table and when they scream to squeeze their hand and say 'no' but this does not work for this child. It worked months ago when transitioning into care but now the child just immediately throws everything on the floor and screams nonstop. The other kids are not eating because of the screaming banshee at the table. So I removed the child and sent to playpen nearby. The child did not eat any snack. Should I bring the child back to the table to keep trying (when calm) or just give one chance and be done? I don't particularly care if the child blows it and gets no snack but I don't think being hungry helps with the screaming all the time!

Any advice? What should I do outside? I don't have a playpen or anything to contain him in. I suppose I could bring a highchair out to strap the child into? Today we'll just skip outside time and keep the playpen going as I just started that an hour ago and I think it'll take a few days to get the idea.

Any advice? Thoughts as to why this would start over 2 months into care? The child used to be so happy, easy going and totally engaged with their friends and now there is pretty much zero playing or engaging at all.

I will give it some time before giving probation notice. How much time is reasonable? I don't much care to just terminate a child but I will not allow my typically calm easy going daycare to become overrun by a child that just screams 24/7. It is not fair to my other kids (or myself).

I'll accept ideas to end this screaming! The parents are likely to be onboard with anything to end it...despite my usual gentle approach with young children I am ready for the mean, hard approach as I believe this is the only option right now!
I currently have a dcb that was like that. He had and ok transition at the beginning, but after a few months he started crying/screaming/whining non-stop. Instead of the playpen I used the separated nap room (which also gave a break to everybody from the noise). I was very consistent, and I got him up to play when he stopped, if he started again he went again to his cot, and repeated until he stopped it. He went from unhappy, not eating well, not participating, no-cooperating to the current very happy, cooperative, well eater toddler.

It's all about consistency.

If he had a meltdown and refused to eat during mealtime, he had to wait until next meal. He didn't starved and learned to better eat every time food was served.