Provider feedback about your child

[admin]

Hello everyone,

As a parent, what kind of feedback are you expecting from your provider?
Do you like to have a full account of every day's events and activities or just quick summary?
How open are you to constructive criticism about your child's development or behavior?

[Sunflower]

great question, I hope parents will respond to this

[gcj]

as a daycare provider, I can tell you what I inform the parents of....I use a journal to tell them everything that the child ate, how much time they slept for and any other useful information....unusu al behavior (good or bad), firsts, cute/funny thing....my rule is anything that I would want to know as a parent goes in their journals. It is usually brief, though. Some things are better said in person, but I'm often afraid of forgetting during the short time that they're at the door. Especially if more than one arrive at the same time, or I'm otherwise distracted with other children.

[agesandstagesdaycare]

What kind of journals are you using? Sorry to highjack this thread!

[Spixie33]

What kind of journals are you using? Sorry to highjack this thread!

I don't use a journal currently but I have had journals given to me by a daycare provider when I was using daycare and working outside the home.

I can say that from my own experience it was a notebook - probably from the dollar store about 7 inches by 4 inches. The daycare provider would write in it sort of like a diary by putting the date at the top. Then she would write a bit about the day. What they did, how my kids ate, if they went outside or not, any issues or 'firsts' that happened that day. ie. a new word or a new skill. Sometimes she would fill up 4 lines and other times a whole page. I really liked the journal because I could also write back.

The issue with the journal was that sometimes I would take it out and read it at home (i loved reading it at night to see what the day had been like for my kids) but then I would forget it and leave it on the counter. There were many days where my "mommy brain" would forget to send it back

[Nifer]

As a provider I would like to know when these journals are being filled out? Because we are busy playing and learning in the morning as well as have snack and lunch, then during nap time I clean up after the kids lunch, have my own lunch, rest, prepare afternoon snack as well as some of my family's dinner. After nap, we have snack play some more and kids go home.
When am I going to fill out 4-5 journals-let alone remember (exactly) what each child did?

[playfelt]

Nifer that is why I stopped doing the journals. I also found most of the disagreements I had with a parent was over something I had written in the journal that was taken the wrong way or especially from a new mom who didn't understand what group care meant. Just because a parent writes on the intake info that morning nap is from 9-10 in group care that can mean 8:45 if child seems tired or we need to go somewhere later in the morning or not be till 9:15 because we were busy with an activity and it made sense to finish it first. Same as you my afternoon is busy with my own things and I'm sorry but it isnt' my job to give the parents a play by play of the day. At pickup I tell them how the child slept, the menu if it isn't posted on the wall and how well they ate, if there were any issues with diapering such as more BM than usual. When I did do journals they were small spiral books - sort of 5x4 from the dollar store and if parent forgot the book there was no report - no loose pages. And they were only done until the child turned 18 months and or was doing one nap along with the rest of the group and eating basic table foods - ie there was nothing out of the ordinary care wise that needed to be reported on. I also found it hard to write about what each child played with since their attention span for any toy was only a few minutes long.

[Skysue]

I write daily reports for only my small children as I'm sorry but it's extremely important to know how there day went especially if they can't talk. What they ate and when they slept to me is a huge deal. For play it's just a general i.e : Free play, walk to park, story time, music time, outside play etc... It only takes me 10 minutes to fill them out. Who has time for a long chat at pick up? Especially if you have others to still oversee?

My parents love my reposts and look forward to them!

Nifer that is why I stopped doing the journals. I also found most of the disagreements I had with a parent was over something I had written in the journal that was taken the wrong way or especially from a new mom who didn't understand what group care meant. Just because a parent writes on the intake info that morning nap is from 9-10 in group care that can mean 8:45 if child seems tired or we need to go somewhere later in the morning or not be till 9:15 because we were busy with an activity and it made sense to finish it first. Same as you my afternoon is busy with my own things and I'm sorry but it isnt' my job to give the parents a play by play of the day. At pickup I tell them how the child slept, the menu if it isn't posted on the wall and how well they ate, if there were any issues with diapering such as more BM than usual. When I did do journals they were small spiral books - sort of 5x4 from the dollar store and if parent forgot the book there was no report - no loose pages. And they were only done until the child turned 18 months and or was doing one nap along with the rest of the group and eating basic table foods - ie there was nothing out of the ordinary care wise that needed to be reported on. I also found it hard to write about what each child played with since their attention span for any toy was only a few minutes long.

[Skysue]

I fill my reports out during nap time when I have my afternoon tea, it only takes 10 minutes for all!
They can also be filled out during free play after afternoon snack!

As a provider I would like to know when these journals are being filled out? Because we are busy playing and learning in the morning as well as have snack and lunch, then during nap time I clean up after the kids lunch, have my own lunch, rest, prepare afternoon snack as well as some of my family's dinner. After nap, we have snack play some more and kids go home.
When am I going to fill out 4-5 journals-let alone remember (exactly) what each child did?

[Skysue]

I only use 4x5 pieces of paper that get handed over at pick up or if I have time I place them in the diaper bag!

What kind of journals are you using? Sorry to highjack this thread!