venting

Ok this post is about me venting. If you don’t want to hear, well ok read about it, take your mouse and click on the red “x” and save yourself from my rants and raves tonight.

 

As the most of you know I am a licensed daycare provider. I try to help parents by being available when they need me. I will open earlier than I really want to and stay open later if I really need too, even if it does cut into our family time.  But what drives me bonkers the most is when some parents are a no call/no show! You see today this little girl from down the street was suppose to start this morning at 5:30 AM so that would mean I was to get up around 5:15ish let her in, then I was going to lay her down until I needed to get myself up to get our kids and this little girl up for school. Help her get on the bus and get her off and then she would stay here until 3:30pm. So if she comes, I have to find someone to pick my kids up from school or else one of my kids would have to be in the front seat, which I really don’t want to do! I called her mom Sunday night and told her that I have some paperwork for her to fill out and to give me a phone call. Never said if the paperwork wasn’t filled out she can’t start until its done.  When she came down earlier she told me she would be home all night and just to call her, so we can figure everything out. Well I didn’t hear from her Sunday night or Monday until 6:00pm! When she called she made up some excuse that she has been busy one of her daughters didn’t let the dog out so she had to clean dog poo up thru the house, etc, etc. Then she asked if she can come down sometime tonight to fill out the paperwork. I then told her since today was a no call/no show she already has one strike against her. Also asked her if she is accepted for DHS(state help for paying daycares) payments. Yes but she still has to get a hold of her case worker. Sorry but I have been stuck with no payments from other parents who are FIA payments (but I have also had a lot of great FIA parents!) so she would have to pay every two weeks until her FIA payments come thru then I will repay her back. Then she pretty much hung up on me.  I am sorry but this is my job, watching kids,which I enjoy, this pays my bills. Lets see her go to work and do her job for 6 weeks with no payment. I also have bills that need to be paid,  need money for food to feed her daughter.   What is crazy is she smokes so I guess if she gave up on her cigs for a few days or even cut down she might have enough to pay me.  I don’t understand why some people feel that daycare is one of last bills that need to be paid. I feel daycare should be just as important as your gas bill, water bill or whatever bill you make sure you pay. If you don’t pay your daycare then they won’t let your child in which mean you miss work, miss pay, and then you will fall behind or loose that ever so important bill, cable, cell phone etc. SO needless to say I will NOT be up at 5:15 AM tomorrow.

 

Ok I am down venting I hope the next post will be on a happier note.

up on a soap box-venting

OK if you don't want to listen to me vent about car seat stop reading NOW! You have been warned.

I will say I am a car seat nerd. Why I am not sure but I am. I love seeing the new car seats that come to the market. I have taken two classes on car seats, I am not a car seat tech, so by no means I am I a car seat expert, I don't know everything about car seats, but I do know a lot. Some of my "education" on car seats have come from the classes that I have taken and also what I have learned from kyle david miller foundation and Out numbered by testosterone and just searching the web. So again I am no expert. Yes have I make a few mistakes with my kids and their car seats. YES I have. Which ones you ask. Well for starters when Katey and Camron were little I turned them around before they were one. At that point I didn't know what I know now. I am not sure if the information was out their, I am sure it was but I didn't know it, but with Jacob he is 2 and still rear facing. Does he care NOPE not one bit. Are his legs crunched no, he just hangs them over the edge or crosses them. When I see other babies/kids either buckled in wrong or the car seat not tight I will normally try to help and offer what I know, and its up to the the parent to make the choice if they follow my advice. Again I am not an expert. With me being a daycare provider I feel its my "job" to help the parents with not really raising their babies, but helping them along the way. I will offer my advice when they ask or if it looks like I can help out some other way. What I never understand is when you buy a new infant seat/car seat it comes with directions on how to use them. Most people don't even read these little books. WHY? Some people don't pay any attention to the height and weight requirements. WHY? They come with this information for a reason. You don't buy a new DVD player or a new game and just toss the directions away do you? NO you normally glance at them to figure out how to use the darn things. A car seat is no different than a new DVD player or a game. When you learn about car seats you can go crazy when you see someone with their seats wrong, harness too loose, forward facing too early, chest clip too low(people it DON"T belong down by their belly's) the baby sitting up on a pillow and more. IF you ask me, which no one ever does, before anyone is allowed to bring their newborn infants home they should have to take a car seat class on how to install them right. And when the child is ready for the next stage of seats they should have to again take a class on car seat safety. Yeah it seems like a lot but its OUR kids that we are keeping safe. Yeah you can over all your outlets in covers, put a padding around your coffee table, shoot even hire someone to come into your house to show you all the "hidden" dangers in your house but when it comes to your car seat most people are clueless! So for the ones who are still reading this, thank you. Now take the time out of your busy day and learn something about your car seat or take a class on car seat safety. If you know just something little about car seat safety share it with others. As parents we should help other parents when they need it. Its not just our kids that we are keeping safe its our kids classmates, friends, or maybe the next president.