Friday, November 30, 2012

Sick and tired

I am sick and tired of being sick or Luke being sick, and being tired. Wouldn't it be great to just wake up full of energy tomorrow and run around doing fun things all day?!  But no, I have a head, chest cold and Luke is wheezing and still has his splint on his arm. I guess I am just in a pity party kind of mood.  I just wish I could be that mom that had the super healthy life and healthy kid for a day or two now and then.

Monday, November 19, 2012

1 more day, 1 more day, 1 more day!  One full day left and then he gets the stinky cast off. We also start our 6 day vacation that day! 2 things to look forward to!  Yay us:) 

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Wednesday!

I am very thankful that Wednesday is getting closer.  Luke's cast is disgusting!  Smelly and it is literally falling apart at the top.  I can't wait till they cut it off!  And I get to give him a bath :)

Sunday, November 11, 2012

I DID IT!!! I sent the email! Here it is :)

I have tried multiple times to call you regarding the events that occurred on Luke's last day and the email I received from the director. Every time your phone has either been not receiving calls or I have gotten your voicemail. So I feel it best to send this email to you in place of a phone call.
The last week that Luke was at KinderCare he was only in attendance Monday(the day the broke his arm), a half day Wednesday, and a half day Friday.
I explained to  the Assistant Director on Wednesday that his arm was fractured and he was in pain and that he would not nap. But that his father would be picking his up between 12 and 1. Since this was a day he was supposed to be in his ONE hour Phonics class from 12 to 1 I thought this would work out well for all. His father arrived that day to a happy boy and calm center and picked him up. On Friday I went through the same speech with  the Director. She told me that the ONE hour Phonics class is really only 20 minutes and that he would need to nap if his dad wasn't there to get him. This really angered me since I was first dealing with an injured child who couldn't nap and second had been paying $100 a month for 3 ONE hour Phonics sessions a week only to now find out they were just 20 minutes.
That day when my husband arrived in the KinderCare parking lot he could see our son in the front hall of the center pressed against the glass door with the Director wagging her finger in his face. When he walked in she did not recognize him and acted like he was interrupting her scolding Luke. After he identified himself they went into the classroom where K, a new hire, repeated told the Director in front of my husband and Luke, that Luke had spit here and here and here and that it had to be cleaned up. Then my husband said Luke walked by her(K) and she flinched. At this point he asked for Luke's things and took him home because he so disgusted with their attitude toward our child.
A few days later I sent an email to the company and the Director stating that I felt he was unliked and she put it all back on Luke. HE needs to learn how to act, behave, etc.
I am still after all this time disgusted with her behavior and words. He is a 3 year old boy whose arm was severely broken. He had surgery several days later and had a 60mm screw placed to hold the bones together. If she had followed my directions, and not lied about the Phonics class, the situation would not have occurred.
Now that Luke is several weeks into a new childcare situation I can see how much harm having him at KinderCare was actually doing to his spirit. Which is very sad. He attended from 4 months old and I was very happy with his care until this August. When he returned this August the amount of transitions, classrooms, and teachers you were asking him to go through in one day was ridiculous: Breakfast room, 3s classroom, different room for lunch, then pre-k room for nap. And a teacher charge with each room change. Now that he is with one caregiver all day long he no longer cries when it is time to go to "school."
The saddest thing was a few days after his surgery I told him he was going back to school and he started screaming "NO, NO, NO!" and threw himself on the ground crying. After I explained that I didn't mean KinderCare he hasn't shed another tear, not even on his first morning of drop off at his new "school".
For a long time I would recommend KinderCare Atlantic Beach, FL to friends and co-workers because I honestly believed you were doing what was best for my child. I no longer believe that. He was just a number, profit.
 

Leaving Traditional Daycare

     It turns out it was a great decision. It means I can be sure Luke is not being manhandled by the director,verbally abused by teachers or the director, "taught" by various "teachers", put through 6 to 7 transitions a day, given food that makes him sick, and told how horrible he is. 
    Now he is told he is cute, loving, smart, and that he is kind. When he needs to make a different choice his nanny helps him make that choice without chaos or a mean spirit.
    I have to be a better mother now.  And that is okay too. I have to take charge of more educational lessons that daycare used to do.  But that's okay.  Because he is learning so much more about kindness and a playful spirit with his nanny.
    In the end I hope this works out for the long haul because it is bringing me a much calmer little boy everyday when I pick him up. And he no longer has anxiety about being dropped off in the morning. I also feel trust and confidence in his whereabouts and do not feel the need to rush to him.
     Good decision.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

In 18 days Luke will get his cast off and his arm x-rayed.  Then hopefully the doctor will say my lil Super Hero can move on to a soft cast. He knows now that he cannot fly, we remind him on a daily basis.  I wish he didn't have to have surgery again to get the screw out of his arm, but when he does something he does it right!