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We hear a lot about the bad things and downsides. But what are good experiences,outcomes,etc? Share Green flags that you have seen

Hello, I was at a shift at a center and I work for tandem. Tandem is a childcare app where you can accept shifts at different childcare centers. I was at one and this teacher was telling me about how someone came from tandem, and they were on they're phone pretty much the whole time. I am baffled because with tandem we are not supposed to be on our phone. However the teacher kept saying they were on the phone all the time.

I just wonder why people accept shifts and then don't follow the rules and do the job right. Like what is the point of accepting a shift for you to not watch and interact with the children. Another story the teacher also said on another separate day a tandem worker left mid shift and never returned. The person didn't let them know anything and left mid-shift without returning. Some people just baffles me because this is just so unprofessional and not right. It also makes people on tandem look bad when others act this way. Anyways just my opinion because this is just so unfortunate.

My fellow ECE’s, what are we wearing to work in daycares these days? I’m big on comfort so my go to is leggings and a hoodie

Sooo every time you get a job, employer ask you to get a health screening done with you primary care physician right?

What if you do not have primary care!! (No judgement here. Everyone has different life)

EMPLOYER HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT under CALIFORNIA LABOR CODE SECTION 222.5

And I notice A LOT of employers don’t know about it!! (I noticed it because I had to go through few jobs this year.) or they pretend they don’t know? 🤷‍♀️

Ask your employer to pay for that if you don’t have insurance or primary care yet. You are protected by law.

Also, if you already started a job and they asked to go get it, they have to pay for the time you are gone for the screening, if it happens on the work hours.

I wanna raise more awareness about this through childcare employers. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I am a 2nd year Interior Design student gathering research for a project to use in my design process to explore how Interior Design can shape the future of education. This project is specifically focused on children aged 3-5 in early years education and how humanities based subjects are taught in schools and at home.

The questionnaire is informal and will be anonymous, I am hoping to find any gaps in education that I can use as a basis for my project so your participation and insight would be greatly appreciated!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5TdqigNcZmH_NM9HXy1TayFNBWfQrJf3Oo6Ht6vc_3h8nnA/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Hoping to get some insight into whether this is common and I'll run into this regardless of what center I send my baby to for care, or if I should be advocating a bit more for my child.

My 3 month old exclusively breastfed baby started daycare a few weeks ago. We introduced a bottle early on so that they take one, but I had a hard time figuring out how much they would want to take from a bottle for long periods away from me before starting daycare. I send 4 bottles plus frozen every day and have been trying to figure out the best amount per bottle and asked that they feed every 2-3 hours. My baby prefers to eat smaller amounts more frequently (e.g every 2-2.5 hours) which I think is developmentally appropriate for a breastfed baby this age. I ask everyday if the bottle amounts are okay and have slowly gone up in amounts (started at 3.5 and recently went up to 5 oz per bottle) because they keep saying my baby gets fussy at the 2-2.5 hour mark. So I was suspecting they really want to get on a 3 hour schedule.

They tried giving my baby 5 oz at once and they won't finish that amount, but rather takes 3-4 oz and then they try to get my baby to finish the rest before the bottle times out and does not always finish the 5 oz. Normally only gets through 3/4 bottles.

I keep asking what they think is working and am trying to be collaborative in the process because at the end of the day I just want my child fed when they are hungry and I know the daycare environment is different than home. I asked if it would be better to break up the milk into more bottles and smaller amounts, but they said that would be hard to manage. I feel like my baby is just not ready to space out feedings to 3 hours and them trying to push for that is making me feel not great. I know it would be easier if all babies were on a predictable schedule.

Is this what I'll run into this no matter where I send my child? Should I just give it more time for the adjustment to daycare?

My baby is also not napping great at daycare right now, which I think is contributing to overall fussiness. I'm just going to send 5 oz per bottle for now and see how it plays out.

Just need some validation that these are problems and I’m not being an over - reactive first time parent

My baby is 16 weeks and has been at her daycare for 3 weeks- I tried to give this some time because I knew the transition would be tough but there are some things that are really bothering me

1- she is in a classroom with children that are all atleast 6 months older than her- they are all walking
2 - everytime I pick her up or they post photos she is in a swing or bouncer
3 - they will have her go up to 4 hours without a nap - she comes home absolutely exhausted - I knew she might have longer wake windows at daycare because there’s a lot going on but that is double the amount we can keep her awake at home for a wake window without her being miserable so I just don’t even understand how they are achieving 4 hours without a nap without her screaming and crying
4- they consistently do not log things in the app- they will log that she ate 0 ounces from a bottle and when we go to pick her up no one can tell us how much she actually ate
5- my most concerning we went to pick her up and she was asleep in a swing- they hadn’t logged she was napping so we asked how long she had been asleep and they couldn’t tell us - this is crazy to me because sleeping in a swing is NOT safe sleep and they told us on our tour that they don’t even allow the babies to stay in a swing or bouncer for longer than 15 minutes even if they are awake so now I’m wondering how many times she has maybe slept in a swing and they just didn’t log it and that’s why it looks like she had 4 hour wake windows.
6- I pick her up and she will soaking wet from spit up and milk leaking from her bottle while she eats - I understand babies are messy but she keeps getting chafing rashes in her neck rolls from not being dried off and we do send in plenty of bins and burp rags for her
7- several times she has had a different binky on her or in her crib- I put her initials on her binky on her first day

Again my most concerning is letting her sleep in the swing and having no idea how long she has been asleep but please let me know if these are un realistic complaints I have PPA and PPD that I am medicated for and I don’t want to be the parent who complains if it’s really unwarranted

Hi everyone! I would really appreciate some guidance from ECE professionals who have experience with toddlers.

My 2-year-old son attends daycare. Since the weather is getting colder, his educators put his jacket and hat on for outdoor play. However, once he comes indoors, he refuses to take them off and keeps them on until pickup, even during nap time.

He wears a cotton T-shirt and fleece sweater underneath his jacket, so he already has three layers on. I've tried encouraging him to remove his jacket at daycare, but he refuses and only removes his jacket when he reaches at home.

Since the other children and staff wear half sleeves and lighter clothing indoors, I'm worried he might get too warm, especially while sleeping.

My questions are:

1. Is it safe for him to wear his jacket and hat indoors for several hours, including nap time?

2. How can I help him get comfortable removing them without forcing him?

3. Do you experienced something similar to toddlers, and what worked for you?

I would really appreciate your advice and suggestions. Thank you! ❤️

I’m reaching the point of suicidal ideation currently. I don’t know how much longer I can carry this plate of mine without something breaking.

I love early childhood. I love teaching. I love making a positive impact in the lives of children because I believe what we teach them now has the potential to set them up for success, or genuinely break them in their futures. I want to be one of the reasons children grow up to be emotionally intelligent adults. Plus, every child deserves a good childhood.

But I can’t plate it anymore. I have been working at this particular center for 6 months. I show up, I work hard, I’m assisting my lead teacher in every way that I can. My boss asked me to do the CDA program. I was more than willing to get my CDA. I am currently 2 months into my program.

But I am spent. I am completely burnt out. I deal with challenging behaviors daily, I close the center twice a week (on the days I don’t have class), which equates to 10 hour shifts. And I’m just the assistant.

I carry the backbone tasks on my shoulders, so my lead teacher looks good and is supported (my employers words). But I’m barely supported and I’m drowning, trying to hold myself together.

Today was absolutely defeating and I just want to quit and say fuck it to the CDA because I can’t do this anymore. I’m so tired of working so hard, just for my boss to make it come across like I’m not doing enough, I’m fucking up in every area, I’m only good at changing diapers. I need positive feedback for once. And not some superficial, sugarcoated nonsense that is just a coat standing for all the other ways my ethics as an educator are being torn down.

I’m exhausted. My exhaustion is leaking into every other area of my life. My partner & I are on a break for a few reasons. But my workload being so stressful being one of them. I can’t plate any extended compassion for friends or him because I’m so depleted, trying to keep myself afloat. I barely have time to breathe, or attend social events that would seriously help my mental health and refill my cup. My partner is amazing and does so much to help me. But he deserves a me at my fullest capacity.

It’s sending my mental health down the drain. I don’t know how much more I can take this.

Name and age:

Country:

1. Where do you teach?

2. How many years have you been teaching Early Childhood Education?

3. What inspired you to become an ECE teacher?

4. What are the common challenges you face as an ECE teacher?

5. How do you overcome or address these challenges?

1. What are your main responsibilities as an ECE teacher?

7. What teaching strategies or activities do you use to help young children grow?

1. What advices can u give to future ece teachers?

I recently started working at a daycare facility, i rotate between classrooms so i know almost all the staff. Im the youngest here (22) and i'm very introverted. I'm good with the kids, they all like me and i'm very helpful, always doing chores and cleaning after the teachers. The thing is i've gotten many comments about how quiet i am, specially from one teacher. She keeps asking me if i'm okay cause i don't talk and she told me "she's getting used to me even tho i'm quiet" and "doesn't understand why i'm quiet because her father is a virgo like me and talks all the time" ??????. I try my best to be nice and ask questions but i just suck at small talk and i have a hard time entering conversations. I really like my job and i'd hate to lose it because im quiet, all the staff get along really well so i feel like an outsider. I'm not interested in being friends i just wish they wouldn't put so much strain on my personality

I started a new ECE job in Colorado and my employer states that the staff is required to pay out-of-pocket for required training like CPR and the physical that is needed on file. Does anyone have a similar experience? I believe this is illegal but not sure if there is some nuance to the law

He tip toes occasionally and he sometimes does a stimming/ continues sound or noise when bored, tired and sleepy but very good with his development. He is a very healthy child and very quick to learn. I am very concerned as a parent, when he was about 15 months old he stopped it completely and now has started again. Doctors said this very normal, teachers at his daycare said he doing very well soon. Is this something we should be worried about as parents. We are very young and we just trying to get this parenting right for our son

I am pregnant, and today I passed out in class. Luckily, my assistant was in the room and called a code. I wasn’t hurt, and neither were any of the kids. They took me to our break room and told me to sit down. I called my OB and my husband. My OB wanted an ambulance called, and my husband immediately left work to come to me (he works about 10 minutes away). My director came into the room, and I asked her to call an ambulance. She refused, saying they didn’t have enough support staff for me to go home. She then tried to force me to take aspirin because of “high blood pressure,” despite me telling her that my OB had specifically instructed me not to take aspirin under any circumstances. I also haven’t had any problems with high blood pressure during my pregnancy. If anything, it’s been the opposite. I reiterated that I needed to go to the ER, and she threatened to write me up. She also told me to stop panicking. I wasn’t panicking. I was very calm, and I don’t have an anxiety disorder. My husband arrived and essentially told her he was taking me himself, and that was when she finally relented. My biggest concern now is that I’m scared for my safety if something happens again. I want to quit, but I’m worried about how it will look since I only started at this center a month ago. This job was supposed to be a step in the right direction for my career, and now I just feel like a mess. Would I be unreasonable for quitting over this? Has anyone dealt with something similar? I’d appreciate any advice, especially from other teachers or people who have dealt with workplace issues during pregnancy.

Whew, I have a student who should be tested for autism, but the district will not help. She is physically demanding (hurts me and the kids), curses, and I can't teach. If she got the help she needed, she would be great, but she should not be in a gen ed classroom. I feel so frustrated because I feel like the school doesn't actually care. I feel stuck because I can't help her at all, but it seems as if nobody cares.

I'll keep this brief but long story short my son started at a new daycare in February 2026. He's been doing so great and thriving.

Then, he was switched to a new room at the start of the school year in August. He's been awful since.

Every time I pick him up, the teacher (who is very young) is yelling at the 2 year olds. They are just babies.

She left him in a dirty diaper for an afternoon and he had a rash so bad he couldn't walk and it took him a week (at home) to heal.

Every time I show up to pick him up, she's the only one in the room and it's a horrible stressful atmosphere.

My son says "sorry" all the time now.

Then today I went to pick him up....I walk into his classroom and he's on an elevated changing table by himself. She's on the other side of the room with her back to him.

He was playing and spinning around. He could have fallen and lost his balance and broken his neck in a second.

I took him home and I think I'm still in shock. I am so upset and not sure how to proceed. This was supposed to be an amazing daycare. But my son has now been totally neglected and yelled at, and now been put in danger.

Am I overreacting to these events? Please help.

My 27 month old started daycare last week (he’s only done two full days, the rest were half days). He will not eat any food offered, he won’t drink any milk or water from their cups or water from his sippy cup. Is this normal!? Everyone tells me he’ll eat when he’s hungry but I’m starting to doubt that.

He is a great eater at home but tbh we repeat a lot of his meals and everything is from a list of 20-30 foods. He also struggles to use utensils (we’re working on this in occupational therapy).

He’s getting more comfortable with the center and his eces everyday, and I try to give him breakfast before we go so he at least has something in his belly. But next week I’m going to be working early and my husband doesn’t have flexibility with his job to drop our son off later.

What do I do!?

I am transitioning from an individually owned center to a Kindercare facility in a similar position.

What is the childcare discount for Kindercare? I'm not sure if I read it correctly - "50% off on tuition and Learning Adventures, not to exceed $115/week ($500/month)".

Does that mean that I won't pay more than $115 per child or does that mean that Kindercare won't offer more than $115 of a discount for childcare (for example: if my child's tuition is $495/week, then I would pay $380/week)?

Additionally, am I able to enroll my child in a Kindercare program that is not the program that I'm working at? I won't want to mix personal/work as much as I can.

I started working at this daycare center about 2 weeks ago. I mentioned wanting to be an assistant teacher, but because attendance counts are low at the moment, there is no need for me in ratio anywhere and thus I’m a floater for the time being.

At the beginning of the week, I was told I’d be bumping into one of the mobile classrooms for the day. This was a room I spent a day training in before, so I felt comfortable jumping right in. The lead teacher by the end of the day started telling me about how she’s been having issues with the current assistant (called her a Debbie downer) and said she liked me much better. When I left that day, the directors started asking me how much I liked it, what were my favorite parts, etc

Well, every day since then has been back and forth. They have the assistant in there for a day, then I’m in there while she floats, and we’ve been flip flopping. It has caused a lot of unnecessary tension between me and this assistant I got along with, because now she views me as a threat out to take her job. Is this normal for a daycare/early childhood center? I hate coming into work not knowing where I stand daily and having this unnecessary drama with another person just because the directors are playing this weird twisted game of who can do the job better. It just feels really odd but maybe I’m overreacting.

Hello!

I’m a first-time dad, and my wife and I have been having a tough time with our nine-month-old (seven months corrected) at daycare because we’re worried he isn't getting the right level of care. He started a month ago!

When I picked him up today, he was the last kid left with an assistant, and his face was covered in boogers and drool. Even though we’d specifically asked them to keep his face wiped and provided bibs to make it easier, it seemed like the teacher didn't care at all. Seeing that was super frustrating and made me feel like they aren't looking after him the way they promised.

He's had a runny nose since week two (I guess every baby gets that starting daycare), and between that and teething, he's drooling a ton. We've asked the lead teacher a few times to keep his face wiped for better hygiene.

He's had two blowouts now, which never happened before daycare. When we change him at home, we've noticed the diaper is usually put on wrong, and he's also developed a rash over the last two days.

My biggest concern is how he’s acting emotionally since starting daycare. He doesn't seem to like being around other babies, isn't sleeping much, and is really quiet on the drive home. Sometimes he’s so exhausted by the time we get back that he just wants to sleep before his last feed.

Basically, I’m wondering if I’m overreacting or if this is just standard daycare life. I'd love any advice from other parents or ECE pros, and I'm curious if I should bring these concerns up with the Director.

Our 13mo son is a biter. He's had 8 teeth since about 7 months, and he's currently cutting his 9th and 10th. In the last month or so, he has started biting at home. We follow all the instructions with redirection.

While we've only received one message and one incident report from daycare that our son has bitten a classmate (we get at least one incident report per week that he has been bitten, too). He moved to this new room at daycare about 6-8 weeks ago. He didn't have any biting issues prior to about a month ago.

We received an upsetting message today that his biting at daycare is out of control and if he bites more than 3x in a day, he'll be sent home. He's already sent home constantly due to sickness (he has basically been sick since starting there in April). He's also at risk for being expelled due to this. I reached out to his pediatrician and checked online, and they all say it's developmentally normal, and we're taking all the right steps.

I 100% understand this is a safety issue, but I'm a little taken aback that we weren't notified earlier that this was becoming a problem. I'm a little disappointed in the communication. Even before this message, I feel like when we drop him off, his daycare teachers are not happy to see him. Maybe it's just me. But he's also a very difficult napper and because he's constantly sick (ear infections, getting tubes next month), he's also fussy. I feel like they just don't like him and are kind of labeling him as difficult. He really is such a sweet, cute boy. He's very happy and loving to anyone who meets him, so I'm just surprised that I have this gut feeling that the teachers and owner don't like him. Again, I felt this way before the biting.

In his previous room they'd send pictures and positive updates. This room literally never sends anything positive. In fact, since going into this room, they've maybe sent 5 total pictures of him in the 6-8 weeks He's been in this room. Which is another reason I feel they don't like him.

He's already home so much from being sick, I'm never able to get any work done. I'm lucky I work from home and have an understanding boss, or I'd be out of time off.

I totally agree we need to get the biting under control. But my gut is also telling me to find a new provider. Am I overreacting?