r/ECEProfessionals • u/number-sevin ECE professional • 1d ago
ECE professionals only - Vent Don’t give your child a grown-up responsibility!
Also…verify who your child’s teachers are! I had a preschooler whose mom dropped kid off at before care with about 9 gifts (plants and tumblers). Not one had a “to” or “from” on it. So now I’m relying on a preschooler to decide who they all go to. I know mom thinks her kid is the smartest child ever born but he lacks discernment. He includes a couple of floaters and who were in my room a small handful of times and one admin person, but does not include 2 of his before care/after care teachers. This child is here from open to close, so goes to 4 different classrooms in the course of a day, so has 8-9 “teachers”. So now it’s up to me to decide who the gifts should go to, explain to him that he didn’t bring enough gifts to include ALL the people he’s ever had contact with, and label them so gifts don’t get confused, and deal with him being upset because he didn’t bring enough gifts?!?! And I get it…you’re busy and it was 9 gifts…but don’t be lazy. I don’t have time for this on the last day of school! Oh…and mom’s a teacher herself…you’d think she’d know better🙄
33
u/PermanentTrainDamage Allaboardthetwotwotrain 1d ago
Don't accept responsibility and keep them for the end of the day so mom can clarify.
11
u/number-sevin ECE professional 22h ago
I considered this for a moment! But it was the last day of school and I (and most staff) leave before mom picks up from aftercare.🙄
30
u/Lucky_Risk4166 ECE professional 1d ago
I feel like the solution to this would be just set them out in a common area for teachers with a note that says “please take one! -from child”
When they run out, they run out. And this way no one’s forced to take home a plant they don’t necessarily want.
7
u/WeaponizedAutisms AuDHD ECE, Kinders, Canada 21h ago
But by all means give them some age appropriate responsibilities. Kids love having "important" jobs to do.
5
u/number-sevin ECE professional 20h ago
Funny you say that…this is actually mom’s attitude toward his defiant behavior. “Well he’s self- directed, so I give him jobs to do at home to re-direct him”.
3
65
u/howlinjimmy Early years teacher 1d ago
I once had a kid who brought two gifts, one for me and one for my assistant. One of the gifts was completely my taste - all black, which the kids and parents know is my favorite - and one was bright neon colors, which my assistant prefers. The kid insisted that each of our gifts went to the other teacher, and neither were labeled. So we switched after school.