Daily Sheet Disaster
4.Shocking Realities …
The Ugly Truth of It All
The whole nation was shocked and enraged when they heard about the mom in Florida who forgot her child in the back seat of her car and went into work. Sadly, the child died of heat exhaustion and everyone assumed that this mother must be a monster! No one could comprehend how a mother could possibly forget about her own child, but after the mother appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show, many hearts and minds were changed. This mother described an incident that left many feeling like this tragedy could have easily happened to any one of them. She described a very hectic morning that any busy parent could relate to, where multiple things were happening at once, and many responsibilities were being handled simultaneously. On that particular morning, there was a “break in routine” which caused her to forget that her daughter was still in the car.
The mom worked as an assistant principal at a school, and it was the first day back to work after summer’s end. The dad, who usually took their toddler to the babysitter’s on his way to work, had a dentist appointment that morning, so he asked the mom to take her instead. The mom loaded her toddler into the car, but realizing it was too early to drop her off, she decided to go pick up donuts for the teachers as a welcome back surprise. As her toddler fell asleep in the back seat, and the mother’s head was full of all the things she had to do that morning, she simply forgot she had her daughter with her, and drove straight to work. She did not realize her fatal mistake until 8 hours had passed and it was too late.
As busy parents with so much on our minds, we sometimes run like coffee-powered machines on auto pilot, not fully engaged in what we are actually doing in the present moment. Have you ever driven to work and upon arrival not remembered the ride there at all?
A child can be forgotten just as easily as a childcare provider can lose track of the number of children in her care. When many children are gathered in one place, with so much going on, crazy and scary things are sometimes bound to happen. Some of the choices providers make will not always be in the best interest of the child, which may unintentionally place them in harm’s way. Reasons can be as simple as the provider not following policy, not thinking things through, or not being fully engaged in the present moment with the children. Parents can’t guarantee their children’s safety 100% of the time and unfortunately neither can a provider. We can all just strive to give our very best each and every day. Accidents and undesirable incidents can occur from time to time, but knowing the details that led up to the events will help shed a different light on the situation. Providers should be given fair consideration and understanding by parents when something goes wrong while caring for a child.
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Once I forgot my 4th baby, when he was just a few weeks old, at a Chinese restaurant after having lunch with my parents. As soon as I exited the restaurant, I realized that something was missing and I should’ve been carrying more than just a diaper bag.
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It was a beautiful summer morning when a Toddler teacher was preparing to take her group of 7 toddlers out to the playground, as she had done many times before. As she gathered her clipboard and other items needed for outside, she opened their classroom door and led them outside to a fenced in area. To the right, about 20 feet away, was the gate leading to their playground, and to the left, about the same distance away, were 2 gates leading to the building’s front parking lot. The teacher led her group of two-year-olds toward the right, and as they all walked into the playground after her, she locked the gate behind them.
About 10 minutes later, a parent pulled into the parking lot, only to find a child standing there alone on the curb, in front of the building. Confused, this parent picked up the child and entered the daycare. She approached the director with the child and it was at that moment the director horrifically discovered that this toddler must have gone missing without the teacher realizing it. She was in disbelief that this could’ve happened. As she thanked the parent, she quickly took the child into her arms and checked him to make sure he wasn’t harmed. The child seemed fine, and the director was so relieved yet very shaken up!
After calling the parents to alert them of the situation, she carried the child out to the playground to join his group, and was curious to see his teacher’s reaction upon seeing him. How could she still have not realized this child was missing? When she arrived at the playground, the teacher saw the child and looked so puzzled…then her puzzled look turned to sheer terror! She realized what had taken place and quickly understood that not only had she lost a child, but she had also been unaware he had been missing for over 15 minutes!
The first mistake that occurred was instead of directing her group from behind and following them into the playground, she led them from the front which didn’t allow her to see the child that went the other direction. Second, as the children entered the playground, she should have counted each of their heads to ensure she had all children accounted for before locking the gate behind them. Lastly, even though she didn’t do the headcount as kids walked through the gate, she should’ve done it within a few minutes of being on the playground with them. She had failed to follow these policies, and got into the habit of doing things her own way. Although she was a very loved and appreciated teacher, she was let go immediately, and this mistake ended her career in childcare.
Over time, we can tend to become over confident and neglect the important details and practices that were put into place to keep children safe. Sometimes it can be the smallest step which, when left out, can lead to the biggest disaster. Policies are put into place to ensure a child’s safety, but can only be effective when religiously followed. Be sure to inquire about your center’s policy regarding headcounts and how often they are done. Also, ask about the procedures for moving kids from place to place, and then take it upon yourself to check if they are being followed. These are not questions a director will hear often, if ever, from parents. Sometimes in asking these questions, it also reminds a director to follow up on policies that may need reinforcing. This situation could have ended tragically if the child had stepped down from the curb and headed toward the street, but luckily he was found in time. When a childcare provider makes a mistake, uses poor judgment or disregards a policy, the cost can be a life, and even the ones with the best intentions cannot afford to take such chances.
Big Scare Under the Big Top
One day early in my daycare career, before I really knew any better, I thought it would be a great idea to take my daycare kids to the circus. I asked all my daycare parents for permission and they all agreed without a second of hesitation. The kids were beyond excited! When the big day arrived, I packed a picnic lunch, a bag of diapers and wipes, emergency contact forms, and off we went to the circus!
The first eye-opening moment occurred for me when we had to park in a parking garage which was quite far away from the actual circus. I had six children with me and one stroller. I formed a line of kids behind the stroller and somehow we all managed to make it to the circus without any major issues. We found our seats quickly and had been seated for about a minute when the first child needed to go to the bathroom. I should have seen this coming, but still quite optimistic about this adventure, I again formed my line and took all the kids to the bathroom, which was very far from our seats. We made it back to our seats right before the show started and the kids sat eagerly as they watched the clowns begin to perform. About five minutes later, a clown was shot from a very loud cannon and a few of them were startled and started to scream and cry. I walked the few kids that were screaming away from the group to try and calm them down and when we returned a few minutes later one of the little three-year-old boys had wandered off. My heart sank and I felt panicked and overwhelmed as I second guessed my decision to ever bring so many small children into such a crowded and chaotic place. Within a few seconds of frantic searching, I spotted the little boy a few rows up in the bleachers and breathed a big sigh of relief. A very nice woman noticed my despair and helped me to gather the kids together and get back outside. I had never been so happy to be safely back in my van with the six kids buckled into their car seats and on the way home.
That was my first and last experience with taking many young children to a busy and over-crowded place. It’s just not safe for one person to be taking many children anywhere and as a parent, I would think twice about letting your children go on field trips to busy places without the proper number of adults attending. Many providers that take these fun trips make sure to bring helpers along so the children can be easily managed and scary situations are less likely to occur.
Being a daycare provider is one of the busiest jobs there is and the price for making even the tiniest of mistakes can be extremely high and always comes at the expense of the child. Ask your daycare provider what the policy is for field trips and outings. Will there be more than one adult accompanying the children or will your provider be using a helper and who would that helper be? Also, consider the details of the outing, and do they make sense and seem safe to you? These questions may seem out of the ordinary but having the peace of mind and knowing that your child is safe at all times makes them worth asking.
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When my first child was 5 days old, I decided her first outing would be to my husband’s workplace to show her off. I buckled her into her car seat, grabbed my “regular” purse, popped the car seat into the base in the car, and off we went! When we arrived, I took her out of her car seat and carried her in. Ten minutes into showing her off, I had to go to the bathroom, badly! With everyone busy at work, I ran into the bathroom with her in my arms. That’s when I realized I didn’t know what to do with her while I tended to business. Panicky and about to pee in my pants, I quickly laid paper towels down on the counter by the sink, then laid her on top of them. I was so terrified she may fall, (not realizing that a five-day old baby doesn’t move). I felt like a horrible mom and that was my first lesson in making sure I’m fully prepared before ever leaving the house with the baby again!
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In a Split Second
At the end of the day, with only a few toddlers left, a toddler teacher brought out some puzzles and asked the kids to gather at the table. Excitedly, they all rushed over and sat down on their little chairs, ready to play! A little boy stood up on his chair, as toddlers often do, and as he tried to jump back down, his body twisted, causing him to fall towards the sink that was nearby. It happened so quickly that the teacher sitting at the table could do nothing to save his fall.
All of a sudden, terrible screams were coming from the small boy and his face was full of blood! The teacher immediately called for help as she grabbed a cloth and applied pressure to the open wound she could clearly see on the child’s cheek. The child was hysterical and it took two staff members to calm him down. Meanwhile, his parents had been called and were on their way. The teacher was sick to her stomach and tried her best to remain calm as she took care of him. No one could believe how quickly this quiet activity turned into such a horrendous scene!
When his parents arrived shortly after, the child had begun to calm down and was sitting in his teacher’s lap, looking at books. It’s amazing how resilient children can be, given the severity of the wound. His parents took him to the emergency room and the next day they contacted the center with an update on his situation. The little boy’s cheek had a deep laceration from his cheekbone almost to the corner of his mouth; he received many stitches that could possibly end up leaving him with a scar. They were going to keep him home for the next two days, and planned on bringing him back after that.
Immediately after this incident, the child’s teacher, along with the center director, analyzed the cabinet in the toddler room to determine what had taken place. Apparently, a board that couldn’t be seen had come loose and the force of the child’s fall had caused it to pop out of place and slice into his cheek. They taped up the loose board to make the sink temporarily functional, and a week later it was fully replaced.
This little boy had been attending this daycare center since he was an infant and the parents were very happy with the care their child had been receiving. They had a trusting relationship with both management and staff, and visited the following day to get a detailed account of the events that had taken place. The parents did not feel that negligence was involved, and had no reservations about bringing their child back to the center a few days later. The parents were very understanding about this accident, but it was the staff that suffered each time they saw the child’s face, reminding them of an accident they hadn’t been able to prevent. As years went by, the wound healed nicely, leaving only the faintest trace of a scar where the cut had been. The family continued their relationship with this daycare, and a decade later, they ended up bringing their second child there as well.
Accidents of varying levels will occur from time to time with some being more extreme than others. What matters most is getting all the information and seeing the full picture when determining if negligence might have been involved. This family had an enormous amount of faith in their daycare center, and they never doubted their good intentions. Still, they did the right thing by following up with staff to get the full story. It’s imperative to build a relationship where you feel you can completely rely on and trust your child’s provider and the care they offer. After a period of time, if you don’t feel that way, then it’s time to question and reconsider your choice.
Daily Sheet Disaster
I was working as a teacher in a busy infant room many years ago that enrolled 16 babies under the age of 16 months. We had 4 primary caregivers and each of us was responsible for the care of the same four babies each day. We took care of all of our babies’ needs including changings, feedings and naps, and we recorded all the information on daily sheets which parents received at the end of each day. Due to the busy and chaotic nature of the room, daily sheets would often get neglected until the provider had a break, by which time important information would sometimes be forgotten and not recorded. This often would lead to mistakes such as some babies missing diaper changes while others receiving bottles they weren’t scheduled to have. Another problem with not filling in daily sheets throughout the day was that when other staff members came in to give the primary teachers a break, they would rely on these daily sheets for information concerning the babies. If they were not properly updated, then mistakes would often occur.
On one particularly busy day, we had a substitute in for one of the primary teachers and several other unfamiliar staff members coming and going to give breaks to the infant staff. Several of the babies were teething and not feeling well and since they required extra attention, the daily sheets along with other responsibilities were getting neglected. By the end of that day, we were just glad to send each baby home safe and sound.
The next morning, one of the parents came in and was furious! It turns out, in all the chaos that had ensued the previous day, we had made a terrible mistake by recording inaccurate information on her child’s daily sheet. The result of this negligence was her child going an entire day without a diaper change. Her baby had gone home soaking wet and now had a painful diaper rash. She was shaking with rage as she confronted us and we were actually very afraid for our safety! We certainly couldn’t blame her for feeling this way, and we knew no amount of explanations or apologies could fix this situation. The mom never brought her child back to this daycare again and we all felt so horrible that this had taken place.
Even though this mom had been very happy for several months at this daycare and even though we only had the best of intentions, a terrible mistake occurred. When many babies are being cared for in one large room, even when staffed appropriately, mishaps and oversights are more likely to occur. Large daycare centers may offer many advantages, but individual attention and attention to detail that parents expect, can be compromised as rooms fill to capacity. Often, mistakes that providers make are unintentional, but these mistakes can be harmful to the babies and inexcusable to the parents.