Hello,

I’m not currently a ECE but I work with kids and toddlers as well through enrichment programs and extracurriculars. I’m just wondering if any of you have noticed that it seems like employers or other people in general look down on childcare workers. Whenever I mention that I work with kids, I always get a “oh” or a very condescending expression . Wondering if anyone feels the same or may have some input.

Hey upk teacher here and i need advice. I know accidents happen and its not totally out of the norm. But im just confused on why it's happening. I only have a class of 9 kids and they are allowed to use the bathroom whenever and i frequently remind them to go especially during free time. I dont have any repeat offenders so thats why its so confusing its a different kid almost each time.

Should i sit them down and talk about body signals of when its time to go potty? And i hate comparing my childhood to theirs but when I was in pre k and kindergarten i feel like the kids around me never had accidents, but ive noticed with kids now a days its happening alot. Has anyone else noticed this or is this just normal?

Highly intelligent, articulate and imaginative 2.7 yr old. So intelligent I’m often floored by what they know/say.

For the last 6 months we had seen very typical toddler behaviors, absolutely developmentally appropriate stuff.

The change has happened gradually over the last 4 weeks or so. The child has episodes of this crazy behavior that’s rooted in their imagination. When I say ‘crazy’ I mean erratic, combative, unreachable until they snap out of it.

An example: child is quietly sitting with friends at a table coloring with markers. Suddenly they get up and climb up a nearby shelf. The standard “feet on the floor/that’s not safe/where do we climb?” - no longer works. We have to physically pull them off the shelf (or table) and they do it again, and again and again while screeching (and sometimes crying and swinging at us) “I AM CLIMBING THE MOUNTAINNNNN!!!” Genuinely distraught.

Or they will seemingly be acting out entire scenarios in their head, seeing it - like swimming in the ocean and acting FULLY invested as if our classroom is the ocean and they are swimming… which is such a fun game but they’ll try to fill things with water and throw it everywhere- or dump someone’s water bottle and lay in the puddle because “I AM A FISH!!”

I’m actually almost laughing as I type this out but it’s getting concerning because it’s so intense and the child is PISSED that we try to interrupt the process.

I LOVE the imaginative play and the dramatic play area of our room is my favorite- but it’s crossing over into obsessive and dangerous because like I said, they get combative and today fully swung on/slapped a little girl across the face and tried to bite her when she got in the way.

I don’t want to stifle any creativity, but I also don’t want to encourage some of the ‘games’ because it’s changing this child. They’re far less joyful lately, and I worry they’re slipping further into these imaginary worlds. When they’re in these worlds they’re unreachable, like fully immersed.

When they come back to earth we can have a full conversation about it and they’ll answer my questions- “why were you so upset that you couldn’t put a chair on Timmy’s head?”
“Because! I had to drive the boat! Timmy is my dock!”
“That’s not a safe game, that could hurt Timmy”
“Okay..” totally understands and agrees.

Any thoughts? Advice?

It makes me so upset that every time I look at ECE job posting they all say "3 year experience needed". how am I supposed to get experience without experience?

This is in my city…I’m proud of the teachers and parents but this is bullshit.

My son is autistic and ID and I’ve been trying to figure out things for him to do once he ages out of school. He loves to read and is very animated. I think he would do great as a volunteer story time reader for kids. I’m wondering if it’s something that a daycare would be open to? Like a weekly thing. Just want honest opinions before I reach out to any in my area.

Sooo my TA left like two weeks into me working there. Management changed her entire schedule to PM when she’s been AM the whole time with no notice. I have been without a TA since. Now the toddler teacher is leaving and there is talk that I will be moved there. I want to include that my child is currently in my class, when we got here my kid was in toddler but turned 3 so came over with me. When I got hired I DID NOT know there was only one freaking preschool room so me and my kid both belong there since thats whats developmentally appropriate and also what I was hired for.

I went back and did notice on the offer letter they titled it as ELC Lead instead of Preschool, possibly trying to leave room for potential switches? But she 100% said I would be in the Preschool room during the interview. Anyway I spent weeks on sourcing out supplies and getting amazon orders together to decorate my class and for the students. From the rug to the circle time wall, its ALL ME. The shelves and cabinets and their organization, all of it is freaking me. Like even the outside of the door and wall I decorated so cute like wtf lol. My director hasnt said anything to me but its gotten around to me which should say a lot about where i work.

Everything sucks and it feels like they think they can do whatever and move me because my kid goes there and childcare is expensive and very hard to find in the middle of the Fall. From the inadequate environment for some of the children with disabilities to the staffing and barely getting a bathroom break. Not to mention the clique mentality with the director and some other employees have been weighing on me a lot. Its just so much. I hoped to stay until next school year for when my kid will be in UPK and I can work wherever but its only October and I‘ve seen some many red flags. If she says she has to move me that might be my last straw.

Am I overreacting with the potential room change from Preschool to toddlers?

I’m at a loss and could really use some advice from fellow early childhood educators!
I teach 2.5–3-year-olds, and I have one student who is making nap time extremely challenging. He will not stay on his cot or remain quiet. He is constantly getting up, making noises, talking loudly, and even telling other classmates to wake up. It’s gotten to the point where his behavior is preventing other children from falling asleep.
When I redirect him and ask him to lay down or use a quiet voice, he simply tells me “no” and continues what he’s doing. I feel like I’m constantly having to redirect him or physically guide him back to his cot, which takes my attention away from the other children who need help settling down.
I’ve even tried having him sit in my lap while I help another student fall asleep, hoping he would eventually settle down himself, but that hasn’t worked either.
There is one staff member who has successfully gotten him to fall asleep, but unfortunately, I can’t rely on that person being in my classroom every day.
I completely understand that not every child needs to sleep during nap time, and I’m okay with that(he rubs his eyes and will sigh like he needs a nap tho)!However, I do need him to be able to rest quietly without disrupting the other children.
I’m feeling frustrated because our current routine just isn’t sustainable. I can’t spend the entire nap period redirecting one child while the rest of my class struggles to fall asleep.
Has anyone dealt with something similar? What strategies have actually worked for you? I’m especially interested in ideas that are developmentally appropriate for this age group.
I’m open to any and all suggestions because I’m running out of ideas!

I had my first formal observation from my building principal. I was marked low because I "didn't play the game" correctly, but I've never been formally trained on the curriculum. I started off playing the game with the kids, but when they were getting the idea very quickly from shapes and colors, I switched to see if they could make any patterns using what they had. Some kids made size patterns, some did shapes, and others did color. Is it fair to score a teacher lower on things if they haven't been formally trained on the curriculum and hasn't even had the opportunity to observe other classrooms?

Haven't been in a nursery in ages. It's a mixed age (12 months - 36 months). 16 babies in total, 13 here this week. One teacher per shift alone with them, overlapping for 2 hours, and extra workers (cleaning ladies) coming in to help sometimes.

I've come to really dislike it.

Don't get me wrong, this way I get to stay some more time at my dream workplace and I'm displaced from my former batshit insane coworker, but I really dislike working with this age group. It's mostly physical work of changing dirty diapers and feeding them. I really love the dynamics of older kids able to talk and correspond back certain information, the way they learn and explore, verbalise and vocalise everything, some degree of independence and ability, doing more complex activities where kids freely participate rather than painting nursery palms on paper, little tidbits/random info volunteering/nicknames given by the older groups. Sigh.

I sound really ungrateful, but I'm somewhat unnerved as I was promised to lead my group for this year. I came in as a replacement for their teacher (pregnant), the other one is coming back from maternity leave and is taking my place in their group (5yos). She can't do the nursery because her own child is there and it's a whole thing, kids can't be in the same group their parent manages. Feeling somewhat robbed, so I'm just venting.

Didn't mean to offend anyone working in the nursery, or parents of nursery kids.

Hello!

I have a 14 month old in the toddler room at his daycare. It’s my first child so I’m trying to learn what’s best for winter gear. I was given a couple different snow suit options. I have full body suits and then other ones with a coat and separate snow pants. I live in Southern Ontario so we often have snow. I was just wondering which option ECEs prefer, I want to make dressing easier / what everyone finds kids prefer to play in? My son absolutely loves outside and likes to run around and play. His daycare prioritizes outside time, they spend majority of the day outside unless it’s extreme weather. I have asked his teacher but she was so lovely and told me whatever is easiest for us. So I want to see if there is actually a preference for ECEs or other parents.
Thank you so much!