How Often Do You Call to Check in on Your Child at Daycare?

No, I didn't call. I asked when I got there to pick them up.

I trusted them to take care of him. If I have to call daily, I don't trust them to tell me when I pick him up.

If you want a "how was my day" form - then ask for one. If they can't give you that - then maybe you should look to another day care provider/center.

I've never called and I think if 240 parents were calling everyday, that would take away from the time they give to the kids! I speak when dropping off and picking up. I may even txt a particular teacher now and then, but I have never called.

I never did. I always was given a what i did today form. it would say what and how much was eaten, diaper changes, pottying, and so forth.

My kids went to daycare starting at 8 weeks and 11 weeks. Except for the first day, I never called. How can a daycare center possibly talk to every parent during the day? NO, I don't think it's normal. You don't need to know if he had lunch yet or if he had an accident. He'll have lunch when lunch is served and if he pees his pants, you'll find him wearing his spare ones when you pick him up. This is not something you need to know in the middle of the day. If he is having a normal day and not sick or hurt, they don't need to contact you, daycares and preschools don't normally call parents to update them during the day. If you want to know about his day, you may be able to ask his providers at the end of the day but they also may be busy with a bunch of parents picking up at once. Usually daily report forms are for infants. 3 year olds go to regular preschool, where there are no reports and you don't call for updates, you just assume everything is fine unless teacher tells you otherwise. It may be time to cut the cord a bit, mom.

As a childcare provider, I don't give sheets on a daily basis nor do I appreciate daily calls from parents. If there is something that I think a parent needs to know about, time outs, bump, etc., I make sure to tell them when they arrive to pick up their child. What I found about daily sheets was, I was writing the SAME THING everyday, giving the same information. I don't know that it is necessarily pertinent that a parent know how many times their kid peed or pooped or who they played with, etc. It all becomes pretty repetitive.

If we had a shortened naptime for some reason, of course I let the parents know. I also let them know what we had for meals. I post things that are general on the dry erase board. Otherwise, I would hope that my parents trust me enough to know that their kids are in more than capable hands and care. I care for 8 children daily. If I have to take time out to write notes about each one, we wouldn't get half the stuff done we do. Not everything happens in the first hour of childcare. I would be note taking all day long.

Personally, I think it is time to cut the strings a bit...either you trust your choice in daycare or you don't.

I have never called to check on my youngest at his preschool. He is 3 and has been there for a year and a half. I figure they'll call me if there's a problem. They sent daily reports home when he was 2 stating if he had pooped and what he ate, but when he went to the Preschool 1 classroom, they stopped. If I'm curious or the teacher has something to say, we speak to them at drop off or pick up.

I actually find it rather odd that they don't give a daily report to you. I would definitely ask about that. I get one every day that shows how much my daughter has eaten, special activities that day, diaper changes, etc.

Because of that, I don't really call unless there is a special concern I have. For example, the first day she returns after being out for illness, I usually call to see how she is doing....things like that.

As a provider myself, I do not mind at all if a parent texts me regularly to check on their child (if they are sick, or just seemed moody)...I also get an email once in awhile, which is ok...I do NOT like talking on the phone and that would also be distracting to me to get constant phone calls.

I print up a monthly news letter so parents know what is going on. I also talk to each parent at the end of the day (being an in home provider, they are all like family and I can easily do this.) I will tell them if it was a good day and if it wasn't, I tell them why! Beyond that, I have to agree w/ Charlotte that you have to trust your choice and if it's more personal attention to you, then you may need to look into a small at home daycare. And at 2.5, he should be able to start communicating to you a little bit about his day...maybe not a lot (my 12 yr old still doesn't say much! LOL!) But, if nothing happened, then there probably isn't much to tell.

Best of luck and as long as the school has no problem w/ you calling and it's something you need to do, maybe start doing it less??

Updated

As a provider myself, I do not mind at all if a parent texts me regularly to check on their child (if they are sick, or just seemed moody)...I also get an email once in awhile, which is ok...I do NOT like talking on the phone and that would also be distracting to me to get constant phone calls.

I print up a monthly news letter so parents know what is going on. I also talk to each parent at the end of the day (being an in home provider, they are all like family and I can easily do this.) I will tell them if it was a good day and if it wasn't, I tell them why! Beyond that, I have to agree w/ Charlotte that you have to trust your choice and if it's more personal attention to you, then you may need to look into a small at home daycare. And at 2.5, he should be able to start communicating to you a little bit about his day...maybe not a lot (my 12 yr old still doesn't say much! LOL!) But, if nothing happened, then there probably isn't much to tell.

Best of luck and as long as the school has no problem w/ you calling and it's something you need to do, maybe start doing it less??

My daughter's daycare does daily report forms as well (although they're pretty generic) so I normally don't call. I *do* call if there's an issue (example: I called today for my 6 month old daughter b/c she hasn't been eating well at home, and I wanted to see how she was doing with her bottles today), but that's generally about once every 3 or 4 months.

Otherwise, I generally ask any questions at dropoff or pickup. Start getting into the habit of asking your son how his day was...you might be surprised. :)

I don't. The school is very open about telling me that I can call anytime, but I don't think I ever have.

That being said however-they do give us a full report when we pick up so maybe that's why I've never felt the need to call.

I called to check on the first day, but I don't check in on either child (an 11 month-old and a 4 year-old) at preschool or daycare. I trust my providers to care for my children and to keep me updated on any issues as they arise. They do an excellent job.

My kids never went to daycare, but they went to preK (and now they're in school). Unless they had a REALLY off morning, I have never once called to check on them.

They'll call ME if something's wrong.

I never called my kid at school. I do though require she call me when she gets out of school and her dad picks her up. Most of my friends kids do this but of course my ex doesn't like this. Well considering he confused on a day once and never picked her up I damn well require a call in case he misses her again.

Never call - but I take my daughter to an in-home day care and we receive the daily report - which includes diapers, nap time, meals. Anything else pertinent my provider shares with me or my husband at pick up time.

The first couple of days I took her I tended to call, but I was really weepy and got embarrassed for crying all the time so stopped calling after a few check-in's that first week.

I never called, but my kids' daycare always provided a daily sheet, which I did read every day.

ETA you can get a daily report form at Staples (they come on a pad). I used these for when we had sitters at home during the summer in between my maternity leaves and starting daycare. I wouldn't think a provider would balk at filling one out for you to avoid the daily phone call.

I never call in, I just ask her teacher when I pick her up.

I would only call as necessary. I only called, even when DD was an infant, when she was sick or had a tough morning. Otherwise it was on the paper at the end of the day or something to discuss when I picked her up. If you need a report, talk to them about how to do so without feeling like you have to call (and possibly taking from his class time).

Never. They'll call me if there's a problem. That's always been the case, whether an infant, my toddler, preschooler, etc.

I never call. But our preschool sends home a daily report. Even when we were in another school that didn't send reports, the only time I called was if he was particularly upset in the morning, so I knew he calmed down.

I never checked in at this age. The daily reports were sufficient enough and if there was a problem, then they let me know. Otherwise, I knew everything was ok. I didn't want to distract the teacher or the kids.

I never called (though mine only went to preschool part time, ages 2 to 4.) I know how busy those teachers are and I wouldn't want to pull them from the classroom unless it was urgent.
I was always informed if there was an incident, or if my child did something extra special, etc. They also kept detailed journals for each child which were filed and then given to us at the end of the school year. It was like a report card, scrapbook style, complete with photographs and artwork, very cool :)

Never call to check.. unless I send them a bit sick and an wondering if they are acting sick and I should pick them up or if they are feeling OK and will make it through the day.

We have been at our current center 5 months and I have called 1 time.

I never call and check on my boys. If there us a problem or have an issue they will call me. I agree if you have to call and check on him everyday you must feel uneasy leaving him there.

We're past this stage with our kids, but while they were in daycare, I never once in over a decade called just to check & see how their day was.

I never called to check at that age. I knew that if the school had something they needed me to know, they would tell me. Daily calls -- while allowed -- are probably disruptive, and I would prefer that the provider is spending time with my child, not leaving the classroom to take my call.

In our daughters daycare.. She was there from 12 months until she was 5, EVERY day, there was a sheet of how her day went.

What she ate, what she did, who she played with, if she took a nap, potty/diaper changes.. EVERY day she was there. Melt downs, timeouts.. bumps, bruises.. or "see the teacher for more info."

That was part of what we paid for.

Now it was notes, it was not an essay.. But gave over all day overview..

This is one of the main reasons we never left this daycare.

A 2 or 3 year old? Never. When my eldest was in the NICU I was there 15 hours a day and called every 2 hours when I wasn't there for 1 week (in the middle of the night, I was up pumping). Then I realized that seriously, they would call if something was wrong, and no news is NO NEWS. Calling is taking time away from all the children. Can you imagine if every kid's parent called? They would just be reporting the whole time instead of doing their jobs and giving the best care for your child.
When my eldest was 18 months old, I worked part time at a daycare center where he was, and I would peek in through the window on a bathroom or lunch break. When he was 3 and started a half day mother's day out, I would be kind to the teacher, we moms talked in the parking lot and sometimes went to coffee or whatever, and I volunteered anytime they needed anything done at the school. We knew what was going on, and how all the kids were doing, by being involved but not by calling and "checking on him".
When we took a trip for a few days and left my 3 year old and 6 months old for a few days, I called and spoke to them for just like 3 minutes in the morning, and again in the evening, and that is all. Anything more than that, we and their caregivers (my bff, and my mom) all agreed that it would just be disruptive to the children. If our kids were having a hard time, they would call me and I knew that.
I provided childcare off and on for a few years and while I "welcomed" parents to call or come by to just check in, it was V E R Y rare, and more like if someone's family was going through a divorce and they wanted to know if he was acting ok.....something that was an actual concern. Or "hey, I got off early", or whatever. Not just an everyday call for no reason. Part of the reason children go to a mother's day out, preschool, or whatever is so they can gain a little independence and socialization, in small doses. They will tell you if something is different or wrong. You can pick up your child and wait on the side a few minutes until everyone is gone to ask how the day was, OR to say "please let me know if....."

Why don't you ask them to fill out a "how was my day?" form. I would ask whatever I needed to know at pickup- so no, I didn't call.
I would see if they will fill out the form for you. GL

M

I have never had a parent call to check on their child in over 13 years in the field. I may have had one parent call but she had just left her hubby in another state and moved back home so there were lots of changes for the child.

Other than that one time I can say I do not think I have ever had anyone call to check on their child. They assume if there is a problem we would call them.

I always talked with his teachers for a minute or two after class.
Never called for a status report.

I've been a provider for 26 years and only had 1 parent out of HUNDREDS do this. He was a nut case.

It's not healthy to need to call in daily. It means you are feeling uncomfortable about your child's care. That could be for good reason. Or it could mean that you don't trust anyone. In that case, you should not take your problems out on your providers. If you want to know any of these things, ask when you pick up. Your caregivers have more to do than to answer the phone and hold the hand of a nervous parent. Just imagine how much time we would be on the phone if all parents did this?

I do not call on a regular basis. Our daycare provider does a daily book where she writes what he did that day (toys he played with, cute stories, etc.), what he ate, diapers, etc. If I know my son isn't feeling 100% or had a rough night or morning I will usually call to check in, because I am wondering.

That's just wrong that they don't give you a daily status sheet. My son has been at a primrose school since he was 12 wks. He is now almost 4. I still receive a daily sheet everyday on his day. I love the sheets and the communication from the teachers. They welcome our calls too but I don't want to have call every day. I toured several schools before choosing one. All the schools that I toured gave those sheets. I was told they had to provide them if they wanted to stay within the state guide lines for licensing. I'd make them send home a daily sheet. Thats just my opinion.

I never called. DS started daycare at 9 weeks. I got a daily report until he moved into the preschool at 3. At that point, he was able to talk about his day and I generally checked in with his teachers at pick up or drop off. He started a Montessori at 4-1/2. They do not give daily reports (did provide nap reports) but I hear all about his day from him.

Does he bring his own lunch? Can you see some of whats left (or ask it be left in the lunch box or is that not allowed?). Or is there a bulletin board saying what was for lunch that day if they provide it? If so, start a daily dialogue with him about it.

Also, if its that busy and no daily reports are given, perhaps find out when is a better time to touch base with them? Maybe you can get there a tad earlier Thursdays and have that extra minute or 2 to ask the teacher "How is the week going? Are his naos and meals consistent? Anything I need to watch for? Blah Blah..."

If not , you either need to trust in his caregivers (and maybe pop in to pick up at a few odd times just to ease your mind?? some parents need that??), and if you can not do that, find other care that wither provides the daily chart you need or a home care where there is generally more one on one at pick up time and the capacity to communicate thru the day as needed.

I do home childcare and have never ever had a parent check in daily. I DO do a simplistic daily chart for infants and toddlers (up to the 2nd birthday but many stop about 18-20 mos and they are about the same each day), but older than that?? Nope, just that few minues as they get shoes and coats on to touch base.

Best wishes!

I don't. I have a 9 year old and a 2 1/2 year old and rarely call the daycare to check on them. The exception might be if either had previously been ill and was back at school, but other than that I don't usually. By toddler age, unless your child has medical condition or developmental issues I wouldn't find it necessary.

Never. I text with my sitter a lot through the day and she calls me if there is an issue.

The preschool my children went to was used as a daycare for children from babyhood up through kindergarten. The had a supplemental kindergarten program even though the public schools here have a Treehouse (after school and before school) program for working parents. While parents were told that they could call to check on their children and were encouraged to stop in unannounced at any time, it was frowned upon to call multiple times a day or even daily if it was during business hours because it took away from the supervision of the children in the classroom. It was unfair to the children to take away the supervision and also to interrupt the activities.

If a child wasn't feeling well but was well enough to attend daycare, allowances were made.

But for the types of things you're asking about , M., are things that you can find out at pick-up time. "Did we have a good day today? Is there anything out of the ordinary I should be aware of today?"

One of the biggest things I had to let go of was being all right with not knowing about every single second of those few hours my children were in someone else's care. Especially my middle daughter, because of her proclivity to "not talk" and because of her Autism. She couldn't tell me if she'd had a bad day, or if her crying and upset were due to something at school or some other trigger. She was nonverbal so I had to rely on the teachers to let me know how her day was. Luckily they were understanding and they not only would chat with me at pick-up if needed, they did the same for every parent. "Grace had an incident with her socks today. She spilled some water and they got wet, but changing them wasn't enough. She had to go barefoot. That's why she's _____." Sometimes it was simply, "Gracie had a wonderful day today! Everything went smoothly, you should be proud of her!" and I was thrilled and just got her to the car.

Daily, detailed reports would be nice... I'm a control freak so I would have loved daily detailed reports. But I learned to be okay with basics unless a serious incident occurred or she did so splendidly well the teachers had to brag. This was the case for each of my girls. They're long out of preschool now and I have two in elementary and one in middle school, and it's still tough to give up that control, because I want to know everything. They don't/can't tell me everything and I can't expect their teachers to either... so I have to practice a lot of self-control.

It does get easier.