Sooo angry at daycare - Julia got bitten

[Bathsheba]

Nai is correct: biting kids can up being the outcasts until they change their ways.

I've worked in daycare and had to deal with biting children. It can be hard to manage, and having had children of my own who have been bitten, and grabbed around the neck leaving a mark, I know how angry it can make you feel as a parent. You feel so helpless that you weren't there to protect your child. However i have also been a worker and I've done my very best to make sure all the children under my care have remained safe... but it can be incredibly hard to watch them all at all times. If there is family grouping (a room of mixed aged children) it can be especially hard... I found this is when these kinds of things happened, but not always... but it was harder to supervise so you didn't always catch incidents as soon as they were occurring.

Imagine this common scenario: you are cleaning up a mess.... while talking to a few children who are trying to help... your colleague is watching the other children but has to also comfort a sad child... both of you take your eyes of all the children for 30 seconds and before you know it you hear a squeal from behind you... a child has been bitten and you didn't see it! You immediately drop what you are doing (even if the mess is a bit dangerous, like spilt paint) and you comfort the victim... then you question the perpetrator and remove them to another part of the room if necessary... but are you watching all the other children???? (Keep in mind there can be 25 children in the room at any given time)

Worst of all you feel really really bad... you absolutely dread calling the parents because 9/10 you know that they are going to crack it... it was your fault You also have to contact the perpetrator's parents who often deny a biting problem; "oh he's never done that before... has he picked it up at care from another child" (while looking at you accusingly).

Have a chat with the director. You might find that if you remain calm that the staff will breathe a huge sigh of relief and actually want to help your daughter because her mum is so sweet? They would help her anyhow... but some parents really do go right over the top and it's hard not to feel resentful. You really will get better service if you are understanding. Biting is a fairly regular occurrence with littlies... especially under 2's.

I hope I haven't over stepped the mark... just wanted to share my experience... as both a parent and day care worker. if you feel that this is just one of many issues you have with the centre then yes, consider pulling her out, but if you are otherwise happy and your child is usually happy to attend then maybe reconsider