2.) Share a quote you love.
I’d like to share that favorite quote with my daycare licensor who happened to drop by for my yearly review the other day. I wonder if the people who are paid to enforce the ridiculous rules understand how ridiculous they are.
I’m not kidding when I tell you that every time my licensor visits (and every time it’s someone new), they tell me the outlet covers I use to safe proof the house are not good enough. I replace them with whatever is recommended that year. Last year, I replaced them with covers that are so hard to pull out…you need to push buttons in from the side and also down from the top WHILE pulling out…even I can’t get them out half the time.
It’s what last years licensor recommended, but this years licensor has told me they’re not up to code and that I actually need to replace them all with these covers instead:
But that’s not what I’m complaining about today.
I’m also not going to complain about how they made me drill the blinds covering our windows into the window sills so that they cannot be pulled up (or properly cleaned) in the licensed portion of the daycare. Nor am I going to complain about how after this visit she’d like to see me do the same to the windows in the UNlicensed portion of my home. Because children walking past that portion of my home might make a beeline for the blinds and wrap themselves up in my window coverings.
And I’m not going to complain about the time my licensor reminded me to keep tampons readily available downstairs, because under no circumstances (not even for a tampon) am I permitted to go upstairs to retrieve anything. Because I can’t be away from the children. Am I permitted to poop in the bathroom for 15 minutes? I’m not sure…I didn’t ask. I was afraid she’d say no.
And never mind the fact that I’m supposed to be keeping my kids daily vitamins in a locked box for them. Because that’s convenient. Because you never know if another child in the daycare might climb up onto my counter, open the child proof container and overdose on Omega3 Fish Oil gummy bears.
But we’re not talking about that today. Today we’re talking about my attendance book. I proudly presented my perfect attendance book, completely filled in with full signatures from parents (NOT INITIALS) and I learned it actually is not perfect at all.
Because it’s missing four pages. One for me and each of my kids.
We need our own sign in pages.
Indeed. I need to climb out of bed every morning, put on my game face, unlock the front door for my daycare families to arrive and also SIGN MYSELF IN.
I’m in everyday. I live here. I run a business here. I rarely leave.
And if that is not enough, I also need to signing in that yes…Maile is still here sleeping in her bed, Laina as well, Kainoa also…there’s my signature as proof. Everyday.
And what about signing out? Do I sign us out when we don’t leave each night? I can’t really. So if I can’t sign us out…how in the actual fudge am I supposed to sign us back in again the next morning?
On the flip side…do I sign out to take the kids to the bus and back in when I return? Out again when I retrieve my mail and back in again? Out when I go meet the kids at the bus stop after school and in again? Who has time to sign themselves in and out of their own home throughout the day and what purpose is that serving?
Of course there I am sitting with this woman in my house with a smile on my face as I nod in agreement, “Oh yes, okay I didn’t realize that must be a new policy! Interesting…okay. Well then.”
And then she leaves and I call everyone I know and complain.
Now you’ll excuse me…I need to sign myself out…mentally. I’ll make a note of that on my attendance sheet.
Dominique Goh says
I too find it ridiculous that you have to sign in for yourself in your own house. I understand the need for the daycare parents to sign their kids in and out and for the teachers too if it were a non residential premise. the rules only get stranger each year.
Mama Kat says
Yes, it is important that the parents sign their kids in. If a child disappears, the state needs solid information tracking where they’ve been. I sign them out when they go to school and the school signs them in. All of that makes sense to me…but why would I need to track myself in my own house? Of course I’m here…who else is going to manage this house?
Tima says
Am confused…..Your tampons need to be downstairs and the Gummy Bear vitamins locked. So there’s no concern of swallowing a tampon? Yikes! think I just created a new rule for next year…..
Mama Kat says
Next year they’ll be all, “every personal item you own actually needs to be locked away and I see your walls are not padded. You need padded walls.”
Shell says
I think we all need padded walls. ;)
But what the heck? Signing yourself in? That makes no sense.
Romi says
Hi.
I’ve been subscribing to your writing prompts for a few months, and this is my first time to post my link here.
Thank you for hosting this writer’s workshop.
carol says
That is totally ridiculous! Seems like there is a rule for everything. And, for the most part, not very sensible. Would be nice to get back to simpler times where there weren’t so many regulations. How frustrating! I don’t know what else you could do other than just smile at your licensor. If she only knew……! (I’m afraid I would have laughed my head off with her suggestions… then I would have lost my job!)
Mama Kat says
I agree. They just continue tightening the noose on us by adding policies that seem impossible to abide by. Running a home daycare is not my only focus in life, my brain is too full to remember to sign myself in everyday. So dumb.
Melissa B. says
Think your licensor should apply for a position of authority at my high school. Also think all administrators must major in the fine art of ridiculousness, amIright? :)
Mama Kat says
But of course it’s never THEIR fault…they are simply regulating policies “the state” came up with. Which just makes it all the more irritating because I can complain until I’m blue in the face and they just shrug like “Sorry, I know it’s difficult, but it’s state policy.”
Allie says
Ridiculous indeed! Did she answer your question about signing out? Did she know she was being ridiculous?
Mama Kat says
She just said that some providers write a “blanket statement” that says you can assume they are always in the home unless they sign out. So it resolves the signing IN every morning issue, but I would still need to sign out every time I leave. Why can’t they just track me through Facebook like the government does?
Melanie @ M&M says
This whole thing is fabulously ridiculous! I love the quote, and the craziness of bureaucracy is never-ending. My dh is working on his practicum in therapy and the stuff he’s facing is just insane!
Mama Kat says
They just can’t stand that we childcare providers are out here operating our own businesses without having every little bit regulated by them. It gets so silly.
Lori says
Such a cute picture at the end of your post! Signing in and out of your own house IS ridiculous! My mom had a daycare when I was a kid and she used to make us drink powdered milk. After the daycare inspection, they said no powdered milk because the containers weren’t proved to be sanitized and it wasn’t homogenized, yada, yada. I have to admit…I was glad that rule was in place. Have you tasted powdered milk??
mryjhnsn says
holy cow that is absurd. I would love to hear the thought process behind that one. Imagine being in the room when someone said that it was a good idea and they all went along…
Jerralea says
*Sigh …. Government agencies only get more ridiculous each year. I wonder … do they even READ all their rules and forms. I bet even they would be surprised at the foolishness.
My hat is off to you. It would be torture for me to run a daycare home; keeping up with regulations would finish me off!
kelley says
I love your quote–and yes all those regulations seem a bit silly. Most of the time I feel like the government has slipped a noose around our necks and it is called regulations. I think someday they will choke the freedom out of us. I babysit my grandchildren every day and even though nobody comes into my home to “inspect” me officially, my kids are constantly evaluating my performance as a care giver. Sometimes I find a lot of pressure from that too. I have to be careful what I say and if I show that I’m tired, worn out or frustrated they think I’m too old to care for children and it’s too much for me. It ticks me off a bit. I’ve been taking care of children longer than any of them have been alive! By the way, do you have some ideas for keeping four children 3 and under busy? I’m finding myself in need of some advice. Keep your chin up and just keep enjoying the children, don’t let the government get in the way.
Jennifer says
Hint, they are state auditors so they have to come up with something or they will get in trouble. Or at least that’s my theory.
Janice says
I can’t even begin to imagine how many rules and regulations you have to keep track of every year! I’ve thought about doing the same thing you do in my home, but I just don’t think I could handle all those codes! And oh man, changing the outlet covers every year must be a pill!
And about signing yourself in and out…….how about if you get a stamp of your signature? Sing IN? BAM! Stamp! Sign OUT? BAM! Stamp! Sadly, I’m not even kidding. LOL.
Gigi says
That is the height of ridiculousness! But then that’s the government for you. Give them something to “regulate” and they will regulate it to death.
Rachel says
I work in a house where all of the outlets (except the ones above a certain height. Apparently if the kid climbs up on the counter she’ll magically be safe from the outlets) and it is a major pain for me. Every time I have to plug something in, I have to crawl under the table on my hands and knees and hold it in place with one hand while pushing the plug in with the other. :D
lady goo goo gaga says
I really can’t believe that you do all of that – plus take care of your own kids and your blog and you manage to always look perfect….You are my idol.
Teresa (embracing the spectrum) says
I think I need to practice signing myself in and out of my own house, actually. Sometimes I wonder if I’m ever really here. :)
Donetta says
Oh my, How horrible! I didn’t think the linky tool was recording my photo and entry, so I clicked onto another photo. Now my link appears like 6 times. Please help. I feel rather dumb. lol
There are some rules that are so ridiculous, and if I had to enforce one, I would probably repeat, “my company makes me tell you this.”
May says
We have gone so far off the deep end looking for tiny infractions to sue each other over in our country. Ridiculous. Did she ask you if the kids feel safe and loved while in your care by the way, because that matters to me more than the lock on the vitamin box.
Mama Kat says
Seriously! The governments need to oversee and control everything is out of control. And the answer is no. She didn’t speak to any of the children at any point during her visit.