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It Seemed to Make Sense at the Time: Stupid Child Care Tricks

by Jim Greenman
March/April 1994
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Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/it-seemed-to-make-sense-at-the-time-stupid-child-care-tricks/5009619/

"That's the dumbest idea, what idiot thought of that?" Well, some-times that idiot would be me, or perhaps you, or some other reasonable human being. Much of the time, we do dumb things, not because we are mindless, but because of tunnel vision: our mind is focusing on one action, goal, or idea and ignoring other consequences or side effects, like slamming into the car ahead of us while admiring the view. What follows are examples where child care centers might want to look at their actions from a different perspective.


How to Create a "No" Environment: Parent Policies and Communication


Some recently observed signs while visiting centers:

You must call before having lunch with your child.

Children with unpaid tuition will not be admitted.

No toys or food from home.

No personal phone calls.

No breakfast for children who arrive after 9:00.

No car seat storage in the lobby.

Often the parent policies are written in the same language: "No . . . ," "Parents must . . . ," etc. Yes, we do need restrictions and we do need to give hard messages. But rephrasing - using "please" and "we appreciate" and more discrete communication of penalties and consequences - ...

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