Open Discussion Forum

Parents have become my new heroes. Most of my career was spent in centers. For the past 8 years I have been a family child care home provider serving infants and toddlers. The relationship with parents is so different; much more intimate. I have 3 stories of mothers who were able stop their work for just a few minutes and help their child through a crisis on the phone. 

1. The first was a 2-year-old living with his father and his mother was on supervised visitation (with me). The father was a personal friend and so I had a good relationship with the mother prior to the little boy being separated from her. I was on leave from my job, so provided child care for him. There were many days where he had little meltdowns. I'd call his mother who worked at a call center and ask if she could talk to him for a few minutes. She was always able to talk him down from whatever the crisis was in less than 5 minutes. I don't remember details; he'll be 16 in a few days. 
2. Another mother was a nurse working in a hospital. Her barely 2-year-old boy woke up from nap one day crying hysterically. Nothing I did helped him. His mother talked to him for about 3 minutes calming him down and calling him little pet names. Anyone would have felt safe after talking to her. The little boy was fine till his father picked him up a few hours later. 
3. The weather radio in my family child care home went off with a tornado watch (not a warning - a watch). A 4-year-old girl understood that tornados are very scary and began to cry about her "Foxy". Foxy was her comfort stuffed animal that had been with her since birth. Her 1-year-old brother just watched her with concern. My logical explanations did not help her at all, so I eventually called Mommy who was the manager of a fast-food chain. In less than a minute the mother made the little girl smile. She told her the two cats at their home would take care of Foxy.

This last mother was the woman who led me to label mothers as "magic." I would have never thought of telling the child her Foxy would be okay because of the cats. Later, the mother smiled and told me the cats solve lots of problems at her house.

Prior to the last 8 years all of my work with children occurred before the advent of cell phones. Calling a parent at work was unthinkable unless it was to say, meet your child at the emergency room. Therefore, I have been very careful not to abuse the privilege of contacting a parent at work. 

I have two questions: 

1. Do you have any anecdotes about parents providing their child with something no one else can?
2. How do you make decisions about contacting a parent at work?

Lovely stories Loraine.  The majority of my experience has been in Head Start programs so it's pretty much mostly been a decision that is above my head to contact parents.  Sometimes we've had to, when child is exhibiting behaviors that are dangerous to themselves or others or if they are being extremely disruptive at nap time.  I guess it depends upon your program and your parents.

Parents have become my new heroes. Most of my career was spent in centers. For the past 8 years I have been a family child care home provider serving infants and toddlers. The relationship with parents is so different; much more intimate. I have 3 stories of mothers who were able stop their work for just a few minutes and help their child through a crisis on the phone. 

1. The first was a 2-year-old living with his father and his mother was on supervised visitation (with me). The father was a personal friend and so I had a good relationship with the mother prior to the little boy being separated from her. I was on leave from my job, so provided child care for him. There were many days where he had little meltdowns. I'd call his mother who worked at a call center and ask if she could talk to him for a few minutes. She was always able to talk him down from whatever the crisis was in less than 5 minutes. I don't remember details; he'll be 16 in a few days. 
2. Another mother was a nurse working in a hospital. Her barely 2-year-old boy woke up from nap one day crying hysterically. Nothing I did helped him. His mother talked to him for about 3 minutes calming him down and calling him little pet names. Anyone would have felt safe after talking to her. The little boy was fine till his father picked him up a few hours later. 
3. The weather radio in my family child care home went off with a tornado watch (not a warning - a watch). A 4-year-old girl understood that tornados are very scary and began to cry about her "Foxy". Foxy was her comfort stuffed animal that had been with her since birth. Her 1-year-old brother just watched her with concern. My logical explanations did not help her at all, so I eventually called Mommy who was the manager of a fast-food chain. In less than a minute the mother made the little girl smile. She told her the two cats at their home would take care of Foxy.

This last mother was the woman who led me to label mothers as "magic." I would have never thought of telling the child her Foxy would be okay because of the cats. Later, the mother smiled and told me the cats solve lots of problems at her house.

Prior to the last 8 years all of my work with children occurred before the advent of cell phones. Calling a parent at work was unthinkable unless it was to say, meet your child at the emergency room. Therefore, I have been very careful not to abuse the privilege of contacting a parent at work. 

I have two questions: 

1. Do you have any anecdotes about parents providing their child with something no one else can?
2. How do you make decisions about contacting a parent at work?

Parents have become my new heroes. Most of my career was spent in centers. For the past 8 years I have been a family child care home provider serving infants and toddlers. The relationship with parents is so different; much more intimate. I have 3 stories of mothers who were able stop their work for just a few minutes and help their child through a crisis on the phone. 

1. The first was a 2-year-old living with his father and his mother was on supervised visitation (with me). The father was a personal friend and so I had a good relationship with the mother prior to the little boy being separated from her. I was on leave from my job, so provided child care for him. There were many days where he had little meltdowns. I'd call his mother who worked at a call center and ask if she could talk to him for a few minutes. She was always able to talk him down from whatever the crisis was in less than 5 minutes. I don't remember details; he'll be 16 in a few days. 
2. Another mother was a nurse working in a hospital. Her barely 2-year-old boy woke up from nap one day crying hysterically. Nothing I did helped him. His mother talked to him for about 3 minutes calming him down and calling him little pet names. Anyone would have felt safe after talking to her. The little boy was fine till his father picked him up a few hours later. 
3. The weather radio in my family child care home went off with a tornado watch (not a warning - a watch). A 4-year-old girl understood that tornados are very scary and began to cry about her "Foxy". Foxy was her comfort stuffed animal that had been with her since birth. Her 1-year-old brother just watched her with concern. My logical explanations did not help her at all, so I eventually called Mommy who was the manager of a fast-food chain. In less than a minute the mother made the little girl smile. She told her the two cats at their home would take care of Foxy.

This last mother was the woman who led me to label mothers as "magic." I would have never thought of telling the child her Foxy would be okay because of the cats. Later, the mother smiled and told me the cats solve lots of problems at her house.

Prior to the last 8 years all of my work with children occurred before the advent of cell phones. Calling a parent at work was unthinkable unless it was to say, meet your child at the emergency room. Therefore, I have been very careful not to abuse the privilege of contacting a parent at work. 

I have two questions: 

1. Do you have any anecdotes about parents providing their child with something no one else can?
2. How do you make decisions about contacting a parent at work?