WWYD - children left with nobody there

amother

Coffee

Thu, May 07 2015, 10:28 pm

I spoke to the Morah and told her how upset I was.
She said that before she left she spoke to the mother who said be right there she works across the hall and was on her way over. It was very late already and the Morah had to rush out as she had to be somewhere (apt or something) and she specifically said she told the mom who was on her way to the room.
The mom didn't come though for at least ten min.
I told her that I ended up staying because I was too afraid to leave the kids especially with janitor around because there are too many terrible stories and how would she feel if chalila something had hap.
She said it really the mom issue because she cleared it with her and it was already so late and she had to go.
I think she felt really bad though.

seeker

Thu, May 07 2015, 10:31 pm

I don't care if mom is across the hall. You leave a toddler only IN THE NEXT PERSON'S HANDS. If she was just across the hall, then let her come NOW. How big is this hall exactly?! Maybe if she was right there and morah really wants to leave that badly she can walk the kids over to their mom herself. "Hi, you didn't turn up, I'm going now, here take your kids." I don't care what the story was, YOU DON"T LEAVE BABIES ALONE. And anyone who would should not be responsible for kids this age at all.

amother

White

Fri, May 08 2015, 12:19 am

Okay, I'm a babysitter, and I would never leave kids alone like that, obviously that's ridiculously irresponsible, but let me just make this PSA on behalf of all babysitters everywhere:

PICK UP YOUR KIDS ON TIME. Your time is not any more precious then mine, trust me. I also have a life, and kids, and appointments, and places to be same as you do.

Now, life happens and of course if you're running late once in a blue moon, I won't be upset. But usually, it's the same mom who just can't get her act together and routinely shows up 10, 20, even over 30 minutes late! Without even calling me to let me know! Where is the mentchlachkeit? People think if they're paying overtime it's ok, but it's NOT ok, charging overtime is supposed to prevent this from happening in the first place. This year, I had a mother who would pick up her children half an hour late at least twice a week, if not more, until I finally gave her the boot. If she needed a later pickup, she should've been honest with me at the beginning of the year when I planned out my schedule. I am pregnant, and I've had to miss several doctors appointments due to her tardiness. When I would tell her how things can't go on like this, she would look at me with puppy eyes and go, "but what should I DO? I couldn't come earlier!" No apologies, nothing. I would try calling her, her phone would be off. Infuriating.
Another time, I had a parent who just wasn't showing up, and I had a school interview for my daughter to get to (this is in Lakewood- school interviews are a BIG deal!) Another parent noticed I was practically in tears, and offered to watch the kids for me until the other parent showed up. I could've kissed her. And my the list goes on...

So while the morah was definitely wrong to leave the poor babies alone in this case, please remember that parents can be just as bone-headed as well.

maapse

Fri, May 08 2015, 2:23 am

There is is NO excuse ever for leaving a child that age alone. It is irrelevant that the lady spoke to the mother etc. There is NO excuse. Period.

Someone in a childcare position has to factor in extra time after their job officially ends because the nature of the job is that you cannot just walk away when the time is up.
There is just no excuse.

m in Israel

Fri, May 08 2015, 2:40 am

Now that you spoke to the teacher the situation sounds even worse! She said "it is really the mom's issue"? What sort of normal person cares about whose issue it is when the safety of a two little babies are at stake (and yes, children under the age of 2 are babies!)? This is not a question of whose fault it is -- it is a question of how you can rely on the judgement of a woman who thinks leaving toddlers by themselves is OK just because she told the mother she was doing it.

The teacher has every right to be upset at a mother who comes late -- and to set up whatever system of fines, etc. to prevent it. And if a parent is consistently late, maybe the teacher needs to consider kicking them out of the program, if that is what it comes to. But none of that changes the fact that babies cannot be left unsupervised. I'm not sure why you are hung up about the janitors -- I am much more worried about a child getting hurt, wandering off, falling down, etc. Or as others have said cvs more unusual circumstances like fire or choking. I am trying so hard to imagine this and I can't figure it out. Where were the kids? Just sitting on chairs in the room? Playing with toys? In some sort of crib? Was the door to the room locked? What would prevent them from just walking out to look for someone? This is disturbing on so many levels! And as others have said, if the mother was really right across the hall, why couldn't she have just brought the children to the mother before she left?

And even if I could maybe understand that at the moment the teacher was in a panic because she was late to some super important appointment and the mother was telling her to leave and she just lost her head and did it, the fact that the next day, after you brought it to her attention, she was STILL justifying it makes me think that you should take your kid out of there as soon as possible.