Birth rate/all boys daycare class

[Kestrel]

My very-big-for-his-age 18-month old DS was just moved into the 18 mo-36 mo classroom at daycare.

There must be something in the water! For our county, more than 70% of births in 2008 were boys! In his new class, there are 12 boys, DS and one girl who doesn't come back into the class until school starts. (Her mom in in high school.) The next younger boy is 25 months.

My baby needs help! He may look as big as the other boys, but he's not! The teacher didn't help him eat, just asked DH the next morning at drop-off if he needs help. REALLY? You didn't try to help him YESTERDAY? Nope, they just maked on his pick-up sheet that he'd didn't eat any lunch. Couldn't call and ask us? Couldn't walk to the next classroom and ask his old teacher? Nope. Just let the baby be hungry.

Of course he had trouble going to sleep for nap. HE WAS HUNGRY!

He didn't play with the other boys. Well, it was a new room, and he spent time checking things out. Also, the other boys are way more advanced than DS; DS doesn't play "with" anyone, not even his parents.

He also came home wearing the wrong diapers. Turns out his diapers weren't moved from his old class with the rest of his stuff. But new teachers didn't tell/ask us or the old teachers about it. I found out when he got changed at home.

We love this daycare. They better do a whole hell of a lot better than this from now on.

[sste]

We recently encountered this from the other direction - - our DC being older. What we realized (and hadn't previously considered) is that 18-36 months is a big age spread at those particular ages. DS's room was 22 months to 34 months and even with that you can see HUGE disparities between the oldest and youngest.

I agree with you, 18 month olds don't play with other children, maybe some p'llel play but that is it. Our DS started preschool/daycare in this same room at 23 months and he was very focused on his teachers and spent most of his time hugging them and playing with them until around 28-30 months when he started to get very interested in other kids.

Does the daycare have a "primary caregiver" model where one teacher can especially look out for and bond with your DS? My daycare has this model in the younger, baby classrooms and in our son's older, toddler classroom it informally worked out that way - - we asked the lead teacher to keep a special eye on him and they really bonded.

On the food, I do think the reality of a daycare room of that age group is that the child is expected to self-feed - - presumably at 18 months very often using their hands. What is the ratio of teachers:kids? That influences things too. I certainly think it is very reasonable to request that he be given enough of the kind of food that he can feed himself using his hands (i.e., don't hand him a bowl of oatmeal and a spoon).

Good luck!

[KHF]

That seems like an awfully big age spread for that group. At our daycare, for the first 2 years, they are in 6 month age groups. My 20 month old DS is in a room for 18-24 months. (Though our experience is completely different...he's the only boy with 5-6 girls!)

He is also big for his age, but was an early self feeder. Our daycare started helping them learn to self feed in the 12-18 month room though. The big issue when he moved to his current room was learning to drink from an open cup. He picked it up in just a matter of days when he moved up.

I'll bet your son will catch on to the self-feeding soon, but until then just ask the teachers to help him with it some more.

[Snow mom]

Wow, that is a huge age spread. Does the daycare only have one room for that range? I just wonder why they would put such developmentally different kids together. I'm sure your DS isn't the first to be so much younger in the room and they know what they are doing. Or at least I try to tell myself things like that now that I overall trust my daycare. We moved our DD at the beginning of summer and she was placed into a room that is loosely 18-30 mos. At the time she was the youngest surrounded by kids in the 24-30 mos range. A couple of younger kids joined the classroom over the summer. Then two weeks ago all the "big" kids moved up and were replaced by babies 15-18 mos. It's such a change and I have to say I preferred DD being with the older kids although I was apprehensive about it at first. She learned a ton from them over the summer and as soon as the babies showed up she started imitating things they do which was a step back. So maybe there will be a silver lining regarding the age range. Hope your DS starts having better and better days as he adjust to the new room.

[longtallsally05]

Poor little guy! I hope somebody starts helping him @ meals from now on.