Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
HI Everyone, I'll try to reframe from going into my reaction but I'm interested in what you think. Here's the scenario:
I don't have to tell you the heat index today as I'm sure you know. So, at 4:10 today my 3 year old's class goes outside. At 4:50, they are still out there. I also find out that they have a bounce house for the day that the kids have been in. When I got there, the bounce house is NOT shaded. I was advised the kids were given a popsicle to cool them off (why not water you ask? yes well). So my question for you is this? What do you think of kids being out in this kind of heat and getting themselves exerted in a bounce house for that long?
Again, I've had my reaction. Looking for yours. This is suppose to be a 5 star daycare.
Our daycare takes the kids outside for 10-15 min, they go inside for water and to cool off then back outside for another 15 minutes. Even with that, the kids are hot and sweaty so I definitely think what your place did is too long. They have also extended their morning outside time since it is cooler then. There are (apparently) "rules" that daycares have to meet certain amounts of time outside unless it is raining/snowing - mine has told me this is factored into the star rating. I don't know if this is actually true or not. I'm ok with what mine does because they seem to take precautions but still get the kids outside.
HI Everyone, I'll try to reframe from going into my reaction but I'm interested in what you think. Here's the scenario:
I don't have to tell you the heat index today as I'm sure you know. So, at 4:10 today my 3 year old's class goes outside. At 4:50, they are still out there. I also find out that they have a bounce house for the day that the kids have been in. When I got there, the bounce house is NOT shaded. I was advised the kids were given a popsicle to cool them off (why not water you ask? yes well). So my question for you is this? What do you think of kids being out in this kind of heat and getting themselves exerted in a bounce house for that long?
Again, I've had my reaction. Looking for yours. This is suppose to be a 5 star daycare.
Thanks in advance!
A sweaty child! Heaven forbid! Let's see. If I was a child and was given the choice between playing outside in a bounce house in 100 degree heat and getting a popsicle. . . . . or . . . . .staying inside by myself and having a cup of water. . . .which would I choose?
Next time tell them to keep your child inside while all the other kids get to go outside in the bounce house. I think that you are over-reacting.
I wouldn't have a problem with it. If my child had asthma, maybe I'd be concerned. But it sounds like it was bunches of fun, and TBH, popsicles were probably a better hydration method than water, because you know the kids are going to eat the popsicles, while they might skip the water and just get back on the bouncy thing. Most of those bouncy things are covered anyway - was this one?
I don't think she was objecting to going outside- it was just the length of time in an unshaded area especially a bounce house that is probably a good 10 degrees or more hotter than outside. I think it was too long. Little kids can get dehydrated so fast and with a bunch of them out there, the teachers may not recognize signs of heat exhaustion right away and the kids are too young to know. I would definitely have issue with it in this current heat of at least 105. The HS football teams in Johnston County can't even practice outside if it's over 90 degrees after 9 a.m.
I would have a problem with it as well. I believe on days like this, our daycare (a five star) takes the kids outside as early as possible in the morning so as not to be out in the midst of the high heat. It was my understanding that there are rules to prevent the children from being outside during the days that are code orange or red or whatever on the ozone scale.
Jamangirl was right on the money. It's the amount of time and the fact that the bounce house was in direct sun. You can't convince me it was cool inside this large bounce house which had slides in it. It's one thing if you want them to go out for perhaps 20 minutes maybe but I believe almost an hour is tops. I'd like to see how long any adults would last in one with this heat. I know I wouldn't last very long.
So "New User", I don't have a problem with a sweaty kid (heck, what's messier than a potty training 3 yr old) what I have a problem with is people don't have common sense! It's TOO dang hot! It's not like he's 10. He doesn't know any better. I won't even ask how much time you spent outside in the sun today.
I wouldn't have a problem with it for that length of time at all! Sounds pretty normal for around here. As long as they weren't out all day, and were given cold fluids (Popsicle), it's wasn't a code red or orange day, it sounds like FUN! And I was outside in it for a quite a while today doing some yard work. We also walked to the pool for a swim meet right around that same time. It wasn't that bad and I doubt the heat index even got that high. My thermometer never went over 94 today.
I would mention it to the daycare. Nothing will change unless they are made aware that parents are unhappy with what happened. I worked at a daycare for a few years in college and we couldn't take them out if it was 98 or over. In the summer where I lived, it was routinely triple digits, so we did as others have mentioned- took them out first thing in the morning and had PLENTY of water available. I don't have a problem with the popsicles, but do think water should have been available, too. We filled and carried out one of those igloo coolers with a spout and Dixie cups everyday. Yeah, it was a pain, but the kids stayed hydrated. There star rating may go down for not taking kids out, but it would also probably go down if a bunch of little kids passed out from heat exhaustion.
I was outside for 3 hot hours today - scrubbing the back of my house, walking the dogs, and for a short run this morning. Yeah, it was hot, but you learn to deal.
Look, if you send your kids to some of the day camps in the area, they are going to be outdoors ALL DAY. In some countries, kids play (or work!) all day outdoors. I realize you're talking about a 3-yo, but little kids are much more resilient than you'd expect. Heck, when I was 3, I was mowing the lawn in hot and muggy eastern NC.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
