16 Things We Wish Daycare Teachers Would Get Off Our Case About

16 Things We Wish Daycare Teachers Would Get Off Our Case About First things first Daycare teachers perform a vitally important joboften for far too little pay. Working moms know just what a tremendous debt we owe them, since we wouldnt be able to do ur jobs without them. So, to daycare teachers everywhere Thank you for all you do to keep ur kids safe, healthy and happy. We love you, we need you, we worship you.But sometimes Im not so sure some if my childs teachers reciprocate the warm and fuzzy feelings. In my experience, being a working mom means juggling a 1000000 balls at onceand getting lots of side eye from some of my kids teachers when inevitably one of those balls drop.If youre a working mom who sends your kid to daycare and has ever fudged or forgotten a rule, you know the tone Im talking about the one that implies youve prioritized work over your precious child, youre a terrible mother and your kid is going to end up in juvie one day.Logically, I know thats not what my tyk es teacher is thinking, but mom guilt is strong stuff. So, daycare teachers, do us working moms a solid When one of these dicke bretter bohren mssens below arise, treat us with compassion and understanding. Were doing the best we can, just like you.1. Sending our kid to school with a sniffle.We promise were not trying to infect the entire class. Were just out of paid time off for the year, and wed like to keep our job. If its a fever or something serious, well keep him homeso can you let a cough or two slide?2. Same goes for loose poops.Heres a fun fact I learned the hard way When a young kid gets diarrhea, it can totally wreck her intestinal lining, which means loose poops can last for weeksweeksafter the kid is actually contagious. No working parent I know can miss work for weeks, alas. If our pediatrician says our kid is OK to go back to school, can you just trust us?3. Forgoing regular haircuts.We know how obvious it is that we havent taken our bub to the barber in weeks, er, mo nths. The thing about hair, though, is that it doesnt matter if its longer than other kids, like, at all. He might not pass for a mini GQ model with that mop, but you dont need to mention his unkempt do if its not bugging the child sporting it.4. Long nails.If our kid is perpetually slicing and dicing up his classmates, by all means, say something. But if we were on a work trip last week and theyre just a smidge long, let it go until were back to our regularly scheduled manicure program, please.5. Not enough tummy time.Some babies just hate tummy time. No, we dont keep our infant locked away in a cradle in the closet all weekend long.6.Bug bites and sunburns.Have you seen the prehistoric beasts roaming the skies these days? Theres no amount of organic bug spray that can take those blood-suckers down. And as for my tots rosy cheeks, mea culpa, I forgot sunscreen for 10 minutes. Yes, I am clearly trying to kill him.7.Seasonally inappropriate clothing.When we left the house, it was war m and sunny. Now, its snowing. Mother nature is a fickle bitch, and it turns out I cant fit my childs entire wardrobe in my work bag.8. Potty-training problems.Do you think I like wiping my kids butt? Id make a deal with the devil to get him out of diapers. Alas, the devil hasnt yet offered, so until then, I swear to continue to work on it. No reminders needed, I assure you.9.Not packing healthy snacks.We dontfeed our kids chocolate cake every day, but when the pantry is empty, were running late or theyre on a veggie strike (again), desperate times call for desperate measures. Theyll live.10.Not packing enough breastmilk.Breast-pumping is pretty much the worst, but we dutifully ditch meetings, hook ourselves up like a cow in a musty closet, and eke out just enough liquid gold to keep our kid fed. Then he hits a growth spurt, and our pumping plan goes to hell. Were trying. Were trying SO hard. And our hormones are mucksmuschenstill a bit haywire. Please be kind to us.11.Arriving righ t before pick-up time.Lets make a deal Well do our best to pick our kid up before closing timeeven on days when our commute is a living nightmareif youll refrain from rolling your eyes when we run in at 559.12.Lackluster fundraising.Look, we passed around the magazine sign-up and sent emails about the raffle tickets and tried to get Grandma to buy the sheets. We simply dont have time to be the classs top-earner. Can we just cut a check?13.Biting and hitting.We know its an issue, and were happy to work with you to resolve it in any way we can. But just remember we already feel agony that our kid is the problem child a neutral, no-nonsense, judgment-free approach is greatly appreciated.14.Not being able to attend the mid-week, mid-day event.Yes, the field trip to the farmers market looks super fun, and wed love to join. But we have to save our time off for all of the holidays when the center is closed.15.Not calling to check up.I had no idea I was supposed to ring in the middle of the day to make sure the kid is OK Silly me, I thought he was fine in the hands of capable pros.16. Not answeringwhen daycare calls during work.Sometimes were in a meeting, or on a plane, or savoring a moment of much-needed peace in the restroom. And sometimesDad is the primary contact. Were not ignoring you, we promise, and well call you back as soon as we can. No need to give us grief when we do.This article originally appeared on Working Mother.WorkingMother is amentor, role model,and advocate for the countrys more than 17 million moms who are devoted to their families and committed to their careers. Through our website,magazine, research, radio and powerful events,WorkingMotherprovides its readers with the community, solutions,and strategies they need to thrive.