Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy.

Boy.

***

This is how change occurs.

I must admit that I've grown steadily more displeased with the daycare. It's been brought on by a number of things. Staff turnover is alarmingly high. And lately THEBOY's oppositional behavior has concerned me. He comes home telling me he's having three, five or more timeouts per day. The school hasn't said much to me about it, and that surprises me too. Is he like all the others? Is he in a difficult phase? Is it the school? Is it just him?

We've re-emphasized the value of NOT getting in trouble to him a lot lately. On days when he reports no timeouts, we're pleased. On those other days, of course, we're not.

***

So I picked him up today, and Miss K, a relative mainstay there, informed me that she'd nearly called me at lunch. I cocked an eyebrow.

She went on to explain that actually, the whole class was misbehaving, and that she actually just told them all that as a threat. Just before she told them all to "shut up," that is.

Excuse me?

***

I stopped her. "You told a class full of kids who were supposed to be having lunch to 'shut up'?"

Yes, she explained, and said she knew it was wrong, but that see, little [generic boy name] was behind it, and he just wouldn't LISTEN, and...

"That doesn't please me. We don't say that in our household. We do NOT talk to each other that way."

I kept my cool and made my points quite clearly: THIS WON'T DO.

***

I bumped into one of the administrators on the way out, and she knew about the incident. In fact, she said that Miss B had heard it, and immediately went into the classroom to stop Miss K's behavior.

In my mind, it looks like two grownups having an ugly confrontation in front of a roomful of children.

***

The administrator told me not to worry, as she thought this meant Miss K wouldn't be working there much longer.

Ah. More turnover.

***

SO, what the plan is right now I don't know. Except that I will contact their previous school. I had a good rapport with the owner. Just before we left, he offered us a discount. It wasn't enough. Perhaps there's some way to swing SOMETHING.

I don't intend to just start hopping the kids from school to school. No way. But we've got to figure something out.

***

Wish us luck.

***

By the way... no timeouts today.