Response from: Dream A Little Dream Daycare, Waltham MA
Hello...I am owner of Dream A Lil Dream Daycare.......This is very upsetting that this was posted and invite the person to have knocked on my door if so concerned. First off the wagon is used not for the children to sit in it and play but to take to a near by play ground/ library/etc... Secondly the children's parents as well as my state licenser know the procedure I use as I have spoke to them about it. I live on a very busy street and will not take all the children out at once...They are between the ages of 2 and 3 and the chances of them running out into the street is much higher than anything else that could happen, while sitting secured in the wagon. I bring them out one to two at a time and secure them with the seat belts in the wagon...They go from one secure place to another. I can see the children in the wagon from the screen door (you can see in the picture that the door is open) as the bench where the other children inside are waiting to come out is by the door. Even if you don't see me physically outside, I am at the door...as I put shoes and coats on at this bench and then take outside... If this person came to the door rather than analyzing the situation from the street in her car.......they would have been greeted by myself and this unfair accusation would have been prevented. On top of all that, my husband, who is a child care worker himself is watching children through window as I am getting other children inside.. just to be that more safe. This is a misrepresentation of how we do business here, even slanderous. If you do live near by as you say then I extend my welcome to you to come speak to me face to face regarding this matter in hopes that you would be able to remove this from this site. For someone supposedly so concerned with the welfare of these children, should not have these children's pictures on line with name of business making address easily attainable to those that could potentially put them in danger. Rather than hiding on line, I hope that you will accept my offer to speak in person. If this continues to be put on this site I will look into what legal action I can take to have it removed. This could potentially hurt my future business due to one person's misguided point of view rather than the truth.
Thank You-Owner of Dream A LiL Dream Daycare
125 comments:
"For someone supposedly so concerned with the welfare of these children, should not have these children's pictures on line with name of business making address easily attainable to those that could potentially put them in danger."
The faces of those children were never shown. As long as they are closely being watched, no harm will befall them... right?
Well said, OP. I thought this siting was unfair when I first saw it. Many people who are not in childcare think that the children just magically get ready to go outside and in the wagon. We have a system, and it seems that yours works. I love your response. It is professional and well-said.
Okay what I don't understand, and please correct me if i'm wrong, is why if there are two adults in the house, one can't be outside with the children while the other is inside putting on shoes and coats. There may be a simple explination for this, so please correct me if there is, it just stuck out to me as a red flag.
I was also wondering why if you have two adults why one isn't outside with the children? I would NEVER be ok with this as a child care provider or parent! So you say you watch them from inside to keep them safe? That doesn't seem safe to me, what if someone came and grabbed a kid and took off in a car, you wouldn't be able to stop them. What if one kid managed to get free? This just does not seem like good judgement. The post is not slanderous, it's completely factual. You indeed left the children outside unsupervised. I really hope mpp and jane keep the post up.
I am on the fence about this. I see both points. I think having the children outside, sitting in the wagon could put them in harm's way, however I see the point that if you took all the children out there at the same time, some could run away. But if there are two adults in the home, then they both should be able to manage all the kids outside on the sidewalk, right?
Marypoppin'pills said..."The faces of those children were never shown. As long as they are closely being watched, no harm will befall them... right?"
ACTUALLY MaryPillPopper i just clicked on the image and went to your photobucket account, which then has, not 1, BUT 2 PICTURES of these children WITH THEIR FACES NOT BLURRED for all to see. YOU should be reported. absolutely shameful.
Actually, you cannot see the children's faces from the Photobucket account. You should get some glasses.
As per the OP, the only way this posting could hurt your business is by other parents realizing that this is, indeed, a red flag. If you truly have two adults available, then one of them should be with the children outside.
OP, while I do believe you that you have a safe system for transporting the children in and out of the house, if I were a parent of one of these children and I drove by and saw this, I would be mortified! You have explained that the children were safe (although some might disagree) but a parent might see the children sitting unattended outside and not want to even listen to a word you have to say to defend yourself. The way the picture is appears neglectful. Bottom line.
I have no doubt that you care for the safety of the children and about the reputation of your business but surely there is another way to go about getting all the children out of the house in a way that doesn't APPEAR to be a danger. There is a reason someone posted this picture on here... for the protection of the children. I don't think he or she was trying to slander you, just making sure the children are safe. I think you would be better received if you calmly explained that this was in fact a safe situation and thank the person for the concern on the children's behalf. The fact that you are acting like someone is trying to shut your business down is a little dramatic.
State the truth and assure people you know what you are doing but would be open to suggestions. Of course, that is only what I would do.
This is easy, OP needs to have one adult on the sidewalk with the children in the wagon, after all it is a busy street. If that's not possible all children should wait inside together while getting dressed then with teacher sit on the stoop/porch while they are loaded one by one into wagon. This is common sense, no children should be left alone on the sidewalk on a busy street. I have, in the past, worked home daycare for 10 years and we would never leave children unattended on the sidewalk, parents and licensing would both be concerned! Better safe than sorry!
As a mom in a nearby town I have a HUGE issue with this. I would pull my children from this daycare if it where me. I have 4 children under the age of 5 and they all get ready and head out with me, together. I do not understand why there is not an adult outside. What would you or your husband possibly do to stop and incident from inside the house? Those children are near the road, anything could happen.
As a licensed provider I find it hard to believed that the licensing board would tell you that this is ok or appropriate.
HOWEVER I did wonder why the person posting this in the first place did not come and seek you out in person. Has this person called the board or anyone to report this issue?
If you are so concerned about this posting, I recommend you change your procedures or actually put your husband outside watching them rather than through a window (which makes no sense to me). This post is not libelous, as it shows EXACTLY what is happening, and your argument has no legs.
Additionally, I don't see how on God's green Earth you think this is okay!
If the street is as busy as you say, I would have even more of a problem with the children being outside without an adult. I've yet to meet a safety harness that couldn't be outsmarted by a clever 3 year old.
If faced with the same dilemma, I would probably get all the children ready, and then at least remain outside on the porch (within arm's reach of the wagon) and just open the screen door to allow 2 more children out at a time. I am really puzzled by having two adults inside when you have a wagon full of kids outside.
I am not going to keep going back and fourth....This will be my last post. I am very open with my parents and they do know my procedure and I have spoken with my licenser about my procedure in the past. It hasn't been an issue because again this picture is a false representation..PERIOD...The children are in my sight whether I am in or out. I have been in process of speaking with the parents of children about this blog and situation and asked if they thought I could do it a better way and will ask each and every one of them...because that is how I do business. And their opinions are the ones that matters. I do not have a front yard..my porch goes right into a side walk which goes into a busy street. I have no other choice where to put wagon. I used to have them right in front of my porch stairs but there was little room to get them in so I push it forward. I believe that what I am doing is the best way to keep them safe..I have two of my own children here and am only doing what is best for them as well as the daycare children with the way my location is set up. I will stick to the fact that it is safer to keep those children which are harnessed into the wagon, which has a break, rather than have those chilren free but be together outside, risking one of them to run into the steet..My 3 and 5 year old I can trust to not run in street and I even take precautions with them because you never know but not the 2 year olds....they are too young to understand.
Yes I am upset because it just saddens me that people will make judgments about someone or their business off of a picture with out any other information. It wasn't just friendly suggestions or advise but thank you to those who did do that...I always welcome ideas but that wasn't the case.
Bottom line I am at the door getting another child off bench and strapping them into wagon and coming back in..If that woman stuck around she would have seen that. These children are not out of my sight in doing so. If it was about the safety of these children and these children were in such danger then Mary poppin pills should have spoke with me personally to see first if there was someone at door before making a false accusation. I could understand then if she came to the door and couldn't find anyone in sight. Her credibility for me is not there.....once I saw that this is what she does...goes around and takes pictures of others..people like this have nothing better to do? Its not about the children's safety but to have something to put on this blog to create this controversy..I have invited her to speak with me and she ignored that and continued to comment. And whether or not those pictures are blurry...my address is attainable for predators now that you made this accusation...thinking that they may have an opportunity.... In my last response I was and still am upset..It is just amazing to me that people think that this is OK that someone can come along snap pictures do what they want with them and say what they want and put them up for the world to see. Is is just scary...
One more thing I forgot to add...I am not required to have two adults with my number of children but when available I will have my husband keep an eye and at times he does go outside when it is necessary. I am not required to have 2 adults and 2 adults are not always available so my procedure needs to work if I am the only one available and that procedure does include getting them all ready first and taking them out one by one and strapping them into wagon...
Your procedure apparently isn't getting them all ready at once...You've already said in another post that you're getting other kids ready while these kids are strapped into a wagon on the street. Let's not kid ourselves: you only have two eyes, and getting kids ready requires your attention to them. You are leaving two-year-olds outside your house strapped in a wagon where anyone can snatch one if they so choose. If you are truly concerned about predators, you wouldn't do this. Secondly, you advertise your business-a daycare-on a banner on the front of your house. If you were concerned about predators you mentioned earlier, then you wouldn't have such a banner indicating the presence of small children. Finally, it seems as if parents did contact you regarding what they saw....which leads me to believe that this was a cause for concern and that they were NOT okay with you leaving their toddlers on the sidewalk of a busy street. I agree with a previous poster that said children can unbuckle restraints, plus you seem to be missing the point that someone could snatch one of these children in a SECOND.
Please consider this and reconsider your policy regarding this wagon. It's a bad idea.
Unfortunately for you, nothing guarantees that your husband or anyone for that matter, is watching the children while they're alone outside. The smart thing to do would be to make him fetch each kid to you, while you're outside watching the other kids. If there are two of you, then one person should be inside and one person should be outside.
If the person had seen an adult supervising the kids, she wouldn't have been concerned about them and wouldn't have posted this. Don't you think?
Oh and BTW, none of those kids look like they're strapped to anything. If you can post a better picture of the wagon, it'd be great.
There is absolutely no one at the window watching anything, either.
I ran a NY state licensed daycare. It is true that under a certain number of children, there does not need to be more than one adult. That being said, I have run a daycare. I watched six children. Never once did I let any of them sit outside unattended. There is NO excuse for it. If you can't handle getting a group of them ready to take outside all at once, then how are you handling them inside? I can't imagine any certification supervisor being okay with this. What do you say? I sit children outside in a wagon unattended on a busy street, but watch from inside the house? Uh huh. And I can't imagine parents are really okay with it either. No matter what you say. I'm so upset by this, as I was when I originally read it, even more so now because you're defending it. The poster had time to drive by TWICE, and they were alone. Please, reconsider your routine for the safety of those kids.
If you go back and read the original sighting, the original OP stated that 2 kids were sitting and one was standing next to the wagon (which you can see in the photo). The child that was standing could have easily run into the street. Not judging the daycare, but I think it's important that parents know what is going on and they can decide if it's ok with them or not. Wouldn't it be easier to have them all go out at once with the daycare lady leading to prevent running into the street? At least then they'd be learning through a routine that "we get dressed, we go out in a line, we get in the wagon"...
I don't know what is so wrong with kids playing with a wagon? I had a wagon to play with when i was a kid. i know that's not the point of the post but it still made me curious.
I think that the main purpose of this site is so that the parents of the children involved in the sightings can be informed of a potentially inappropriate or unsafe situation and make their own determination of it's validity. In this case, if the children's parents and the licensing boards are either already aware or are informed through this site & they feel it is a safe situation I guess that is all that matters.
That being said, as a parent I would not have been happy hearing the policy explained verbally, and I would be even more upset to see this photo documenting the front door being only open half way, no visible adult in the window... and doesn't it seem like the bushes would at least partially obstruct someone's view from the house??
What would have happened if one of the 'inside children' had been uncooperative (taken their shoes back off, gone in search of a lost toy, who knows with small children) and the owner had gotten distracted for even a moment?? Think of how quickly a kid could be snatched!!
As for being worried about a predator finding your business I can guarantee if they wanted to all they would need (before the original post even happened) was a quick google search of daycares in your area. You put your address and info out there for perspective parents but anyone can access that info.
That being said, you should never as a PROFESSIONAL leave children outside on the street unattended. Get the other kids ready on the porch, and if you have been in business or have had experience why can't you seem to get them all ready and out the door all at once?
First of all I find it funny how much stock people are putting into a message posted by a woman with "poppin' pills" in her name. Posted @ 3 in the morning too? wow...
Everyone has an opinion and everyone thinks they know what people should do or would do in a such a situation. None of us know the true/whole story.
Nobody asking why this woman, who had the time to slow down and take a picture of the children, didn't get out and either wheel the wagon away from the road or knock on the door to say something? Oh, but she had the children's best interest in mind when she did this, yea of course. How do you people know this woman isn't out to get the owner of the daycare? How do you know she isn't some nut who constantly harasses the own of Dream A Little Dream?
Should the children be out there by themselves like that? NO! But to not question the motives of this person who cares so much about kids to put this pic up is just ridiculous. Get out and help the kids if you have time to take a picture!!!!
Sometimes people like to think they are perfect. How many of us haven't turned around and left a child alone for 20 seconds? Or are you all perfect parents...yeah you must all be perfect. The fact is a mistake was made and all poppingpills does is exploit that mistake to potentially ruin a business and maybe even a life. Mistakes are made. Poppingpills needs a life.
Am I wrong here or doesn't MaryPoppin'Pills just post what OTHER people give her? I could be wrong but she is not the one who took the picture... it was someone else who sent it in to ISYN. Personally I think a site like this is great because people can post a suspected siting on here so that parents can investigate for themselves. A posting on here is not going to send you to jail or anything, it is simply a type that someone doesn't think something is right and it should be looked into further.
In no way is posting on this site meant to destroy someone's business, it is meant to protect the children who may or may not be at risk. If this owner of the daycare believes that her methods are safe and the certification board agrees, as well as the parents, then that is on them. The fact of the matter is, someone drove by and the picture that is posted is what she saw! As a human being, she thought it was neglectful to leave the children out there alone, and I agree.
It seems as though the OP is not open to suggestions from us on how to handle this situation more safely so she obviously has no problem defending her methods. In that case, I hope the parents of these children have all been SHOWN what goes on and that they all OKed it. I would be SHOCKED if that was the case because I would never allow my child to stay at that daycare!
And lastly, to say that people who post on here "need a life" is terrible. Say that to Jaycee Duggard's mother or Elizabeth Smart's parents who simply made small mistakes and almost lost their daughters. I bet they would say little things like this can make a huge difference.
You make a mistake once, maybe even twice but you learn from it. The owner of this daycare doesn't think she is doing anything wrong by leaving toddlers/young children out in the waggon by themselves!
Am I perfect? Probably not, but I try to do my job as good as I can and try to be as perfect as even possible. Why? Because a Mom and a Dad trust me with their most precious little girl.
yes marypoppin' pill is the one who posted the picture. that's why i say get a life. to her, the woman who took the picture instead of doing something about it. knocking on the door or wheeling the wagon away from the road. if she was so concerned then she would have stopped to help. not stopped to take a picture. this isn't protection. this is slander.
and like i said, you don't know the whole story of what happened. all you can do is make an opinion based on what you see.
im glad you can admit you are not perfect and im sure you make mistakes in your job.
chief justice hewart is the one who said " justice must not only be done but be seen to be done"
the same goes for safety for children - it's not wise to put the kids in a situation that "looks" untenable and unsafe because that is a strong indication that it IS untenable and unsafe
many of these protests are not reasonable.
the person who took the picture would be unwise to tresspass/and or approach/touch the children - if she had done so the protesters would be reaming her for that
no matter how you slice it, it's unwise to put children in a position that looks unsafe
and the way the world is right now anything unwise, illegal or even fattening you do in public places can wind up on the net in a pic
all these protesters are like a child with his hand in the cookie jar,jam on his face saying "i did not eat a cookie and it's unfair to take a pic of me with my hand in the jar"
also - my personal favorite blowing smoke defense is always the "perve" defense - when posters don't like the op they accuse the op of being a perve supporter, same goes with this daycare owner - calling the owners of this site perv supporters - smoke blowing to detract from a mistake
i feel this site has the potential to save a kid's life if it has not already done so
one child's life is worth it
With the poster above me.
so if something looks a certain way then we all must deem that it IS that way? Perceptions can be misleading, as can pictures.
I find it astounding that anyone can defend a person who instead of helping a situation, further hinders it. If a woman had time to circle around a block twice and take a picture then she had time to knock on a door or at least get out and sit with the children.
I live in this neighborhood. There is a block of three condos right there. The window in that picture is part of the 2nd condo not the daycare owner's. There is another window to left of the front door.
See how pictures can be misleading?
I know both the owner AND the woman who took the picture. I am a neighbor and this woman is the type to get into people's business because she has nothing better to do with herself.
Hey Mary who has popped too many pills.....You are way out of line here. This is my niece that you are talking about. She is a loving, caring mother and has a reputable daycare business. You have no right to judge her like that, especially since you are just driving by and do not have ALL THE FACTS!! She has worked very hard to get where she is today and she does not deserve this kind of abuse. As a school nurse for an elementary school for many years I understand that this can be a very good site for many people; however, it could harm a lot of innocent people, like my niece. Do you know that it is against the law to take pictures of children and post it on any website??? This is illegal what you are doing and you could face charges for this. I would suggest if you have a problem, go see the daycare yourself and then I know you would change your mind and your brainless comments!!!!
I think that people need to get the facts before they post. How do you know what the situation was by a quick drive by. That's how people get judged unfairly because you don't take the time to find out the true facts and rush to a quick judgement. You owe that to someone before you try to throw them under the bus or should I say wagon. Before you write about anyone do the right thing before posting.
People. Mary poppin pills is the facilitator of this sight, not the person who reported the sighting.
Also, I am shocked that people are arguing the validity of the entire premise of the existance of this blog! If youre so opposed to it, how did you end up reading it in the first place?
I think you need to get a clue....Mary Poppin Pills is the one who posted the comment..you need to read! Also the people who have brains are not arguing the validity of this site, they are arguing the validity of MPP and where is the justice here? Can she just go around and take pics of little innocent children and post them on website, which by the way is AGAINST THE LAW! If she has any questions, let her go to the daycare and see what a reputable business it is.....She needs to GET A CLUE, don't you think?????
The validity of this site is not in question. and if MPP was not the photographer than I apologize, but in the original post it really seems that way. In any event, its not like the facilitator is innocent. Even if she does receive these pics/stories via e-mail its her responsibility to post the facts and not whatever she gets in her mail.
And if she ISNT the photographer then that makes things even worse. There was a person out of frame in this picture and it was one of the child's parents. But does she write that? No. She wouldn't have a story if she did.
Sandy, yes you do need to get a clue, MPP is the dear lady who takes the time to run ISYN out there in the interwebs; if you look at all the posts, they are all posted by MPP. Therefore she would have to be all over the US doing all the posts. This incident happened in Waltham, so a resident of Waltham sent the info to ISYN. So, please stop bashing Mary and take it out on the sender- inner. Thanks, getting off soapbox now.
I am the parent of one of the children at this Daycare and ask that you please remove this whole blog post. The provider has always had a very open relationship with the parents about her procedures, and it is up to us, not you to work things out with the provider. If the person taking a picture has a real concern, she should talk directly to our provider or to the parents. I think it is a misuse of the website to keep the original post up on the blog, after several of the involved parents have written in support of the Dream a Lil Dream.
Sandy
Marypoppin'pills is the one who posts the stories that other people send to her. If you would take a moment to look at all the other posts on the site you would notice her name at the bottom of them. If she was the person who was sending in the stories then she would have to have magical powers that would enable her to be on both sides of the US at the same time. Please don't put her down. You are shooting the messenger
Point # 1 - Leaving the kids outside is not safe. Even though you say you are keeping an eye on them that just means you can watch them get run into the street or get snatched by someone. You can't be there fast enough if something were to go wrong. I don't care if you think you are a track star, you can't do it.
Why can't your niece be smart? She should not have left the kids outside next to the street. Period. The smart way to do this kind of thing would be to get all the children ready inside together. I will give you step-by-step instructions on how this is done.
1) Announce to all the kids who are going to be going outside that it is time to get ready.
2) Tell the kids to grab their shoes and coats
3) Have the kids form a single line against the wall next to the door. They must remain still and quiet. Tell them that if they get caught talking or playing then that means they will have to wait an extra 2 minutes in silence before going outside. (it will take a couple of outings to train them, but eventually they will do it)
4) Have all children put on their shoes and coats.
5) Walk down the line of kids and inspect them. Tie their shoes and zip of their coats if they are having trouble.
6) Once you are satisfied. Open the door and have the them walk outside in single formation. No running ahead of you.
7) Now that you are outside you can now do whatever activity it was that you had planned.
8) Upon returning to the house have all the kids go inside before and remove their shoes and coats.
Doing this will ensure that no child is left outside un-supervised. I don't care if you are looking at them through the window, that is not good enough. I grew up in a time where kids could play outside by themselves without fear. However, our sitter never left us outside by the street. That is really bad. Your niece is not a good day care provider and the person driving by had every right to voice her concerns. I also feel that the person who saw this should have gotten out of the car and said something to your niece to ensure that she was aware the kids were by the street. I also agree that the childrens faces should have been fuzzed out and the photo has since been removed from the site. You should take this an opportunity to improve, everyone makes mistakes. But, supporting stupid behavior not only makes you look bad but it actually gives your niece even more negative publicity because it shows other partents that you not only practice questionable child safety but you actually enforce it and refuse to see the error of your ways.
I agree with everything Phoenix just said. I also wonder about these parents who send their children to a daycare, knowing that the owner leaves them unattended outside. Dress it up however you want, at the end of it all you cannot deny that ultimately these children were unattended.
I saw the picture when it was originally posted and it was very fuzzy. So much so that I thought the carseat on the porch was a person, so I very highly doubt that any of the children would be recognizable--they all just looked like child-sized blobs to me.
also I want to add that we are not saying that the people who run the day care are mean or treat the children badly. I am sure that she is a very nice person who does care for the kids. Otherwise the people who are defending her wouldn't be so passionate about the business. All we are pointing out is that this was not the best way to handle "outings" the kids can't be by the road. Plain and simple.
Do us a favor and don't do it again. That's all that we want. You will not be very happy if one of the kids ends up hurt because you weren't outside with them. These are simple fixes and you shouldn't be arguing to dispute us and say that it is ok to leave them outside.
I love how the owner of the Daycare thinks she is defending herself...I don't think that sounded like defense but rather a CONFESSION
Yes, I read the whole thing....so why can't the care giver be ready to go outside when the kids are? That's a management problem. Even if the kids are whining to go out, its your JOB to keep them calm and teach them patience.
Do you get the kids ready, put them in the car and then go back inside and get ready yourself (well you can see them from the WINDOW right?)? NOOOOO because that is WRONG!
Next time you try and "defend yourself" make sure it actually sounds like a defense...not a confession.
Pheonix,
Yes, my niece is an excellent daycare provider. Just look at all of the blogs from parents that support her. She is wonderful and she cares very much about her children. Again, you and all the others who are stating negative things about her and her daycare are going by what someone who "drove by" said. Not the TRUE FACTS. Anyone who stops by and takes pics of little children is going against the law and I don't care if it has been taken off....that is illegal. You know what, I am not going to talk about this anymore on this site because everyone that knows my niece knows that she is a good person, an excellent mother and daycare provider. I think all of these people have to go get a life and stop badgering innocent people.
Sandy,
Good people make mistakes. Wonderful caring mothers lose their children in the mall. Some even forget them in the car and that has deadly consequences. I will take your word for it that she is a good person and a doting care giver.
You guys are looking at this all wrong. This is a safety concern not a defemation of character. There are better ways to do things. Always room for improvement, ability to implement better procedures. Having your niece get all the kids ready in the house will also save her a lot of time; but she won't have to rush the kids inside because there are kids waiting outside, she won't have to walk back & forth, she won't have to bother her husband to monitor the kids from the window, and she will be saving herself from scrutiny and judgment from people who drive by and notice kids alone by the street. It is beneficial to everyone involved.
Wow, there hasn't been this much talk since Rebecca spanked her 7 year old charge! Same feeling of, hey you still think your doing nothing wrong and a lot of others thinking no way time to reaccess things. Sad.
Phoenix, if you're not posting what you say to be mean or anything then why do you say the owner is a bad day care provider? You can judge a person based on one picture? you must be a much better person than me then. You do realize that a parent posted on here stating she was out of frame right? That she was on the sidewalk?
it was one mistake and somebody exploited that mistake, but if the parent was there then this is null and void; all if it. if the photographer cared so much then she would have gotten out of her car to do something about this.
But I'm sure the owner will do all of you a favor and she won't do it again. just like you asked
hey safety nanny go judge someone else will you? what's sad is you skipping all the comments from the parents. pathetic.
Out of frame, you need to learn how to read more thoroughly. That parent did not say she was there, she said for all we know, she COULD HAVE been there. Not good enough for me. You are also mistaken because Phoenix is not saying that OP is a bad daycare provider, she in fact said that she's probably a good person who has made a mistake.
However Phoenix is being a lot nicer than I am because I'll go ahead and say that I think she is a pretty crappy daycare provider and I think the parents sending their kids there are lazy. I'll also say that I think OP is probably not charging too much so that's why the parents don't care all that much. Am I a judgmental bitch? You bet I am.
And Safety Nanny is 100% correct, except for the fact that she can't spell reassess. Her post also made me wonder where Rebecca has been. I miss her weekly columns.
Oh for the love of god.
I will say that she is turning into a bad provider because she can't own up to a mistake and fix it. I have no idea why anyone would defend this behavior. It is really shocking, actually. And I am not judging based off the picture alone I am also putting my faith into the person who said she drove past the house. She obviously saw something wrong because she was concerned enough to send us the story and picture. If she would have seen someone walking around she probably wouldn't have sent this in.
But whatever. If you parents want to send your children to a daycare that isn't willing to take constructive criticism aboubt keeping your own children safe that is your bad. But after all this crap I hope she doesn't do that again. Of course what is sounds like is that the daycare could do it out of spite. So then your kids would be used as pawns to prove a point.
It is not illegal to post pictures of children online (unless they are pornographic). The cite provided shows you a law regarding information-gathering of websites on the internet (and has nothing to do with posting pictures of children online). If this were children NOT on a public street, then it could be illegal. However, when you let children sit in a wagon on a public street for everyone to see, they lose their reasonable expectation of privacy.
i for one would have a TON more respect for the daycare provider and her family members and supporters if just one of them would say words to this effect
" while we support our friend/family in her decisions there is always room for improvement and while we disagree with what is written, we will all take this policy under advisement and make any necessary changes"
it does not admit wrongdoing but infers a willingness to learn and grow to know what may be best for the kids
but instead we see false accusations,threats,denial
i for one have faith that they can change and learn and grow
Um the picture was removed so get over it. And the original post was not illegal in any way. What really sucks about our day in age is that EVERYTHING you do can wind up online. People are watching EVERY move that you make. This doesn't just happen to daycare providers or nannies. It happens to everybody. If you fuck up it could wind up on the internet where everyone can see. And the only people who are defending the act of leaving toddlers outside alone on a busy street in a wagon are the people who are directly associated with the business.
Do you not find it odd that a bunch of outsiders are showing concern about the safety of the kids? I don't know what to say to make you guys understand.
Also if you would please provide me with the reference on where you get your internet picture posting of minors in a public place laws that would be cool.
i'm sure anonymous et all would surely not be willing to credit the removing of the picture to MMP's sensibility and willingness to listen/compromise/be reasonable as they are in fact the ones engaging in libel and emotional posturing to detract from their mistake/bad policy
It is not libelous to report that you saw children outside alone when it's true. The daycare owner admitted that the children were outside alone. The photo was not "taken out of context" since the owner has admitted that she leaves children outside alone on a regular basis.
Children's faces should have been blocked out, and they usually are. In fact, I thought they were here, but that may have been because, as someone else stated, the original photo was blurry. Honestly, though, that just makes me see the danger of this behavior even more, because a stranger was able to drive past these children twice and even take a picture without the owner having any clue.
"Honestly, though, that just makes me see the danger of this behavior even more, because a stranger was able to drive past these children twice and even take a picture without the owner having any clue."
Exactly what I was thinking.
1) If it were illegal to take pictures of other people's children and post them online, there wouldn't be photos of Suri, Shiloh and other celeb kids all over the Internet.
2) I could have believed that the photos were taken out of context... IF the daycare provider hadn't come on here and STATED that she does in fact leave the children alone outside.
3) There is no way for MPP to know that the people writing in as the children's parents are in fact their parents. There is no reason for her to remove the posting as long as it can still serve it's purpose of informing parents of potentially unsafe behaviors.
4) If the daycare owner (& her aunt) is (are) so sure that her practices are responsible and safe then they really shouldn't be complaining that it is libelous. If she thought there was nothing wrong with her behavior she wouldn't worry about it being made public!!
I can't believe people are actually defending the OP.
Seriously? THE KIDS WERE OUTSIDE! ALONE! NOT STRAPPED ON! IN A BUSY STREET! You have got to be freaking kidding me. Yeah, the person who tipped the site should've stopped to make sure the kids were alright, but that's besides the point. This picture speaks for itself.
The daycare owner claims that her husband was at the window watching the kids. There is no one at the window closest to the door. Lie #1
Lie #2, she says the kids were strapped to the wagon. Nope. None of those kids are strapped onto anything. It's pretty clear.
Lie #3, She says there's no space between her door and the street to place the kids on. Yes there is. Your porch. You get them all ready, you make them all stand on the porch, you place the wagon between the bushes, where it blocks the kids from running into the street, and you place them all in the wagon at the same time.
I'm not saying this person is a bad person or that she's intentionally putting the children in danger, but this behavior is definitely negligent. Instead of defending her actions, she should come up with a better way to transport the children in a safe way.
"Honestly, though, that just makes me see the danger of this behavior even more, because a stranger was able to drive past these children twice and even take a picture without the owner having any clue."
Very true and exactly what I was thinking as well.
I think what it all comes down to was that the children should have an adult outside with them. PERIOD. I do not see why this is so hard to do when there are 2 adults in the home. And if that's not feasible for some reason wait until all the children are ready and take them out all at one time. If you can not "handle" or maintain a safe/orderly outside time procedure then perhaps you need to cut the number of children that are in your care.
vanessa said something i was thinking - the family member of the daycare owner keeps talking about legalities --
res ipsa loquiter is a legal term that means " the thing (picture) speaks for itself"
Vanessa, you think that picture shows that the provider didn't strap the kids in? How so? I'm looking at the pic now and there is no way you can clearly see straps. So well i'm not saying they are strapped in, it is not clear that they aren't. I've seen the wagon. there are black belts that go around the waste. You cannot see them in the picture
I live on this street. The window that you see in the picture is to the other condo. There are three condos there. if you are looking at the house from then street there is a large window out of frame to the left of the door.
I'm not defending the action of the provider here. You just need to get your facts straight.
op, you should go on dr. phil with this. i have a feeling dr. phil would take the daycares side and not the blog. there was no need to post the kids' pics. it hurt the kids and families.
Owner/OP, everyone is "fine" with your goofy policy because you've been lucky enough to not have had a child hurt or killed yet. Do you really think everyone will still support you once your poor judgement leads to a child being harmed? Really?
And to all other posters, isn't it odd just how many many people have come out of the woodwork to defend OP. Many of them seem to make similar errors when it comes to reading and comprehending, and they all are similarly excitable...makes me wonder, how about you?
Yeah I think all of her supporters are her friends or family members -- no way parents would actually be okay with someone leaving their kids unattended... especially outside... near a busy road!!
Definitely agree. As to the person saying I'm wrong: YOU'RE WRONG (and seriously need to re-read this act if you think you're right). The act you are referring to has ONLY TO DO with the protection of children while they are perusing the internet. It applies to situations like children on facebook before the age of 13. READ IT AGAIN.
Secondly, you have no right to privacy on a public street. The end.
No you're wrong. no no no you're wrong. nu uhhhhhh youuuuu are wrong. no way you're wrong. no way. GET OVER IT!!!!!!! Funny when people start acting like the children they're defending.
The owner of the daycare hasn't even posted back to anyone's comments here in some time. Everyone just shut up and get on with your friggin' lives. It happened. Its done. Its over. Grow up, get off your computer/soap box, and go outside or something.
You would agree with nu-uh, anon. You're almost certainly related to him/her.
"you would agree with nuhh nbufnhfd fuh buh." you don't expect family/friends to support a loved one? Did you really have to make that comment? Are you that small that you have prove yourself that much over a blog making snide little comments? go away now. bye bye. BYE!! BYE NOW Okay...okay...yup BYYYYYYYYE
As long as they aren't pornographic and if they are in a public place and I'm not selling those pictures, then yes.
You can call me a pervert all you want, as you have the availability of free speech. Just like I can call you a moron. Both of you, actually.
Oh my goodness. Are you guys sure YOU aren't the little ones at Dream A Lil Dream Daycare? Cause some of you sure act like you are 4 years old!
I am not a lawyer or anything but does anyone on here with half a brain know the answer to this picture debacle? Is it legal to post pictures of minors in a public place? I am talking about an answer that has a source, not just what you've heard.
Here is a good website that explains the children's privacy protection act: http://www.coppa.org/comply.htm (slightly easier than reading the actual law).
Here is another source that was designed to explain the limits to photographers http://www.photoattorney.com/2007/07/taking-and-posting-photos-of-children.html.
In case you're too lazy to click on the above links or you're still too stupid to figure out what they say, I'll quote something that boils it down in a nutshell from the second link:
"Many photographers take and post photos of people on their websites and then wonder whether they need a model release, especially for children. But you don't for editorial uses, even when the purpose of the photos is clearly wrong."
There ya go. The picture was legal, especially since nobody could recognize any of the children's faces anyway. End of story, or at least I sure as hell hope it is.
I just had to jump in here...two of my daughters attend this daycare and my husband and I are very happy so far with it. Honestly, the street is pretty busy and the provider has been very upfront with all the parents about how she takes the kids to and from activities. ..and we're all more than welcome to make suggestions about things she could do differently. My younger daughter is 16 months and I know she would be the first one to run off in the street so I personally like the policy she has of taking them out 1-2 at a time...that is all she can manage safely to get into the wagon. I don't want to rehash all that was said before about the kids being unattended...I just wanted to let it be known that I am one of the parents and i'm in agreement with her policy bottom line! And I totally feel that my girls are safe there. There's little to be said about someone who just snaps pictures of the kids rather than checking to see what was going on if she was so concerned about the kids.
I hope this thread dies now, but I am seriously starting to think that some of these posts from parents are not real.
Seriously, if all of the clients of this daycare have no issue with the policy, why is everybody getting so worked up?
If everybody knows what youre doing and nooone has a problem with it, then who cares what a bunch of nameless, faceless people on the interent think? Seems a little strange to me, especially that the people who are so insistently saying "Take it down" continue to perpetuate the discussion. This would have died a while ago if they had just let it go.
Not when people keep putting their opinions in like its fact. When someone sees a comment to somebody and its full of wouldas and shoulas and I thinks, etc, some people step in to defend. Some of these posts are from loved ones. Some, who say they are the parents, ARE the parents. If you can't believe that, but so much stock in a situation you know vert little about then I don't really know what to say.
Now if these nameless faceless people didn't keep harping on the subject then others wouldn't feel inclined to come back here and defend/support the situation/owner. You act like those who say "take it down" are the only ones continuing it when, well...what does your comment do? The same thing.
You are right, who cares what nameless faceless people say. But when people are crapping all over your daughter, sister, niece, day care provider, someone you trust and know is an amazing human being and an incredible mother people get defensive. Its not THAT hard to grasp why someone would rush to the side of somebody they care about even in the wake of a crowd of ignorant strangers, is it?
Not really.
The issue that people are having (in my opinion) is that the family and parents are supporting this daycare owner who we know has less-than-stellar procedures at her business. It is not surprising that people who care about this woman and support her would come to her defense but what baffles me is that they are condoning a practice that is not safe! It's one thing to defend her but you are telling her it is OK to put children in danger.
If I were a family member, personally I would care enough about her to give her constructive criticism in order to make her daycare a better and safer place. I am not saying it isn't a good daycare but how come everyone close to her doesn't see the danger in this situation but people who don't know her can see it?
To "Get rid of this blog":
You are either a fake, an idiot or a bad parent.
That's really all I have to say on that matter.
Unfortunately, some lessons need to be learned the hard way....
Let's just hope nothing bad happens to those children when they are alone outside!!
@ Neighbor:
"I'm looking at the pic now and there is no way you can clearly see straps. So well i'm not saying they are strapped in, it is not clear that they aren't."
Yes it is. On wagons like these, it is pretty obvious where the straps are located. There are NO straps around those kids. Just look closely. Those children are not strapped on.
Second, the person who took the pictures would have said she saw a man watching the kids through the window. Also, if someone had been looking through the window, they would've alerted the day care provider about the random car pulled over in front of the wagon. How come the husband didn't notice? Risky behavior, very risky.
Third, the kids aren't even in front of the door, they're behind the bushes, as far away from the door as they could. One of these kids could easily get off the wagon and wonder away. Shocked they haven't done it yet.
No the kids can't get out because they are strapped in. STRAPPED IN!!!!!! There are black belts in the friggin' wagon. They haven't run out in the street yet because they can't. If you can tell there are or aren't straps in that wagon from that picture then you must have eagle eye vision. Did you put under a magnifying glass or something? Or I guess you're some wagon expert. Those kinds of wagons? give me a break. You sound foolish. Keep stressing the point though cuz this isn't getting tired or anything.
And i'm glad you're putting so much stock in the person that took the photo really. Considering she is someone that would rather take a picture of kids then actually do something proactive about the situation. Should I ring the bell? Tell the day care provider that there are children on the sidewalk alone? NO!! I'm gonna take a pic and put it up on a website so everyone can make judgments.
Should those kids be there? NO!!! But you're just being ridiculous now. I know, for a fact, there are straps on that wagon. If you don't believe me then fine don't. I don't give a damn anymore. Believe the photo. Believe the witch who took the picture had good intentions when she did this. This is getting tiresome.
I have been out of town the past 2 days so I apologize for my late response to the Readers.
I have received several threatening e-mails. Had the Owner of Dream a Little Dream or those defending her been a bit more respectful I would have honored her request to have the Post taken down. I know my rights and wouldn't be doing what I am doing if I didn't know the Law. Dr. Juris and others have filled most of you in on that.
If you will notice, the BEWARE post has been removed. That was the one concerning the Nanny with the unusual name. Her and I have exchanged several e-mails over the past week and only 2 days ago did she ask if I would remove the Post about her. I did because she seemed so kind and genuine... and I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Thank you to those that came to my defense. This job is far from easy and it can be heartbreaking... but I do it because I care.
My oh my. They have state child to teacher ratios for a reason. If you cannot handle getting the number of kids in your care safely to the street...you have too many kids. I worked at a daycare over the summer where we took 10, 2-year olds on walks, and we used the loop system where they held onto a loop. We never had a child run into the street, or even attempt. There are kids in the daycare that are "runners", but with that being said they get special attention. I cannot believe the OP mentioned how busy the street was then went on to give her policy. If the street is THAT busy, and you never noticed a car stop, and take a picture of those kids...your policy sucks. Don't get all defensive just change it so that people can sleep at night knowing those kids are safe. Heck buy some of those controversial child leashes, and hook them all up until you get them safely in the wagon. I mean how many kids even fit in the wagon? This whole thing is just weird. The photo taker is not off the hook. If I saw kids outside by themselves I would most definitely go check on the caregiver to make sure they were alright. What if the childcare provider had a heart attack, or fell and hurt themselves. This person sent this photo in you could have been reading a story the next day in the news about something bad that happened to all of these children. Bottom line nobody is right in this matter. Next time go and check on the children, and see if the childcare provider is safe. THEN...if you're concerned send a post in to warn others about what happened.
as far as the kids being strapped into the wagon. I still don't consider that safe. Children I know that are that age know how to un-fasten restraints.
Why doesn't the day care think this is perfectly ok? I just don't understand it at all.
well maybe the kids are disciplined enough to know not to unbuckle a strap when they are strapped in. Maybe they were told not to and they actually listened. Children listening; its a helluva of an ideal, but sometimes they do.
Now let's go have some fun with the dead horse. come on guys let's go beat the dead horse! come on. let's go! everyone have a whack!!!!
I just want to have a say to all the people that have remarked about the situation, I think it is great to have everyone voice their opinions and we have all looked at this from both sides of the coin. Supporters, non-supporters, friends, relatives, and most important parents of the children involved and I do believe that it was from all of these different people. I have learned from experience that there are situations that we don’t know about by first observation. There is always another side to a story, picture or gossip, but as humans it seems we are always ready to assume the worst. We are all human beings and are not all perfect. Are any of you? Have any of you ever looked back and thought to yourself, maybe I could have done this or that differently. I think it is time for all of us involved with good and bad remarks to reflect on our own decisions that we have made and will make in our lives and put this all to rest. I am sure with all the holidays that are coming up, we all have more to do than run to the computer and write the next comment, whether it be supportive or non-supportive, including myself. In the past year, you have all experienced good and bad in your lives, a baby, a death, a divorce, loss of a job. There are so many more important things that deserve our energy and please don’t misconstrue that I am saying this situation was not important, because I have seen that many of you have misinterpreted some of the other remarks. So maybe we should as fellow human beings reflect on this past year in our lives and look to see what we all could have done better. Please read this twice, you will get more out of it.
sorry mpp that you have to deal with malevolence on the part of the owner and her friends/family
that says alot about them
This is just funny now. As a member of this family I have no idea what was said and what "threatening" emails were sent out. But its just funny how all these commenters keep ignoring the comments that are trying to keep the peace and/or instigate peace then continue beating this dead horse until its a bunch of mush. Do you people have lives outside of this website? Well go live them then.
RBTC, you know nothing of us. So please keep your judgmental BS to yourself. Whomever sent MPP a threatening email, well, I can assure you was not from one of us. And whomever sent them MIGHT have been under the impression that MPP was the one who took the picture. See what ignorance does? It makes us judge people for something that they didn't do, or mistake a situtation.
This is ridiculous. I have never seen a more judgmental group of people then on this website before. You people want a witch hunt. Sometimes it seems you get off on it. Stick your noses in the air and point your fingers at someone else. Try reading into everything and not just what is before you.
God I love the internet. It gives so many people a voice when clearly they shouldn't have one.
Oh and I don't agree with this practice nor will I defend leaving kids on a side walk. All I see it is something to learn from because we are human and we make mistakes. Some people here need to learn this.
"Red Wagon" you are totally correct. BUT, I think the commenter got agitated that the daycare owner didn't seem to think anything was wrong with her procedure. Before you accuse people of not being open minded and able to learn from our mistakes, maybe you can tell this owner that she should do the same.
I am sorry that people are threatening you MPP. You and everyone that keeps this blog updated do a wonderful job on this website. I applaud you all for the hard work! And I appreciate all those who contribute, comment, and voice their opinions on here.
First of all nobody is threatening MPP. If she misconstrued any emails as threats then I don't know what to say to that. She hasn't responded to any of the owners emails either. So instead of commenting on here about it, she should be emailing the person back privately.
secondly, @ yeah but...the only reason the day care owner was defending the practice is because this practice was approved by the parents. Now, I know everyone thinks that is a cray statement, but it is not like she left the kids out there (correcting my last post-did not mean to say she "left them" out there). she put them out there went back in to grab the other kids and came back out.
In that 5-10 seconds she was gone someone came by and took a pick. Yes a lot can happen in that time. And yes, the pic was taken that quickly. Since this incident she has thus revamped her procedure.
When you are doing something for a long time and suddenly are attacked for it, well, it kind of throws you back a little. Especially when the parents have never said anything against it.
Hmmmmmm, does anyone find it HILARIOUS that the owner of the daycare (arelce) and this other poster (Hilarious) have the same writing characteristics? You can see she's using fake names to back herself.
Or maybe it's all the work of her "Aunt Sandy"?
Look at the beginning of the 2nd paragraph of "Red Wagon for Life", it looks exactly like the owner's writing.
And judging by how mean her comments were no wonder MPP felt threatened. Why can't you just admit you screwed up and maybe all these people wouldn't be bashing you? Stop making excuses. And stop using so many fake names.
To forensic handwriting expert, show us your credentials, how do you know who is saying what you can't be at everyone's computer, it is a good thing for MPP to have this site, but now let's look at all the unlicensed daycare's that are everywhere.
Forensic handwriting expert? baaaaaaaaaahahahahhahahahhahaah. This is ridiculous. You guys are funny.
It might look similar cuz well, we're related. And if you think I am the owner then well, I already admitted "I" made a mistake. You really took the time to analyze every comment? Or just mine and the owners? Oh...wait this is all the work of aunt Sandy...well which is it?
I'll give you that though, Hilarious and I well...we are one in the same. DA DA DA DAAAAA!!! Big reveal!!!!!!! Those are some keen detecting skills you got there. Oh wait...you never made the comparison between me and hilarious. Oh... well you did say the owner was hilarious and that I was was the owner so maybe you did make the comparison between hilarious and I. Or maybe...that's exactly what Hilarious WANTS to think (Shock!!!!!!)
Stop assuming. You look foolish. This is just getting stupid now.
OK, I just have to point out that "forensic handwriting expert"is an idiot if she thinks her expertise is going to come in handy here. I don't see any hand-written posts, do you?
I also have to point out that yes, plenty of people have been threatening MPP with legal action and have been telling her she needs to take her site down. That is ridiculous and they are the ones who need to stop throwing hissy fits.
As to whether or not we have lives...I can't speak for everyone here, but I know I sure can't afford a "life" right now. I'm a pretty boring gal and I like this place. I plan on sticking around.
Finally, I have to point out that the daycare owner was not in the house for 5-10 seconds. The sighting said that the person drove by the house, saw the kids and turned around at the end of the block and then took the picture as she drove past a second time. In my opinion, that is way too long for a group of kids to be left out alone. People here have pointed that out many times and the owner (and several parents, though I am guessing those are fake accounts) keeps defending her business rather than humbling herself enough to think about it for 2 seconds and revamping her practice. That is what is causing problems, she is shooting off at the mouth without thinking.
miss mannah,
I know the house, it is on a corner, I know a lot of you don't understand where the house is located on the street. How could you. At the corner right next to the daycare home is this street that a car can do a u turn. So picture the house on a corner the side street is right beside this house, that is where the u turn was done.The person did not go far at all.The picture taker described the situation as if she drove far from the house. I hope this is clear. Please stop saying the parents comments are fake. They know about all of this.
Miss Mannah, i'm glad you can see that forensic is trying to cause more problems.
As a member of the family I know that at first, a lot of us thought that MPP was the person who took the picture. As it wasn't clear from the original post who took this picure. Now, that was cleared up and there have been some genuine emails sent to MPP and she has not responded to any of them.
And the parents who claim to be parents ARE the freaking parents. There are about 3 posters claiming to be parents why wouldn't more come on to claim they are parents. The commenters ARE the parents. Believe it or don't. Whatever.
The daycare owner has only commented on this site twice. If you believe that the person who sent the picture is telling the complete truth when she only takes pictures and doesn't actually help the children then that is your prerogative.
I know for a fact that those children weren't left out there that long.
Oh my gosh... Red Wagon... you are absolutely correct. It does make a ton of difference to know that the day care owner "put" the kids by the street. That is worse. I don't think this practice was approved by the parents and if it was then they all need to get their heads checked too.
Still not understanding why people are defending negligent behavior and child endangerment. I don't know. Maybe I should google the day care and call the local police department and ask them what they think. Maybe then they can do drive by's and look to see that the kids are being taken care of.
I actually may just do that later on today.
I also want to know what else happens in this daycare. If the owner "puts" kids by the side of the road, outside, with no adult around to watch them ; what else goes on. Does she encourage the kids to run around and play to blow off steam; but also hands them some scissors to carry at the same time? If your reasoning is that she knows what she is doing because she is watching it from a distance and she feels she has complete control is retarded.
I am not a parent. I am not a nanny nor am I in charge of raising kids in any way shape or form. I have an 11 year old step-son. That is the closest I have come to raising kids and we got him back from his mom after she kidnapped him when he was 5. SO I don't know how to raise toddlers. But I do know that you are not supposed to "put" them outside in harm’s way, especially if they are not your kids.
Bad parenting, bad decisions eventually equals bad outcomes. It doesn't matter how well you have the kids trained, it only takes one time, one second for everything to go wrong.
Apparently the people on this forum are not able to make the people who are associated with this daycare understand that they are WRONG. I also agree with what some other posters have said. If the owner felt that she was doing the right thing by "putting" the kids by the street, then she wouldn't be concerned that this revelation would hurt her business. In fact she should make sure to put that on her business cards.
"Dream A Lil Dream, Nothing is at seems. No goal is ever too hard to meet , and we leave the kids in the street. Dream A Lil Dream Daycare, our rates are reasonably fare"
Wouldn't someone have to put them out there to leave them out there? Now we are arguing semantics? Putting or leaving? PUTTING?...or leaving? hmmm...You make no sense whatsoever Pheonix and if you are going to take it that far then congrats, you're a loser who has nothing better to do with her life. But I'm sure the Police can let the drunks and junkies be to go check up on a local day care. You're just acting crazy now. Reeeel it in Phoenix. Reel it in. Still can't believe people can't let this go.
I've already commented on here that a mistake was made. Apparently, you only read what you want. You're stretching things out beyond what they are and making a mountain out of a mole hill. All you know is what you see.
Its amazing how people can't just let this go.
"First of all nobody is threatening MPP. If she misconstrued any emails as threats then I don't know what to say to that."
Redwagon: I thought you didn't know about the content of the e-mails. So how do you know people were threatening her or not?
I think this point has been made a lot. If the person really wasn't doing anything wrong, there wouldn't be a reason to defend herself, or send family members to post here and threaten to sue or sending threatening e-mails.
Obviously the owner knows she messed up. Now instead of defending your methods, learn from the scare and come up with a way that won't put anyone at risk.
She is and she will and I've said it before.
Also there was some time between the those two posts. So don't try to call me out on something. I don't know what was said in the emails, but I know emails were sent. As far as I know they were sent by people who at first thought MPP took the pic then realized it wasn't her and asked genuinely to have this taken down. That would be the second time I am writing this.
The daycare owner is changing her ways. Okay? You all who have commented have succeeded in your mission to change her ways and she has. Congrats everyone. Shake hands pat yourselves on the back.
"Oh Redwagon, you're just saying that now so people will stop commenting!" (Red Wagon takes gun and kills self)
Do you really mean that you are going to kill yourself? Don't tease me, even though you were being sarcastic. LOL
I am very glad that the owner has decided to change her policy. Now the kids will be safe for sure.
that wasn't very nice what I said before. I apologize. I am trying to be nicer as the holiday's approach.
It is very hard.
(that's what she said)
Amen, that is what I have tried to say on my other post. Please let's all stop. thank you Phoenix
The reason I haven't responded to those e-mails is because I feel it would be non-productive.
I was told that if the pics weren't removed I would be sued, but since Photobucket deleted them, that demand has been met.
I'm curious what the owner thinks of sandy, red wagon and hilarious' comments? If I'm not mistaken, there friends/family of the owner and some of these comments by them are so nasty that it really makes the owners business look extremely unprofessional. JMO. And Phoenix, will you marry me? lol. I love your comments! So brutally honest.
bystander... I am pleased you appreciate my bluntness. I am usually too much to handle for most people. LOL. Lots of people think I am being plain mean. But it is not my fault if the truth hurts.
And sorry I'm already taken :(
LOL
"Red wagon" I think you are the one beating the dead horse here. It is now clear to me that you agree with us that your family member (or yourself? or someone else?) was wrong with her methods of leaving/putting/placing/whatever the children outside unattended. But the OWNER has not admitted it to the posters of this site who care about the children. Someone needs to advocate for children, usually that is the parents and/or care providers and when those people don't seem to be making the right choices, someone needs to step in. Can I get an AMEN!! Kidding.
I just think people would have stopped if the owner herself were to admit wrongdoing and at least appeared to be willing to reevaluate her procedures.
Lastly, I can't help but point out that the owner/parents/yourself were so quick to judge MaryPoppin'Pills and send her threatening emails because it APPEARED that she was the one who posted the picture. However, when it APPEARS to the rest of the world that children are being put in danger, we are wrong for assuming, even when that assumption turns out to be true.
very good bystander and nanny from MA - there is no question that there is a level of hypocrisy in red wagons accusations and ranting.
It's ok to finally say " ok maybe there was a wrong policy" but the slinging at this site and mpp continues
words mean something, actions mean something - and there are consequences to words and actions
that is the crux of why many people were concerned about the pic/actions of the owner
finally, those of us on this blog who know mpp and know the time and research and circumspection she puts into everything can't help but be appalled at the behavior of
the daycare contingent harrassing her
i think they are finally getting it though, but they aren't very happy at being caught out
funny miss mannah - you are very hard working, you do have a life but your facetiousness was appreciated LOL
I think certain comments here are losing sight of what is truly important. To me, the issue is the internet and the damage it can do.
It may be fun and funny for posters like Phoenix to spend hours commenting (from the looks of the posts above a great deal of time has been spent on this situation)but in reality we are talking about real people. I think people lose sight of this when they are on the internet and have no idea how hurtful it can be. By that I not only mean hateful emails, but also discussing someone's personal life. This is this woman's job, her livelihood.
These are people's kids, the daycare they attend. In my opinion, all this thread did was hurt people.
If the original poster who sent in this siting really wanted to help, she would have called the authorities, who would have investigated. But she did not want to help. She wanted to stir up the pot, cause drama.
This is what I truly feel, as someone who lives in a different state and does not know this person at all.
I also have to add to Phoenix and the rest: get a life. I don't really think you all have any idea what a thread like this on the internet can do to a person. Don't kid yourselves: It is internet bullying, not "saving children." If the blog owner is surprised at how many people are upset by their private lives and those of their children being on the internet, she is naive.
To My comment. Yes it has just become a chat room now hasn't it.It is all over with. It is over. Everyone just stop. Mpp loves this because it just keeps going on, don't let her kid you people. This is advertisment for her site. She wants it to keep going. Don't you all get that. She did her duty by putting up the posting. If she really cared about people and the kids she would answer only the emails that were sent to her in kind manner. But people she has not. Ask her why, answer just the nice ones. I am sure you would like an answer when you send a person an email.
This is a public forum and we have every right to continue commenting about this situation as we please. If you, family members and others, don't like what is going on here, then don't comment or read the posts.
"This is this woman's job, her livelihood. These are people's kids, the daycare they attend. In my opinion, all this thread did was hurt people."
Exactly, these are people's kids. That's why we're concerned. What makes everything even worse is that the day care owner is having someone else saying "I know what she did was wrong blah blah."
Actually at this point I don't even believe any family member is involved and the day care owner is the one making all these comments.
Again, it is much more respectable to say "Yes, you're right I'm sorry, I should change my ways" rather than criticizing us for "beating a dead horse". It's not a dead horse until the problem has been solved, and so far nobody knows for certain that it is.
And please don't come with the whole "bully" nonsense. We're not calling you names, we're not demeaning you. We're trying to figure out what really goes on in that daycare, sadly your words aren't enough. Also, we're calling you out on certain things you've said that don't seem right. That's all.
boy mpp - you have tough job dealing with the likes of some of these people - wow
thank you on behalf of your loyal readers and fellow child activists for your hard work
RBTC,
What would I do without you guys? ;-)
RBTC, Thanks darlin' always nice to get some appreciation. But I'm not hard working anymore--today was my last day and I was told to go home after only an hour. *insert crying icon here* But at least Baby K was kind enough to give me his nasty hacking cough to remember him by.
MissMannah, I'm sorry your last day didn't go as you would have liked :( I hope you'll have a happy holiday weekend anyway!
MPP, I just think you've handled yourself very well here. I'm impressed, as I think I would have lost it by now if I were you! ;)
I think you all have a problem and need to find something more productive to do than acting like you care about this small daycare. Let the parents figure it out they don't need your help. Its their children all you care about is gossiping.
Happy Thanksgiving
My Comment said...
Wow. You think I spend HOURS commenting?! Wow! I don't know how long it takes you to make words into sentences and then into paragraphs that are clear enough to be interpreted correctly and also deliver the intended message in the communication to other participants. I am able to write a comment in under 5 minutes then bone out.
I wouldn't even say that I spend any more than 10 minutes total a day on this site. I do have a life. I haven't been posting that much lately because the stories weren't that important to me. But this one is very serious and I was willing to put 10 min aside each day to express my opinions.
I don't know how you would think I spend hours here. That is just lunacy.
The reason why parents are asked to sign a consent form if they will allow their children to be photographed for the media at their daycare or school is because of unwanted public exposure. Parents do not want their kids' pics on the internet. The option for these parents was taken out of their hands. And that is not right.
Why is that so hard for some people to understand?
Wow, busy blog here
Granted I don't live in the same state as this daycare I do believe she left the children unsupervised and that would be a violation of the state minimum standards. Where I live I can not leave the room if there are children there, I can not go to the bathroom and leave the kids alone, heck I can't even go into a hallway if the children are not with me. So I would imagine that if the owner was in the house and the children were outside on the sidewalk that would be in violation to the minimum standards.
Now MPP can look at the ip addresses and she would know if two different posters were indeed the same person (or just used the same computer) Granted I don't expect her to share that information with us, if she had any doubts she could do exactly that.
Now to the daycare owner, if you felt you were 100% in the right then why come here multiple times to defend yourself? A nice letter explaining your side is all that's needed. You must realize that the readers on this blog are all over the country and all over the world so to continually defend yourself wont help you and in fact would hinder you. I'd much rather read one solid thought out response from someone rather than a bunch of people defending the person over and over again.....ever heard the phrase you protest too much?
http://www.mass.gov/Eeoe/docs/EEC/regs_policies/20100122_606_fcc.pdf
7.10 deals with supervision of children
to - ?
the children were not photographed in the daycare they were photographed unsupervised on the sidewalk
it doesn't matter if you don't like or understand the information age - it's not going to go away - these days we all must take care in what we do and say - it is what it is
TC said...
"Now MPP can look at the ip addresses and she would know if two different posters were indeed the same person (or just used the same computer) Granted I don't expect her to share that information with us, if she had any doubts she could do exactly that."
Thank you for opening that door for me, TC. After receiving those nasty messages and e-mails, I did. I hadn't mentioned my checking the IP addresses because I didn't want Readers thinking they would lose anonymity... especially when reporting an incident involving child abuse/neglect because that is something we take very seriously.
The only information given is the city/state/country they are visiting from (I was shocked at the amount of Readers we have from Canada and the UK!) But yes, several of the comments were from the same IP address... however, I am not mentioning which ones. That would take all the fun out of it for you guys. ;-)
mpp !!! you must not ever take away the fun from the internet !!!
btw - some of those threatening you do not understand irony etc
none of this was "fun" for anyone
you are a hero - keep it up !!
1) you can take a photo of any person out in public.
2) There is no reason in hell those kids should have been outside there alone.
3) The fact that someone took the picture proves she knew this was a regular occurence and caught it on camera.
Shame, shame, shame on you!
How many kids are seriously injured or killed in daycares? And the parents had no warnings? They thought everything was just peachy.
Sorry daycare provider, but had you been diligent in doing your job, this never would have happened.
Stop your bitching and threatening. If I was a parent of one of those children in your daycare, I would talk to your neighbors and get the real scoop.
You think you're doing damage control, but you just look more and more guilty.
Every parent deserves a warning when things are not "quite right". When I see children not cared for correctly in public, I assume it must be worse for them behind closed doors.
Illegal? Concerned about photos being posted of the children outside the daycare...
Forgive me if im wrong, but it looks like this same daycare, "dream a lil dream" (Waltham MA) have an open accessible Facebook... And already post very clear pictures of children in their care, for anyone to see..
www.facebook.com/pages/Dream-A-LiL-Dream-Daycare
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