I like when parents see how their kids are acting when they’re not around. Usually it’s sweet, sometimes enlightening. But half the time the other kids announce for us.
We have a 5 year old at daycare that basically camps in the window from 3:30 to 4:30. Walking up towards the daycare we hear "RAUL YOUR MOM IS HERE" or "SOOOOOOOPHIE YOUR DAD IS HERE GO GET READY"
As a parent, I like this too. It’s so reassuring to see your child engaged and happy when they haven’t noticed you yet. It also gives me a chance to collect his belongings and have a private chat with his educators if needed.
I just had the experience yesterday.
My 4.5yr old is in a new camp for the summer and I have been getting such limited feedback from him. He has SPD so my stomach is always in a knot for him.
When I went to pick him up yesterday, he didn't notice me right away. I said hello to the teacher and then just hung back and observed him in his environment. He was happily playing with 2 other children and it was so awesome to watch him that way. He noticed me after about 4 or 5 minutes. 🥰
As a parent - I LOVE trying to sneak in and watch what my kid is doing before he realizes I'm there. I've seen some very sweet and lovely moments this way. Sometimes when the educators see me and know he's doing something cute they'll give me a wink and gesture me over. It's my favorite time of day.
I’ve always waited for the kiddo to notice. Sometimes parent like to see how their littles are at school when they’re not there. I always enjoy seeing my kids in their element! Of course there are some parents who are always in a hurry and for those families, I’d alert the child.
I just let the parents take the lead. If they want to be noticed they can announce themselves or go to their child. If they want to watch, they can watch.
I do this as well when I was working with older children.
I also try to ask the child’s adult how their schedule is like after school during my intake just in case they have any extra things going on. For example, some days the adult wants to sit back and wait for their child to notice, but maybe Wednesdays the child has a sport practice and needs me to point out that their adult is here.
when I worked at a full day school that had dropoff anytime between 7-9 and pickup anytime between 4-6 I would just wait until the kids noticed. now that I'm at a half-day school where dropoff is from 8:55-9:05 and pickup is from 12:55-1:05 I tell the kids bc I don't want our small hallways to get crowded with everyone trying to get in and out all at once.
Its good to let parents see their kids play, but you don’t want to create a feeling that they need to keep a lookout all afternoon to see their parents. I do it differently based on the parents and childs personalities or time tables.
I definitely also have parents of kiddos in my room who've snapped at me before for making them wait when I could've called their kid over immediately upon seeing them, particularly if we're outside and see the parent approaching the playground. I've had more than one parent inform me that they worked all day long and don't want to stand around waiting on their kid at preschool.
A lot of the answers here make sense in terms of letting the parents take the lead, but I've dealt with enough nasty or passive-aggressive comments from parents on this one that I nearly always call the kids over at this point. The exception would be parents whom I know to be patient and interested in hearing about their kiddo's day at pickup, which is sadly not all of them.
We have a bay window in our room that shows the hallway and our door makes a loud click when opened. There's always a child who is ready to go home and will jog to the windows to see who's here. They will announce lol
"X, who's that I see?"
"GROWNUP! YAAAAY!"
Then the running tackle hug, never fails to make the kid's and grownup's day. Plus the faster they gtfo the faster I can close and gtfo myself.
“___ looks who’s here!” I would say and they would turn around happy. Most parents I had in my care honestly just want to get their kid and leave.
I also had it too, where a parent would have one foot at the door, to rush their kid out of the door without alerting me and my room partner. For context it was a rooftop playground where the door is hidden ,and I had 10+ kids at the time so I was doing my walking rounds. I caught the parent attempting to leave I just stared with a smile 😃 and said “Hi how are you!” Parent looked like I caught her cheating on a test or something.
I don’t get to choose, there’s a child in the “big room” the room with all our school aged children is where the main entrance is, who announces every single parent like they’re descending into a royal ballroom.
I think it depends on what’s up. If the kid is playing nicely and the parent gets to observe- absolutely let them watch. They get such limited access to see what we’re doing. If we’re outside and I notice I will 100% say something because I have to take them in anyway so it’s easier for me. Then I don’t have the parent that wants to linger on the playground and rile up the whole class before we have to go inside.
Ugh, oh my gosh, that parent can be sooo annoying. Like at 4:25 when all the children are a little bit hangry, and facing a transition, to have a parent start chasing them around wildly?? Arghhh
I wait. Usually a peer lets them know asap though! I know some parents like to see their child interacting with other children or the space around them.
It depends on the time of day. On the playground I do typically announce it to the kid so they can begin to prepare to stop playing. I also have a handful of kids who struggle with transitions so I alert them as soon as possible so they can essentially “wind down”.
I don't know why this sub is suddenly in my feed, I'm not an ECE and my kids are out of daycare. But just wanted to chime in and say that as a parent, some of my fondest memories were of getting to daycare and having a minute or two to watch my kids before I was ratted out. It was just so sweet to watch them playing, interacting with their friends and teachers, and just seeing them comfortable in their environment . It was nice to see a different side to them
When I don't like the parent..I tell the kid. When I want the kid to leave..I tell the kid. When I need to talk to the parent..I tell the kid. But yeah, most often other kiddos recognise other children's grown-ups and call out to them.
Picking my kid up, I always sneak in and watch. Honestly the longer I can go without him seeing me, the better. I love to watch how he is when I'm not around. PLUS when he finally sees me randomly, that's the best feeling ever
I hate when the educators or other kids call out to my 2yo and tell her. I love that moment of time when I come in and see her playing/enjoying herself. As parents we really don't get to see what their day is like, so it's the little glimpses which reinforce that she does love it there.
Parent lurker, please let us observe our kids for the 10 seconds or more it takes them to notice we’re there!! All I want to know is what my kid (2) does all day and who she plays with and how… I cherish those moments of insight, however brief!
As a parent I love getting to watch my kiddo in their element... even more, I love the moment they notice I'm there on their own and their eyes light up. Best moments of my day - every day
I'd love to always let the parent observe until noticed, but usually, kids announce. If I have announced to a kid that their parent is here or is walking around from the carpark, it's usually because I'm trying to avoid them walking into seeing their kid being not so amazing.
i used to always tell the kids, but then the director told us several parents had mentioned to her that they wish we didnt do that because they want to see their kid in their element. but it's also hard because some parents are in a rush and dont want to stand there while their kid puts their toys away or gets their stuff together. we would just try to take it family by family- if they're always in a rush at pickup, i tell the kid to start cleaning up as soon as i get the notification on the tablet that their parent signed in. that way by the time their parent makes it down the hall, theyre usually standing at the door waiting. but several parents are happy to stand there and watch them play for 15 minutes before they even start to clean up or get their stuff
it depends tbh. if they’ve been really missing mommy and daddy all day i’ll announce it, or if they’re having a hard time in the moment, but for the most part i wait for them to notice because i love seeing their reactions!
Depends on the parent. I wait for either a parent to initiate. Or a head nod from the parent.
However I usually have at least one kid each class who’s my announcer! They must proclaim every parent sometimes from the window.
Depends on the parent. The parents who are always in a rush or ready to go as soon as they get there I will tell them, if I know the parent isnt the type to be in a rush then I'll wait until they notice for maybe 3-5 minutes but thr toddlers already know whose mommy and daddy is whose and usually tell their friends before i have a say
When I worked at my old center parents would only be allowed right in the door, no further. Usually I'd give it a min or 2 then let the child know. That's if we were inside. 95% of the time we were outside as we were an outdoor program so parents weren't allowed om the yard.
I'm a mixed bag.
Some kids just wanna play so I'll let them play until they see their parent.
The kid that's been screaming for 10 mins "I WANT MY MOMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYY" Absolutely im letting you know your parent is here
My indoor play space faces the road so most kids can see the parents pull into the garage. A few parents will pull up by the window so the child can see they are here to pick them up.
Then you have the kids that know who's parent is who and will yell "Suzy, YOUR MOM IS HERE!"
Mostly wait until they notice, but certain situations (parent in a hurry, anxious child or child who elopes) I come up next to them & tell them quietly.
Depends. I have a kid right now who is SO struggling with the transition to a new classroom that at least an hour of the day is spent in tears/screaming. Part of easing them into the new room is that I promise mom/dad will be back and when they return, I say, “Guess what, (name)? I see mom/dad!” Now they look after I say “guess what”.
Other kids I let play or point out to the parent where they are so they can do what they need.
Except at closing. Then I let the kid know immediately so we can clean up and get out.
Not a parent but babysitter/childminder in the past and every time I’d pick up the small humans from their centre I’d wait for them to notice. The joy and excitement they get when they see a person they trust to take them home is a feeling you just can’t beat.
My classroom had a door directly leading outside that the parents would come to. Once the kids heard a knock they’d all watch to see who walked in when I opened it, so there was never really an opportunity to tell them or not. But some parents definitely stopped at the window and would just watch for a bit before coming to the door. I never mention they’re out there until there’s a knock or one of the kids yell it out
I know which parents need a quick pick up and which have time to watch for a bit. It's incredibly inconsiderate if the parents always have to wait because you won't help the kid get out the door. Not to mention, at the end of the day, I want all kids gone as fast as possible.
I base it on the parents. If it’s a parent I know will feel sad that their child didn’t notice/doesn’t show how excited they are to see them, I’ll hype it up a bit- “Oh my gosh! Guess who’s here!” If it’s a child I know is going to have a hard time waiting for the parent to pick them up (I have infants) while they gather their stuff, I’ll distract them a bit so they can. If the parent often likes to take a moment just to watch them, I’ll let them be.
But I also try to greet everyone who walks in, so sometimes it’s a moot point.
Depends on the kid. If it's one with high anxiety drop offs, I like to let the parents see them being calm with us. If it's a easy drop off kid, I try to gauge how fast parents need to do pick up
I'm in out of school care so i work with older kids (5-12 years) We always let the kids know when they're being picked up. For 2 reasons, it shows the parent/caregiver that we see and acknowledge their presence and time. The second is because they are usually coming off a full day at work and probably don't want to hang around the busy and noisy daycare center for very long. If they give their kids a few extra minutes to play that's fine, but mostly they (the parents) just want to go home.
I'm a wait until the gurdian announces they are here person . But have colleagues that announce as soon as the parent walks in and it bothers me. Let them see their child at play but that's just me.
I have been telling our little announcers that some times adults like seeing their children playing and isn't it a nice surprise when your adult appears.
Sometimes my husband and I pick up different kids due to evening activities. My girl gets SO SAD when they say “mom’s here!” when I’m trying to sneak past her room to get my son. Luckily, most of the teachers know and don’t say it anymore, but every once in a while… Heartbreak!
It depends, honestly. Some parents will wait way too long. Usually, I leave it up to the parent. It'd have to be a bit for me to say something.
The only exception is the parent who comes right at closing. Sorry, you don't get to linger and watch at that point. It's why I try to have us in the hall looking at the fish tank anyway.
As a parent I wouldn’t care hanging out for a few mins to watch my kid play. Some days I would actually sit on the benches where the pickup play area was and let them play for like 30 mins. I’d shoot the shit with teachers, assistants, other parents. If I was in a rush I’d call them over to me.
I asked my daycare teachers not to--i loved to see her face when she saw me, or to tell her in my own way that i was there (by playing a game like letting her see me and then hiding or something)
I had a parent frustrated once because my staff always announced her presence and she wanted to say hi/surprise her kid herself. So now I try not to let them know the parent is there.
I start singing to them. It goes “bye bye (name), bye bye (name), bye bye (name) we’re so glad you came to school” and that’s their signal that their parents are here.
I always loved that moment, because 90% of the time the parent would get a tiptoeing, grinning look of awe on their face as they saw their kid playing with others.
I like to call out and say "so and so your mom/dad is here" or "so and so, look who's here!" And it's not uncommon for the kids to ignore that calling out to keep playing lol
I usually mention it if the kid isn't engaged in social play with other kids, but sometimes the parent will catch my eye and gesture for me to be quiet so they can surprise their child, which is always very sweet when it happens, and if the kid is playing with others I don't say anything so the parent can see how their child interacts with the others, but then of course usually there's a chorus of small voices announcing "Susie, Mom is here!" and the moment is ruined lol
I do different things different times. I like for parents to see that their child has a good time, especially morning criers, but it’s also fun to get them all excited when their mom is walking down the hall!
I usually smile and say hi to parents and wait to see see if they’re watching their child or want to be acknowledge. From there I say “look who’s here!” or “I wonder who just walked in!” Most of the time the other kids let the child know.
I play it on case by case. If the parent is waiting at the door, watching/smiling, I wait. If they come right in and start packing bags etc I tell them.
As both a childcarer and a parent. I like it best if the teacher notices me and either quietly points out my child or just let's me watch for a bit. I love to see how my children interact with their friends, we dont get so much of that outside of daycare.
It depends on the kid. For the children who are constantly asking when they're being picked up, are inconsolable for some reason, sick, or have issues with transitions, I let them know when parent is there. For most of my other children, I let the parents take the lead. Most of the time, however, the kids will notice first because they'll see their car in the parking lot or look at the door when it's being opened (it's metal and very loud).
I try and be as discreet as possible every time at pick up so I can catch him engaged or just to see how my infant is being treated and still…about 3 kids announce me as soon as they catch a glimpse of me.
As a parent, I love watching my children play and interact with others before they're aware I'm present.
As a teacher, I tend to let the parent inturrupt unless they seem to be in a hurry.
I watch for a cue from the parent. Some parents have plans right after pick up, so they like to just get their child and go. Others are absolutely interested to watch their child in a school environment, which is something a lot of them don’t get to see often.
So I wait to see what it looks like parent is feeling. If they look like they have somewhere to be I call their child to look up. If they look excited to see their child playing I step back and let them enjoy that moment.
I work at a preschool where there is a set dismissal time. The kids all go out in the hall and sit until their parent arrives. If I worked at a daycare, I think I would alert the child that parent has arrived. I don’t really like lingering parents, so the quicker they’re in and out, the better.
I always tell the kids! I assume their parents are ready to get home and hangout with their kids after their workday so I try not to take up more of their time
I always liked to watch my children play for a minute or two before they knew I was there. One of parents’ first chance to observe their children in an environment away from home and family. The one exception is that on Friday afternoons or the day before a holiday I liked to speed up the process so the daycare staff could start their free time.
It depends on the parent for me. Some come in looking like they want to observe a bit, while others come in all business and go straight to sign their kid out. With kids who haven't been in school long, I lean towards waiting for the parents to get to observe them having a good time, and with families who have been in the program for a long time and already have a good sense of their child in school, I'll inform the child because they might still play for a few minutes anyway.
normally i’ll say “xyz! come here for a second please!” if their view is blocked, if it’s not i’ll sometimes (gently) turn them around if they’re facing the wrong way. i never straight out say “your parent is here”, but guide them to make the connection bc my kids are so oblivious 😭
I was very firmly of the opinion that you don't tell them. Sometimes parents would be finishing a phone call up while parked in the parking lot and the kid would end up throwing a fit because they didn't come in fast enough, plus them being ready to go at the door would usually signal to the parent that you were trying to push them out the door as fast as possible. I found it to have many more negatives than positives.
I like when parents see how their kids are acting when they’re not around. Usually it’s sweet, sometimes enlightening. But half the time the other kids announce for us.
Yeah I might want to keep it a secret but the 3s and 4s are going to yell ‘Johnny’s adult is here!!’
We have a 5 year old at daycare that basically camps in the window from 3:30 to 4:30. Walking up towards the daycare we hear "RAUL YOUR MOM IS HERE" or "SOOOOOOOPHIE YOUR DAD IS HERE GO GET READY"
I love that they have appointed themselves the afternoon conductor!
Right? I feel like it's never even a decision to make because some other kid is going to shout about it lol
As a parent, I like this too. It’s so reassuring to see your child engaged and happy when they haven’t noticed you yet. It also gives me a chance to collect his belongings and have a private chat with his educators if needed.
I just had the experience yesterday. My 4.5yr old is in a new camp for the summer and I have been getting such limited feedback from him. He has SPD so my stomach is always in a knot for him. When I went to pick him up yesterday, he didn't notice me right away. I said hello to the teacher and then just hung back and observed him in his environment. He was happily playing with 2 other children and it was so awesome to watch him that way. He noticed me after about 4 or 5 minutes. 🥰
As a parent - I LOVE trying to sneak in and watch what my kid is doing before he realizes I'm there. I've seen some very sweet and lovely moments this way. Sometimes when the educators see me and know he's doing something cute they'll give me a wink and gesture me over. It's my favorite time of day.
In my classroom if I don’t say anything it’s a barrage of ‘so in so your mommy’s here’ from the kids 😂
so in so? so AND so?
Lmao it’s my day off I can’t brain
😂its my day on and i can’t brain
Haha!
I’ve always waited for the kiddo to notice. Sometimes parent like to see how their littles are at school when they’re not there. I always enjoy seeing my kids in their element! Of course there are some parents who are always in a hurry and for those families, I’d alert the child.
Same! Or if the parent is running very late, as in coming to pick up their child way after they should and the child has been upset.
I just let the parents take the lead. If they want to be noticed they can announce themselves or go to their child. If they want to watch, they can watch.
I do this as well when I was working with older children. I also try to ask the child’s adult how their schedule is like after school during my intake just in case they have any extra things going on. For example, some days the adult wants to sit back and wait for their child to notice, but maybe Wednesdays the child has a sport practice and needs me to point out that their adult is here.
when I worked at a full day school that had dropoff anytime between 7-9 and pickup anytime between 4-6 I would just wait until the kids noticed. now that I'm at a half-day school where dropoff is from 8:55-9:05 and pickup is from 12:55-1:05 I tell the kids bc I don't want our small hallways to get crowded with everyone trying to get in and out all at once.
Its good to let parents see their kids play, but you don’t want to create a feeling that they need to keep a lookout all afternoon to see their parents. I do it differently based on the parents and childs personalities or time tables.
I definitely also have parents of kiddos in my room who've snapped at me before for making them wait when I could've called their kid over immediately upon seeing them, particularly if we're outside and see the parent approaching the playground. I've had more than one parent inform me that they worked all day long and don't want to stand around waiting on their kid at preschool. A lot of the answers here make sense in terms of letting the parents take the lead, but I've dealt with enough nasty or passive-aggressive comments from parents on this one that I nearly always call the kids over at this point. The exception would be parents whom I know to be patient and interested in hearing about their kiddo's day at pickup, which is sadly not all of them.
Those parents are assholes.
Yikes like actually being snippy at you?
We have a bay window in our room that shows the hallway and our door makes a loud click when opened. There's always a child who is ready to go home and will jog to the windows to see who's here. They will announce lol
I kinda make it a game! “Hey (student name) I think you should turn around in 1 2 3!” Always brings excitement to the moment!
"X, who's that I see?" "GROWNUP! YAAAAY!" Then the running tackle hug, never fails to make the kid's and grownup's day. Plus the faster they gtfo the faster I can close and gtfo myself.
Oh yeah! A big ol gasp and “who is that?!” And everyone gets psyched!
“___ looks who’s here!” I would say and they would turn around happy. Most parents I had in my care honestly just want to get their kid and leave. I also had it too, where a parent would have one foot at the door, to rush their kid out of the door without alerting me and my room partner. For context it was a rooftop playground where the door is hidden ,and I had 10+ kids at the time so I was doing my walking rounds. I caught the parent attempting to leave I just stared with a smile 😃 and said “Hi how are you!” Parent looked like I caught her cheating on a test or something.
We always alert the child. They're never disappointed to see mom or dad.
I don’t get to choose, there’s a child in the “big room” the room with all our school aged children is where the main entrance is, who announces every single parent like they’re descending into a royal ballroom.
I think it depends on what’s up. If the kid is playing nicely and the parent gets to observe- absolutely let them watch. They get such limited access to see what we’re doing. If we’re outside and I notice I will 100% say something because I have to take them in anyway so it’s easier for me. Then I don’t have the parent that wants to linger on the playground and rile up the whole class before we have to go inside.
Ugh, oh my gosh, that parent can be sooo annoying. Like at 4:25 when all the children are a little bit hangry, and facing a transition, to have a parent start chasing them around wildly?? Arghhh
I wait. Usually a peer lets them know asap though! I know some parents like to see their child interacting with other children or the space around them.
I do what I think is best for each individual child. Some want to notice the parent right away and some do better if they don't.
It depends on the time of day. On the playground I do typically announce it to the kid so they can begin to prepare to stop playing. I also have a handful of kids who struggle with transitions so I alert them as soon as possible so they can essentially “wind down”.
I don't know why this sub is suddenly in my feed, I'm not an ECE and my kids are out of daycare. But just wanted to chime in and say that as a parent, some of my fondest memories were of getting to daycare and having a minute or two to watch my kids before I was ratted out. It was just so sweet to watch them playing, interacting with their friends and teachers, and just seeing them comfortable in their environment . It was nice to see a different side to them
Depends on the child or what we are doing. Usually I say ", look who's here"
There's always this one kid that says, "hey so and so, your parents are here!"
When I don't like the parent..I tell the kid. When I want the kid to leave..I tell the kid. When I need to talk to the parent..I tell the kid. But yeah, most often other kiddos recognise other children's grown-ups and call out to them.
Picking my kid up, I always sneak in and watch. Honestly the longer I can go without him seeing me, the better. I love to watch how he is when I'm not around. PLUS when he finally sees me randomly, that's the best feeling ever
🥹
I would see what the parent would like. My kids act differently when I’m not around so it’s fun to watch them play and explore.
I think it depends on the situation and the particular child.
I don’t even get the chance with 3-4s 😭 as soon as anyone opens the door it’s “_____ your mom/dad is here!”
I hate when the educators or other kids call out to my 2yo and tell her. I love that moment of time when I come in and see her playing/enjoying herself. As parents we really don't get to see what their day is like, so it's the little glimpses which reinforce that she does love it there.
Parent lurker, please let us observe our kids for the 10 seconds or more it takes them to notice we’re there!! All I want to know is what my kid (2) does all day and who she plays with and how… I cherish those moments of insight, however brief!
As a parent I love getting to watch my kiddo in their element... even more, I love the moment they notice I'm there on their own and their eyes light up. Best moments of my day - every day
I'd love to always let the parent observe until noticed, but usually, kids announce. If I have announced to a kid that their parent is here or is walking around from the carpark, it's usually because I'm trying to avoid them walking into seeing their kid being not so amazing.
i used to always tell the kids, but then the director told us several parents had mentioned to her that they wish we didnt do that because they want to see their kid in their element. but it's also hard because some parents are in a rush and dont want to stand there while their kid puts their toys away or gets their stuff together. we would just try to take it family by family- if they're always in a rush at pickup, i tell the kid to start cleaning up as soon as i get the notification on the tablet that their parent signed in. that way by the time their parent makes it down the hall, theyre usually standing at the door waiting. but several parents are happy to stand there and watch them play for 15 minutes before they even start to clean up or get their stuff
My other kids announce when a parent is here and will tell the friends name. 😂
it depends tbh. if they’ve been really missing mommy and daddy all day i’ll announce it, or if they’re having a hard time in the moment, but for the most part i wait for them to notice because i love seeing their reactions!
Depends on the parent. I wait for either a parent to initiate. Or a head nod from the parent. However I usually have at least one kid each class who’s my announcer! They must proclaim every parent sometimes from the window.
I alert when the child has been having a hard time. But if they’re happily playing I wait so the parents can watch.
Depends on the parent. The parents who are always in a rush or ready to go as soon as they get there I will tell them, if I know the parent isnt the type to be in a rush then I'll wait until they notice for maybe 3-5 minutes but thr toddlers already know whose mommy and daddy is whose and usually tell their friends before i have a say
When I worked at my old center parents would only be allowed right in the door, no further. Usually I'd give it a min or 2 then let the child know. That's if we were inside. 95% of the time we were outside as we were an outdoor program so parents weren't allowed om the yard.
I'm a mixed bag. Some kids just wanna play so I'll let them play until they see their parent. The kid that's been screaming for 10 mins "I WANT MY MOMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYY" Absolutely im letting you know your parent is here My indoor play space faces the road so most kids can see the parents pull into the garage. A few parents will pull up by the window so the child can see they are here to pick them up. Then you have the kids that know who's parent is who and will yell "Suzy, YOUR MOM IS HERE!"
Mostly wait until they notice, but certain situations (parent in a hurry, anxious child or child who elopes) I come up next to them & tell them quietly.
Usually their friends do. But I love waiting until the kid realizes. It can be so sweet.
Depends. I have a kid right now who is SO struggling with the transition to a new classroom that at least an hour of the day is spent in tears/screaming. Part of easing them into the new room is that I promise mom/dad will be back and when they return, I say, “Guess what, (name)? I see mom/dad!” Now they look after I say “guess what”. Other kids I let play or point out to the parent where they are so they can do what they need. Except at closing. Then I let the kid know immediately so we can clean up and get out.
If the child is engaged, I wait and don’t interrupt. If they’re between activities, I’ll say something like “I see someone who looks like you!”
Not a parent but babysitter/childminder in the past and every time I’d pick up the small humans from their centre I’d wait for them to notice. The joy and excitement they get when they see a person they trust to take them home is a feeling you just can’t beat.
If I see them in the window I’ll usually wait about 30 seconds, then alert the kid.
My classroom had a door directly leading outside that the parents would come to. Once the kids heard a knock they’d all watch to see who walked in when I opened it, so there was never really an opportunity to tell them or not. But some parents definitely stopped at the window and would just watch for a bit before coming to the door. I never mention they’re out there until there’s a knock or one of the kids yell it out
I have 3 preschool aged kids and things to do, so for me, we're leaving tout de suite.
I know which parents need a quick pick up and which have time to watch for a bit. It's incredibly inconsiderate if the parents always have to wait because you won't help the kid get out the door. Not to mention, at the end of the day, I want all kids gone as fast as possible.
My experience is that a lot of parents like to watch there kids! I’ll usually tell the parent about their day and then call the kid or let them!
I base it on the parents. If it’s a parent I know will feel sad that their child didn’t notice/doesn’t show how excited they are to see them, I’ll hype it up a bit- “Oh my gosh! Guess who’s here!” If it’s a child I know is going to have a hard time waiting for the parent to pick them up (I have infants) while they gather their stuff, I’ll distract them a bit so they can. If the parent often likes to take a moment just to watch them, I’ll let them be. But I also try to greet everyone who walks in, so sometimes it’s a moot point.
Depends on the kid. If it's one with high anxiety drop offs, I like to let the parents see them being calm with us. If it's a easy drop off kid, I try to gauge how fast parents need to do pick up
I'm in out of school care so i work with older kids (5-12 years) We always let the kids know when they're being picked up. For 2 reasons, it shows the parent/caregiver that we see and acknowledge their presence and time. The second is because they are usually coming off a full day at work and probably don't want to hang around the busy and noisy daycare center for very long. If they give their kids a few extra minutes to play that's fine, but mostly they (the parents) just want to go home.
I'm a wait until the gurdian announces they are here person . But have colleagues that announce as soon as the parent walks in and it bothers me. Let them see their child at play but that's just me. I have been telling our little announcers that some times adults like seeing their children playing and isn't it a nice surprise when your adult appears.
Sometimes my husband and I pick up different kids due to evening activities. My girl gets SO SAD when they say “mom’s here!” when I’m trying to sneak past her room to get my son. Luckily, most of the teachers know and don’t say it anymore, but every once in a while… Heartbreak!
It depends, honestly. Some parents will wait way too long. Usually, I leave it up to the parent. It'd have to be a bit for me to say something. The only exception is the parent who comes right at closing. Sorry, you don't get to linger and watch at that point. It's why I try to have us in the hall looking at the fish tank anyway.
As a parent I wouldn’t care hanging out for a few mins to watch my kid play. Some days I would actually sit on the benches where the pickup play area was and let them play for like 30 mins. I’d shoot the shit with teachers, assistants, other parents. If I was in a rush I’d call them over to me.
I asked my daycare teachers not to--i loved to see her face when she saw me, or to tell her in my own way that i was there (by playing a game like letting her see me and then hiding or something)
I had a parent frustrated once because my staff always announced her presence and she wanted to say hi/surprise her kid herself. So now I try not to let them know the parent is there.
I tell the kids, I say "I spy with my little eye someone's mommy (daddy) and then most of the kids look up to see who it is.
I start singing to them. It goes “bye bye (name), bye bye (name), bye bye (name) we’re so glad you came to school” and that’s their signal that their parents are here.
I never got the chance to wait and see with my son. His class was always quick to shout that his mom is here 😂
I always loved that moment, because 90% of the time the parent would get a tiptoeing, grinning look of awe on their face as they saw their kid playing with others.
I wait until they notice, I think most parents like observing how their child is even for a few minutes. :)
I like to call out and say "so and so your mom/dad is here" or "so and so, look who's here!" And it's not uncommon for the kids to ignore that calling out to keep playing lol
I usually mention it if the kid isn't engaged in social play with other kids, but sometimes the parent will catch my eye and gesture for me to be quiet so they can surprise their child, which is always very sweet when it happens, and if the kid is playing with others I don't say anything so the parent can see how their child interacts with the others, but then of course usually there's a chorus of small voices announcing "Susie, Mom is here!" and the moment is ruined lol
I do different things different times. I like for parents to see that their child has a good time, especially morning criers, but it’s also fun to get them all excited when their mom is walking down the hall!
I usually smile and say hi to parents and wait to see see if they’re watching their child or want to be acknowledge. From there I say “look who’s here!” or “I wonder who just walked in!” Most of the time the other kids let the child know.
I work in tods and I love calling to the kids that mom or dad is here, it’s so cute to see how excited they get.🥰
I play it on case by case. If the parent is waiting at the door, watching/smiling, I wait. If they come right in and start packing bags etc I tell them.
I acknowledge the parent then go by what the parent wants to do
As both a childcarer and a parent. I like it best if the teacher notices me and either quietly points out my child or just let's me watch for a bit. I love to see how my children interact with their friends, we dont get so much of that outside of daycare.
As a parent I prefer watching for a minute until she notices me! Gives me a sense of how she is doing there
It depends on the kid. For the children who are constantly asking when they're being picked up, are inconsolable for some reason, sick, or have issues with transitions, I let them know when parent is there. For most of my other children, I let the parents take the lead. Most of the time, however, the kids will notice first because they'll see their car in the parking lot or look at the door when it's being opened (it's metal and very loud).
I try and be as discreet as possible every time at pick up so I can catch him engaged or just to see how my infant is being treated and still…about 3 kids announce me as soon as they catch a glimpse of me.
As a parent, I love watching my children play and interact with others before they're aware I'm present. As a teacher, I tend to let the parent inturrupt unless they seem to be in a hurry.
I would announce myself but my daughter always did best if I hung out for five to ten minutes or so for her to wrap up and adjust to me being there.
I watch for a cue from the parent. Some parents have plans right after pick up, so they like to just get their child and go. Others are absolutely interested to watch their child in a school environment, which is something a lot of them don’t get to see often. So I wait to see what it looks like parent is feeling. If they look like they have somewhere to be I call their child to look up. If they look excited to see their child playing I step back and let them enjoy that moment.
I work at a preschool where there is a set dismissal time. The kids all go out in the hall and sit until their parent arrives. If I worked at a daycare, I think I would alert the child that parent has arrived. I don’t really like lingering parents, so the quicker they’re in and out, the better.
I always tell the kids! I assume their parents are ready to get home and hangout with their kids after their workday so I try not to take up more of their time
I always liked to watch my children play for a minute or two before they knew I was there. One of parents’ first chance to observe their children in an environment away from home and family. The one exception is that on Friday afternoons or the day before a holiday I liked to speed up the process so the daycare staff could start their free time.
It depends on the parent for me. Some come in looking like they want to observe a bit, while others come in all business and go straight to sign their kid out. With kids who haven't been in school long, I lean towards waiting for the parents to get to observe them having a good time, and with families who have been in the program for a long time and already have a good sense of their child in school, I'll inform the child because they might still play for a few minutes anyway.
See I stopped because I told the wrong kid a few times 💀 a few of those dads looked identical to me
normally i’ll say “xyz! come here for a second please!” if their view is blocked, if it’s not i’ll sometimes (gently) turn them around if they’re facing the wrong way. i never straight out say “your parent is here”, but guide them to make the connection bc my kids are so oblivious 😭
I was very firmly of the opinion that you don't tell them. Sometimes parents would be finishing a phone call up while parked in the parking lot and the kid would end up throwing a fit because they didn't come in fast enough, plus them being ready to go at the door would usually signal to the parent that you were trying to push them out the door as fast as possible. I found it to have many more negatives than positives.
Nope I tell them all the time so they’re ready to leave
I'll ask them "who's picking you up today?" they usually guess and then turn around, even better when they're right.