Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Day-home Disaster

A couple weeks ago a customer of Little Peanut told me about a day-home in Spruce Grove who does drop in. I thought this would be great as I could just drop the boys off for a couple of hours and go to the gym or take a break on the weeks when Kelly was away. I actually know the lady who runs the day-home so I felt completely comfortable leaving my kids there.

Last week while Ethan was in a morning class at the Rec. Centre I left Wyatt there for a couple hours in the morning. I came prepared and I gave her a huge warning on his major meltdowns and screaming attacks. I even, at the last minute, threw in some marshmallows (as sometimes Marshmallows are the only thing that will pull him out of his meltdowns). She looked at me and kind of laughed saying she has done this for along time and that she knew what she was doing. Everything went great, Wyatt was a perfect little angel.

This morning I had arranged to take both kids to the day home together for a couple hours so I could go to the gym. Everything was going great, dropped the boys off and they both seemed happy. Halfway through my workout I got a text with this photo
Apparently Amanda (Day-home lady) had asked Wyatt to move the horse (that he was smashing against the wall) away from the wall. She said he came up to her and screamed NO in her face, then did it three times again. So she put him in time-out. She said he literally screamed, kicked his feet and rolled around for 20 minutes until he got too tired to cry. I texted back asking if she wanted me to come and pick up my little bundle of joy but she didn't respond...so I kept working out.

When I finally got back to the day home Amanda replayed the story for me, she was absolutely shocked at how he acted and shocked at how he just screamed for so long.... I of course told her that this is really just the every day for him. It is almost somewhat gratifying when he has these fits for other people. Last week Amanda really didn't believe that his fits were any different than any other child's.

Anyways I start packing the boys up , Ethan puts his boots on and starts stamping his feet on the ground. Amanda had apparently already had asked him to stop stamping his feet many times and here he is still stamping. So I asked him to stop as well (a few times). Of course he does not listen to me pretty much ever so finally he keeps stamping until the baby downstairs wakes up. I felt terrible. I start putting Wyatt's jacket on and Ethan says "DAMMIT" then says "DAMMIT" again. I look at him and tell him that is not a kind word, but by that time our little parrot Wyatt starts saying 'Dammit' as well, so both boys are saying it. I look at them both and ask them to stop, then my lovely son Ethan says "Only Mom and Dad can say Dammit right"? OH GOSH, so embarrassed....

I am almost 100% we will not be welcomed back into this day-home ever again....