Momma Bear

Momma Bear is pissed. Her little cub is all bruised and scratched. Look, I'm a realistic person. I know that accidents happen. Especially with a curious 16 month old. No, I don't expect him to go through life without a single bump or bruise. But what I do expect is due care, and a phonecall when due care doesn't seem to pan out.

Dropped the munchkin off at school this morning. He was actually in a really good mood. Didn't throw his usual fit or anything. I left him breakfast, and a jacket and figured those people I pay to take care of him would have the sense enough to apply both at the proper times.

Apparently I over-estimated my licensed child-neglectors.

I picked him up this afternoon, his forehead one big scrape, his nose purple and swollen, even his upper lip puffy. What the fuck?! The teacher on duty informs me that he fell off the slide while playing outside.

Ok, accidents happen. I'm not so mad that he fell, but just what was he doing playing on a slide without proper supervision? And why wasn't I called to inform me? And why isn't there an accident report filled out for me?

So I gather my bruised babe, and go to collect his things. His paperwork informs me that they fed him something other than the breakfast I provided. Ok, no big deal, just meant that they had to deal with the explosive diarrhea caused by the antibiotics when I had provided something that would have been much gentler on his tummy.

His pacifier is missing in action. Wouldn't be a big deal either, if they didn't lose it every single day. I mean, come one, those things are like $5 a pop. If you're not going to give it to him, just put it in his cubby. Believe me, he needs it in the car on the way home. It makes for a much more peaceful hour commute.

So bruised, fed the wrong stuff, no binky. What else?

Oh yes, jacket. I distinctly remember leaving a jacket this morning. It was green, had his initials on the tag. Hung it right on the hook in his classroom.

"He had a jacket?"

"Yes, did he not have it on while he was outside?"

"No, he didn't have a jacket."

"So he was outside in the cold with no jacket even though he's still on antibiotics, AND he fell off the slide while not being properly supervised, and there was no accident report filed?"

"Ummm, maybe you need to talk to his teacher, I just fill in in the afternoon."

"Yeah, you see, that's the problem. His teacher isn't here when I drop him off in the morning, and she's not here when I pick him up in the afternoon. I don't even knwo her name or what she looks like. I've never spoken to her, and obviously, she doesn't seem to have a firm grasp on her job. Nevermnd, I'll talk to Liz."

So the conversation with the owner went a little better, but it did little to unruffle my feathers. I just don't get it.

At my job we take care of hundreds of dogs and cats on a daily basis, we bring the back from the brink of death, we give them routine care. If they get dirty we bathe them, we feed them according to directions left, we supervise them, and if they get hurt, we bring it to the right person's attention. And we're not licensed. We didn't go to school for our profession. Heck, half of the kennel staff barely has a high-school education, but we take better care of those damn animals than they do my son.

So, venting aside. I'm torn between searching for a new daycare with a more trained and professional staff, and leaving Jonas where he is simply because he's so slow to warm and disrupting his routine might be more detrimental than the neglectful care he seems to receive.

What's a momma bear to do?