Advice from an infant daycare teacher

Here's what I wish I could tell all parents, all of these may not apply, but maybe it will be useful to someone.Label everything with your child's name or initials. Label bottle caps, bibs, pacifiers, toys, blankets, creams, drops, containers, sunscreen, cups, hats, gloves. Label it again. I beg you to label things. With eight babies that have dozens of items, labels are a lifesaver. The less time I spend managing stuff, the better. You'll be less likely to lose things as well. It's really a win-win.Bring the fancy diaper cream and tell us to put it on everytime. Yes it's wasteful and expensive, but it's the best way to prevent your child from getting a rash. Trust me. Fresh poops are easier to clean, so I change poopy diapers ASAP but if other kids need to be changed, if your child poops while sleeping, if we're outside and have to go back in, it will take some time before your child gets changed. Having that layer of cream saves your child's bottom. And bring the good stuff, don't hold out. If you use the special organic extra strength stuff because that's the only thing that works, bring and label it ! Don't hold out , we need what works for your child.Bring extra food, please. If you bring your own food and want your baby to eat on their own, please bring enough. If your baby drops half their food on the floor at home, they will at daycare too! If anything is dropped, spilled, misplaced, and extra jar, snack or bottle can be a lifesaver.Pretend to look at the sheet. All day, I write down when your child, eats ,sleeps and poops on a sheet! If your daycare does this, please pretend to look at it first. I won't remember off the top of my head when your baby last slept or ate. A lot of works goes into writing stuff down, please look at it. (Imagine keeping a log of everything you ate or when you used the bathroom for example).Don't change the routine suddenly. When parents move nap times, cut out food or bottles, change routines it's very stressful. If you want to change something about your childs routine, please consider asking the teacher about it. They might be able to give you additional insight or at least be prepared for changes. A heads up is always appreciated if you are drastically changing your child's diet or schedule.Say hi to the teacher. Most parents just greet their child. It's cute but when a parent says my name as well, it makes my day.Write it down! If you want something changed or have specific instructions, write it down. Email the teachers and coordinator, say it in person and write it down. Unless your daycare has perfect communication, it's easy for instructions to get watered down or miscommunicated. If you want a bottle given before food, don't just tell the person you see at 6 am, they may not even be there at lunch! Write it on the bottle "before food", email, etc.If you want to know if your child is fussy say " he was grouchy this morning, how has he been?" Otherwise, no teacher is going to say " your baby had a bad day" when you ask " how was your day?". You are more likely to get honest accounts of your child's day if you show you acknowledge that your child has both good and bad moods.Be nice to all teachers. Yes, you probably have a favorite teacher already, but guess what, it takes a village. When the main teacher leaves at 4pm, or goes to lunch, others step in! Acknowledge these people! You'll get more info on your child!Do not dress your child with outfits that have more than three buttons. Cute, designer outfits are best for the weekend! Your child will be changed at least every two hours: complicated, button crazy outfits are very frustrating!There is so much more advice I wish I could give!! via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2HMvdVd