The Tot Stop Preschool and Child Care Center Reviews (%countItem)
The Tot Stop Preschool and Child Care Center Rating
Address: 484 Ridgewood Dr, Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, United States, 15333-2028
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My children only attended this daycare for about six weeks. During that time, I saw some issues I wasn't thrilled about, but decided to pull them out without making a big fuss for the sake of my kids. This was about five months ago. I wasn't going to write a review because I don't like to write negative reviews when I know people's livelihoods are at stake, but when children are treated poorly, that leaves me feeling obligated to warn other parents.
This is a very small daycare with what seems like primarily a mother-daughter team with sometimes the teenage/young adult grandson/son helping. It appears that there's a main room with toys, a small eating area, and a separate space for infants who sleep in cribs. Their basic guidelines are what you'll typically find at any daycare and the facility seems clean enough. The prices are probably the lowest in the area and they're one of the few that still has openings.
However, in the short time my children attended there, I feel that they were treated... not the way a mother wants her children treated.
For instance, when we signed the kids up, I asked if my oldest daughter could opt out of nap time since she's 7 and doesn't really need a nap. I asked if I could give her a tablet with headphones to watch just during naps and/or some schoolwork and they said that was perfectly fine. But that's not what happened. Instead, they not only forced her to take naps, but refused to allow her to go to the bathroom for the entire nap time (at least 2 hours, if not longer), to the point that she wet herself. She's fully potty trained and hasn't had an accident in years, but when she feels anxious, she tends to have to pee more (I was the same way at her age - it's not just the sensation, but actually having to pee a normal quantity more frequently). That should've been the first read flag, but I was busy and in desperate need of childcare, so I let it go and hoped they learned their lesson from having to clean up pee.
My same daughter also told me of an incident where they put her in time-out because they said she was "cheating" at some game. I asked if she knew what cheating was (because her vocabulary is slightly behind and I wanted to know if they explained what she did since it seemed extremely unlike her to "deceive by trickery"). She's one of those overly honest kids who doesn't even lie to avoid punishment, much less knowingly cheat. More likely, she didn't fully understand the rules of the game. (Which is probably my fault for not playing many games with rules with my kids). She had no idea what cheating was and no one bothered to explained to her what she was accused of. As people supposedly working with young children since 1995 and at least one with a degree in elementary education, they should know that this type of punishment (with no explanation) is simply spiteful and not productive.
Besides that, I was once berated by the daughter part of this team for being 15 minutes late to drop the kids off in the morning because she was "up all night with [her] daughter" and could have used those extra 15 minutes of sleep. (Mind you, this was a completely new routine for us as my kids had never been in daycare before and we weren't accustom to having to get places early in the morning). This was followed by a refusal to take the kids before 7:30am (a full hour later than originally agreed), knowing I had to be 45 minutes away at 7:45...
Yet, it seems they get plenty of sleep since my daughter reported this same woman napping during the kids' nap time. And while I may be able to get away with a nap in my house when my kids, who I know very well, nap, it seems extremely inappropriate for a daycare employee to nap while responsible for caring for other people's children. What if one of the children woke up early and slipped out (the daycare is right up against the road with no fence in front and the door is easily unlocked by a child) or got injured inside the facility?
But the straw that broke the camel's back was what my daughter told me today, 5 months later. Now it makes sense why my kids were so excited when I told them they didn't have to go back there and complained more and more instead of less every day that I took them there. Apparently, the mother and daughter don't get along with each other either and constantly screamed at each other in front of the kids. This is exceedingly unprofessional and really unhealthy for the development of the children in their care long term.
I feel guilty for ever subjecting my kids to such dysfunction from people I was PAYING to take care of them. I'm not one to overly shelter my kids, but daycare shouldn't be a place of constant stress because of immature adults.
Well to begin with this comment was made by a mother who supposedly home-schooled her children and who due to "religious beliefs" chose not to immunize her children. This was found out after she told us all their shots were up to date and she finally brought in their health assessments that showed that they hadn't had ANY vaccines. Her children were very spoiled and it was obvious there were NO RULES at home. We run a very structured program here and are licensed by the state. Nap time is required. Her 7 year old was told she could use a tablet and read books etc. as long as she was quiet and did not disturb the other children. She was unable to do that. She repeatedly turned the volume up on her tablet and got off her sleep mat. Did anyone force her to nap because of that? NO, she would always just fall asleep on her own. Most kids do when they are lying down in a dim lit room with a blanket and pillow! After lunch, before children lay down for nap they are told to go to the bathroom. Smaller children are taken to the bathroom. If a child has to go to the bathroom during naptime they are allowed to get up and go! And this child was told that multiple times! She chose to lie there and pee herself! She did it 3-4 times! For a 7 year old this child was probably on the level of a 3 year old. She did not listen, she did not behave and Im sorry but WE DO have rules! This child had difficulty following most of them. Im sure due to the lack of structure and rules at home. There are at least two of us in the daycare during nap time and at the time these children were here we had 3 infants so the fact she believes her child when she said I was napping is simply laughable! There have been times when transitioning a toddler from crib to mat that we have laid down with them until they fall asleep, that is the extent of me or anyone lying down at work! This mother told us she needed 5:45 am drop off time. We do not open until 6:00 am and had no other children until 7:30 at that time but I told her that we would acommodate her needs. But if for any reason they were not coming at that time that she needed to let me know. I drive 30 minutes to work and Im sorry, but who wants to be at work almost 2 hours before its necessary? THREE TIMES in a row they came at 7:40 or LATER!! Obviously a 5:45am dropoff was NOT NEEDED! I gave this woman and her boyfriend both my personal cell phone number and neither of them could bother to let me know that the children would be late! They were told if they told me they needed the 5:45 drop off and did not come at that time or let me know they wouldnt be coming at that time I would not come in for them at that time again. I did it 3 times! They were very thoughtless, very inconsiderate people. Numerous times they would come during nap time when the other children were sleeping and knowing this ring the doorbell despite a sign on the door asking people to please knock during that time. This whole complaint to me is just ridiculous. We have been in business for 23 years and this is our only complaint. Are we perfect, No! We ask our parents to please come to us and talk to us if they have any problems or concerns. This family has not been in care at our center for almost a year and she is just now making this complaint.