Sippy Cup Drama

Water or breast milk only please!
It's been a few days, but I'm still hung up on this.

On Sunday Jane went to the church nursery as per usual. Things have changed there -- they've moved rooms and hired a new worker. The pastors were also out of town, meaning there were 5 fewer kids in the mix, and during church it was just Jane and another little boy slightly older than she is.

She cried a bit when we left her, but it wasn't heart wrenching. When I checked in after worship/before Sunday school the volunteer church member worker said she was just fine and hadn't fussed at all. So I didn't go see her and assumed all was well.

She was the only kid with the new worker for the Sunday school hour. When we went to pick her up she cried when she saw us (probably pissed that we'd left her with a stranger for so long), and I almost crumbled when I saw what was in her sippy cup: JUICE.

At first I thought they'd given her Kool-aid, but upon later inspection it was "just" apple juice.

I had packed her a snack and a sippy of water as I usually do (once they tried to give her Goldfish crackers, so I know better than to send her with nothing ... which is actually what she "needs" during those two hours).

At drop off I told the volunteer and the new paid worker that she could have these for a snack. NEVER did I say "give her some juice," and they had to dump out her water to put it in her sippy.

I flipped out enough that the worker said "she didn't really drink it or like it," but I know now she's had a taste of apple juice and it wasn't my choice/I didn't get to give it to her as a treat and see how she reacted.

I also wonder if whoever gave her juice did it to try to get her to stop crying. If she's upset I'd MUCH rather they call me. I don't mind giving up Sunday school or church time to take care of my baby, and I want her to know I'm always available. BUT she can't talk or ask for me yet, so I'm all kinds of conflicted about what I should do going forward.

I don't want to tattle on the worker, because I'm not even sure she was the one who gave Jane the juice (it could have been the church volunteer or the mom of the other kid), and it's really such a stupid thing that no one but me would be upset. I'm just overly particular about Jane's food and drink right now because she is so small and I want to set her up for good eating habits. I know a sip (or even a cup) of juice isn't going to undo my efforts, but I'm steamed about it even now.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope something is lost in the translation here.

Is this really about your not having been given the choice/option/right/experience of selecting for your daughter the first moment she tasted (apple) juice?

And you want your daughter to know that you're always available and you'd much rather they/caretakers call you ??

Nowhere does it say that you told (the human beings who can talk, respond, and understand english) about your preference that they should call you about it, rather than take (what I'll boldly call) normal steps known to child-care professionals in such environs when needing to help a child feel more content in the moment.

Typically there are scores of other kids around, and I don't blame them for having general cover-all reactions (which probably work consistently and have withstood the test of time).

I don't think "tattling" is proper context here.


IF, for example, your daughter were deathly allergic to tomatoes... it would surely be your responsibility to inform any childcare people of this significant factor (and to do so before any encounter with a tomato - as you well know).

If you previously informed (say, the head person there) that you'd "rather they call you..."... then OK... but it still might not have been passed along to someone who is new-ish.

I'm pretty sure you are aware of all of this, but it sounds unfair described.

And I hope this doesn't make you mad at me.

Anonymous said...

...AS described.

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