bad experiences with inroom sitters??

[Jsbl24]

hey, i was wondering if anyone ever had any bad experiences
with either kindercare or fairygodmothers? i'm thinking about
possibly using them for our 3+6 year old girls. i'm very weary
of leaving my 2 little angels with a complete stranger. so if
anyone has a specific person they have used and either really
liked or really hated could you please add that? also if you
have any words of comfort security wise i would appreciate it.
thank you

[ducklite]

I used Kindercare and was very pleased. I specifically asked for someone who would have no problem keeping up with an active nine year old boy who wouldn't be happy sitting in the room playing board games. I asked if they had any males, and they said no, only women. They sent a young woman, I would guess about 22, who was in college. She was also a P/T WDW CM, and did the Kindercare thing on the side for extra cash.

She brought along some games, and also a couple sports type things. I can't remember exactly what now, but perhaps a nerf football and frisbee or something along those lines. She also brought a pager.

We left her with money for him to play video games in the arcade for a little bit, and also money to get a snack at the food court. When we got back he was sleeping, and she was working on schoolwork at the table. She had gotten a receipt for his snack and that along with the change were on the table for us.

The next day he said he had a lot of fun, they had played outside sports type games for a couple of hours, then he had a snack, played video games for awhile, then went up to the room and played "Operation" until it was bedtime.

I was impressed that she had only allowed him to spend what I had said in the arcade, and hadn't let him also use the change from his snack.

She said that he hadn't brushed his teeth well the first time through, so she had sent him back in to the bathroom to brush again. (We had warned her that she might need to do this)

I was very comfortable with the situation. All of the Kindercare providers go through a background check and are screened.

Anne

[Humpbacks1962]

I am sure the experience was positive, but I'd liek to know what sort of background check they do on these caregivers.

I'd be very concerned about leaving a child of mine in a room with a stranger and would rather choose a center with open access.

Wanda

[beaker]

We use Fairygodmothers last fall. When I called the owner told me all her sitters were bonded and had been with her a long time. Vera was our sitter she is an older women who also came with a bag of toys. She ask if we would like her to give my DS a bath we said yes. DS loves his bath and with the small tubs i think he made a bit of a mess. She cleaned it up and called housekeeping for fresh towels. when we return DS was sleeping and Vera was reading a book.
we would use fairygodmother again.

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Humpbacks1962
I am sure the experience was positive, but I'd liek to know what sort of background check they do on these caregivers.

I'd be very concerned about leaving a child of mine in a room with a stranger and would rather choose a center with open access.

Wanda

Florida Law provides that all Day Care providers and their employees having direct contact with children (in other words the janitor who cleans up after all children have left is not in this group) must be screened. Screening includes, but is not limited to, employment history checks, local criminal records checks through local law enforcement agencies, fingerprinting for all purposes and checks in this subsection, statewide criminal records checks through the Department of Law Enforcement, and federal criminal records checks through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Some times a child care center is not an option. Disney's child care centers are only open until midnight, and don't accept kids under the age of four. My son has been at a couple of the group care centers where he was the only child there. IMHO that's the same thing as having someone come to the room.

Anne

[Tluvs2talk]

My Nephew was 1 when we took him to Disney World. My Brother and Sister-In Law had Kindercare send someone for 1/2 a day. I did not like the person the minute I saw her. She was dressed very sloppy and seemed a little un-professional. I could not enjoy my day thinking about my Nephew. We returned early( an hour later) and he was standing in front of the widow crying, He broke my heart. The minute he saw me he was smiling from ear to ear. The child care giver said "Thank goodness you came back, all he has done is scream since you left". I paid her and sent her on her way. My Nephew still talks about the mean lady at DW, and Aunt Teri coming back to rescue him. I know he was not harmed, but I doubt she tried to comfort him any.

[RAHKMH]

We always used Neverland @ the Poly..........we were very comfortable with the care my son got and he enjoyed it too.

[Jsbl24]

what happens if kindercare sends someone you are not
pleased with. can you call and ask for them to "try again"??
if not do you still have to pay for the service if you send the
sitter back.

[Cinderella]

Hi, I have used both services and they have always been great. The first time I called Kindercare, I asked that the person I had be over 21 (since then they have all been late 50's) and the receptionist said she could not guarantee this. I told her that if anyone young turned up, I would be sending them straight back. Sorry - I know many young people would make great sitters but, the Louise Woodward case was well publicised over here in the UK and frightened me very much.

I think the fact that you are leaving two children with the sitter would be more reassuring than just one on his own.

If you are using Kindercare, why not ask for Carol Cooper if she still works with them. She is lovely and we have used her several times. She is so conscientious that on our second trip (can't remember if it was 6 or 12 months later) she remembered us perfectly and told us that she had remembered to bring one of Joshua's favourite books with her. We were totally amazed!

Hopefully, she still works with Kindercare, although I do know that she was hoping to try for employment within WDW to take advantages of the free park admission as she likes to take her children and grandchildren to the parks when they visit her.

[Carrieberry]

We used Kindercare two December's ago for my then four year old son. They sent over and older lady who was wonderful. We e actually popped in unannounced after dinner. We were tired and weren't having a very good time at Pleasure Island so we thought we would go back and go to bed. When we arrived our son was already asllep and the woman told us to go back out and have more fun because we were gong to get charged for the (is it a four hour minimum?) otherwise. Anyway, we went back out and headed to the Boardwalk and had a great time! She was wonderful and my son said they had a great time.

[Cinderella]

Forgot to mention - my kids rated their evening with the sitter as one of their favourite Disney experiences! After long days at the parks it was a welcome change. These sitters are not the ordinary childminder. They bring a suitcase of toys and books and even do finger painting with the little ones.

This year, my youngest will be old enough for the children's club in the resorts but, I bet they still ask for the in room sitter for at least one night!

[LKS]

I would like to add that if you have a child who has never left Mommy's side, WDW is probably not the place to test the limits of separation anxiety. I keep the church nursery often and there are absolutely some children who scream the whole time and cannot be comforted. I've seen it happen at my children's daycare center too. While mine go skipping in, some poor child is screaming hysterically for his mother not to leave him. It is miserable for the child and the care provider and everyone is going to feel it was a bad experience. Anyway, that's what Tluvs2talk's post reminded me of, and it hasn't really been pointed out much on these boards.

I fully expect the nights we leave our kids in the child care centers will be their favorite nights of the vacation - go figure - but they get no thrill from eating a nice meal in a nice restaurant. And, I used an in-room sitter last summer in Williamsburg, VA and it went just fine too. We had my cell phone on us and gave the sitter the number.

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Tluvs2talk
My Nephew was 1 when we took him to Disney World. My Brother and Sister-In Law had Kindercare send someone for 1/2 a day. I did not like the person the minute I saw her. She was dressed very sloppy and seemed a little un-professional. I could not enjoy my day thinking about my Nephew. We returned early( an hour later) and he was standing in front of the widow crying, He broke my heart. The minute he saw me he was smiling from ear to ear. The child care giver said "Thank goodness you came back, all he has done is scream since you left". I paid her and sent her on her way. My Nephew still talks about the mean lady at DW, and Aunt Teri coming back to rescue him. I know he was not harmed, but I doubt she tried to comfort him any.

Not meant as a flame, but if you were uncomfotable from the start, why on earth did you leave the child with the sitter?

Anne

[Bob NC]

Not meant as a flame, but if you were uncomfotable from the start, why on earth did you leave the child with the sitter?

If this is not meant as a flame...How could the answer to this question possibly help you?

[Tluvs2talk]

Ducklite,
Because I am the Aunt not the Mother. We were all going different places that day. My husband and I had connecting rooms with my Brother and Sister-In- law.We came back early to find my Nephew standing at the window crying. I told the Sitter I would take him. I am actually surprised she let me since I was not the Mother. I think she did because I was in the room when she got there. Anyway as I stated before I am sure he was not harmed. I just doubt she was overly caring either. This was several years ago so maybe things have changed. I am glad to read that so many people have had GOOD experiences, We however did not....

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Tluvs2talk
Ducklite,
Because I am the Aunt not the Mother. We were all going different places that day. My husband and I had connecting rooms with my Brother and Sister-In- law.We came back early to find my Nephew standing at the window crying. I told the Sitter I would take him. I am actually surprised she let me since I was not the Mother. I think she did because I was in the room when she got there. Anyway as I stated before I am sure he was not harmed. I just doubt she was overly caring either. This was several years ago so maybe things have changed. I am glad to read that so many people have had GOOD experiences, We however did not....

That's a shame that it didn't work out. Some kids don't react well to strangers, and the overload of being left with a stranger in a strange place combined with just general Disney overload may have been to much for the little guy. Still, it's too bad that the sitter wasn't better at coping with it.

For everyone's reference, Kindercare does have a GROUP daycare center on property that has a very few drop-in slots each day. If you need DAY care, that might be an option. I think the hours are 7:00am until 6:00pm, but I'm not positive about that.

Anne

Anne

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Bob NC


If this is not meant as a flame...How could the answer to this question possibly help you?

I thought there might be more to the story that the poster had forgotten to post. Her response to my post made it make more sense to me. Sorry if it offended you, not that it should have, as I wasn't talking to you to begin with.

Anne

[Gabrielle]

I used the room sitters 10 years ago and about 7 years ago. Not a problem, either time.

But, I think your girls might have a better time at Neverland or another of the on-site group sitters. They show movies, have games, and there are other kids to play with. I had to drag my little boy out - he was having such a great time.

[mjenni27]

Most of the group sitter sites will not take a child less than 4.:( So if you are like us (1 Yr. old and 6 Yr. old) you have to take at least one of them with you or else spring for inroom.

I agree that it may not be a good idea if your child is unhappy with strangers. If you have a pager, leave the # with instructions to page you if you need to come back.

Have a good time on your night out without the kids.

[BounceyOne]

We will be using an in room sitter on our next trip(august). I was waiting for DD to be old enough to go to one of the clubs, but, she has an early bedtime so this wouldn't work to well. On our Feb trip I met one of the fairy godmothers at the contemporary, she was a grandmotherly type and had a big bag of stuff for the children to do in the room. Having met het for that brief 10 minutes we chatted, I would feel comfortable leaving my children with a fairy godmother.

[maepartner]

Call me neurotic, but this post had me thinking of when I first took my oldest....then 3 yrs old..... to her first day of pre-school. I agonized terribly over this thinking "what if they don't comfort her if she cries,,,,what is she is totally miserable and they dont call me....what if? what if? what if? Drove myself crazy with it....so I left work....drove back over there....peeked into the window....and to my amazement,,,,she was happily playing with the other children and (sniff) didnt miss me at all! Somehow my children managed to grow up unharmed (in spite of me, LOL)....thank the Lord :)

Now I agree, as another poster stated....that it would be a bad idea to test the "separation anxiety" at Disney where they are probably experiencing sensual overload to begin with....so maybe try leaving them for a short time BEFORE the trip,with a trusted person or reputable day care center (after checking it out of course).

But, I would DEFINITELY stay with the Fairy Godmother or Kindercare person for at least twenty minutes before you leave to get a feel for her and to see how she interacts with the child. Also, I would make sure I had a cell phone/pager in the event of some problem. Calling a half hour later....talk to the child, not just the "nanny".....dropping back unexpectedly (listening by the door first,,,,,,arent i awful) should make you feel more comfortable about it.....and if you do have a good experience,,,,please share the name on the board with other young mothers, as it is SO critical to an evenings enjoyment if you can get positive feedback and the name of a specific caregiver.

Thank GOD I dont have to worry about that again (at least until I have grandchildren) but I sure feel for you moms and dads that do :) MAE
p.s. I feel for you Tluv2talk,,,,my heart would have been broken even if it werent my nephew, poor thing. Good for you! (methinks I feel some flaming coming on, LOL)

:bounce: :jester: :Pinkbounc

[Janet2k]

A few times we have used the in-room sitters that Disney supplies and have always had a wonderful experience. On one particular occasion we returned to pick up something that we had forgotten, only to find that we were locked out of our suite (none of the doors would allow us access). We knocked on the suite's main door and the sitter came and opened it. We asked her why all the doors were locked and she told us that it was company policy, for security reasons. I should note that before she would even open the door for my husband and myself, we had to prove to her that we belonged in the suite (I can't remember how we did that, maybe we slipped her our driver's licenses or our son ID’d us through the peephole??). I was the one who hired the sitter through Disney, but since she was primarily watching my sister's baby and preschooler, I didn't have a lot of interaction with her when she arrived to start her services. Since my sister was not with my husband and myself when we returned to the suite to pick up our forgotten item, I was impressed that entering it was almost like entering Fort Knox (since we had to prove to her that we belonged there). When I relayed the story to my sister and brother-in-law at dinner that evening, they got a big kick out of it. It made them feel good that their children and nephew were in such excellent hands. For several years after that particular vacation, the sitter kept in correspondence with my sister, and they even exchanged Christmas gifts. I thought that was lovely.

[Sleepy]

I think it would be a good addition for these childcare programs to charge a small deposit on beepers for cases where the child does not adjust well. I too would feel much better knowing my child was happy. My son is 10 and I still feel uncomfortable leaving him with a strange daycare atmosphere. I have always made a point to carry my cellphone (or use a payphone) and call within the first hour to make sure he is adjusting well. The last thing I would want is to know I enjoyed myself with a night out while my son cried his eyes out the entire time. :(

[elemusing]

We used Fairy Godmothers last year and they sent a nice older lady named Helen. I have requested her again for our May trip. When my (2 year old) ds saw her he said "Grandma!" and ran right to her. He showed her all his books and toys and she in turn showed him all the stuff in a bag of toys that she brought with her!

I was sooooo nervous thinking that they would send a very young possibly foreign person who he would have trouble understanding. When I told Helen of my relief to see her, she said that Fairy Godmothers only hires older women who speak first language English.

He loved her and she was wonderful with him!

It was definitely worth the money.

Angie