Guest Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Our setting is every good with satff ratios and reporting and recrding of accidents, but on occassions a child may appear with a minor mark or scartch which we cannot account for eventhough a member of staff was in the room. I know we cannot watch all children at the same time and if a child doesn't cry ot make it known to us at the time we may not notice and I am taking about minor marks. Please assure me that this does happen on occassions and if so how do you deal with the parent who asks all sorts of questions about how it happened. I know that they have every right to know but how can you explain to them that although a memebr of staff is in the room they cannot wtach every child. If you notice the mark on the child and the child will not tell you how and when it happened the situation is very difficlut , but then parents will question the child and pput to it leading questions . Without physically checking everychidl at the end of the day for evry minor mark scratch how do we deal with it when we honeslty tell the parent we didn;t see anything happen, the child didn't bring ot to our attention etc . I am not a supervisor or manage but find some parenst are diffcult to deal with in these situations and feel sorry for my manager to have to find answers to every question. It is one particular parentt by the way - so in that case to we check the child everytime they come in and go out more so than any other child ? this is a setting from age 2.5yrs to 4 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 As you say unless there is a mark or the child reports minor bumps or they are observed we don't always know about incidents. I actually had an incident in the classroom while the parent was in the room. One child was putting on a coat and pushed her arm through the sleeve accidentally catching another with the "flapping" sleeve in the process. The parent of the child "hit" by sleeve observed this but the next morning the father demanded to know if it had been formally recorded as an accident and if not why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 This is a tricky one: it never ceases to amaze me how children can get hurt within sight of the adults in the room and no-one knows how it happened. In the case of minor bumps, most parents will accept that no-one saw (after all, unless you have transparent screens and furniture it is impossible to watch all the children all the time). Is there an underlying problem with this child's parents do you think? Are they more worried about the child's safety than is usual? There may be nothing you can do except keep a closer eye on this particular child and try to make sure all incidents are recorded - but short of wrapping him/her in cotton wool and assigning a 1:1 with the best will in the world there are going to be times when you just won't see. We have an 'existing injuries' form which we ask parents to sign when their child appears with a bruise etc. Often they can't say how a child has scraped his face or knee - its a normal part of life. I guess the difference is that we are being paid to look after the children and perhaps some parents feel they can expect more from us! So I can send you my sympathies, but no real solution - sorry! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Thanks all. We do have an 'existing ' injury book which is used correctly . I shall ensure that this child is checked when he comes in etc . I do think it is howver the parents warpping child up in cotton wool , I am really sorry to say that but thats the way I feel. I am a mother myself to two boys so understand in a way the protective nature of us mothers but also accepts that accidents and things that an adult may not see do happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 We have had this situation from time to time-one just last week when a child came in with parent wanting to know what he had done the day before as he now has a mark on his face. We always just explain that the child wasn't seen to be hurt, didn't come and tell us something had happened and didn't cry. We would have made out an accident form otherwise. Again we explain that we cannot supervise every child for every second. Most parents are happy with this. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 we do the same have a form that if a child has a briuse or bump when they come into nursery - it has to be filled in - parents do huff and puff but we insist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 These situations do arise.....on one occasion I had a parent come in the next day asking about a 'small' graze on their childs finger. Couldn't give her the answers she was looking for but explained that if it had been an accident any member of staff knew about it would have gone in the accident book etc..luckily all the parent was interested in was if the child had got really upset. I could tell her that they didn't cry otherwise we would have been aware of the mark. Apart from the book for noting marks/bruises down on child's arrival not much else we can do, except be ready for the parent and deal with them in a 'professional manner' as we always do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I agree with Linda's response, also I tend to say what we 'can do' rather than what we 'can't do' (watch everything - parents don't want to hear this, even though it is a fact of life) ie: I'd say to the parent something like, "As you know we record all incidents of injury, remember when you signed one last week/month etc", I would go on to say a bit about the day, "Today we were outside playing maybe it happened then, or when we were doing our ribbon dancing, I'm not sure" - ( then I would turn to the child, kneeling down to childs level, eye contact) and say "Trudy, if you get hurt and know about it can you please tell me or ....., or....., then we can check you are really ok and let mummy/daddy know when you get picked up" Then I would stand up and talk to parent (eye contact) and say, "Can you remind Trudy in the mornings on the way to preschool what I have just said and Is there anything else you would like us to do to check on Trudy?" Hope this helps. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Ooh Peggy you're so assertive! How could any parent possibly resist when you put it so positively? Will try that next week (with the staff too ) Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 very good peggy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Thank you all , feel alot better about it all. Shall take a leaf out of Peggy's book , a really good idea . thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Shall take a leaf out of Peggy's book , a really good idea . A good idea in most any eventuality! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buttercup Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 hi i used to be a childminder a we used a very good accident book that had a section on existing inguries. I am now in playgroup which i took over in September. we have an accident book but after an incident last week i realised we do no have an existing injuries form. i ended up writing it in the accident book but this was not ideal. Are yours compiled by yourselves or bought. Please could i have a copy. angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I made mine Angela - very simple. Will try to attach. Maz Existing_injury_report_form.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 heres ours ..... Accident_form_to_be_filled_out_by_parent.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buttercup Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 thanks for those i will devise something simular. this is a great site for sharing ideas angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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