Search icon

Lifestyle

01st Feb 2024

‘I pulled my toddler out of daycare because staff kept hugging her when she was upset’

Callum Boyle

The woman said she had a ‘no touching rule’

An angry mother has revealed that she opted to pull her child out of daycare as staff kept hugging her when upset, despite implementing a “no touch rule”.

She explained that her daughter wasn’t a “snuggler” and would only accept hugs from her parents and grandmother.

Before enrolling her in the daycare nursery, the mother said she had explained to staff that she would prefer to be calmed down with her favourite toy or time away from other children.

In a post on Kidspot, the mother said: “I’ll never forget looking through the window out to the outside area where all the kids play, and seeing the teacher picking my daughter up and trying to hug her. My daughter was absolutely beside herself.”

At first she tried to let it slip, reminding the staff at the daycare about not hugging her daughter however they disobeyed her wishes and continued to offer her a cuddle, making the parent uncomfortable.

“I felt like I was constantly repeating myself and fighting so hard just to help my daughter feel safe at childcare. It shouldn’t be this hard to help each child feel safe? It didn’t feel right to me,” she added.

One month after her toddler first told her she didn’t like her teachers or to be cuddled, the parent pulled out of daycare and admitted she regrets not doing it sooner.

The family have since taken her to a new school where they have been overwhelmed by how accommodating they are – even setting up a new quiet area for the toddler.

Her online rant sparked plenty of debate, with some even laughing at her decision.

Responding to the jokes, one woman defended the parent, saying: “This child clearly has sensory needs that were completely ignored in her first childcare centre. It’s not difficult as an educator to remember and implement boundaries set by a parent or a child.

“Meeting the parents wishes and protecting the child is their job.

“Good on this mother for removing her from the centre and finding a more accommodating one.”

Related links: