Nosey Damn Parents

[mac60]

On the door in my dining room, I have a schedule taped to my door titled "Crazy Schedule", and it has the times/days that I have kids coming and going for school/school pickups/leaving for preschool and dropping back off/ etc. Today, a mom stood at the gate while I went into my kitchen to make her formula to take shopping with her, and when I came back, she says "Yep, you do have a crazy schedule, I would have to write it down too". I wanted to say OMG, you are awful nosey to stand at my gate and stretch your neck far enough to see what is written on my paper. It really pissed me off, it was none of her business, and simply quite rude to stand there and read it, let alone to mention that she in fact read it and commented on it.

What is wrong with people. It is sad that nothing in my home is "ours" anymore. People can be so rude and inconsiderate, and nosy, just pisses me off. How would they like me to come into their home and read their mail, they wouldn't. Because I have something taped to my door for my use does not give a parent the right to stand there and read it. If it was posted inside the front door is one thing, but it wasn't she had to stand at the gate and stretch her neck to read it.

[Lucy]

I know what you mean. I have one that glances at anything sitting on my table. If it's a receipt for another parent, a check from another parent, a bill statement laying open, our tax info getting ready to be done... she'll look at it. I have to keep that in mind when she comes, and make sure I either put something over it, or put it away. She doesn't pick it up or anything, but I watch her looking at it. Even upside down. Like she's trying to see the bottom line of what we owe Chase bank, or what my husband made this year, or how much the other family pays, etc. I'd love to say something but I wouldn't dare.

[momma2girls]

On the door in my dining room, I have a schedule taped to my door titled "Crazy Schedule", and it has the times/days that I have kids coming and going for school/school pickups/leaving for preschool and dropping back off/ etc. Today, a mom stood at the gate while I went into my kitchen to make her formula to take shopping with her, and when I came back, she says "Yep, you do have a crazy schedule, I would have to write it down too". I wanted to say OMG, you are awful nosey to stand at my gate and stretch your neck far enough to see what is written on my paper. It really pissed me off, it was none of her business, and simply quite rude to stand there and read it, let alone to mention that she in fact read it and commented on it.

What is wrong with people. It is sad that nothing in my home is "ours" anymore. People can be so rude and inconsiderate, and nosy, just pisses me off. How would they like me to come into their home and read their mail, they wouldn't. Because I have something taped to my door for my use does not give a parent the right to stand there and read it. If it was posted inside the front door is one thing, but it wasn't she had to stand at the gate and stretch her neck to read it.

OMG!!! What is wrong with these parents now a days!! I think the same thing, with parents walking with their shoes on past my tiled foyer area!! I once had a parent put their daughter's yogurt in my fridge, yes actually put it in there!! I couldn't believe it!! I allowed her 2 days to do it, to see if she would the 2nd day and she did. I finally said, I can put the yogurt in my own fridge, thank you- she even went to do it a 3rd day, and I stopped her, and said to her again, in a not so nice voice- Excuse me, I said I would place it in my own fridge!!! I have a Dad walk across my living room carpet, to place money onto my kitchen counter or island- hello, I am standing right here- what are you doing walking across my floor, etc... Then I have caught him looking around what is in my kitchen, my appt. book, etc..I finally had to tell him- you can just hand it to me. What is wrong with everyone??? This is my personal home, I would never had done anything like this, when I was taking our children to daycare!!!

[melskids]

I know what you mean. I have one that glances at anything sitting on my table. If it's a receipt for another parent, a check from another parent, a bill statement laying open, our tax info getting ready to be done... she'll look at it. I have to keep that in mind when she comes, and make sure I either put something over it, or put it away. She doesn't pick it up or anything, but I watch her looking at it. Even upside down. Like she's trying to see the bottom line of what we owe Chase bank, or what my husband made this year, or how much the other family pays, etc. I'd love to say something but I wouldn't dare.

i would leave a paper out that said "HA!! caught you being nosy!"

[MyAngels]

i would leave a paper out that said "HA!! caught you being nosy!"

That's too funny! Thanks for the laugh (and good idea)::

[Preschool/daycare teacher]

OMG!!! What is wrong with these parents now a days!! I think the same thing, with parents walking with their shoes on past my tiled foyer area!! I once had a parent put their daughter's yogurt in my fridge, yes actually put it in there!! I couldn't believe it!! I allowed her 2 days to do it, to see if she would the 2nd day and she did. I finally said, I can put the yogurt in my own fridge, thank you- she even went to do it a 3rd day, and I stopped her, and said to her again, in a not so nice voice- Excuse me, I said I would place it in my own fridge!!! I have a Dad walk across my living room carpet, to place money onto my kitchen counter or island- hello, I am standing right here- what are you doing walking across my floor, etc... Then I have caught him looking around what is in my kitchen, my appt. book, etc..I finally had to tell him- you can just hand it to me. What is wrong with everyone??? This is my personal home, I would never had done anything like this, when I was taking our children to daycare!!!

Not trying to hijack the thread. Just had a suggestion about the Dad who walks across the floor to bring his check to the counter instead of handing it to you. Could you get a little box (like those recipe card boxes or index card boxes and label it "payments", placing it next to the sign-in sheet? Then they wouldn't have any need to walk further than the sign-in table. Not that he had a "need" to before, either, since he could just hand it to you. But with a specific place for it, you could just tell them all to leave payments in that box, so even if you're busy with another child, they wouldn't have any excuse to walk in any further.

[momma2girls]

Not trying to hijack the thread. Just had a suggestion about the Dad who walks across the floor to bring his check to the counter instead of handing it to you. Could you get a little box (like those recipe card boxes or index card boxes and label it "payments", placing it next to the sign-in sheet? Then they wouldn't have any need to walk further than the sign-in table. Not that he had a "need" to before, either, since he could just hand it to you. But with a specific place for it, you could just tell them all to leave payments in that box, so even if you're busy with another child, they wouldn't have any excuse to walk in any further.

I actually thought of this same thing, but you know he only does it about once a month, if he has diapers, wipes, or anything else. I have a table right beside the foyer area, so now I am right there, and if he has something I hold my hands out for it!!

[MarinaVanessa]

Ha ha ha, these kind of parents are the reason why I stopped leaving notes etc out on the table. I buy those colored folders that have pockets on the inside and brads for three hole punches for all of my papers and reminders. Each month has it's own folder and I keep track of attendance, payments, reasons that a child was absent, conversations I had with parents, phone calls, notes, reminders & incidents etc. Whenever I left these papers out I always had a parent peeking so now I keep them in the folder to hide them from prying eyes.

My sign-in/out sheet has a spot for me to mark whether they have a note home or not and I slip the note in the child's cubby. It's amazing the lenghts we have to go through just to have some privacy in our own homes

[Unregistered]

Sorry, but in my opinion, if you have it on your door, i don't see a problem with someone reading it. If you don't want people to see something, put it away. If it's out, expect it will be looked at. You open your home to people, if you are that guarded maybe you shouldnt run a business from your home.

[Unregistered]

Maybe the parent thought this was a notice that she was supposed to read. Unless she's a horse wearing blinders, I think it would be human nature to read a sign while one is "waiting at a gate". I would not have taken offense or considered her nosy... her comment to you doesn't come off that way at all. If anything, she agreed with you.

Honestly, if the person who I paid & entrusted to care for my baby had a sign on her wall titled "crazy schedule" - you bet I'll be craning my neck to read it. I might even step over that gate to do it too. I'd want to be 100% positive that my child was being properly cared for & watched every second of the day.

[MarinaVanessa]

Sorry, but in my opinion, if you have it on your door, i don't see a problem with someone reading it. If you don't want people to see something, put it away. If it's out, expect it will be looked at. You open your home to people, if you are that guarded maybe you shouldnt run a business from your home.

Not to start a debate here but I don't get invited to a friends house and read their mail that is left on the table next to me when we're having dinner or go to their fridge and read their bills posted on it while we chat. I was invited to come over and it might be right in front of my face but I find it rude. JMHO.

[momma2girls]

Not to start a debate here but I don't get invited to a friends house and read their mail that is left on the table next to me when we're having dinner or go to their fridge and read their bills posted on it while we chat. I was invited to come over and it might be right in front of my face but I find it rude. JMHO.

I agree, I don't open somebody else's fridge, walk across their carpet with my shoes on, go into their kitchen and read notes, or look into what she has out- Are you kidding me????

[Crystal]

I can see both sides here. Personally, I prefer my parents come in, walk about, check out the playroom and see what their kids are doing. They don't knock, they just come in and they walk from the entry, through the playroom, and sometimes on the other side through the dining/kitchen area to the back yard, depending on where the children are when the parent arrives. They go in and check their child's cubby, get their jackets from their hooks at the back door, see any new projects we are working on, etc. I'm far to busy to greet every family at the door, and prefer to not be interrupted having to answer the door just because they are here for the day or here to pick up. I don't leave anything out that I wouldn't want read or seen by my parents. While I understand not wanting a parent to walk with muddy shoes on in your house, or to see what's hanging on the fridge, I can also see the parents perspective in that they want to be able to see the environment - all of it- where their children have regular access. And, if my provider had a gate that barred me from entering the space in which my child spends a significant portion of her day, and I didn't feel "welcome" to enter, I'd probably leave and not come back.

[kendallina]

Sorry, but in my opinion, if you have it on your door, i don't see a problem with someone reading it. If you don't want people to see something, put it away. If it's out, expect it will be looked at. You open your home to people, if you are that guarded maybe you shouldnt run a business from your home.

I have to agree to some extent. We are opening our homes to people and if you don't want them to see something, don't put it where they can read it. if a parent has a sippy of milk for their child and offers to put it in the fridge, I gladly let them, as I usually have several children hanging around and don't always have time for something like that. I appreciate it.

[mac60]

The point is, parents being nosy, making an effort to read a note I had for my benefit on my door, then being bold enough to comment on it. It was simply none of their business. And, just because I have a business in my home, does not give parents the right to tromp thru my home at their own whim. They can see all my rooms I use for daycare without crossing the gate, which isn't even the issue here, being nosy is. This is my home, I have a right to have things out I don't want parents to stop and read, that is just simply rude on their part. I could only imagine what my floors would look like if all my parents walked thru my home, especially in the winter or during lots of rain. My carpets would be ruined. I have a hard enough time with one dad and his greasy shoes on the entrance rug. If I had parents that constantly abused my home and being nosy in this way, they would be gone.