Cleanliness

[dEHmom]

Yeah, I also bought some really cute fabric bow clips and put one in her pony tail to match her outfit or like for Valentine's day I bought her a pretty pink one. I feel sad b/c this little girl really likes her hair being done. She stands up straighter and looks so proud when I'm done so it makes me keep doing it.

I like the barbie bath idea, a car wash for boys would be the same thing. Just fill your sink or a water table with warm water and suds and then give them brushes or sponges to give the toy cars a wash. Or your car for that matter if the weather is right and you need a wash! ::

my kids constantly wash things outside, swingset, cars, bikes, tires, walls, flowerbeds, flowers, ANYTHING they can reach to wash including the tree, gets washed.

[littlemissmuffet]

It makes me sad when parents don't put in the effort to make their children look and FEEL decent. I grew up dirt poor but mom always made sure my body, my hair and my clothing were clean. I might have had to wear the same outfit a few times a week, but it was alway fresh and smelled good!

Though I don't have any of the issues that pps have, there are times some of my DCKs come not daycare ready... and I just handle the situation as need be.
I cut all my DCKs fingernails once a week. I do all my DCG's hair in the morning with cute clips and bows (and sometimes paint their finger nails and toe nails). I wash their dirty clothes when necessary and when I can. I lotion up my babies almost every day, and so on. I go the extra mile for the kids, because it makes them FEEL good and I love them!

Do what you are comfortable with

Great tips from pps btw!

[PitterPatter]

It makes me sad when parents don't put in the effort to make their children look and FEEL decent. I grew up dirt poor but mom always made sure my body, my hair and my clothing were clean. I might have had to wear the same outfit a few times a week, but it was alway fresh and smelled good!

Though I don't have any of the issues that pps have, there are times some of my DCKs come not daycare ready... and I just handle the situation as need be.
I cut all my DCKs fingernails once a week. I do all my DCG's hair in the morning with cute clips and bows (and sometimes paint their finger nails and toe nails). I wash their dirty clothes when necessary and when I can. I lotion up my babies almost every day, and so on. I go the extra mile for the kids, because it makes them FEEL good and I love them!

Do what you are comfortable with

Great tips from pps btw!

I want to do more but I just couldn't figure out what so I came here. I had done her hair 1 day last week and the mom seemed upset saying she didnt want to keep the hair clip because the kid doesnt like her hair done. I dont get it because she DID like it done!

I don't have a water table indoors only the sandbox and water table outside for summer. I did dig up 1 of those deep square hospital pans so I will be putting some water in that tomorrow and try that until I get something bigger.

As for cleaning and trimming the nails I bet they wont let me because I tried to use a soft nail brush and they freaked pulling their hand away. This whole thing just chaps my butt because I know if they were bathed each night before bed the nails would be clean every day! They dont get fed until the get to daycare so food isn't the prob either.

I am going to get some baby wash cloths just for them and start cleaning them up. As for washing the clothing I wouldn't mind but the laundry room is in the basement off limits too the children because it's a storage area all cement.

Thank u bunches to everyone for the gerat tips!

[countrymom]

I would do this with the clothes. Have them put on clean clothes when they get to your house, and when its nap time, throw them in the wash. I think there is a provider who puts some nice smelling j&j in a bottle and uses it to comb their hair, so when they go home they smell really nice.
I understand about filthy kids, I take the kids out and I'm so embarressed by what some of these kids wear and how filthy dirty things are, its not even funny. I now wash all clothes, I don't care, no child should ever have to wear dirty clothes.

[dEHmom]

I do just want to point out, that my kids have a LONG bath every night before bed. And their nails can be pretty dirty sometimes underneath, I actually have the scrape it out. Its gross. And they do wash their hands throughout the day.

I'm thinking they probably are unpotting and repotting my plants because I cannot figure out this dirt half the time.

Kids attract dirt. hahaha.

[Michelle]

Oh yes, I totally agree with most of you guys that clean up these kids.
I have always done this, on light days , I give full baths if they need them.

I love to wash their hair with with fragrant shampoo and use baby magic on their skin after. I wash their clothes and use downey fabric softener and buy huge packs of plain white socks from walmart because their socks are usually gross.

A couple of years ago, I had a mom get offended that I did this. Her child had baby bottle tooth decay. Their clothes always smelled, I just couldn't stand it. I felt like my house smelled like them. Most of the parents love that I do this and always say things like, "oh, I love how my baby smells when coming from your house." I even had one mom hold her baby up to the face of her friend and say" here smell him" ::::::
I love these kids

[Cat Herder]

I do baths, trim nails and wash their clothes....the works.

Their life is "As I wish" for the 10 hours a day they are with me....

I get huge Thank-You's all the time for trimming nails.. It is apparently alot of Moms worst fear to cut their fingers. Especially those with contacts or glasses.

[dEHmom]

I do baths, trim nails and wash their clothes....the works.

Their life is "As I wish" for the 10 hours a day they are with me....

I get huge Thank-You's all the time for trimming nails.. It is apparently alot of Moms worst fear to cut their fingers. Especially those with contacts or glasses.

oh god you gave me cringe and goosebumps!

my son flinched when he was about 1 yo as I was closing the clippers. And I heard the skin being cut. Ugh!

then my sis in law did this to my youngest too. She refuses to cut nails now. The sound stays with you forever when it happens. UGH! Now all my kids sit perfectly still, and I am very very slow with the clippers.

[PitterPatter]

Well I have good news about the nails!

I put warm soapy water in the little tub before breakfast and we played a game called find the flower. We have these little plastic daisy like flower shapes u can interlock or lace on a string. (i forget what they are called) Anyway I dropped in a few of each color into the tub of water and had all the kids put their hands in to find the red daisy. Then whoever found the red daisy 1st could pick the next color to be found and whoever found that was next and so on. It took about 15 miutes for the dirt or whatever it was to come out from under their finger nails but oh my goodness what a difference!!! I dried each childs hands off and complimented them for doing such a great job with the color game. I think I will continue this on a daily basis, just make it part of the routine. Thank u thank u so much again for reccomending this idea!

Now if I can get the Mom to stop bringing dcb (2) in a poopy diaper for me to change I will have a great morning every morning! Ya can't have it all I guess

[dEHmom]

glad it worked!

You may have to change up what you do though in the water. They will get bored of the exact same thing. you could get plastic ice cubes, balls, or anything else. just switching the object itself is enough for them.

[SandeeAR]

Now if I can get the Mom to stop bringing dcb (2) in a poopy diaper for me to change I will have a great morning every morning! Ya can't have it all I guess

I have a Dad that brings in his 8 month old every morning in last nights diaper. He simply grabs him from bed and puts him in the car seat. I feel sorry for the litlte guy. By the time he gets to my house, 15 min away, his pj's are all soaked.

[nannyde]

oh god you gave me cringe and goosebumps!

my son flinched when he was about 1 yo as I was closing the clippers. And I heard the skin being cut. Ugh!

then my sis in law did this to my youngest too. She refuses to cut nails now. The sound stays with you forever when it happens. UGH! Now all my kids sit perfectly still, and I am very very slow with the clippers.

Here's the Nan Plan for fingernail clipping:

Get little scissors with a curved thin edge. I use these: http://www.amazon.com/LA-Cross-72826.../dp/B000A3ZMT6

Go to stairs
Sit on second to bottom step
Have kid sit on floor facing AWAY from you.
Pull one hand up at a time up over the child's head as far as it will go and toward you.
Have child look forward and not look up.
Trim them from behind... and with the hand up. The hand up over head will naturally relax the hand.
Do one hand
Then next
Easy peezy and no fighting or resisting. What they can't see won't bother them.