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When Wagon Jr. went from the toddler room to the young 3s, this happened to us too-- we went from getting a very detailed daily report to almost no reports ever. We raised our concern with the director (especially because he was dropping his nap at that time and we needed to know if he napped or not, to figure out bedtime) and it was not a problem for them. We got daily reports for the rest of the year.

Yes.... One thing I will say is that our communication has increased as time has gone on. When we first got into that room, they would be so busy when we got there, we would have to gather up all her stuff (backpack, sippies, diapers, paperwork, and her) and didn't get much help. Now they know when we are coming and have it together so we can chat for a bit longer.

Have you asked specific questions, like, I noticed at home she is trying to "xyz" have you noticed that here?

With our daycare, I was trying to determine what L was eating and not eating so I asked them to be more specific on the sheet.

Does your daycare have a set time that all the kids go down for a nap? Our daycare puts the start and end time of her nap which helps give me a better sense of what her day was like. Maybe you can ask them to start doing that for you.

@mediagirl: Maybe you can try asking them more specific questions?

Not sure if it would step on any toes (we aren't in a center for daycare) but could you possibly make up a basic form for them to complete that would prompt them for more information? Include points like the start and end time of naps, boxes for what kind of diaper (wet or dirty) instead of just changed?
It doesn't excuse that they aren't forthcoming with information like they should be (this would annoy me SO MUCH) but maybe it's a solution that is easy for them to keep up with.

Our daily sheet has a spot on the top for the meals, and we get the same thing, a check mark for ate all, most, refused.

Then there is a section in the middle where it has spots for activities: Circle time, storybooks, special activity, free play, large motor activity.

Then there's the potty section, which is time/wet/bm/pee in potty.

Bottom of sheet is your child needs:wipes, diapers, tissues, snacks, milk, spoons, cot sheet.

Then nap time_________to___________.

BUT if I really want information, I have to ask a specific teacher. My son is obsessed with her, he doesn't even let her go to the bathroom without him going and sitting in the waiting area.

@regberadaisy: What do you think they're lying about?

Our teachers write everything on the white board: what time LO went down for a nap and what time she woke up, what she ate, and poops/pees.

In the beginning, they didn't say much but i would always push for more details by asking questions or saying, "she was a bit cranky this morning because she woke up at 5. Was she better today?" And they'll usually share some tidbit. I have to make sure i ask the teacher who speaks English a lot better.

It may be hard to write down too many details because there are so many kids, but i hope they start to offer you more details!

Ours also switched sheets on us last week. They weren't specific at all about food, and they didn't even list how much milk he drank or when he drank it. V. weird. So I asked if they could be more specific -- i.e. If I send green beans and there are no green beans in the container when I get it back at the end of the day, does that mean he likes and ate the beans? Or did they end up on the floor? I had guessed "liked." Nope. They landed on the floor. Found this out only when I sent green beans the next day and they all came back at the end of the day.

@mediagirl: Ours has an activities section which is nice because shes at the age where if I ask her, did you learn about monkeys today, she can say yes or no and it excites her when I know things we can talk about. I would ask about that for sure. For us, that section is easy for them to fill out because they write it down in the morning and then photo copy it for all the kids and write the rest of the individual details in later.

My daycare sends us home with a sheet (food, diapers, naps, activities), but they also always engage us in conversation in the evenings and go over what LO did that day. And if anything unusual happened in terms of her bottles/diapers/activities, they bring that up to me verbally.

Maybe you can ask them to try and get some more information out of them?

@mediagirl: Yay!!! Glad you finally got some real info out of them! I suspect that the longer she's in this room and the more the teachers get to know her and you, the more they'll open up to you and soon you won't have to prompt them with questions!

I've noticed that some teachers are just better at engaging with the parents. Our first teacher in LO's infant room was not great at offering up information -- she would respond if I asked, but otherwise would just politely greet me & make small talk. I knew she took good care of LO, but I eventually switched (the center was combining some rooms....long story) to a teacher that had been there longer and would tell me a ton about LO's previous day when I dropped LO off in the morning. And the teacher who closed that room was the same way -- tons of personal information and stories about LO without me asking. I think some teachers are naturally good at it, some learn it well as they get more experience, and some just aren't as good. Like anything else, I suppose!

In the toddler room, we get a very detailed sheet, and her teacher is great about writing us a paragraph or so on what LO did/liked that day. The room is a lot busier, so we don't have as much time to chat, but I still feel like I get what I need.

I'm not sure if your center has multiple rooms per age group, but I think it really helps if you can meet all of the potential teachers before LO moves up to see which one both you & LO mesh best with -- in terms of LO's care, what you need information-wise, overall personalities, etc.

Hi Ladies. I know my view might be controversial but I'm going to put it out there anyway. These caretakers have been with the children all day long. It's not easy to have a hands-on job that entails reading minds, comforting souls and making sure everyone is happy. My guess is that, when asked, many of these teachers would gladly give you the information you seek, particularly if the daycare doesn't have a standard form of communication that each room uses.

Therefore, it's really up to you to be an advocate for yourself, an advocate for your child(ren) and go forth in having open, honest, communication with the director, as well as the teachers in your child's/children's room. Make your expectations known, not in a demanding way but in a matter-of-fact "we pay a lot of money and want information from the professionals who look after our precious cargo" kind of way.

It's not easy but I have a feeling most would be very responsive and possibly appreciative of your desires and concerns.

@CurlyGirlPA: I think a lot of us actually have open communication with our LO's daycare teachers.

All of my LO's teachers are extremely great about giving accurate information and more detail at pick up. There is just this one teacher that is lackluster and gives generic responses. Honestly, this particular teacher is sucky and we have given her more than 3 strikes so I'm about to write a official complaint to the director.

Are your LO's daycare teachers responsive?