Oooh my agency home visitor really ticked me off - yesterday's visit

Hillbilly Housewife wrote: Ok so first of all... in case you don't already know, I give priority to the kids needs over doing something like laundry or dishes etc... and when I get the chance, I do the other stuff.

Well yesterday I was doing laundry... and I had 3 baskets of CLEAN FOLDED clothes downstairs in my basement. A few pieces were on the basement floor, because we were matching socks and we were practicing folding pants.

I also had about 5 books on the floor, some ripped paper than Naomie was enjoying making a mess of, as well as two movie cases that were lying around in front of the shelving unit with my movies.

No big deal.

In my kitchen, the dishes from lunch were in my sink, rinsed out as required. The counter was clean.

In my dining room, there were small pieces of cookies that my kids had just had, I hadn't yet swept under the table, so there were a few pieces of lunch that I'd missed when I quickly swept the first time.

In my upstairs bathroom, the container of bath toys was on the counter instead of under the counter, along with the kids towels and bath products... stuff I'd taken out the last time I was upstairs, because I like to be ready when it's time for bath instad of scrambling while the water is running...and bath is right after dinner, which was soon.

In the kids rooms, there were the toys they were playing with, as well as some clothes that Emilie was fooling around with. She likes to dress up in dresses and play "lady", so whatever, I let her. No big deal. There was also Zach's clothes from the day on the floor in the hallway, from when he changed into his playclothes.

Anyways, the daycare kids leave around 4pm. The home visitor shows up at 4:45pm. She rings the doorbell, I open the door, and am all surprised that she's there, after all the daycare kids aren't there, and she knows that. So I tell her so, and I'm like ok then, bye... and I start to close the door. She's all like, yeah well that doesn't matter. Do you have a few minutes? I tell her not really, I'm in the middle of cooking dinner and spending time with my own kids... so she's like, well i want to do a security check. I'm like Now? She says yes, so i'm like But the kids aren't even here. Can you come back when I'm working? She says that she can come whenever she wants. I tell her that it's not a good time, I'm not working. She pretty much pushes her way past me and comes inside.

So I'm pretty ticked off by now, and I guess it's showing... cuz she's like I guess this really isn't a good time? And I say no, it isn't. So she's like, well, ok I'll only be a few minutes. She stayed until 5:30!!!!!!!

I was pretty ticked off. So MY kids are playing in their rooms, and I just have Naomie on the main floor with me, since I was cooking. So I turn off the stove etc so I can focus on the visitor to get her out of there ASAP... and she's like I'm going to do a quick check around. I'm like fine, whatever. So she goes downstairs... then she goes upstairs... Then she has the NERVE to tell me that my basement is too messy, that I need to clean it up. Excuse me? So the kids can't play? I can't read with them? She says I should have put the kids' lunch stuff away sooner, there's no reason it should still be in the sink. She tells me that I have food on my floor. Duh, MY kids had just had a snack like 2 minutes bforte she walked in... of course there was still food around, i hadn't gotten to it yet. She tells me that I need to have stuff cleared from my bathroom, there isn't supposed to be accessible bathstuff like shampoo on the counter. She tells me i'm not supposed to have laundry piled up.

I was livid by the time she left.... Like...what crawled up her butt? I guess I have to ignore the kids for the minor details like crumbs on the floor? And I guess I can't take the kids bath stuff out until they're IN the bath? I hadn't realized that I had to punish the kids for a little less of a mess........not to mention, mess that was mostly done after the daycare kids have left for the day? Considering part of our day is to clean up befre going home...?

I'm still pretty ticked off.

CantWait replied: Rocky, I'd call and put a complaint in on her. There's no reason she had to be there after hours and things here and there shouldn't make a difference.

Sorry

mummy2girls replied: wow! Im not sure what to say as my jaw is on the floor! i can not believe she had the nerve to come after dayhome hours. and to do a check when the kids are gone! How stupid is that! I would be livid too. Maby you should go to her work after hours and order to see stuff of hers. GRRRR i would call teh agency and talk to her boss and make a complaint!

Hillbilly Housewife replied: I did call my supervisor and complained. She just said: Oh she must have thought the kids were there until 5pm. No big deal.... I'll make sure she knows from now on to come before 4pm.



Anyways she's supposed to come back later this week to do another safety check, she told me "I hope things have improved when I come back, because I'm going to have to write you up for not being up to the standards."

What EVER!

luvmykids replied: I would be flipping out, it is NONE of her business when you get your OWN kids' bath stuff out!! What a (*&#(^$#, is she the one that usually comes or is she new? Good luck with that one.

C&K*s Mommie replied: Talk about nerve!

Write you up? Oh puhleeze!
You should see the reports that some of the daycares (I did an inspection check on daycares, not homes yet) of some of the places around here. Things like "replace broken bleach bottles" "remove briars and vines from playgroud" "missing certification on workers"

Kirstenmumof3 replied: I'm sorry you are going through this! It seems as though you handled everything really well! Just try not to let her get to you!

mummy2girls replied: What a knob!!!!! What i would do is when the kids leave shut the door and lock it and if your consultant comes after hours do not answer her!

CantWait replied: Here's a question?? Is this the same knob that brought a bag of toys with a knife in it??? If so, nuff said

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
OMG my kids ouwld be outta there faster than a fat guy snarfs a Whopper.

All my cleaning supplies are in my cupboard over my stove. My knives are in a top cupboard. All my electrical outlets are covered, and if they're in use, they've got a little protector box to cover it.

I have 3 fire detectors, we only need to have two. I have 3 fire extinguishers...two on my main floor, and one in the basement by the furnace. I don't have any poisonous plants otyher than ivy, and that one's too high up to reach, and it's in an area that's off limits to the kids. I have no medecine in reach, they're in a locked cabinet. The fridge temperature is regulated. My backyard has my garbage cans, and has an opening by the fence since it's fenced on two sides and there's a hedge on the 3rd side (4th side is house...lol) so it's not in the areas the kids play in. I have first aid kits on every level of my house, and i hgave a special bag i take outside with the kids heathcare info, first aid kit, snacks etc in it. Even my dang pantry has no heavy cans etc where the kids can reach...no breakable stuff... it's all out of reach. I rarely ever use my stove to cook when the kids are around, I mostly nuke previously cooked stuff to minimize my time away from supervision.

I'm not a bad provider...i provide the kdis with constant stimulation, and am practically always on the floor playing with them, or doing some activity with them. I come online when they're engrossed in something, during quiet time, and here and there throughout the day for a minute at a time.

To me, there is no worse insult to degrade my housekeeping, when my children are well loved, well stimulated, and SUPERVISED. Especially when my housekeeping is probably on par with most parents who may have a messy playroom, or who may leave piles of dirty laundry around... not that I don't either, because I do, like everyone, but they're not in areas where the kids go. They're in my laundry room, my bedroom, or my en suite bathroom, all areas that are locked off during the day. I don't have 2 day old food stains that I may have missed in my rush to clean the floor. I don't have toxic substances accessible. It's just plain insulting.

I do have all my certification, and it's always in plain sight. They're actually stuck up on the inside of my closet, right above the hook bar I installed for the kids jackets.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: And no, she's not new. She's a big flake though. She's the one that during my interview to start working for the agency, was like 2 hours late, and spent most of the time talking on the phone to her boyfriend, and the rest of the time talking to me about her problems with him. Like I care.

mummy2girls replied:
Thats ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!

redplaydoh replied: I would DARE her to report you. All of this wasn't in the presence of the kids you watch. The nerve of her!

cameragirl21 replied:
and i would have responded with something like, "and i hope you have the basic decency to come during business hours and NOT when i am having private time with my family, at which time my house can look however i want it to look."

stella6979 replied: How is that even legal? She can't just barge into your home. I would have slammed the door in her face and told her to come back tomorrow during business hours. Who is she to come into your home and tell you what needs to be done when your workday is over? I wish I could smack people like that.

coasterqueen replied: I'd hate to see that lady come into my sitter's house. She has 8 dogs, the place is always a mess, but my kids are #1, well taken care of, she spends every single second with them, not doing other stuff like cleaning. Sure she could clean a little more (when my kids aren't there) and I'd be a bit happier w/that, but a little dirt isn't going to hurt anyone.

I would have shoved her right out the door Rocky...she had something up her bum for sure.

Calimama replied: Would she rather you spent time cleaning then with the kids? What an idiot.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
I agree. I'd complain too! If it's after your closing hours she should legally not even be there. At least that is how it works here. If my licensor came after hours then she has no right to be here. PLUS, she has no right to judge how my house looks as long as I am in compliance to the regulations. I'd be livid, and I'd be making a phone call to her supervisor.

A&A'smommy replied: I have to say that woman is a major.... I don't know how you kept your mouth shut. Anyway I think you keep your house up very well it sounded nice and clean to me... my house is a dang MESS

redchief replied: I don't know what the rules are there, but I know I'd have been royally ticked, too. I would definitely complain to her supervisor. She was out of line and, judging from your past experience with her, probably covering her own butt for a required number of visits during a day. Wait... I got it!

Have a camera ready for her next visit. Take a photo of her as soon as she arrives. Take pictures during the entire visit, asking her to pose at strange places, like in front of the furnace. Ask her as she runs out of the house if she'd like copies of the photos. Don't forget to smile a lot and remind her how much you enjoy her visits. As she hops into her car, ask her when she'll return.

That's right... I am the original Dr. Evil.

MomToJade&Jordan replied: Wow yeah when your daycare kids are not in the house then it's your home and you can have things wherever you want them. I would report her. There is no doing a safety check when they kids are gone.