gym child care - wwyd

OK, this is going to be long to explain the situation, please bear with me.

My gym offers child care, and for the most part I love it. There is a huge monitor where you can watch the room while you are on a cardio machine.

There was one day a month or two ago, that I was watching the monitor, and I saw another toddler strangling my toddler. He'd been trying to hug her and I know it wasn't done with malice, but it scared me. the woman in charge was holding a crying infant and talking to another mom.... didn't see it at all. I ran in like a mad woman and took his hands off her. I talked to him, about how to make nice and be gentle. The woman looked at me like I was crazy and didn't think anything odd happened. I found this other boy's father and told him what happened, and told him that I'm sorry I had to speak to his child, but I was scared. It told him what I was most upset about was the fact that the woman didn't see what was going on - I know his son was just trying to be affectionate.


OK, fast forward to Sunday. Same woman was at the gym. There were only 3 kids in there... my 20 month DD, a very nice 9-10 year old girl, and a wild 7-8 year old boy. I looked on the monitor, and saw the woman talking to the gym cleaning lady, my DD laying on the floor, and the boy making threatining karate moves towards her. He wasn't hitting her, but pretending like he was going to. He was stomping his foot right nest to her. She got up and ran away, and he chased her, and continued doing the hitting motions towards her, and the woman did nothing. This time I lost it. I ran in like a lunatic, and yelled at him "You can't do that!" He looked at me like I was crazy, and I said "Don't look at me like that - I was watching you on the monitor, I saw you! I know you didn't actually hit her, but you were pretending to, and that's really scary. You can play with your friends like that, but not babies!". Both he and the woman looked at me like I was insane. I don't know how she could have let him do this... how she couldn't have noticed with so few kids in there.

I had left my water bottle in the elliptical machine, so I took DD, got my water, then came back to the child care room, tipped her (I know I can't believe I did that!) and left. When I was at the machine, the woman next to me asked if she was OK - she said she saw everything, and didn't think I was crazy... I was worried if I was crazy for getting so upset since he didn't actually hit her.

My question - should I have spoken to management? Did I over react? I won't bring DD again when she's there - I shouldn't have to watch the monitor every second. I'm about to go to the gym now - there's a different lady who I love working - but do you think I should say something? I think that boy's parents should have been notified or something....

Message edited 9/6/2011 9:48:35 AM.

Re: gym child care - wwyd

I would say something. Her job is to watch the kids, not chit chat.

Re: gym child care - wwyd

I would definitely say something to management about that specific lady. This happened twice already...they need to hire someone with more experience.

Re: gym child care - wwyd

I would absolutely say something! How careless of her and scary for you! Thank God for the monitors, imagine if you just trusted that the lady was actually a responsible adult capable of working in a childcare setting? I don't think my gym has a monitor like that and now you're making me nervous to leave DD there in the future.

Re: gym child care - wwyd

Re: gym child care - wwyd

I would say something to management and let them handle it. Since your child didn't get hurt I wouldn't have reprimanded the boy. I would have spoken to the caretaker in there and then management to let them know this isn't the first time it has happened with the same caretaker in there.