Mindee was hurt by another child feel awful :-(

[S Stars]

Hi

I just need to vent because I am so upset just want to cry :-(
So today whilst driving the 5 min journey to school a child scratched, pinched and bit another child on the arm. Both children are under 2. The biter is a new child and the bitten child is quiet as a mouse lovely little thing who has been with me a while. They were in car seats next to each other.
Lo arm was so red and bruised with obvious teeth marks and cuts where the biter has pinched and scratch the skin. I pulled over as lo was crying and then discovered what had happened.

Needless to say I am horrified I have shown the parents what their child had done and they were apologetic, I've done a incident form and apologised to the los parent for the injury. I am so upset I actually got tearful telling her :-( she seemed ok, obviously upset. I just still feel so bad about it and physically sick :-(

Am thinking I should maybe phone the child's mum again tonight to apologise again and see how lo is?

Sorry for long lost
Xx

[k1rstie]

Feeling your pain, I'm going through similar issues at the moment. You could swap them over in their car seats so the child's right hand ( if right handed ) is further away from the other child and also do the same in the buggy .

[S Stars]

Thank you .
I feel so upset about it. Not had anything like this happen before x

[Maza]

Oh bless you. It is awful. Text them if it makes you feel better. When my daughter was bitten on the face by another mindee I explained what had happened at pick up time and dad was beyond mortified. The mum texted me later that night as she too was mortified. I appreciated the text and was able to put her mind at rest that there were no grudges etc. My daughter bit her daughter's arm a few weeks later when they were in the side by side buggy - my turn to be mortified - so as K1rstie pointed out - do watch them in the pushchair. Hopefully the biting will stop soon. x

[S Stars]

Thank you, mum has since messaged to say lo ok so feeling a little better.

Have to say one of my worst days childminding today :-(

[Maza]

I bet it was.

Dare I ask - did you manage to speak to the picnic parent? x

[S Stars]

I bet it was.

Dare I ask - did you manage to speak to the picnic parent? x

Ha ha love that 'picnic parent!' :-D
Not specifically as the biten child's mum arrives at the same time but to be honest I was focused on the other child I think he could sense I was not in best of moods tonight and he left quicker!

Instead of making up the child a snack in a bowl I let lo have the snack box who then worked their way through most of it so wasn't much left when he came to collect! I just handed bags and child to him and said 'let me get the door!' Worked a treat!! Am going to do a general letter though as have no doubt will be repeat again next week! Xx

[Mouse]

It's horrible when you have to send an injured child home. I have a potential biter at the moment. I say potential, because so far I've been lucky enough to catch him before he sinks his teeth in, but he's been close a couple of times. He's 14 months and the other one has just turned 2. They cuddle each other a lot, but also push and pull each other around. I know it's only a matter of time before one of them is injured. Both mums have seen what goes on and both are prepared,but I know when it happens I will feel awful.

Try not to get too upset about it and just learn from it what you can. Hopefully it's a one off incident and you won't have to go through it again xx

[BallyH]

Things like this happening always make the job very hard. It's happened to me. In fact I seem to spend most weekends having a niggling childminding worry at the back of my mind over something that has happened during the week. Whether it is a child being bitten, a pre-walking toddler going home with an 'egg' on their forehead, to a parent looking 'huffy' because I dare mention that they need to collect on time. Always something to stress about.

[samb]

Oh gosh it's awful isn't it? I've had a biter before and it was really stressful. She would be happily playing and then suddenly turn her head and sink her teeth into whoever was next to her! I got used to apologising. :-/