Wacky State Guidelines
The state regulates many aspects of the daycare life -- and for the most part makes sense. However sometimes things aren't quite so clear.
A few of the older kids in my center know the words, "because the state says so." This phrase has been spoken to them upon occasion when they have asked particularly pointed questions about why we are doing something that seems to not make sense to be excessive. One of these is that for cold lunch students we can no longer heat up any soup, pasta or other food that they bring in for lunch.
This is because the state is worried that children will either be responsible for getting their own food from the microwave and burn themselves or that the food will be heated up to such a high temperature that the children's mouths will be burned upon eating their food. These are understandable concerns, but it has been difficult to tell our kids that we cannot make their soup warm, or heat up their "Beanie Weenies," (a particular favorite of one of the kids.) They have come to understand that we cannot heat their food, and several letters have been sent home to parents, but the adults still seem to forget or to feel that we should ignore the state's opinion and heat up their child's pizza.
If you want to learn more about the odd state guidelines that have made my kids realize that we are not the ultimate authority, visit my article, State Guidelines
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