Pumpkin Patch Learning Center

I really wanted to like this daycare. It was cute, affordable, small class size and pretty clean. But I have to share my story because of how unfair and traumatic our experience was. My son was there from when he was 14 months old until he was 2.5. He learned a lot there and he seemed happy there. I thought he was being cared for and loved on. But after all the drama went down, I strongly believe he was only given bare minimum care and did not receive the love and consistency he needed. I really didn’t know how his days were going other than what the app told me. I saw he ate, diaper changed, and activities. I would occasionally hear in the toddler room that he takes toys and fights. But is that abnormal for an 18month old and only child? He then was switched up to the monkey room, where at first I heard he did really well in. I didn’t know anything bad was going on until the “teachers” started to make rude comments about my son. (Ex: you’re going to have fun with THAT one. Or when I brought him in late one time the teacher literally said “ugh” and looked so disappointed) I brought these comments up to Jenn the director, but after I complained it all just felt fake when we came around. I really started to worry when I would drop my son off and his teacher would never smile at him or I, and he never ran up to her and hugged her like he did with the his other teacher he had. (Or his current one) I felt that the staff was very unprofessional and did not communicate well with me. I didn’t know he was having tantrums or not sleeping ( the teacher never reported this to me, and she definitely made very little conversation with me) until Christmas break I had to pick him up everyday for these tantrums and refusing to take naps. That was when the director told me she felt like he was socially emotionally behind- being a teacher I did research and jumped into SEL mode for my child. His behavior improved at home and I woke him up earlier so he would take a nap at 11am. After these adjustments to his sleep schedule he went down super easy for his naps at school. But the calls started coming in to pick him up and his behavior was spiraling down so fast. This was also the same time my son had lice from daycare, hands foot and mouth, as well as strep. He was basically out the whole month of January because of illness. When I really started pushing for information from his teacher, she made it seem like he was always having better days. Jenn later told me she doesn’t like to hurt parents feelings. Ummm, what? We had been looking for a new daycare for two months all the way from burnet to Leander. Nothing was available and we were moving in three months. Jenn said he wouldn’t get kicked out, that they would work with us since we were moving soon. His teacher -still very little communication told Jen He became “too aggressive” for her class and refused to let him stay for the remaining of the school year. We were given two days to figure out an alternative. This was after I gave her SEL posters that worked at home for my son, and a star chart to encourage good behavior -his teacher never used the chart. And I even went in to observe him with others. I was very involved and I tried everything to help his teacher, but she was not having any of it. Jenn sent me a TEXT that my son is “on the spectrum” and I need to get him evaluated and that she was sorry no parent wants to hear that and out of thousands of kids she knows this in her “professional” opinion. Not only did she misdiagnose my child with NO background of child behavior education …. But she denied this message to my husband when he confronted her about it. Then had the audacity to take a jab at my parenting. It was traumatizing, I cried every night for my son and never felt comfortable dropping him off to a school where he was not loved by his teacher. I almost had to quit my job because the lack of empathy we experienced. Absolutely no grade. All of this happened from Dec. 20 to Feb 20ish We were so very fortunate that we found an amazing academy in Cedar Park near my work, where they took my son in with open arms and LOVE and CONSISTENCY. His teachers now have such an amazing bond with him and he’s just so loved by them. And on the first day they asked if he had seen anyone for a speech delay. They pointed me into the right direction with Child Find and I got him evaluated with my school district and he showed NO indication of autism or spectrum disorder. That his speech impairment was because of large tonsils pushing his tongue forward and could be causing sleep apnea. (Which explains frustration with being understood, and lack of sleep causing behaviors) unlike the pumpkin patch, his new school worked with my son! The pumpkin patch does not have the teacher experience or trained for different behaviors, they have underpaid “teachers” with little training and will threaten to quit if they don’t remove “difficult” children. the waitlist is so long they can easily replace the kids who are struggling and Jenn has to bend over backwards because no one wants to work for a daycare that pays barely over minimum wage. My son is thriving at his new school. His behaviors have completely turned around and how they redirect him is more effective then telling him no and shoving him in the corner. His teachers now have really helped redirecting him and use of language to express emotions- something he was not getting before. Had I put my son in a better facility, I truly feel like his speech impairment would have been picked up on sooner and that the behaviors would have never been so extreme. I should have listened to my inner mama bear and got him out of the pumpkin patch at the first sign of trouble. A child will act out when they know they are not wanted or loved.