How To Pick-Up Your Child From Day-Care...(Version 2.0)

Do you remember when your parents picked you up from day-care (or the sitter's) and all they had to do was sign a chart with their name and time they took you out for the day?  (By take you out - I mean you went home, ate supper, played a bit then went to bed).
Or perhaps they just went up to the teacher and said, "Hi Mrs. George - how are things?  Oh that's wonderful that Alice used the potty today and didn't have any accidents.  Of course we'll see you tomorrow (or Monday) - you take care now!"  Or something like that...
Maybe you have children and you use one of the above methods to take them home from day care.

Well, guess what?  That is SO old school and now known as "Version 1.0 - How to Pick-Up Your Child From Day-Care".

Finland is moving on and up to Version 2.0.
I recently went to day-care to pick up my oldest and they asked me if I had a "takki" (sounded like).
I quickly ran through my Finnish in my head and pointed to my coat and said, "Yes - I have my coat.  Why?"
The teacher shook her head and one of the parents passing by pulled out his keys and there hanging off of them was a dark blue key fob ("electronic key").
I was so confused.

Apparently the Finnish day-care systems are putting this NFC ("Near Field Communication" ?) system on trial and testing things out.
It will become permanent effective April 1st, 2013.

You have to find your child's teacher that's carrying the smart phone with the tag's sensor and press your tag twice onto the phone.  Then your child is removed from the group's attendance for the day.

WHY?

There are multiple reasons and they were confirmed by the teacher I spoke with yesterday:

1. It's not easy to keep track of multiple children leaving at the same time (assuming the parents are on time picking them up).
2. The day-care wants to bill you exact hours for services used so you don't pay too much or too little based on when your child leaves.
3. The day-care can then get more children in each groups and accommodate them with the appropriate amount of staff if they have a record-keeper of how many kids were at day care and when they left.

You only need to check your child OUT with your fob device.

Which hardly seems like the best way to keep track of exact hours used or how many staff members are required for certain times of the day if children arrive late (like mine will today) or show up early.

More than one child in the same day care group?  They'll just add them to the same electronic key!  I'm not sure if there is a limit with how many children you can put onto the same key...but ask your children's teacher if you have any questions about this new system.

Day-cares in Jyv�skyl� and Oulu have this system in place so far and it will possibly spread throughout all of Finland before April 1st.
Currently it's on a trial run so they can get any kinks and problems out before it's a permanent way to pick your child up from day-care.

Don't forget - press it twice.

A Great Act of Kindness

Someone had commented recently that I haven't been posting a lot of happy things on my blog lately.
I thought that me writing about every time someone held the door open for me while I pushed a double stroller would get old - so I haven't written about much lately.  You're right.

But today, I experienced a wonderful act of kindness and thought I would share.

After the whole husband travelling to Helsinki (en route to Istanbul) to find out that he was lacking his passport - he finally got a new ticket last night and left before midnight to take the late night bus to Helsinki.  YES he has his Passport - I acted like an officer from a border crossing point and refused to let him out of the flat until he showed me he had it and that it was his - and not mine or the kids' in error...

One child kept me up from 1:30 am-4 am...he confirmed that I was not Daddy and neither was his baby brother.
Baby brother is teething like mad and decided waking up every 20-30 minutes all night was totally acceptable (I know he can't help it and he had a flu shot too!) and a very cool thing to do..despite pain relievers given!
So I barely slept...at this point of the day - my husband should be extremely grateful that he's in another country.
I rushed my kids out the door in an attempt to be at day care for 9am.  We got there about 9:15 - which is a record...really.
The speech therapist was there and I didn't know if she was coming or not - so my lip started to tremble because I HATE being late for appointments.
*Insert awkward break down in front of the therapist and assistant involving coughing, a leaky nose and too many tears and puffy eyes...May I also note that I was wearing 2 totally different socks and looked like a slob because I thought I was JUST dropping him off...*
I toughed it out and stayed for the therapy appointment and my youngest got to sit in his stroller and watch the other kids play outside - wow thanks so much teachers!!
After some errands, the little guy finally napped so I was able to pop some laundry in the wash (3 loads!!) and do a load of dishes too (3 of those too!).

I made it my ULTIMATE goal today to be there for 3 pm to pick up the older one and I did it.
I was there by 2:57 pm - WAHOO!  (Another record since we've moved and since the snow has stayed on the ground...)
And guess what?  They were dressing him for me so that way it saved me 15 minutes...I was in awe and thanked them a lot and they said they can do this for us while hubby is gone if it helps.
IT SURE DOES!
Then they suggested keeping him from 9 am - 4 pm so I don't have to rush around to be there on time and I could maybe have a nap myself they suggested...wow.
I was stunned...this was fantastic news.
Why?

The kids go out again to play after 3 pm and stay out until 4 (if it's not too cold out)...so over the next couple of days I will be able to save more time and just leave with him already dressed and ready to leave day care.

Words cannot express how much this means to me and I cannot recommend Kortesuo P�iv�koti enough!!
They knew I was in a tricky position having two children (one Autistic and one that can walk - but not in his snow suit and boots) - neither of which can dress themselves or do a lot for themselves...and a dog that needed his share of attention and exercise.
I'm deeply touched by their massive act of kindness and I know it's not easy to re-arrange everyone's schedule so there are enough teachers to dress the 10-13 little kids in a group and make sure they're layered enough and pottied before they get dressed - just so one parent out of at least 25 doesn't go insane.

Paljon kiitos.  Paljon kiitoksia (MANY thanks!)
*Correction made over a year later thanks to a comment below.  Still learning Finnish...please don't shoot me! :)