Hair Clips and Barretts?

[DBug]

Do you have a policy about hair clips? I have an 18 month old who always comes with a chokeable hair clip (dad doesn't know how to do pony tails). Generally I wait til she pulls it out, and then I put it away and use a hair elastic to keep her hair up. I do have babies around -- should I be making a policy about this? Does anyone else have a something in their handbook about this?

[SunflowerMama]

Originally Posted by DBug

Do you have a policy about hair clips? I have an 18 month old who always comes with a chokeable hair clip (dad doesn't know how to do pony tails). Generally I wait til she pulls it out, and then I put it away and use a hair elastic to keep her hair up. I do have babies around -- should I be making a policy about this? Does anyone else have a something in their handbook about this?

I don't have anything in my handbook about it but have a dcg that wears one in the house (I watch mom put it in in the car) and as soon as dcg is in the door she pulls it out. I just put it with her things and put it back in her hair right before mom rings the bell at pickup.

[Daycare Mommy]

Ugh. Been there, done that! I had one mom of a 14 month old who kept bringing her in chokable clippies and hair bands with little chokable decorations glued to them. And guess what she liked to do? Pull them out and put them in her mouth! She even did it with the little elastic ones. I just started pulling them out as soon as her mom left. If her hair gets in her face, you could get some cloth headbands to keep it back and just keep them at daycare. Or if you don't want to mess with it just tell them and ask them to supply the headbands.

[nannyde]

Nope. Anything that can fit thru a toilet paper roll center can't be worn into the day care.

No hats, barrettes, hair clips, hair ties, jewelry, watches, belts, or clothing with strings attached. We do not allow hoodies with strings or jackets with strings. No indoor wear hoodies at any time for any age child. Children may have hoodies for outerwear for outside only (outside spring and fall jackets). They can't wear them inside the house. Any bottoms with drawstrings are not allowed.

I do allow hair ties for the older girls from about three up but only during play time. They are removed at nap and replaced after nap. If an older kid doinks with them they can't have them.

I also use my own ties most of the time. The old style "goodies" are a good tight elastic. The new ties coming out are crappy and don't stay in. I don't have time to mess with replacing them.

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

I pull them out and put them in the cubby,.. I dont care if their hair is in their eyes. the parents can refix hair after pickup if they want.

[MarinaVanessa]

I don't have a written policy either but if a child comes in with something small like that in her hair I just take ot off and put it in their cubby and put one of those small elastic hair ties in it. They're inexpensive and I always have them anyway. They're small so I can't pull all of the hair back into a ponytail but a half-ponytail will do just fine. I havn't had a problem with someone pulling them off (they're pretty small and fit pretty tight) yet.

[QualiTcare]

Originally Posted by DBug

Do you have a policy about hair clips? I have an 18 month old who always comes with a chokeable hair clip (dad doesn't know how to do pony tails). Generally I wait til she pulls it out, and then I put it away and use a hair elastic to keep her hair up. I do have babies around -- should I be making a policy about this? Does anyone else have a something in their handbook about this?

i don't know. i think it may be better to just address the parents of the child who has the issue. i really can't see a parent getting upset anyway. it's probably just something they've never thought about, and they'd change it with no issues.

i'm just thinking if you ban barrettes because of the size/choking hazard then all hairbows/scrunchies, etc. should be banned - right? would you want to have a no hairbow policy? i personally would be frustrated if someone told me my daughter couldn't wear hairbows. her hair is super curly and her bangs are the same length as her hair. if her hair isn't tied back - it's a MESS! plus, a lot of babies/toddlers need their hair tied back cus they get it in their face when they eat or when their noses are running - yuck!

you could even redo her hair with a band and when she gets picked up say, "i redid her hair because she always takes those clips out and i'm afraid someone is going to choke." that may be enough.

[DBug]

Yes, this little one definitely needs her hair back somehow. It's stick-straight, and hangs right in her face (all the way to her mouth). When she's eating, the hair goes in her mouth along with her food. Huge mess.

I have talked to the parents about the choke hazard issue, and dc mom actually tried to teach the dad how to use the little plastic elastics to do ponytails (which also get pulled out, but would go right through a kid if they were swallowed). But dad just hasn't been able to do ponies yet, so whenever it's his turn to bring her in the morning, she has a hair barrett.

At this point, I think I'll just continue to switch it out as soon as I plunk her in the high chair in the morning. It's too much of a risk, and I wouldn't want her or any other kids to have to visit the ER because they've swallowed a sharp metal hair clip on my watch.

I like Nannyde's policies, but I think I'd have a hard time enforcing all of them But I think I may do something up specifically about choke hazards (including toys from home, etc).