Earlier this week, during Slate's online live chat with its readers, one mother wanted advice on what to do after she found a daycare provider breastfeeding her baby.
In an edited transcript of the chat with Daniel Mallory Ortberg, the single mother of an adopted baby — who formula-feeds because she can’t lactate — starts her story by saying she found a home day care provider she was really pleased with.
The mother also added that the "only bump in the road" was when the daycare provider criticized her for formula-feeding her baby, but she brushed it off.
Last week, the mom decided to pick her daughter up early. "There is a side door where parents can enter without knocking, so I did that...When I got to the area of the house where my daughter was, I about fell over. The day care provider was NURSING MY BABY!"
Horrifying, right?
The mother went on to say that the daycare provider defended herself by saying she was saving the baby from chemicals.
Since then, the child has been removed from the daycare. Now, the mom is wondering if she should report her or just tell the story on social media and text other parents who have kids there to warn them.
Obviously, Daniel Mallory Ortberg suggested that the mother should report the daycare provider to a supervising agency.
After the story was shared, parents took to social media to share their opinions and concerns.
Like, ahem, PARENTAL CONSENT.
Even moms who have provided their own breast milk for other children thought it was wrong.
So, what are your thoughts? Have you ever experienced a situation where a daycare provider overstepped boundaries?
