Reading your toddler's daily notes from school

Most toddler programs send home a daily record. It lists what your child ate, when and how long they slept, diaper changes or toilet trips, and a word or two about mood. Staff write these entries during a busy day, so they're short, and each part can help you plan the evening at home.

Meals: look at what was eaten, and when

A meal entry usually names the meal, what was served, and how much your child ate. Schools often use a short scale such as all, most, some or none.

Read the time first. Lunch that ended at 11:30 means your child may be hungry by 3:00, whatever the amount says. Then look at the amount.

• All or most at lunch. Your child probably doesn't need a large snack at pickup. A small one is fine if dinner is late.
• Some or none. Offer a snack soon after pickup, and something filling. A toddler who skipped lunch often falls apart in the car.
• A food your child refuses at home, marked "all." Make a note of it. Your child may eat it at home too if you serve it the same way, at a table, with the same small portion.

If the note says "none" two or three days in a row, ask the guide what the meal looked like. Your child might be tired at lunchtime, or busy watching the older children, or just not hungry that week.

Sleep: use the nap to set bedtime

The nap entry gives a start time and an end time.

Work out how long your child has been awake by the time you get home. Many toddlers manage a set stretch between waking from a nap and going to bed, and you probably already know your own child's limit. If the nap ended early, move bedtime earlier tonight. If your child napped late, a slightly later bedtime may go more smoothly than a fight at the usual hour.

A short nap or no nap at all usually shows up as a hard evening. Plan for it. Skip the errand on the way home. Start bath and dinner earlier. Keep the evening quiet and familiar.

A long nap can mean your child was tired, or coming down with something, or had a big morning. If you see several long naps in a row, mention them to the guide.

Diapers and toileting: watch for changes

Diaper entries usually say wet or soiled, with a time. Toilet entries may say whether your child used the toilet, tried, or had an accident.

Look for a change from your child's usual day. Fewer wet diapers than normal on a hot day can mean your child needs more to drink this evening. A run of soiled diapers, or none at all for a day or two, is something to watch and to mention to your doctor if it continues. Follow your doctor's advice and the school's health policy for anything that worries you.

If your child is starting toilet learning, the toilet entries tell you what's working at school. Copy the timing. If your child uses the toilet right after snack at school, try the same after the afternoon snack at home.

Mood: read it with the other lines

Mood entries are short, often a single word: happy, calm, tired, upset. On their own they don't tell you much. Read them next to the meal and sleep lines.

"Upset" after a short nap and a skipped lunch has an obvious reason. "Upset" on a day with a good nap and a full lunch is worth a gentle question. Something might have happened with another child, or your child might be getting sick.

Some schools add a short line about the day's activities, such as the work your child chose or time spent outside. Use it at pickup. "Your notes say you washed the table today. Show me how at home?" gets a better answer than asking how the day went.

A five-minute evening check

Before you leave the parking lot, or while dinner heats up, read the notes and answer four questions:

1. When did my child last eat, and how much? Decide on a snack now or later.
2. When did the nap end? Set tonight's bedtime.
3. Is anything different from a normal day? Note it to watch.
4. What can I ask about? Pick one activity to mention.

If a note is unclear, ask about it at the next drop-off. "The notes said the nap was short yesterday. Was it hard to settle?" Staff can usually tell you more in person than the entry had room for.