Gardiner, Catherine

I am a little floored at the negative comment about Chewy, the family dog at Gardiner Family Daycare. My 2 year old loves "her Chewy" and has since she started there at 6 weeks old. When the weather is nice, my toddler spends most of her time running and playing outside with Chewy and a bevy of other toddlers learning how to interact and treat one another with kindness. It makes me wonder what kind of person leaves negative feedback about a business that they know nothing about.
Thanks to the wonderful people at Gardiner Family Daycare, at 2, my little ball of energy has come home naming letters on things around our house, identifying colors on her toys, and counting the number of steps it takes her to get from one place to another. She knows that we have to take care of our puppies and be gentle when loving them (mind you, our puppies are an 80lb german shepherd mix and 70lb husky) and that sometime we have to give them space to run outside. She has learned how to respect and enjoy our family pets because they teach that at her daycare.
She has learned how to share and interact with kids older and younger than her because they mindfully practice this skill every single day. When I have popped in to pick my daughter up or drop her off at odd times, I have seen the staff create activities for the younger kids to practice following directions and get experience with waiting their turn and sharing toys. We are so so happy with our place in the Gardiner Family Daycare and recommend it without reservation to any parent who would like to feel that they are leaving their kids with family while they work.

In response to the above review-- I really have to no idea what this person is talking about. I have been a parent in this Daycare for 5 years now and have known the Gardiner family even longer. They are loving and caring people and have had their business in this area for more than 20 years. Most of the children in their care started as 6 week old infants and continue to come all the way until they go to school and many still come back to visit in the summer. The kids love coming here because the owners provide a safe, loving environment where they can learn AND have fun. They are treated like family. The family does have a dog, a black lab named Chewy is a large dog- but she is so gentle and she loves to be outside and play with the kids. She does not bark much, however, so I am very confused as to what this other neighbor is talking about. There are other dogs in the neighborhood that do bark, so perhaps it is a mix up. All I know, as someone who comes into this home almost daily, Chewy is a lovely addition to the daycare and not at all dangerous to the children. And I would add this we have had an incredibly positive experience with this daycare provider and their whole family. They provide a beautiful foundation for all the children that they meet!

She has a large dog which is around small children all day and not safe! Also this poor dog is left outside all hours of day and night and barks CONSTANTLY. Even in the hottest days of summer this poor animal is left out for hours and barks the entire time wanting inside. Myself and my neighbors have no peace with this animal and its neglectful owner. I would never let my child be in the care of someone like this.