Selecting A Quality Day Care Center
September 2, 2010
Many working families choose a commercial or individual day care center to care for their child during the workday. We’ve listed important aspects of a daycare center’s environment to evaluate when making your choice: Staff to Child Ratio. This is the number of children each staff member is responsible for. Most states regulate the minimum number of staff to child ratio. This will vary based on your state and the ages of the children. An average guideline follows, but check with your state department for what to expect in your area.
- An infant room will have one to four or six staff to child ratio
- A young toddler room will have a one to six or eight staff to child ratio
- For 2s and 3s room, an eight to ten staff to child ratio is average
- Children 4 and 5 years old average a one to ten staff to child ratio
Diaper Changing. There should be a dedicated area for diaper changing, equipped with sanitary diaper pad covering, disposable gloves, wipes and diapers and a dedicated waste receptacle for waste that is emptied on a regular schedule. Sick Policy. Most daycare centers will require that a child sent home with a fever or after a bout of nausea or diarrhea be kept home for 24 hours. While it inconvenient for working parents, it is the safest practice to prevent contagious illnesses from spreading within a classroom. Some centers may have a separate infirmary and onsite nurse or share the operating costs with other centers in the area. Discipline, Biting and Dismissal Policies. Find out how the center handles discipline and what the process is for misbehavior that affects other children, such as biting or hitting. As if there is an escalation process, what the coaching and dismissal policies are. You will want to know both sides in the event your child is the aggressor or the victim. Feeding. Some centers serve prepared food and some have families bring lunches and provide morning and afternoon snacks. Find out if the daycare providers will heat up food in your child’s lunches, if there is a refrigerator available, if they provide milk and filtered water for drinking and what kinds of snacks are served. Supervised Lunch and Snacktime. The center you choose should support your nutrition preferences and provide healthy options served in a clean, supervised environment. Staff should use the opportunity to teach manners and model good eating habits. Ask about the center’s policy on sharing food at the lunch table if your child has allergies. Toilet Training. Some centers will help potty train your child, others require that the child be fully potty trained by a specific age. Your center should reinforce good bathroom habits, including wiping, flushing and thoroughly washing hands. Some centers also add brushing teeth to the regular routine. Napping. Most young children benefit from regularly scheduled nap times during the day. Most centers will have young toddlers take a nap in the morning and one in the afternoon. Older toddlers and preschool age children may have one name in the afternoon after lunch. Ask whether you are responsible for bringing bedding or if it is provided. In the latter case, your child should have his own dedicated linens that are laundered each week. Parent Visits. Parent visits should be welcomed throughout the day, whether announced or unannounced. There should be observation windows available for you to observe your child’s day or you should be welcomed into your child’s classroom. Schedule. Hours of operation often play a key role in whether a center is acceptable simply by default of being available when you need them to be. Some centers have two tuition schedules, one for standard daycare (i.e. 9am ? 4pm) and extended daycare (i.e. 7am ? 6pm). Ask what the late policy is, whether you will have to pay on pick-up, if that payment must be in cash, etc. Safety and Peace of Mind. Does the center have controlled access, with locked doors after the usual drop-off times? There should be a sign-in/sign-out process to account for each child. When you register, you should be asked to supply emergency contact information for yourself and partner, two people who can be contacted and take your child if either of you are not available. Some centers will also ask for an out-of-state emergency contact in the event of a regional emergency, like an earthquake. Emergency Plan. If your area is prone to natural disasters like flooding or earthquakes, ask about your center’s emergency plan ? how they will notify parents, where their evacuation location is, if there is a lockdown procedure. Daily Status Reports. A daily status report will give you detailed information about your child’s day, including feeding times, diaper changing information and activities during the day. This is especially important for infants and young toddlers. Classrooms. Children love rooms that are bright, cheerful and full of visual stimulation created by creative artwork, children’s projects and family pictures. Classroom curriculum. Each classroom should be equipped with age appropriate activities, equipment and toys to stimulate your child’s development in fine/gross motor activities, sensory and cognitive skills, language development, number concepts, music and art. Bonuses and Special Touches Emailed Progress Reports and Photos. Many daycare centers are now emailing daily progress reports with information about activities and care routines like eating, napping and diapering to parents. Some centers also take photos of your child during the day and post them to an intranet you can access securely with a username and password. Extra Curricular Activities. On-site enrichment classes are usually an additional charge to the monthly tuition and can take place during regular school time or after school so parents can partake in the experiences with the child. Activities can include dance, gymnastics, martial arts, Spanish, basketball and computers.
Finding A Caregiver You Can Trust
September 1, 2010
Choosing to leave your child with a caregiver is one of the most important decisions you will make. When hiring a caregiver or nanny for your child, there are several important steps you need to take to minimize potential risks of hiring someone who will not be a good fit for your child and family.
When interviewing your caregiver, remember you’re interviewing them for one of the most important jobs in your world ? caring for your child. Taking care of children is not easy ? you want to select a caregiver with a positive, nurturing attitude who will efficiently take care of your child and provide stimulating learning opportunities along the way. Wow ? that’s a lot to ask for, especially considering current caregiver salaries.
Here is our guide for interviewing caregivers and nannies:
List lifestyle and personal qualities important to you. Are there particular religious or cultural beliefs that are important to your family and that you want your caretaker to also have. This could include things like religion, cultural background, discipline beliefs and lifestyle.
Parenting in the Kitchen ? Lessons in Cooking, Socializing, and Bonding
September 1, 2010
Kitchens are where everything happens. It’s not just where meals are prepared ? it’s usually the hub of the home, where family and friends get together to spend time. Cooking and eating together is about more than nutrition for the body. It’s also the experience of connecting and interacting with family members, to feed relationships. Try to choose one meal that everyone comes to the table. It doesn’t have to be dinner. This is a challenge as everyone has their own activities (especially as children grow), but starting early promotes the importance of family time together, and also demonstrates a healthy attitude towards food and eating.
Socializing
? Children love playing with simple pots, pans and wooden spoons. Give them some to play with, or buy them their own play set
? If you’re in the kitchen they want to be there too. Find a place that’s safe, but also allows you to engage with them
? When eating, have them sit at the table in age appropriate high chairs and booster seats
? Interact with children at mealtimes, even when just starting on solid food
? Create a stress fee feeding environment for your baby
Back to School - Disappontment?
August 29, 2010
Our back-to-school buying habits do not help kids succeed in the classroom!
Parents are buying new book bags, school clothes, tennis shoes, notebooks, pens, etc., with the mistaken belief that this will help their child succeed in school. By mid-September the clothes will be dirty, the book bag will be torn, the new pens will be lost, and the notebook will have writing all over the cover. Additionally, those "in" sneakers will suddenly be "out" and the new "must have or I’ll die" pair will cost you another $125.
The back to school retail season is the second most important market for retailers ? a staggering $14 Billion is spend from mid July until mid-September to get our children ready for the new school year. Yes, it is important that our children have the right mind set for their new school year’s challenge. Certainly, they need to get off on the right foot and make a good first impression with the teachers. The question becomes ? what do parents do when the new clothes, shoes, book bags, and things become "old"? (Old in a student’s eyes can be anything over two weeks.) What do we give our children to help them for the rest of the school year?
How to Teach Anger Management to Your Child
August 28, 2010
Most of us recognize the continuing escalation of violence around us, due to intolerance, and many of us blame it on somebody else. Parents teach their children, all the time, and when one of us displays "road rage," while our child is in the car, we teach a brand new skill set.
Although, road rage is inappropriate behavior, at any time, and can get you killed, most children who are exposed to it, will duplicate the actions of their parents, when they are old enough to drive.
So the first step, is to set an example and, possibly, use some of these ideas, for yourself. Studies show that anger causes atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaques in the arteries, that is a major factor in developing high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack, and premature death.
Also, during a "temper tantrum," adrenaline and blood pressure levels rise beyond normal. This behavior is more dangerous to parent’s bodies due to the normal "wear and tear" already existing.
Now, you may be convinced that anger can kill you, but let’s look at one more factor. You could hurt someone else, find yourself in prison, or get yourself killed due to inciting violence against others. There are other people, who are having difficulty dealing with anger management too.
The Long Journey Home
August 27, 2010
Once upon a time, I thought I had it all. I had a child, a career, the world at my feet. Or, so I thought.
With the birth of my second son, my whole world changed. I moved into a new home, got a new car, made new friends. The biggest change, though, was internal. Suddenly, my head started listening to my heart a little more. My career and moving up in the corporate world suddenly became something I HAD to do, because I needed to pay the bills. Suddenly, I wanted what other people had. I wanted to stay home with my kids and take care of my family.
Wait a minute, who was this straight from 1950 woman taking over my brain? Was it post-partum insanity or had someone mysteriously slipped me some sort of anti-feminist drug? I was raised to believe that I was EQUAL to every man, in fact, maybe even a little better. I believed that I should not take care of a man, in fact; maybe he should be taking care of me. How dare anyone ask me to put my career on hold to raise children? I believed that my career should be paramount in my life, that I could and should HAVE IT ALL. I was certain that I could have my cake and eat it with a golden fork. And for six years, I thought I did.
Advantages of Using a Board Certified Pediatrician
August 27, 2010
When a child is born, a new number is added to the parental speed dial. When a child wakes his parents up in the middle of the night, there is one person that they know they can turn to for the answers. When a new mom’s questions seem to be never ending, there is one person she trusts to answer them entirely ? the pediatrician.
Pediatricians provide unlimited services to many parents. The choosing of a pediatrician is one of the most important decisions that a parent will make for his or her child. Especially during the first few years of a child’s life, a pediatrician provides vital services, such as immunizations, wellness care, emergency care and the calming of parental fears. Parents are advised to ask many different questions of their pediatrician regarding general care philosophies, availability in emergencies and hospital affiliation. Often, the most important question is overlooked ? is your pediatrician board certified?
Think Like Your Kids - And Understand Them More!
August 25, 2010
Seven-year old Michael was on a school trip to a Wildlife Centre in Central Scotland. It was near the end of the day and they were in the Gift Shop before boarding the bus for the journey home.
Poor Michael! He couldn’t resist the array of lollipops and chocolate animals that beckoned to him. He chose one and was about to pay for it with his last few pennies.
His teacher, a kindly soul with not long before retirement, noticed him. “Have you bought something for your Mum yet, Michael?”
Michael lowered his head in shame! Gently, the teacher took the candy bar from him and replaced it on the shelf.
She walked to another display and selected a small figure made from cheap plastic. “Why not take this for her? You’ve got just enough money left.”
Years have now passed.
Michael is all grown up and has left home, but the figurine still has pride of place in his mum’s display cabinet.
Michael still recalls the day he learned an important lesson: “The figure was made of cheap plastic, but my Mum couldn’t have treasured it more had it been made of silver, gold or even platinum.”
Unschooling - the Benefits of Home Based Education
August 22, 2010
Home schooling benefits children. As a parent, I feel it is important to provide the best opportunities available to my children. Through a process of home educating known as ‘unschooling’ and eclectic educational styles my children have opportunities that are unavailable through traditional means of education. I believe it is important to create leaders through individualized training and development.
A high-quality education is one of the most important things that we can provide our children. Exposure to a variety of topics, people, and adventures all contribute to a fulfilling educational experience. Resources abound in our daily lives for learning, we need to focus our minds on finding them.
Even as an adult, I find when I’m open to learning something new - I would be hard pressed not to find something new to learn. Education is a life long process that should be part of living. By separating it into a developed target of place and teachings, we limit the opportunities afforded to us on a daily basis from a multitude of resources.
Essays and journaling are great ways to share experiences, encourage writing skills, and keep track of trips. Making memories is an important part of education and living - memories are what we often base our perceptions of life and choices for the future.
Home And School Education - Your Kids Can Benefit From Both!
August 22, 2010
Once, as a Learning Support Teacher, I made my way down to the annexe that housed the school’s History Department.
The annexe was about 100 metres from the main school building, down an attractive, leafy hill.
On the way I was irked by two girls in front of me complaining about the hill, the wind ruffling their hair, the distance from one classroom to another, and so on.
I joined the History class with the moans and groans still ringing in my ears. However, the topic of the lesson soon gripped me:
Life in Thirteenth Century Scotland.
The ordinary people in those days lived in squalid huts, unlike the nobles with their heavily fortified castles. But even they faced many challenges. Fighting was a way of life and the fear of attack preoccupied everyone.
In the cold, draughty, disease-ridden castles people who lived to forty were considered old.
Not much scope for personal development and parenting projects there!
Bumpy dirt tracks served as roads and the trees that covered most of the land made travel difficult. Schools and child education did not exist.
