Archive for the ‘Parenting’ Category

Child Care Development: What All Carers Should Know

Sunday, November 9th, 2008
child care
David Faulkner asked:


The environment that a child grows up in is a very important element in his development. As longer hours are spent by children in child care facilities, it is important for administrators of these centers to be more diligent in looking into their programs for child care development.

Essential to a child’s development are the approaches that a facility takes in his learning. Aside from the physical factors crucial to his progress, the child must also be emotionally, intellectually, and socially stimulated.

What types of development should be nurtured in child care centers?

Child care development comes in various forms. One is social development, to which child care facilities may greatly contribute if well-planned activities are properly implemented. When a child is in a day care center, for instance, he is constantly around other children, with whom he plays, works, and eats.

The child also learns how to deal with s – in this case teachers, volunteers, or caregivers who need to be well-trained in child care development. When these professionals show care and concern for their wards, the children react positively and would enjoy their stay in child care facilities more.

Child care development in these facilities also comes in the form of emotional maturity. As children interact with kids of various cultural, ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds, they obtain a deeper understanding of diversity and tolerance for others.

Another form of child care development that can be nurtured are language skills. Even toddlers learn a lot by uttering seemingly nonsensical words, as these are the first steps to language development. Children also take to singing naturally, which also helps in their linguistic learning.

Physical activities, a necessary program in almost all child care facilities, contribute to child care development in a variety of ways. Motor skills, both fine and gross, are enhanced via free play, playground time, and individual work such as painting and playing with puzzles.

Moreover, child care development is at its best when the facility also offers feeding programs. Balanced diets are essential for child care development because kids need proper nutrition in order to progress optimally. When they are given nutritious food, they learn better and are less irritable or hyperactive.

There are many instances when child care development is not easily detected at first, but is manifested in the long term. When there are enough activities to stimulate children’s creativity and interactive skills, we can say that the facility satisfactorily fulfills its role in child care development.

When we speak of outdoor gates, we refer to the security of the center’s perimeter itself. Even during outdoor play, the children must not be able to open the main gates by themselves and possibly venture out into the street. Indoor gates refer to the contraptions attached to staircases and other areas of the house or establishment where access to them may pose dangers to the children.

For the child’s safety, all staircases must be blocked by a safety gate which no child should be able to open without assistance from an . In the same vein, washrooms and toilets must have all the features necessary for it to be child-friendly – that is, toilet seats must be at levels accessible for kids; there should be no bathtubs which could pose dangers to toddlers; and sinks must be within their reach.



Childcare/babysitters – Choosing and Using Child Care

Thursday, October 30th, 2008
child care
Paul Banas asked:


Child care is more than a service that allows parents to work. It is a world that is bound to affect a child’s development in many ways – physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially.

According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, finding quality child care that is affordable can be challenging. Many parents need inexpensive or cost-free day care where they know their children are safe and are being helped to grow and develop. Parents can now contact their local social service agency (listed in the phone book) for information about government-sponsored programs such as Head Start and Early Head Start and other community programs.

The National Women’s Health Information Center (NWHIC) also recommends taking the following steps to choosing quality child care.

Steps to Choosing Quality Child Care:

• Look. Visit several child care homes or centers. Visit the home or center more than once and stay as long as possible so you can get a good feel for what the care will be like for your child. Continue to visit even after you start using the home or center.

• Listen. Make sure the place is cheerful and not too quiet, which can mean not enough activity. Happy-sounding children mean they are involved and busy.

• Count. Count the number of children in the group and the number of staff members caring for them. The fewer the number of children for each staff member, the more attention your child will get.

• Ask. Adults who care for children need knowledge and experience. Ask about the background and experience of all staff that will have contact with your child in the home or center.

• Be Informed. Find out more about efforts in your community to improve the quality of child care. Ask if the home or center is involved in these activities. Consider getting involved you.



The Child Care Maze – Making the Right Choice for Your Child

Thursday, October 30th, 2008
child care
Charlotte Ball asked:


One of the most challenging times of parenthood is finding the right child care for your little one. This is no easy task and puts many a parent in a stressed-out state. It can also be an extremely expensive endeavor should you go through an agency or paid service.

These days there are three main options for Child Care:

Stay-at-home Mom/Dad

The most obvious is of course one parent staying at home and taking care of your child yourself. This is by far the most rewarding and arguably best option as most people would say that no one can truly substitute for a parent’s care. However, sadly nowadays, this option is becoming less and less viable for the average working family. Thus, we consider our next best options.

Hiring a Nanny / Babysitter

Hiring a Nanny to care for your child is a very popular choice these days. There are many advantages to hiring a nanny such as greater one-to-one care and having your child stay in an environment she is already familiar and comfortable with; your home.

When hiring a Nanny there are many things to consider: Should I hire locally or sponsor one from abroad? Should I hire a nanny to live-in or live-out? Sponsoring a Nanny from abroad usually means the Nanny is more likely to stay with you for the longer term and will typically work for a lower salary. However, hiring locally is often less hassle and allows you to meet the Nanny ahead of time and be sure she is the right one for your family. A live-in nanny will typically cost you less since her accommodation costs are taken into account in her salary though having someone living with your family is a very personal choice and certainly not for everyone.

Daycare

Another popular option is putting your child in the hands of child care professionals at a certified daycare center. The number of daycares in recent years has been growing rapidly, though not fast enough for most parents. The main advantage of a certified daycare center is that your child will be in an environment that is regulated and required to be of certain standards. Your child will also be with a number of other children where she can play and make friends.

An alternative to the traditional daycare center is a home daycare. A home daycare is a smaller daycare typically operated out of someone’s home, often by another mom or dad. Home daycares have some advantages over a daycare center in that they have a smaller number of children in a home-like atmosphere. This often allows children to have a better chance at bonding with each other as well as the child care provider.

Making the “right” choice

Finding the right child care for your child can be a daunting task. As with most things there is no right choice for everyone but there is a right choice for you and your child. Researching all of your options, speaking with other parents, knowing your child, and using your own parental intuition will assuredly aid you in your search for the best child care for your precious one.