Daycare School Online

Toddlers need consistency in their day to day lives. They need to feel safe and comfortable in their environment. Part of securing this feeling for them is keeping things routine and consistent. This gives a child emotional stability. Toddlers feel safe when their lives are predictable.

Everything in your schedule should be kept consistent with a routine on a daily basis. Some things that should be done in your home daycare:

• Meal times and Snack times should be at the same time daily.
  
  
• Put toys and books back in the same place every time.
  
  
• Make sure each toddler has his or her own bed with their own bedding.
  
  
• Mealtimes should be at the same time everyday in the same eating area.

Of course you don't need to s micro-manage every minute of a child's day, but most toddlers do better when they have a day made up of routines.

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love.
If a child lives with recognition, he learns it is good to have a goal.
If a child lives with honesty he learns what truth is.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself and those about him.
If a child lives with friendliness, he learns the world is a nice place in which to live to love and be loved. -Anonymous

Keeping your home daycare clean and in order is very important for health, safety, and the mental stability of the children you care for. One of the most important steps in reducing the number of germs is thorough cleaning of all surfaces. Surfaces most likely to be contaminated with germs are those with which the children come in close contact with. These include toys that children put in their mouths, crib rails, food preparation areas, and surfaces likely to become very riddled with germs, such as diaper-changing areas. Any glass surfaces like windows, television screens, etc should be kept clean at all times as well.

Daily routine cleaning with soap and water is in my opinion the best method for removing germs from surfaces in the your daycare. Good old fashion physical down on your hands and knees cleaning reduces the numbers of germs from the surface, just as hand washing reduces the numbers of germs from the hands. I recommend washing hands several times per day for all children in your care and of course your own hands as well (keep a bottle of lotion handy to prevent drying out). Even babies should have their hands constantly wiped with a clean cloth.

Removing germs in your daycare is especially important for soiled surfaces which cannot be treated with chemical disinfectants, such as some upholstery fabrics. I cover all fabrics with machine washable covers in my home daycare so that only the cover needs to be washed daily. Anyway you choose to keep your fabrics clean is up to you just as long as they are clean.

Some toys and surfaces should be disinfected to kill germs after cleaning with soap and and rinsing with clear water. Items that can be washed in a dishwasher or hot cycle of a washing machine do not have to be disinfected because these machines use water that is hot enough for a long enough period of time to kill most germs. The disinfection process uses chemicals that are stronger than soap and water.

Proper disinfection also requires soaking or drenching the item for several minutes to give the chemical time to kill the remaining germs. Commercial products that meet the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) standards for "hospital grade" solutions may be used.

One of the most commonly used chemicals for disinfection in a daycare is a homemade solution of household bleach and water. Bleach is cheap and easy to get. The solution of bleach and water is easy to mix, is nontoxic, is safe if handled properly, and kills most infectious agents. I personally use bleach and water all day long. I have some droolers in my daycare so I like to wipe consistently all day long to help reduce the risk of spreading germs.

Bleach Cleaning Solution Ratio
1 tbsp bleach to 1 gallon water

Safety is Always a Priority! Be aware that some infectious agents are not killed by bleach. For example, cryptosporidia is only killed by ammonia or hydrogen peroxide.

It's also important to note that a solution of bleach and water loses its strength very quickly and easily. It is weakened by organic material, evaporation, heat, and sunlight. Therefore, bleach solution should be mixed fresh each day to make sure it is effective. Any leftover solution should be discarded at the end of the day. NEVER mix bleach with anything but fresh tap water! Other chemicals may react with bleach and create and release a toxic chlorine gas.

Keep the bleach solution you mix each day in a cool place out of direct sunlight and out of the reach of children. (Although a solution of bleach and water mixed as shown in the accompanying box should not be harmful if accidentally swallowed, you should keep all chemicals away from children.)

If you use a commercial (brand-name) disinfectant, read the label and always follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly.

Babies are so special, they're just pure innocence. You really should just take it all in because it flees fast. If you are considering a home daycare, think about how many infants you can handle. Don't take on too many and there are certain regulations in your area that do not permit you to have to many infants. I limit the infants I care for because I understand what an infant needs from a caregiver and it's consists of a lot of attention.

Newborns/Infants need . . . .

- to be cuddled and held

- to be told how special they are and talked to constantly, it's important for them to know where their caregiver is and to hear their voice.

- to see faces, preferably smiling ones

- to have their needs tended to at once - check diaper, check if hungry, give pacifier, cuddle, rock to sleep, etc.

Caring for babies is a very rewarding job and the result is a child that knows they are special, loved and cared for. Don't forget to give babies extra love especially if you are a daycare provider, it's hard being separated from your Mommy, a caregiver should be a close second to Mommy and ALL babies deserve to be nurtured.

Encouragement to children is like water and sun to a plant. It helps them grow healthy and strong. When you encourage your child you plant the seed of "worth." You are letting that child know that he/she is important and what they say and do matter to you. Children thrive on positive attention. Children need to feel loved and appreciated.

Just being out in everyday situations I notice so many parents giving negative feedback and in some cases the children were just ignored. You should really examine the methods in which you respond to your child. If you have been lacking in the encouragement area because you are busy you should pick a time of the day (even if it's 5 minutes) and just sit down and talk to them. Just see what they have been up to, give hugs, tickle them!

Set your phone each day and make sure that you are giving your kids that positive attention. Practice saying encouraging things to people inside and outside the home. You'll be surprised how quick it becomes second nature to you. It's always nice to give people encouraging uplifting words. It shows that you have good character and respect. Your children will follow when you lead by example.

As a Christian I read my kids scripture and we attend church every week to hear words of encouragement and uplifting messages written in the word of God. Jesus Christ lived a perfect life and I can't think of anything more encouraging than sharing His truth with my kids.

Making a point to encourage your kids starting from infancy can make all the difference in their self esteem, social development, curricular involvement and overall feeling of self worth. Being aware of your tone of voice when you speak is a big part of how your kids feel about themselves and their actions. Try not to sound rushed, annoyed or too loud when you talk back to your children. Listen to their questions and concerns and respond in loving, caring manner.

While occasional yelling won't damage a child for life it should be avoided at all costs. Practice lowering your voice when you get aggravated and be aware of yourself and the things you say. Parents who constantly yell at their children are subjecting their children to emotional abuse and its damaging. Parents need to find ways of expressing themselves in a more positive, upbeat manner if children are to grow emotionally healthy and stable.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harold_Stevens

Make Your Own Castanets By: education.com
Most kids love musical instruments, and there's no reason to spend money buying them. You can whip up these castanets and kick up your heels in a flamenco dance in a matter of minutes.

What You Need:

* Cardboard
* Safety scissors
* 4 bottle caps
* A hammer
* Superglue
* Glitter, markers, and other decorations

What You Do:

1. Parents: being careful to keep your child's fingers out of your workspace, flatten the bottle caps with a hammer.
2. Draw two wide strips with rounded edges onto the cardboard and allow your child to cut them out, using the safety scissors. Fold each in half, so they look like duck bills.
3. Put a dab of glue on the jagged edge (the bottom) of each bottle cap. Glue one to the top and one to the bottom of the inside of each piece of cardboard, so the bottle caps meet when you close the cardboard "duck bills." This is a job for adults only.
4. When the glue is thoroughly dry, let your child decorate them with markers, glitter, or whatever else he fancies. Once they're dry again, hand your child the castanets and show him how to press the upper and lower cardboard together so the bottle caps meet and click. He'll have one for each hand.

Ole!

One of the things I love to teach in my daycare center and I also recommend this to other providers or sitter is
American Sign Language. I don't mean to brag again but the kids in my daycare that are over 9 months old, know how to sign for things that they want. By teaching basic signs like "milk, help, all done, sleep" you are saving yourself a world of confusion. Signing is simple with young children if you know the basic words and actions to teach. There are tons of videos free on you tube you can watch simply by searching "
baby sign language."

I also teach them their colors in sign language, different foods, animals, and people's roles such as mommy, daddy, grandma and so on. You don't have to teach you kids sign language but it's definitely a tip I recommend because it's pretty simple to learn and saves you a lot of confusion.

Parents and teachers need to take time to build character in kids, and in themselves. I think Aretha Franklin said it right, it all starts with R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Respect: What does this mean? It is to show regard for the worth of someone else as well as yourself. If you don't respect yourself you can't respect your children too. So respect starts with yourself and in taking pride in your actions and your people skills. By refraining from harsh statements and nonconstructive criticism you show show self-control and respect to others around you. The more you practice these types of actions the easier it will become for you and your children.

Respect also should be shown to people in positions of responsibility and authority such as parents, teachers, ministers, librarian, police and firefighters. Along with that should be an appreciation for the importance of the effort these people made to become authority figures. Make sure you tell your children often who and how to respect people in a position of authority. Make sure you stay consistent, don't just say it once and expect children to remember. You really need to press these things on their heart.

Being a Christian I think I have it easy, I have the Bible. The Bible is the greatest reference when it comes to building character because Jesus Christ himself was the symbol of perfect character. There are very targeted verses that you can teach your children such as:

He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded. (Proverbs 13:13)

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)

I could go on and on with Biblical verses that apply to character building but I encourage you to just open the Bible up and take a look for yourself. Even if you're not a Christian, read those verses back to yourself for a minute. Don't they still apply?

Open the discussion on respect with your child using questions rather than answers. How does wearing clean clothes to school show respect for yourself and your school?

When you are with your friends do you listen to their opinion? Do you go along with them because you are agree or because you want to be liked? How does this affect your sense of self-respect?

The questions might seem too easy but if children are not taught the proper way to act, they won't know what is right. You have to be consistent and you also have to lead by example.

Character building won't take a day or a week or a month. It is something which should be continued throughout the child's life and you should be leading by example. I can't say that enough. Leading my example is the ONLY way. Watch the things you say and always mind who you talk about because little ears are listening. Try to be cautious of the judgments you make out loud. Teach them not to judge because we have not walked the shoes of others. These are important lessons that even a lot of adults I know missed.

One of the biggest activities that I do with my Toddlers is let them use the computer. If you're thinking they're too young, your wrong. My son has been watching me use the computer since he was an infant. He's very interested in the computer and now with great tools like the Fisher-Price Digital Arts & Crafts Studio there's so much Toddlers can do. My son has been using a computer since he was 18 months old. He's very good. Our entire family is so impressed with the technical skills he has even at two. It's pretty incredible really.

You don't need a fancy computer with kids. I actually hooked up an old PC of mine and I let the kids use that everyday in our home daycare. They love it! It keeps them busy for at least a half hour, how many activities can do that with a Toddler? While one child plays on the computer and I supervise at a near by activity table with my other toddler. It really is a great addition to the daycare. The kids can't wait to use the computer. When the school age kids get home they play some of the educational games I installed.

The fact is that the world is computer automated and I think exposing children to them now is very beneficial. I'm not talking the internet people. Just an old PC with games on it. You'd be surprised what hit it will be.

That kid in the picture is my son playing with the Fisher-Price Digital Arts & Crafts Studio. It's one of his favorite toys!

This lens was the first place winner in the Fresh Squid Contest for May 2009.



How did I become a Fresh Squid?
First off let me say that God played a huge part in me winning this badge. I don't believe in luck. My husband actually stumbled across the lens for the Fresh Squid Contest and said "Babe you should enter this contest?"

I was skeptical at first about entering a contest because I just started in Squidoo in March and I didn't think I was nearly good enough to win. I started Squidoo as a way to promote my resource website. I never really thought about Squidoo being much more than a quality back link. Boy was I ever wrong! Once I entered the contest I felt the need to go out find out more about Squidoo. I wanted to know how it worked, what made it tick?

Squidoo is a huge community of some of the greatest writers I have ever seen. No matter what your interests, Squidoo has a lensmaster on it! I wanted my lens to be good so I knew I had to get out and explore what made a good lens. I started reading up on some great lenses packed with content. Squidoo has everything you need to be a success right here in it's community all for FREE. What amazing support!

The more I started reading the more I started rating and joining fan clubs. It wasn't until the next morning that I notices "people were rating me lenses!" All the people that I had left comments for had come back to rate my lenses. What a great community! A light bulb went off in my head at that moment. "What if I gave Squidoo more time? What if started reading and rating more?" It worked!

By no means should you go out spamming people's lenses. That's not what I'm saying. You need to read the lenses and offer valuable input to their content. If you have a related link, great drop it in but make sure you take the time to tell them what you liked about their content. The more you read the more knowledge you will gain in making your lenses better. Reading all the lenses gave me inspiration and ideas. My mind was racing...there was so much more I could be doing! I set out to make Squidoo a priority in my hectic day. I was going to use Squidoo for more than just a back link. Squidoo is now my "go to" guide for just about everything.

Thank you Squidoo! I wear this badge proudly!