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FAMILY CHILD CARE TRAINING PROGRAM
LEVEL ONE - UNIT EIGHT
THE CHILD CARE DAY
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FAMILY CHILD CARE TRAINING PROGRAM
LEVEL ONE - UNIT EIGHT
THE CHILD CARE DAY
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Recognizing the range of essential and desirable activities required to
meet the needs of the child care children and their families, the caregiver’s
family and the caregiver.
2. Developing strategies that help balance the range of needs of all involved.
3. Formulating daily routines that meet the caregiver’s individual circumstances.
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CHATTER BOX "I had worked in a day care centre for seven years before I started providing care in my home and thought that I had all the answers, right - wrong! I had my daily ‘program’ worked out before I started my first child and could tell you what we were going to be doing at any moment of the day. Then reality set in and I actually started caring for children. For the first three or four months, I was foolish enough to try to stick with my program, and honestly couldn’t figure out why I was exhausted and the children did not seem to be nearly as thrilled as I thought they should be. It finally occurred to me that my perfect program in theory, might not be the perfect program in practice. This lesson has taken a lot of learning, but after four years I can say with some conviction that when you let the needs and interests of the individual children you are caring for, and your own needs and responsibilities, guide your planning, stay flexible and maintain your sense of humour then you might, just might, develop a daily routine that works for all of you." |
PLANNING FOR CHILDREN’S NEEDS
INFANTS:
It’s wonderful to have an infant as part of a child care
group. They provide a lovely focus for "mothering," both from you and
the other children. But their care also takes a lot of time and energy.
Here are some things to keep in mind when planning for infants:
· Babies require a lot of hands-on care including feeding, diapering,
changing, holding and cuddling.
· Babies needs are immediate! When an infant is hungry, you heat
that bottle pronto!
· Infants sleep when and as long as they need to. Their naptimes
may take precedence over outings or other activities.
· Because they put everything into their mouths, smaller toys and materials
that don’t pose a danger to older children can be dangerous for infants and
toddlers so pay close attention.
· Infants need exercise too, so making time and safe places for them
to stretch those little muscles is important.
TODDLERS:
Toddlers want to learn about and experience everything, even
those things that they aren’t quite ready for yet. Here are some things
to keep in mind when planning for toddlers:
· Keeping daily routines simple and consistent will help toddlers feel
comfortable and secure.
· Toddlers are explorers, so you have to safeguard their environment
and their activities and ensure older children are also aware of potential safety
hazards to younger children.
· Toddlers love to climb, run, jump, kick and throw balls (and whatever
else might be handy). Plan for active play, indoors and out as part of
each day to give toddlers a safe outlet for their energy.
· Organize the environment to accommodate the toddlers’ inability to
control his or her own body. Remove anything breakable or valuable as
well as any potential dangers, such as sharp-edged coffee tables.
· Toddlers are very interested in exploring their world and need lots
of time to satisfy their curiosity. Allow flexibility in your daily schedule
so that they aren’t rushed from one activity to the next.
· Toddlers are gaining much knowledge and beginning to acquire many new
skills, including self-help skills. Plan activities and provide materials
that provide them safe opportunities to learn and encourage their budding skills.
· Between two and three years of age, children are usually ready to begin
potty training. Having toddlers visiting the potty throughout the day,
you may feel as though your daily schedule revolves around washroom breaks,
at least for a while.
· Children of this age like to play with others but have difficulty sharing.
You’ll have to stay within sight and sound during free play times.
PRE-SCHOOLERS:
Pre-schoolers are learning about themselves and their world
through play. It’s important to provide an environment and toys/supplies
that they will be able to choose from to support their imaginative play.
A card table with a blanket over it becomes a house or a hide-out. Old
clothes for dress-up as well as dolls, stuffed toys, play dishes, plastic dinosaurs
and animals, and large blocks (could be made from paper-wrapped shoe boxes or
milk cartons covered with mac tac) will all contribute to games that the children
invent. Play is such an important part of a pre-schooler’s life that it
should make up a large part of the daily schedule. Here are some things
to keep in mind when planning for pre-schoolers:
· Pre-schoolers like to choose and plan their own activities. They
need enough time in the day to implement and enjoy their ideas.
· Pre-schoolers are wondering about many things. Include
times during the daily schedule for shared activities such as helping you prepare
lunch, doing puzzles, or playing with play dough to provide relaxing opportunities
for chatting about any of the children’s questions or concerns.
· Children learn by doing. Provide opportunities for cooking together,
gardening, art activities such as painting or paper mache, helping out with
household chores, observing birds, or whatever else interests you and the children.
· Three to six year olds are ready to develop skills that will help them
adapt to school. Providing some activities during the day where pre-schoolers
sit quietly to listen to a story, playing games involving number, letter, colour
and shape recognition, or following a series of instructions (How about an obstacle
course?) will help them prepare for school.
· Pre-schoolers have lots of energy and need daily exercise and fresh
air to provide an appropriate outlet for that energy and to help them
develop their physical skills..
SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN:
Once the children in your care begin to attend school, their
daily schedule revolves around their school days and hours. You may have
children attending different schools at different times and will have to organize
your schedule accordingly. In the morning, help get children organized
and send them off to school with a cheerful good-bye. If school-agers
are with you for lunch, it is usually a pretty rushed event. Make sure
their lunch is ready when they arrive so that they can have some time to relax
after their meal. When children come home from school at the end of the
day they need a warm welcome and a place where they can feel comfortable and
relaxed and most importantly, a substantial snack..
Ø If you are dealing with multiple schedules, make a list of all the
comings and goings throughout the day. Post it on the fridge, and in harried
moments, you can quickly refer to your written timetable.
Ø Organize your environment to accommodate the needs of the before and
after school group. They’ll need a convenient place to hang jackets,
put their school bags, store personal belongings and safely store on-going projects
out of the reach of smaller, curious hands.
Ø Organize a daily routine such as: in the door, quick greeting, jackets
and belongings put away, toilet and wash hands, and sit down at kitchen table.
Once everyone is seated, snack can be served and general activities can be discussed
- homework, computer time, arts & crafts, outdoor time - whatever.
Ø Have the younger children settled, so that you can give some personal
time to each of the after-schoolers. They may want to share some news
of the day or get some help with a homework question. It’s important to
be available.
Ø School-agers like to initiate games of their own choosing. Allow
time and a space where they can act out plays or dance to their music.
Often, they enjoy "entertaining" the younger children.
Ø Children in this age group are used to the structure of school and
it’s important to include some planned activities in the daily schedule when
the children are with you all day, on school or summer holidays.
You can see that it is very important to consider the ages of the children who are part of your home child care. Having an understanding of some of the characteristics of certain ages and stages will help you develop workable routines that will satisfy the children’s needs.
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ACTIVITY Think about some activities that you do each day in your home, preparing meals and snacks, taking a walk to the park, tidying up the play area. How could children of different ages be involved in those activities? What could children at different stages of development be learning from those activities? |
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
The ideal daily schedule is one that meets the needs of each of the children, your own family and yourself - a challenging goal at the best of times. Planning will help. So will remembering that many activities, from cooking to imaginative play to taking a walk in your neighbourhood, can meet a variety of developmental needs at the same time. Children of different ages and stages don’t always have to be involved in different activities, just find ways to make activities easier for the little ones and more challenging for the older children. Here are some suggestions:
1. Keep your plans simple. The best schedule is the one that allows the
most flexibility.
2. Plan your day as a whole. Schedule your usual activities so that they
fit together well. For example quiet, relaxing activities like story time, help
children move from play time to nap.
3. Allow sufficient time between activities for preparation and clean-up.
4. Think, plan and do ahead - If you are attending play group in the morning,
prepare lunch before you go, so that it can be ready in a few minutes when you
all return hungry and tired from your morning out. Better still, prepare
and freeze several days worth of snacks and lunches for hectic days.
5. Develop consistent routines so that children know what to expect. Children
feel more comfortable knowing what comes next and are usually more agreeable
about routines like nap time or clean-up time if they are part of the regular
day.
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ACTIVITY What time of the day do you tend to find the most hectic? Identify the busiest times of your day and try to come up with strategies to make those times go more smoothly. |
6. Being a caregiver is a full-time job. Your days will be much less
frustrating if you don’t try to do other chores, or fulfill other’s expectations
during the child care day. Say "NO" when you have to and, if necessary,
remind others that you are a working parent.
7. Make lists. A daily ‘to do’ list can be a great help. List planned
meals and snacks, crafts or activities for the day, special information like
reminders about a child’s medication or a different pick-up time that day.
8. Hang a calendar in the bathroom or kitchen (two rooms you frequent often
in your day) and list upcoming events, outings, appointments, the children’s
holidays and your own or other special activities. Post these reminders in plain
view, perhaps on the fridge door.
9. Plan a mixture of quiet and active play; structured activities and free play;
and individual activities and group play.
10. Schedule activities that require more of your attention when you have the
energy and the concentration to focus. For example, you might wait until
an infant is napping before you embark on a messy craft that children might
need hands-on help with.
11. BE FLEXIBLE. That construction crew working on your street can be
just as educational and even more exciting than the craft you had planned (if
viewed from a safe distance).
12. If you notice a particular time of day when things always seem to get out
of hand, look at changing your routines. For example, an earlier snack
in the morning might help young ones who have low energy early in the day (they
may not have finished breakfast at home).
13. Pay attention to the children’s signals. If they show signs of restlessness,
it may be time to clean-up and change direction.
14. Make activities that you enjoy part of your usual routines. You and
the children can enjoy nature walks, cooking, baking, puzzles, sewing, music,
gardening or woodworking. Your enthusiasm for certain pastimes will capture
the children’s interest. They will appreciate the time you spend with them and
might even develop a new hobby. Don’t plan activities you really dislike,
no matter how educational.
15. Combine learning with household chores. While doing the laundry, the
children can help carry the laundry, sort it according to colour, load it into
and out of the washer and dryer and learn to fold. Talk about colours,
textures, sizes, wet or dry, and whatever comes up. Children will often
recognize who certain clothing articles belong to. They love to tell you
who owns the plaid shirt or who owns the pink baby socks. They can even
help put the clothes away in the appropriate bedrooms.
16. Take care of yourself. Build some personal time into the day.
Schedule a coffee break in the morning and some quiet time each afternoon.
17. Review your routines periodically to make sure they are still working for
you and the children.
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CHATTER BOX "I don’t give up when I’m having "one of those days," I just give in. I make a cup of tea, sit down and just be with the children as they play. I postpone any complicated or strenuous activities until the next day, make sandwiches for lunch, and put on a classic children’s movie. It’s funny because I used to think of a day like this as a failure, but the kids love the odd low-key day." |
TRANSITION TIMES IN THE DAY
There are a number of transition times during each child care day as children arrive and leave, and as you move from one activity to another in the day. How you prepare for these times, when there is a change in activity or people, will help determine how smoothly the transition will go.
Here are some general tips for easing through the day care day.
Ø Plan for the transitions. Organize your environment and routines
to accommodate for those times of the day.
Ø Give the children lots of time to finish what they are doing and then
give a five minute notice that it will be time to tidy up and move on.
Ø Accept the fact that certain times of the day will be more hectic than
others and handle them as well as you can.
Ø Whenever possible, allow for blocks of time around transition times,
especially nap-time and arrivals and departure times, where everyone can relax
and take as much time as they want.
ARRIVAL TIME:
When the children and their families arrive in the morning,
you will need to have the time to greet them each warmly and exchange information
with the parents about the child and the upcoming day. In fact, encourage
all the children to greet each other and each other’s families when they arrive
each day. Have some activities organized (e.g. puzzles, lotto games, books
or colouring) on a table near the entrance to keep earlier arrivals occupied
as you greet each family.
Help school-agers get all their gear together for the bus
or the walk to school. Spend some time talking about their day at school
and what they might like to do when they return. Get everyone involved
in the big send-off for the school day. Little ones love to be the look-out
for the school bus and everyone should take a minute to say good-bye.
SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE DAY:
Once all the children have arrived, and the school-agers
have left for school, it’s time to talk about your plans for the day.
Have the children tidy up their activities, toilet and wash their hands.
As you enjoy a morning snack together you can connect with the kids and talk
about any plans that you have for the day. Doing an activity together,
such as a craft or a game, at this time establishes a pleasant atmosphere.
Afterwards, the children could enjoy free play and you could take a morning
coffee break.
OUTDOOR TIME:
Getting ready to go outdoors can be hectic and frustrating.
Infants, toddlers and most pre-schoolers need assistance in getting dressed,
putting on sun block, and gathering ‘essentials’ for the trip outdoors.
Be prepared for these times by organizing your entranceway so that each child
can access his or her shoes/boots and outdoor clothing easily. Ask the children
to retrieve their belongings and choose a place to sit on the floor. Encourage
them to work on dressing themselves while you move from one child to another,
helping when it’s needed. As each child is ready, have a place where they
can sit and wait by the door until everyone is ready to go. (And don’t
forget to take everyone to the bathroom before they get dressed to go out.)
CHATTER BOX
"Music is a very important part of our child care day.
The children love to sing and our home-made and store-bought musical instruments
are always in use. But music is also incorporated into the day itself.
We have all kinds of silly songs that we sing at tidy-up time, when preparing
for nap, when we are getting dressed to go out, and when we are travelling in
the car. I think it really helps the children move from one activity to
another and makes it more fun. I also have a great collection of tapes
of different types of music, soothing classical for nap-time, some great jazz
that we dancercise to, and lots of children’s tapes for sing-a-long. I
read an article recently about a study that found that exposure to music actually
helped children learn. It’s great to know that something we love anyway
is good for us too!"
LUNCHTIME:
Organizing your before lunch routine will contribute to a
calm and welcoming atmosphere. Approximately half an hour before lunch,
ask the children to tidy up, use the toilet and wash their hands because lunch
is being prepared. This is the ideal time to let the children watch a
favourite television program, such as Mr. Dress-Up or Barney while you prepare
lunch. If you have young children in care, put them in high chairs in the kitchen
so that you can feed them while you are making lunch for the others. Have
the table set and ready before you call the children to come. A bowl of
cut-up veggies and fruit will keep everyone occupied while you serve. Or better
still have children help out with preparing lunch, setting the table, serving
the lunch, pouring beverages (from a small container!) and helping you
clear the table. After lunch it’s time for hand-washing again!
NAPTIME:
Children are often ready for nap soon after lunch.
Some quiet free play while you feed and settle the baby, a shared story from
a favourite book, and it’s off to bed. If children nap in the play area, change
the environment to help children shift from play-gear to rest-gear. Putting
out the cots, putting on some soft music, and dimming the lights should help
create a sleepy mood.
If some children no longer nap, give them some quiet activities in another area
to occupy them.
TIME TO GET UP:
You know how it feels when you first wake up in the morning.
You need quiet and the time to get moving at your own pace. It’s no different
for children waking up from their naps. Try to get each child up individually,
with a hug and a smile, and let them sit quietly for a while. Gradually
they can toilet and wash and will be ready to play. The key to establishing
a good mood is a gentle wake-up.
HOME FROM SCHOOL:
Sometimes you can hear the school age children before they
even open your door. To manage a hectic arrival, have a well-established
routine where the children come in, you greet them, then they hang their coats
up, put their belongings in a bin or basket, use the washroom, and come to the
table for snack. This will save you from constant reminders and a lot
of confusion. Having the younger children started on snack and already
sitting at the table frees you up to re-connect with the older children, catch
up on their day so far and talk about their plans for the rest of the day.
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CHATTER BOX "The smartest thing I ever did was to hire a teenager to come over for a couple of hours after school every day to help out with the children and tidying up. At the end of a busy day, Nicky provides fun for the children and an extra pair of hands for me when I could really use them." |
DEPARTURE TIME:
That last hour of care can really be the witching hour.
Both you and the children are tired at the end of the day and everyone is anticipating
the change from child care to home. Departure routines should
start at least half an hour before the first child leaves. Have the children
clean up their toys and activities while you make sure that everything that’s
going home is organized at the door. Offer everyone a drink of water,
which eliminates those thirst complaints to the parents.
Like your arrival routines, plan activities that will keep
the children occupied (puzzles, books, games) and leave some time to be available
for the parents at the door. If the weather is good, go outdoors with
the children to enjoy some fresh air and activities (skipping, chalk-drawing
on the patio, riding toys) until parents arrive. No matter how busy and
tired you feel, greet parents warmly at the end of the day - they’re tired too!
Share something nice, funny, sweet or brilliant that their child did today and
spend a moment telling the child and the parents that you are looking forward
to seeing them tomorrow. When the last child has gone - RELAX!!!
EVALUATION
OPTIONS:
17. ASSIGNMENT
18. QUIZ
ASSIGNMENT
1. Write out your normal daily schedule. If your schedule varies from
day to day depending on the number of children in care, select your busiest
day of the week to use. Include in your schedule:
drop-off times
pick-up times
meal and snack times
departure and arrival times for school-agers
nap time
outdoor play time
free play time
organized play time (e.g. story time, circle time)
2. Once your schedule is drawn up, answer the following questions:
How effectively is your time spent? Is most of your day spent interacting
with the children? Or is more time spent on preparing for activities, meals
and other events and cleaning up? Do you find some time to relax yourself
each day? Do you feel rushed/pressured during particular times of the
day? Are your daily routines working for you? Are there changes
you want to make in your daily routines? What changes?
How effectively do your daily routines meet children’s physical needs? Are meals, snacks, nap time, toileting and/or diapering times, drop-off and pick-up and school departure and arrival times reasonably relaxed and well-organized? How effectively do your daily routines meet children’s developmental needs? Is there enough time for free play, active play, individual and group activities, imaginative play, individual time with you, etc? Do the children seem rushed/stressed at particular times of the day? Are your daily routines working for the children? Are there changes you want to make? What changes?
3. Make a list of changes you would like to make in your daily schedule.
Revisit the
list in a couple of weeks to check your progress.
QUIZ
2) What are three things you should consider in terms of your daily routines when caring for infants?
3) What are three things you should consider in terms of your daily routines when caring for toddlers?
4) What are three things you should consider in terms of your daily routines when caring for preschoolers?
5) What are three things you should consider in terms of your daily routines when caring for school-agers?
6) Using a typical daily activity (for example meal preparation or a walk in the neighbourhood) describe how it could meet the developmental needs of children at several stages of development.
7) Name four transition times in the day.
8) Noel is 4 years old and acts out almost every night at pick-up time. He is always very busy with some activity that he just doesn’t want to put down to go home. How can you help?
9) How can you help children prepare for naptime?
10) Why are predictable routines important for children?
11) Between 7:45 and 8:30 in the morning Bela has 4 children and parents arriving, her husband and 3 school-aged children leaving for work and school, and breakfast to serve to her own 2 year old. Suggest some strategies to help Bela with her morning routines.
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