Kids at daycare love getting together for meals and snack time, especially when they are a big group and are constantly playing and sharing everything and anything with one another. If you’re the one in charge of handling them and keeping them happy and occupied, one of the things that you are tasked to do is setting up their meals and coming up with new and interesting courses for the menu. There are a lot of books and online resources that can give you tips on how to make meals fun at a daycare or child care center and all you have to do is to look for some really good ones online, write them down or print them out, and try them out when the kids come over at the child care center.
One of the things kids enjoy is doing something that they know is being done only by grownups. Let them take part in the setting of the table in such a way that you all are setting it for adults. You got plates, sipping cups, utensils, and napkins so assign every child one of each and show them how to set the table properly. You can arrange them in such a way that an older kid is near two smaller kids so that he can help them with their own table settings while you and your partners aren’t there to help them out. Once everything is set and they’re all settled down, you can start pouring the drinks into their cups or giving them bite-size snacks that they’ll enjoy before bringing in the good stuff out.
Don’t forget to remind the kids about their table manners. For example, no one should take a bite of their meal until everyone seated and served. You can also try encouraging them for showing good behavior during meal time with a happy smile, applause, a pat on the back, and the like. Try to also get them to talk and share in the conversation as this will surely make mealtime even more fun and entertaining for them. This is because children tend to want to eat fast and finish their meals so that they can get back to playing.
If they do not like the food being served, don’t spoil them by giving them food that they like all the time. Talk to them in a nice way and let them know that there will always be times when they could like or dislike the food being served and they should be thankful for the food being given to them. You can encourage them to try new things by letting them take turns in choosing what meals to have the next day so that each child can have their favorite meals in the rotation. There are many other ways to make meals fun so don’t hesitate to try new tricks and techniques that will make their meals fun, interactive, and memorable for them.
Tags: age, behavior, eating, meals, table manners
Posted in Child Care and Daycare, Providers | 
No Comments »
Listening to a child lie can be very disturbing for parents, but it is a common part of child growth. Below are some facts to help caregivers and parents manage the challenge of lying.
Keep your child’s age in mind. In their age, what seems as lying to adults may in fact reflect the child’s dreaming, a dynamic imagination, or wish to please their parents. For instance, preschool child may lie in the perspective of telling tall tales or as an automatic reply for approval as if when parents ask ‘Did you eat all the cookies?’ The answer is “No!” They also might lie to get their own way, for example they may say to the sitter: “My mom told I do not have to clean up my toys.”. On the contrary, grown-up children comprehend explicitly that lying is incorrect but still might do so to stay out of a problem, have what they want; make an impression on people, gain admiration, or defend someone.
Stick to the facts. For toddlers, just stick to the facts in a cool manner. For instance, in reply to “I can run faster than papa!” say, “your legs are smaller than papa’s I think it would be difficult to do, but as you grow big, you perhaps will be able to dash faster than Papa!”
Do not set your child up to lie. If you find that all of the chocolates are finished, or there is a big stain on the rug and your kid is the only one around, do not make them tell a lie by asking if they did it or not. They will never confess and tell the lie. Just make them know politely that you know.
Make the consequence fit the response. With grown-up children, you can have conversations about telling lie. Make them clear that if they do something erroneous but are truthful about it, the outcome will not be severe than if they do some mistake and lie about it. Be steady in your conduct of lying.
Praise truthfulness. Keep in mind that your child is always seeking for your sanction, and this is every so often, why they lie in the first place. When they do something wrong and are truthful, admit this behavior and help them come out from the situation.
Teach empathy. Say to your child that it is essential for them to tell the truth, so they could be trusted. Try to assist them observe things from the other side, asking them that how would they feel if someone had lied to them.
Look for the origin. Think about the reason, why your child is lying. Consider their stress level at home, peers, or the sternness of your response to their lying. Converse with them about the ground that compel them to lie about certain things.
Model honest behavior. If your child is lying very often, this mock-up to them that lying is good. Moreover, if they find you telling a lie, do not hesitate to discuss it with them and point out your own mistake. Each of these experiences will help them out learning about right and wrong.
Tags: behavior, honest, lying, truth Posted in Child Care and Daycare, Parenting, Providers | 1 Comment »
This article includes a list of fundraising events that have successfully been executed by other respite care or crisis nursery programs. These events are exemplars of both long-term and short-term activities that may be an added source of earnings for your local program.
Useful Hints for Successful Fundraising Events
- Fundraising events have to match with the geographic site in which they take place. Countryside areas will not be able to implement large fundraising events successfully because of lack of money and people.
- Modify fundraising events according to the interest of your society.
- Keep an eye on organizations, businesses, or groups that wish to do fund-raisers for your foundation.
- Be choosy when selecting individuals to stand for or prop up your foundation. Select individuals who signify a genuine interest and affirmative promotion.
- The number of fundraising events must not be more than three large events per year. People may become fatigued of contributing to your foundation if the fundraising are too recurring.
- Take volunteers in your foundation who will add-on your staff efforts.
Quarter Rally
Ask over a neighboring shopping mall to support a rally. This affair is extremely popular and can produce stacks of money depending on the magnitude of the mall. Ask like a radio station propagation live and special bargain from the mall.
Community sale
Subsidize a community public sale. Local individuals like artists and big businessperson, stores, or organizations can donate items. Embrace some expensive items to be a magnet for buyers. A community auction can be associated with another affair such as a celebrity golf tournament, a dance show, or an annual festival.
Corporate Request
You can request the corporations are sources of small amounts of money for emergency purposes.
Mystery Party
This forager hunt party is a very famous event and a lot of enjoyment for the contributors. Parties can be organized in public site or at private homes. Local stores and companies donate food for the event. Games can be donated or purchased and participants may pay about $50.00 per person.
Run, Walk or Bikeathon
This event takes some time to arrange depending on the size of the event. Endorsement is the main cost and a necessary component of the event. The more the advertising, the greater the number of participants.
Pledging
Personage donations usually make up about 80% of hold for non-profit foundations in the United States. A correct list of prospective donors and staff to ask for donations needs to be made before starting this event. This event raises community funds for your program.
Lottery
Local business or individuals donate prizes. Huge ticket items are essential to attract satisfactory support. Advertising tickets can be a bit time taking. However, contributed prizes could be given to ticket sellers for the maximum number of tickets sold. It is significant to time this affair so that it does not overlie with other community draw events.
Paid Advertisements
Local industries can pay to promote their services and goods in your information sheet or other project pamphlets. Endorsement and solicitation are essential to start this event.
Tags: fundraising Posted in Child Care and Daycare, Providers | No Comments »
Contrasting childcare center instructor, family childcare centers often take care children of mixed ages. Childcare for a mixed age group offers a unique set of challenges and benefits for the caretaker.
Challenges
- The caretaker should take extra safety measures when there are toddlers in care.
- Selecting the snack items, which are appropriate for all age groups, is a difficult task.
- Planning activities are hard when there are kids with a variety of ability levels and interests.
- Nap or meal times have to be more bendable to accommodate diverse aged children.
Benefits
- Mixed groups provide children opportunities to build up and develop the social skills.
- There is generally less aggressive and more supportive or obliging behaviors.
- Mixed-age group care is more comfortable just like a home setting.
- Real brothers and sisters are not separated.
- Kids in such centers have more liberty to develop at their own pace. Mixed-age childcare is purposely geared to the needs of individuals.
- Grown-up children get used to their social skills and language to communicate with younger children, often-learning persistence, empathy, and pinpointing skills.
- Younger kids are challenged by grown-up kids and often engage in activities that are more complex then when they play with similar age peers.
Tips for caring for mixed-age groups
- Offer a broad range of alternatives. Most caretakers find that most of the day contains unplanned “free play” where they give a broad range of resources and activities that are suitable for various children.
- Make some materials available that are used purposely by an age group. Not all areas or toys have to be “one size fits all.” It is okay to have a few toys that are of explicit interest for just one age group.
- Think about ages of kids while you arrange the childcare space. Safety is most important thing. Scissors and other shape tools that are used by middle-aged children must be stored out of the reach of infants. Supplies that are safe and apposite for younger children must be arranged in easy to approach boxes or containers. You can also have smaller sized furnishings and step stools for younger kids too.
Choose materials and toys that are open-ended and could be used in a lot of ways. Children with various abilities can use balls, blocks, art materials; they may use these materials in more and more multifarious ways.
Focus on small group or individual activities. Asking a group of children of mixed ages to take part mutually may bore grown-up children or aggravate younger children.
Try to promote support, teamwork, and cooperation. Cheer up children to support each other and resolve difficulties and problems together.
Agree to the fact that you have to be flexible when setting up daily routines. Meeting the requirements of each and every child may mean you need to bend the routine. You might find a need to arrange an extra snack for an after school kid or arrange a calm area for the youngster who needs a nap.
Tags: age Posted in Child Care and Daycare, Providers | No Comments »
Subscribe via RSS
