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 | 
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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 »
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