Hearing a disclosure — a child telling you that someone has abused or hurt him — can be scary for child care providers. Many thoughts may run through your mind. You may be worried about the child and yourself, unsure of how to respond or what to say, or angry with the parent or alleged abuser. Responding to a disclosure of abuse or neglect is a big responsibility.
Children often are reluctant to tell about abuse. …
Products that meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards for “hospital grade” germicides (solutions that kill germs) often are promoted for use in child care. However, many of these products are dangerous and potentially even toxic to children. Here are some tips for deciding whether to use a commercial disinfectant in your child care program.
Be cautious about commercial or industrial products that advertise themselves as “disinfectants,” having “germicidal action,” or “kill germs.”
Often these products …
Children love to play outdoors. It is a wonderful place to test one’s physical abilities and to just have fun. Keeping children safe outdoors requires some special precautions. Here are some tips for keeping children in your child care program safe outdoors.
The child care program is a wonderful place to help children develop motor skills. “Motor skills” is a broad category that includes a wide variety of abilities — from sitting up to running and climbing and from picking up small objects to writing with a crayon or pencil. Motor skills are typically divided into two types: large motor and small motor. Child care providers can help young children develop both types of motor skills.
Large motor skills …
Biting is a frustrating problem, both for parents and child care providers. As a parent, it is not easy to see your child come home with bite marks. Unfortunately, biting is not uncommon in groups of toddlers. Children bite for many different reasons, including frustration, teething and exploration. Many toddlers have trouble communicating their needs with words. When they experience this trouble communicating, they may turn to biting to make their point.
What should …
Few behaviors upset and anger child care providers and parents more than a child who bites. Although many children never bite, biting is not uncommon among toddlers, especially when they are in groups of children. Biting tends to be most common between about 18 months and 3 or 4 years of age.
Many adults think of biting as a single behavior, but there are many different reasons why children bite. Here are some of the most …
Many young children bring pacifiers, blankets, stuffed animals and other security objects to child care. Objects like pacifiers can provide comfort when a child is feeling insecure. And they can help children make the transition between home and child care.
Many parents and child care providers wonder when children should stop taking the blanket or pacifier to child care. There’s no hard and fast rule. Some children are ready to give up their security objects by age 2 or 3. …
Art activities might appear to be “just messy,” but creating art is a valuable part of a child care curriculum. Art opens up new worlds for children and gives them a variety of important experiences. Crayons, markers, paint, clay and many other art materials are the tools that can help children:
