Building a Positive Relationship with your Child's Caregiver

You and your families will be best served by the time and attention spent communicating with caregivers who will support you in caring for your children. Friends, Relatives & Child Care Providers adopt the role as child caregivers to children because it does truly take a Village to raise our children.  Child caregivers act as "parent stand-ins" of sorts, and many parents depend on them to keep their children safe and the family's lives running smoothly.

Families gain partners in the rearing of children by cultivating positive relationships with their child caregivers. Caregivers educate & keep children in a clean, safe and secure environment while you are away.  They can support family values, provide unique experiences and offer special insights into your children’s strengths and needs.

Please initiate a variety of steps to develop positive relationships with all caregivers of your children based on trust and respect. Listed below are some starter suggestions.

1.  Share important information. Caregivers need information to create the best environment for your children. By knowing more about your child’s personality, habits and preferences, your Caregiver can best meet their needs. Be encouraged to share updates about your children expeditiously.  Caregivers will be able to support your parenting style and provide consistency through your sharing their positive growth patterns, new interest, significant changes at home, and behavioral challenges and how you have managed them. Make sharing information a habit. By offering a few words at drop-off time about how your children slept last night, about Grandma’s upcoming visit or a quick phone call to say that you loved the last class newsletter, you can let your childcare Caregiver know that you value him or her enough to take the time to communicate.

2.  Be honest and open. If you have a request or concern, speak with your Caregiver as soon as possible.  Inform them of achievements that need to be praised or of policies that bother you.  In sharing this information we can encourage our children and find solutions together; permitting success stories to go unnoticed can delay progress and letting annoyances build may create tensions. By communicating, you are benefiting your child, all children in their care and Caregivers.  Let’s continue to create a happy harmonious atmosphere for everyone.

3.  Lead by example for our children and use respectful communication at all times.  We should be consciously aware that our children are present and learning from our daily interaction with others.  We can work together as a team to resolve possible issues and avoid many potential conflicts. Caregivers and parents/guardians tend to see each other during hurried times of the day and patience can be short; hectic beginning of the day or at the end of the day when everyone is tired. Practice respectful communication daily.

4.  Respect personal boundaries. Caregivers vary in the intimacy primarily due to the number of children, size venue or type of caregiver (friend, relative, home care or center provider). Some may socialize on a more personal level with you and your family; others have a more formal relationship. Do not take it personal if they prefer to call you by your last name or assume that formal relationships are an indication of the warmth shared with your child.

5.  Ensure that the relationship is in service to your child.  Be open and understanding of all feedback received about your child and not let the personal relationships get in the way of what's important. It is easy for friendships between parents/guardians and caregivers to get in the way of the caregiver’s relationship with the child. For instance, a caregiver needs to be able to share bad news, such as a child’s misbehavior, without worrying about hurting the parents’ feelings.

• Keep in mind that Licensed Child Care Providers have to balance many parent/guardian requests while adhering to regulatory guidelines.  What may seem like a simple request to you, such as wanting your child to come to the program on an extra day, 1 to 1 special attention, changing meal times or substitution & payment agreements; may need to be filtered through issues, including how this might affect other families. Please keep caregivers commitment to the growth, safety and welfare of all children in perspective, it will help you to avoid personalizing policies and rules.

By working to ensure a positive relationship with your child’s caregiver, you will help your child to have the best experience possible. Using open, respectful communication, working to solve conflicts and showing appreciation for your childcare Caregiver will allow you both to support each other in your hard and important role as parents/guardians and childcare Caregivers.

10 Ways to Help a Shy Child

Almost half of the entire world’s population is deemed to exhibit shyness at some point of their lives. If we notice a group of children playing in the school playground, there will be at least one kid who will be away from the play group, either watching his peers or daydreaming. Shyness can be defined as one’s reluctance to engage in a social activity because of the fear of being embarrassed in an unfamiliar situation. Shy children can blossom if you try building confidence in them.

There are a few tips about shyness in children which will help you better understand the best approach in dealing with your child.  It is most beneficial to the growth and balance of your child’s overall performance to identify the nature of your child's shyness.

1.  First, are you sure your child really is Shy? Some children like to warm-up to a situation before they jump in. Caution should not be misunderstood as shyness. Shyness in children can also reach an extreme level where professional help is required. For instance, an autistic child or a dyslexic child can appear socially withdrawn.

2.  You'll need to find out the type of situations that make your child shy. Some children are shy only when they are in a group. Others become shy when asked to make a presentation in front of the class at school. Try to identify the specific skills your child needs to be more at ease in social situations which make them to be shy.

3.  Avoid referring to your child as "shy".  Studies have shown that often a child will grow to fit a label. Parental pressure on the shy child can cause anxiety and insecurity, leading to a worse problem with shyness. Try not to push your child to achieve above his/her individual level.

4.  Teach your child to resist or say no to teasing in a healthy manner.  Education of the peers is also very necessary in this case as it helps the child to move out of his shell without any hassles. Never compare your shy child with other children in a negative way.  Never criticize the child nor allow other children to tease or bully him/her just because of shyness.

5.  Have healthy conversations with children. By lessening the importance of a child's concerns you lessen the child.

6.  Help your child identify talents and hobbies that make him or her feel special, which would help him/her in sharing his/her favorite activities or books or even the factors or events that trouble him. This would eventually help in assisting the child to overcome his shyness.

7.  Children should be encouraged to get involved in group activities.   Seek out activities that offer an opportunity for growth and increased interaction with other children of his/ her age. Limit isolating activities, like watching TV.

8.  Be patient. Avoid push your child to do things he or she would find unbearable. Rather, make suggestions and acknowledge when your child may not be ready.

9.  You need not handle your shy child with kid gloves, but be aware of how he feels and show that you understand.

10. How do you prepare others who are caring for your child?  Have you ever experienced this "shy scene" when introducing your child to a new babysitter?  When they enter the room the child lowers his chin to his chest, semi-closes his eyes, puts his thumb into his mouth, and darts behind his mother, clinging to her legs trying to hide.

To address this situation, tell the child care worker to make no attempt to go after the child, but first greet the mother in an easy, friendly way. As the mother becomes comfortable relating to the childcare worker, the child listens in on their socializing. Hopefully, he'll decide "He's okay with mom, so he's okay with me." If the child doesn't reappear, then have the daycare provider make a game out of the moment: "Where's Tommy? I sure would like to see him. I guess he isn't here. I'll come back later."  Have them leave the room for a moment to give the child space, then re-enter, usually to a child at ease.

Social retreating is a normal stage of development.  Being shy doesn't have to mean that something is wrong with your child. It simply means that your child is uncomfortable in social situations.

• Importantly, the child should be made aware of the fact that shyness is not a disorder. Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein, and Tom Hanks to name just a few are great examples of all those great people who were once shy in their lives. All these steps would definitely go a long way in helping the child to break the thin bubble of shyness around him. Building confidence in shy children should be your goal.

Resources:  http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/teachingkidsselfesteem.php

When is a Child Too Sick to go to Daycare?

Children sick days can be a concern, especially for a working moms, dads & guardians.  Here's a guide to reference when you should keep your sick child at home and when you can be worry-free that they will feel better once they get into their groove at child care.

Signs of Possible Severe Illness - symptoms to include unusual lethargy, irritability, persistent crying, difficult breathing, uncontrolled coughing.

Fever
Good to go:
Your child is good to go if he's over 4 months old, has a temperature below 100°F, is receptive to drinking fluids, and doesn't appear to have had a personality transplant. Temperature should not be checked sooner than 30 minutes after a child's waking from sleep. Temperature will be taken and then retaken after 15 minutes to assure accuracy.
Too sick:
If your baby is 4 months old or younger, call the doctor at the slightest indication of fever (anything above 98.6°F) or a sudden change in behavior; child care is out. Older children should stay home if their temps rise above 100°F or greater accompanied by behavior changes or other signs or symptoms of illness. A feverish child is not only considered contagious, but he/she's also probably not feeling well enough to learn or participate. Keep him/her home until he/she's been fever-free for 24 hours and is feeling like his usual self.

Vomiting
Good to go:
She's heaved only once in 24 hours. It's not likely he/she has an infection, nor is he/she at risk for dehydration. Sometimes kids throw up because mucus left over from a cold has drained, in which case it's also not necessarily a sick day.
Too sick:
If your child has vomited two or more times in 24 hours. Watch for signs of dehydration as well: He/she's urinating less than usual and his/her urine is dark yellow; he/she doesn't produce tears when he/she cries; or there are no bubbles between his/her lips and gums. To avoid dehydration, offer small amounts of fluid frequently, increasing the amount as tolerated. One more thing: Do not automatically send your child back once the vomiting stops. If he/she's not demonstrating signs of getting better after a few days, call the doctor.

Red eyes
Good to go:
When the white part of the child's eye is only slightly pink and the discharge is clear and watery, he's likely got a school-safe allergy.
Too sick:
His eye is stuck shut, bright red, and/or oozing yellow or green discharge. These symptoms all indicate the highly contagious bacterial form of pinkeye (conjunctivitis), and the kiddo should stay put until he's been on antibiotics for 24 hours or until the goopiness dries up.

Diarrhea
Good to go:
Your child's stools are only slightly loose and she's acting normally. Some kids develop "toddler's diarrhea," triggered by a juice OD; as long as the poop isn't excessive, the child has the all-clear.
Too sick:
Kids who have the runs more than three times a day and/or have poop so watery it leaks out of the diaper need to stay put. They likely have an infection that can spread. If you see blood or mucus in the stool, call the doctor; she may want to do a culture. As with vomiting, watch for signs of dehydration, and follow the same prevention advice.

Sore throat
Good to go:
A sore throat accompanied by a runny nose is often just due to simple irritation from the draining mucus; send him/her off to school as long as he/she's fever-free.
Too sick:
If the achy throat is accompanied by swollen glands, a fever, headache, or stomachache, bring him/her to the doctor for a strep test, especially if he/she's 3 or older (the bacterial infection is unusual in younger kids). Children with strep should be on antibiotics for at least a full day before mixing in with the class.  Child may return to child care 24 hours after treatment has begun and child is without fever for 24 hours.

Stomachache
Good to go:
If this is your child's only symptom and he/she's active, send her off. It could signal constipation, or even a case of nerves (in which case, a hug will go far).
Too sick:
Any stomachache associated with vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or no interest in play warrants a trip to the M.D. Sharp stomach pain and a rigid belly can be signs of severe constipation, appendicitis, or a bowel obstruction.

Colds
Good to go:
If your child is fever-free and isn't hacking up a storm, he/she's a go. After all, if children with snotty noses were excluded, schools would be empty!
Too sick:
Junior is staying home if he has a persistent, phlegm cough and seems cranky or lethargic. He's also couch-bound if his cold symptoms are accompanied by a fever or wheezing.

Head lice
Keep your child home until the morning after her first treatment. Some programs may ask you to keep her home longer. Note: Some treatments work better than others do, so check your child’s head thoroughly before sending her back to child care.  Child may return to child care 24 hours after treatment has begun and all nits have been removed.

Chicken pox /Shingles
Keep your child home at least 6 days after the rash first appears.

Mumps - Until 9 days after onset of parotid gland swelling.

Measles/Rubella - Unit 6 days after the rash appears.

Hepatitis A 

Child should remain home 1 week after the onset of illness or until after immune serum globulin has been administered and child is free of jaundice and other symptoms. Child should have note from doctor approving return to daycare. 

Pertussis - Child can be re-admitted 5 days after antibiotic treatment has begun.

Ear Infection - A child must be treated with antibiotics by a doctor and free from drainage from the ear. 

In general, keep your child home if he is not well enough to take part in the usual class activities or might infect others. Ask your health care provider if you are unsure.

Information reproduced from NAEYC's Healthy Young Children A Manual for Programs pg 207

Tanya Remer Altmann, M.D., author of Mommy Calls; Laura Jana, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and owner of the Primrose School of Legacy, an educational childcare center in Omaha, NE; and Lorry Glenn Rubin, M.D., chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park, NY.

How to Find a Good Daycare Center

Choosing the right daycare center for your child should be a carefully thought out and researched process.  You probably have a good idea of what you want — a place that is safe, happy, and loving, where children can learn and have fun.  At the same time, it must also meet your needs and should be convenient, affordable, and offer care when you need it. Finding child care that has the quality and convenience you want —at a reasonable cost—can be a real challenge.  It is rare to find the perfect situation but it is possible to find a very good situation that will meet your needs.

Make a list of what's important to you.  Do you want a center close to home? Close to work?  What are the hours you need?  Is there a curriculum?  What can you afford?

Research all your possibilities.  Ask your friends, family, doctors, and referral agencies for centers they would recommend.  Look on the Internet and check out reviews.  Check with the Better Business Bureau for complaints.  Has the center received any local award or recognition?  When doing your research, be sure to think about your list of important topics.

Call and ask some questions once you have narrowed your choices.  You should ask about their policies, hours, fees, activities, and philosophies on teaching children.  Are they flexible to help you with your schedule?  Will they accommodate your special requests?  What is their teacher to child ratio?  Do they change activities frequently?  Do they have experienced teachers?

Visit and interview the centers you like best.  Is the center a warm, clean, safe environment in which you think your child would learn and have fun?  Be sure to pay close attention to the actual teacher to child ratio during your visit to verify what they told you it was over the phone.

Look for a caring and qualified staff.  They should be enthusiastic and interact with the children in a positive way that shows they really care.  The staff should have a philosophy about discipline, feeding and sleeping that follows your philosophy.  The employees should be educated with at least two years of college, a background in child development, along with first aid training and CPR.

Does it appear to be a safe, clean facility?  A good center has clean floors, walls, bathrooms and changing stations that are well lit and ventilated.  There should be established policies on how to keep things clean and how to keep toys and equipment in safe working order.  The center should have an emergency plan, with first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and childproof storage areas.  All general child safety issues should be followed.

The center should have established rules and policies.  A good center will be flexible but it should have enforced rules on sick children and will require immunizations to prevent the spread of illness.  The center should have an open door policy that allows you to stop for an unannounced visit.

Is there a complete schedule of activities?  Good centers will have a schedule that allows for play time, quiet time, individual activities, meals, snacks, and group activities.  A good center teaches a wide variety of topics, while at the same time, teaching things appropriate for the age group.  Look for toys that are appropriate for the age of your child.  The toys should be fun, while letting the child be imaginative and creative.

The center should be licensed by your local city services department.

Precious Treasures is open 24 hours/7 days a week with two locations offering parents maximum flexibility for the most challenging schedules.   Check out our entire website for more information about our services.

Easing Separation Anxiety at Daycare

Starting daycare is a major life transition for both young children and their parents. Change, even when it is a positive change can be stressful. In many cases this may be the first time a child is away from the secure and loving arms of their family. Both the child and parents may experience anxiety about starting a daycare experience. Parents want to know that their child will be in a loving and safe environment when the child is not in their direct care. It is not uncommon for parents to feel guilty about placing the child in a daycare program, thus making the farewell more difficult. There are specific measures that parents can take to ease the transition to care and alleviate separation anxiety.

The right timing can help.
We ask that you try and drop your child off when they are not sleepy or hungry. This will help your child be less cranky when you are saying goodbye. Add a little bit of extra time into your day so you can calm your child and say goodbye properly.

Wave bye-bye when you leave.
Instead of fearing the wrath of their toddler, some parents try to sneak out while the child is otherwise engaged. Big mistake. This approach may save you the pain of watching your child cry, but it can actually make their separation anxiety more severe. If your child thinks you might disappear at any given moment without notice, they are not going to let you out of their sight.


Look on the sunny side.
Separation anxiety isn't merely a toddler thing — you may not be thrilled by the prospect of leaving either. But if you let your apprehension show, your child is almost certain to pick up on it. Besides, a dramatic farewell will just validate your child's feelings of insecurity. So try to stay calm and positive — even if your child is hysterical. Talk to them evenly and reassure them that you'll be back soon. To keep the situation light, try adopting a silly parting phrase such as "See you later, alligator" or your own made-up alternative. Getting your child in the habit of responding with "After a while, crocodile" will also help serve as a distraction.


Try a transitional object.
A security object — a blanket, a stuffed animal, or even their very own thumb — can be a source of solace.


Involve them in an activity.
Allow your toddler and their caregiver to get engrossed in an activity before you leave. When the time comes for you to go, give your child a quick kiss and good-bye wave and make a beeline for the door. They may still cry, but the activity can serve as a distraction soon after your departure.

Let them learn to cope.
No parent wants their child to feel any unnecessary sadness, but coping with separation is one of the many stresses your child will have to learn to manage in life.  Sometimes doing nothing — especially if you've already tried everything — is the best advice. Learning to cope is an important developmental task and if you know that your child is safe, it's okay to let them cry a bit.  In a matter-of-fact voice, reassure them that's everything's okay, then go ahead and do whatever it is you need to do — without feeling guilty.

Some degree of separation anxiety is a sign that the preschooler has developed healthy attachments to loved ones.  In many cases, it stops within 3-4 minutes after the parent leaves.  We welcome you to watch your child on the TV monitor in our office before you leave or call and check on their welfare if you have concerns.

Help Kids Develop Healthy Eating Habits

You can help children develop healthy eating habits by getting them involved in kitchen, looking for ways to make favorite dishes healthier, and reducing calorie-rich temptations.

Involve Your Children in the Process.
First of all, get your kids to help create menus, shop and prepare food. They are more likely to eat when they have made some decisions about the meals. You guide their decisions.  Look for children's cookbooks, which have kid-friendly recipes and basic cooking lessons.

In the summer, try to get your children interested in gardening.  If they can see super sweet cherry tomatoes, strawberries, corn, or baby peas growing, then harvest them, that may get them more interested in fruits and vegetables.

Nutritionists say that most children need to actually see a new food four to five times before they'll even try it, so keep introducing those fruits and veggies.  To begin, try to focus on the sweeter 'healthy' foods, like strawberries, mandarin oranges, cherries, tomatoes, sweet peas, and corn.
Look for ways to make favorite dishes healthier.

The recipes that prepare regularly, and that your family enjoys, with just a few changes can be healthier and just as satisfying. You can also sneak fruits and veggies into the foods you make with the following suggestions:

• You can add some finely chopped fruits to gelatin salads, add some pureed sweet peas to guacamole, and serve tiny vegetables, like baby carrots and baby corn, with appetizer dips.
• Finely chop carrots and mix them into spaghetti sauce.
• Make some breads - banana bread, pumpkin bread, and apple bread are all good.
• You can also finely mince vegetables and add them to hamburger patties or turkey burgers.
Start making casseroles. You can begin with just pasta, cheese, and sauce, but then gradually add more finely chopped vegetables to the sauce.
• Check out the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.  It's full of recipes to get your children eating healthy.

Remove calorie-rich temptations!
Although everything can be enjoyed in moderation, reducing the calorie-rich temptations of high-fat and high-sugar, or salty snacks can also help your children develop healthy eating habits. Instead only allow your children to eat them sometimes, so that they truly will be treats!

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/ptchildcare or look us up on Facebook at facebook.com/ptchildcare

On SBS at Precious Treasures receive 25% off Tuition

Pledge to Shop Smail & Receive 25% off Tuition on Saturday 11/26/11 at Precious Treasures Childcare locations!!!

Why I'm supporting Small Business Saturday.


This holiday season, where I buy gifts is just as important as what I buy. And if I buy gifts from a local small business, I’m fueling my local economy. That’s why I’m supporting Small Business Saturday on November 26. If you think you’d like to support your local economy, go to the Small Business Saturday page on Facebook, visit the page, and find the small businesses in your area: Facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturday