Finding Someone Safe to Care for Your Kids

Baby Gates: An In-Depth Buyer’s Guide

There is so much in the media about children being mistreated that it is very difficult to decide who they will be safe with. If you need a nanny or a babysitter, how do you know that they are responsible enough to give your children the care they deserve and you want them to have? You should never just accept someone because they are convenient; there are processes you need to go through to be sure.

What Do You Need And What Can You Afford?

Childcare costs are often the second biggest expense for families in the US after housing costs such as rents and mortgages. You need to look carefully at what you need and then at how much you can afford to pay. With babysitting averaging at $16 an hour and full-time nanny’s earning more than $650 per week, it is an expense that you have to be certain you can afford before taking anyone on.

Of course, you will always find people that will work at a lower rate, and that is fine as long as they fill the criteria you have for the person caring for your children. Do some research and find what the going rate is in your locality, and that will be much fairer for you and whoever you employ.

See if you can move the hours around as it could be better to employ someone for two full days rather than for a few hours five days a week.

Nanny Agencies Are Not Always The Best Way

Nanny agencies are not always the best place to find the perfect babysitter or nanny. To start with, you need to be confident that the relevant background checks have been carried out and there have been instances in the past where false information has been provided regarding these from nanny agencies.

The only way to trust the checks is to do them yourself.  See if you can find a company like Jumio, but who will work with parents/nannies, for an identity verification check, and take up any references they have provided, ones from past employers will usually throw up a red flag if they had a problem with them. Check out their social media pages, as these will show a truer picture of their personality.

Speak to friends and relations to see if they can recommend anyone, and there are also nanny and babysitting sites that have qualified people advertising their services.

No one would suggest that all nanny agencies are bad, but you still need to do the checks yourself to be certain they are right. 

Interviews Next

When you get to the interview stage you need to be well prepared. Have your questions ready and answers to any questions you expect them to ask you. Try to avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no as you will not learn much about them that way.

Do not expect them to automatically know all the answers regarding your children, as some things will depend on your practices with child-rearing.

Anyone that you think might be suitable, let the children meet. Try to leave them alone for just a few minutes and see how things are when you return to the room.  If you do this with 2 or 3 candidates you will find that your children have a preference, and that is great of it agrees with yours.

Have A Trial Period

A trial period is vital just to see how things work out before making it a permanent arrangement. Set a period of a month or so and see how the children and the nanny are getting on after that.  

Always be aware of your children’s reactions. This does not just apply to nannies and babysitters but to anyone, they come in contact with. Children do not generally shy away from people without reason, so be wary of anyone they do this with.

Some parents go to the extent of having cameras fitted around the home when this happens, but if you do this you should inform the person providing the childcare that they can be seen.

Reviews

Every two or three months you should sit and chat with the nanny to find out anything they are not happy with, and vice versa. This should be seen as a review of their performance. It is a chance to reward them if they are doing exactly the job you wanted, or to point out things that need to change.

This chats can be useful for you and them, but the people that should benefit most from them will be the children.

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What Are Your Thoughts On Good Childcare?

Four Daycare Art And Craft Projects You Can Do At Home

 Four-Daycare-Art-And-Craft-Projects-You-Can-Do-At-Home.Craft and Art Projects at Home

Do you remember getting excited about art class back in school? How about the beautiful craft projects you worked on at home along with your parents? Recalling your memories related to arts and crafts, you can probably understand their importance. Arts and crafts have a significant impact on the overall creative development of a child. 

From birthday parties to summer camp activities, arts and crafts are a must-do in terms of events associated with kids. So why not have art and craft dates with your child at home? After you agree to the idea, you need to do some homework to determine a project’s safety, availability of materials, and ease of construction related to the child’s age and ability. But before you start worrying, we have got you covered on some starter project ideas. 

Here are four daycare art and craft projects that children can easily take part in:   

  • Stone Monsters

What could be better than using simple stones to make pretty little monsters? Using stones is a great option in terms of utilizing something easily available in nature. You also get to experiment with colors and patterns to create different characters.

Here is all you need to make these simple and adorable stone monsters: 

Smooth Stones
Acrylic Paints
Colored Markers
Googly Eyes
Glue
Paintbrushes
Newspaper 

Now that you have all your materials ready, let’s get to work!

Spread the newspaper over your work area to prevent the paint and glue from spoiling the surface. Then take a stone and paint it with your desired color. Use the marker to draw patterns and a mouth. You can stick one, two, or three googly eyes on your monster, and it is ready to make your child smile whenever they look at this cute little creation. 

Source: Pinterest
For young kids, working with small stones to create art can be a great activity. You can easily teach your child how to create these
characters from stone and help them create as many monsters as they like. To make their experience even more fun, you can name the stone monsters you create with your kids and encourage them to play with the characters. 

  • Sock Puppets

Sock puppets are a classic craft project for homes, daycare centers, and schools. These puppets are not just creative but also engaging for your child’s learning and cognitive growth. 

Here is what you need to make your sock friend:
A sock
Googly eyes or buttons
Glue
Marker

Gather all these materials and roll up your sleeves to initiate the project.

Start by marking the locations for eyes and mouth. Glue the buttons on the spots marked for the eyes. Allow the child to mark the points.  You can use the glue for them to make sure the buttons stick well. Depending upon the child’s age, you can decide whether or not they can be allowed to handle the glue themselves. Now, with a marker’s help, make the mouth of your puppet. You can use ribbons, colored markers, bows, and other creative additions to enhance your sock puppet’s appearance. 

When your sock puppet is ready, you can use it for story narrations. As your child completes this art project, you can encourage them to use their puppets and conduct a puppet show, which could be a lot of fun.  

  • Paper Plate Fish

Paper plates are easy to find and make an excellent supply for art and craft projects. Paper plate fish is one of the easiest craft projects you can make with a class of young students. 

To make your paper plate fish, you will have to dive into your ocean of creativity and find the following materials:

Paper plates
Paints
Paint Brushes
Scissors
Googly Eyes
Glue
Marker

What next? Here’s what you do when you have everything in place: 

Start by painting the entire plate with your favorite color. When the plate dries, cut a thin triangle from the center towards the ends of the plate. Now use the triangle as the tail and stick it to the rest of the colored plate. Use another plate to cut the fins of the fish and attach them to the plate. For young children, it is advised that you do the cutting for them to avoid any accidents.

You can use a different color paint to color the fins of your paper fish. Now take a different color to make the scales of your fish. You can make different patterns and decorate your fish. Stick a googly eye on your fish and make a smile with a marker, and now your paper fish is ready to show its tricks!

Ice-cream Stick Pen Stand

As parents, you are constantly looking to participate in wholesome activities with your kids. Creating art and craft projects can be a great experience that triggers your child’s creativity. You can use these projects to teach them the art of making the best out of waste. One such helpful project is an ice-cream stick pen stand. 

To make your pen stand with ice-cream sticks, you will need the following: 

Ice-cream sticks 
Glue
A piece of cardboard
Paint
Paintbrushes

Keep all your materials ready and get started with your project. 

Use a square cardboard piece to make the base of your pen stand. Now paste a few ice-cream sticks on it to cover it up. Once your base is ready, place the ice cream sticks in a square frame position. Stick every layer and go on stacking them until you reach your desired height. When your stand structure is ready, you can use different colors to paint and decorate it. 

Some more art and craft ideas for creative young minds

Here are some more art and craft projects that children can try at their home, daycare, or school: 

  1. Paper caps
  2. Shoe-box aquarium
  3. Ice-cream stick octopus
  4. Bottle bees
  5. Paper Plate butterflies
  6. Egg crate flowers
  7. Thumb painting
  8. Cartoon masks
  9. Leaf painting
  10. Paper fans

Arts and crafts are a part of almost all academic and recreational curriculums. Encouraging your child to engage with art is one of the best ways of promoting their creative skills. 

Creativity is a never-ending stream, and introducing young students to the practice of thinking, imagining, and creating is an excellent way to trigger their cognitive growth.

Sandra Chiu works as Director at LadyBug & Friends Daycare and Preschool.” 

5 Exciting Gift Ideas for Your Child

5-Exciting-Gift-Ideas-for-Your-Child.-for-creative-playAs per leading research, young kids appreciate receiving tangible gifts more than going and other fun experiences. For example, they will be happier to receive a toy than a park or jungle safari trip. Toys give kids a sense of ownership and are an excellent means of enjoyment and learning.

There are many toys in the market that are created with beautiful designs and painted in bright colors, especially to appeal to a child’s fancy. Here are five gift ideas that you can get for your kids.

1. Cartoon Figures
Kids like cartoons because they tell innocent stories. These cartoon figures have no relation to the hardships of life. Their every activity makes kids laugh and happy. Cartoon figures can be great gifts for kids. You can choose cartoons your kid loves watching on TV.

For example, you can gift them Mickey Mouse cartoon figures. There are various Mickey Mouse cartoon figures at stores like Yvette streasures like Mickey Mouse fun train set, Mickey Mouse outdoor explorer camper, Mickey Mouse funhouse, and many more. Today, you can get almost any cartoon figure toy in the market.

2. Treasure Boxes
Kids of all ages love treasure chest toys. These treasure boxes are exciting and full of surprises. Your kids can play with them for the entire day. The treasure chest toys or toys filled with treasures are filled with things kids love like, small figures of wild animals, bumblebees, furry animal toys, and even teddy bears.

Each of these treasure toys has something for every kid and makes a great activity for your kids to do with their friends.

3. Educational Toys
Educational toys refer to a separate toy category of toys that are specifically designed to engage and stimulate learning in children. Electronic toys, construction toys, building blocks, musical instruments, and chemistry sets fall under educational toys.

You can explore a wide variety of educational toys at online stores, and select a toy that is aligned with the learning objective. For example, if you want your child to love and appreciate music, you can get musical instrument toys that can make them familiar with common music tones and generate interest in them.

4. Creative Toys
Drawing is an activity that is enjoyed by most kids. Craft kits can be excellent gifts for your kids. You can explore a wide variety of craft kits to choose from. You can also buy individual craft items online and let the kid’s imagination take over.

Creativity is natural to kids. Giving them creative toys helps kids express themselves, encouraging them to explore their skills. Parents who encourage their kids to be creative will show greater interest in learning, and they are more likely to do best in their school life.

5. Dolls
Dolls are yet another type of toy that is liked by kids immensely. Both boys and girls like dolls for many reasons. Today, you can get many types of dolls. For example, some dolls are dressed as doctors, and they wear a white uniform, carry a stethoscope and other medical equipment.

Dolls allow kids to emulate adults and also invoke kids’ interest in early childhood development stages that are good for the kid.

To sum up, these are a few types of gifts you can give to your kids. You can buy these gifts on special occasions and festivities like Christmas or your kid’s birthday.
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The Top 5 Fun & Simple Outdoor Activities for Kids

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How Parents Across the Globe Encourage Their Children’s Socialization

How-Parents-Across-the-Globe-Encourage-Their-Childrens-Socialization.From quiet modesty observed in Japanese kids, unstructured play common in Finnish schools, all the way to the power of independence in the US, socialization is largely shaped by the culture in which your kids grow up. Their emotional and physical development are both shaped by your local social norms and expectations, not to mention the specific microcosm in which they spend the majority of their time.

The pandemic has made many parents wonder about the best, most suitable ways we can rear our children and help them establish bonds (all the while building some kind of self-reliance, too). Social distancing, the lack of playdates, and other limitations have allowed many parents to feel a new appreciation for social interactions so crucial for their kids’ growth.

If we look at our own backyard and see what parents in other countries are doing, we might be better equipped to handle these crises better in the future, and help our kids develop stronger social skills.How-Italians-welcome-kids-to-the-tableHow Italians welcome kids to the table

Okay, if you feel like taking your toddler out for a fun lunch, you know where to go. You have McDonald’s as well as a slew of other kids-friendly eateries where you know you don’t have to worry about getting messy or loud. Plus, when the place doesn’t get a tantrum for three minutes, the staff is worried. What you wouldn’t do is take your kids to a fancy, high-end restaurant at 9 pm, not in your wildest dreams.

In Italy, on the other hand, the practice of taking youngsters out for a fancy meal with the family is perfectly normal, and in fact, expected. Parents’ socialization is in no way separate from their kids. They start using culture as a way to introduce them to what life in Italy is about. Kids in Italy are taken to elegant restaurants, late-night dinners, art exhibits, and museums all the time. Yes, they get loud, and parents need to discipline them, but it’s still a way for grownups to create inclusive experiences for their kids.Finnish-schools-emphasize-free-playFinnish schools emphasize free play

By now the whole world has heard that the Finnish model rocks. They seem to be able to raise kids that are socially adept, but very individualistic and independent, well-mannered, but still free to explore life. Parents do play a vital role in that process, but it seems that a large part of kids’ socialization happens in Finnish schools.

What they do is they organize 15-minute breaks between 45-minute classes for kids to rush outside and play, with supervision, but without instructions or limits. In addition to getting back to their next class all refreshed and eager to learn, kids also use the time to play freely with their peers and to develop essential social skills. They learn how to share, compromise, communicate, which helps them both in the classroom and with their peers. Australia-and-creative-collaboration-in-socializingAustralia and creative collaboration

In the Land Down Under, especially in metropolises such as Sydney, parents often work and spend a portion of their time away from their kids. Sounds familiar? To enable healthy socialization outside of family time, they look for reliable childcare in Alexandria and similarly well-developed neighborhoods. Childcare in Australia plays a far more crucial role in kids’ lives than merely supervising them in the absence of parents.

Kids often play in small groups with their peers, and teachers provide them with educational, well-structured play sessions as well as plenty of free time to explore their friendships. In childcare, kids develop their very first social relationships outside of their families, allowing them to grow more independent over time. The-value-of-empathy-in-Japan-in-kids-socializing.The value of empathy in Japan

Here in the West, we might perceive Japanese parenting as, on one hand, overly strict considering how calm and modest their kids are, but also strangely proximal (dependent on close physical contact). The one key component of their parenting style is the focus on empathy – they teach their kids to consider the impact of their actions on those around them before they actually act.

Their approach reliant on proximal parenting and anticipating their kids’ needs has been linked to high levels of self-regulation, as well. That means that kids in Japan, in addition to developing empathy with their parents’ help and guidance, also have a strong ability to control and prevent emotional outbursts.

If you’re used to the US model that emphasizes fostering independence, the freedom of self-expression, and structured playdates, perhaps some of the listed examples don’t seem all that applicable. However, the more we learn and understand what other parents are doing, the easier it will be for all of us to discover new ways to nurture strong social skills in our little ones and prepare them for the world they are about to create.

[…]
Sophia
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