Tuesday, April 23, 2013

We will be having a fun day to mark the end of the school year. I need ideas for infant and toddler fun day?

Q. I work at Early Head Start and we are limited in what we can do. Last year we did a carnival day and the year before that we had a Luau. We can't think of an easy theme for this year..any ideas?
we are required to have a fun day theme.

A. Have a "Beach Day" or "Water Play Day"
This is assuming you have an adequate outdoor area, of course.

Set out a few wading pools, water sprinklers, slides, etc. The children will bring their bathing suits,towels and sunscreen and just enjoy a day outdoors in a less-structured environment. Have a sand table with lots of digging toys available; a small tub of sand with seashells; a bubble center, and so on. You can have a picnic-style lunch with popsicles.

Not a whole lot of work in terms of decorations, props, etc. but loads of fun for the kids.


What do you think are the Pros and Cons of having a child in Day Care?
Q. It's for an opinion paper in my child development (psychology) class. There is no right or wrong answer...and everyone has different opinions. Let's try to respect others feelings in our responses. I'm hoping to find some responses that I had not thought of, or I had thought of but had trouble expressing the opinion in a clear way. The answer that best assists me in my preparation for the paper gets "Best Answer"!-- Whether you agree with me or not (part of the reason I'm not stating where I stand). Feel free to list both pros and cons!
And thanks in advance for you help!

A. Pros: your child will be able to learn and interact with other children and it prepares them for pre-school or kinder garden.

Cons: (If you work a 9-5 job) someone else will be raising your child and disciplining them, probably in ways you don't approve of. You are away from your child for a long period of times. Your child may pick up other bad kid's habits. If your child is still an infant...then your child might end up calling his/her caregiver "mommy". I've seen it happen before. Other kids may have bad hygiene and pass it on to your child (i.e. head lice).

UPSIDE of Daycare:

Always more than one person available to watch, care for, supervise, and feed your child

Interaction with other children

Develop social skills at an early age

Kid's days are pretty much scheduled, routine, and consistent

Daycare centers don't call in sick

Kids receive a lot of mental stimulation

Your house stays neater (although my son can make a mess in minutes)

The kids enjoy the change of scenery and toys

Cost is less than for a nanny

English-as-second-language kids have more exposure to English


DOWNSIDE of Daycare:

Nighttime baths vs. possibly every other day

Laying out their clothes

Packing nutritious lunches vs. fast food snacks

Morning rush to get out of the house on time

Allow extra time to make the stop and drop-off

Your child screaming, "Mommy don't go!!"

The guilt and bad feelings because you're leaving them behind

Less one-on-one attention from caregivers

Potential personality conflicts at the center between parents and staff

Potential personality conflicts between the children

Ethics taught are the centers or the caregiver

Values taught are the centers or the caregiver

Possibly no ethics or values taught at all

Political influences are those at the center/school

Less bonding between parent and child

Child learns early on that you won't be there for them when they need you

You don't get to see and experience all the "firsts" that your child goes through

You can NEVER recapture those things you miss

When your child has a boo-boo you're not there to make it better

When your child is excited about what she/he has learned, you're not there at the moment they want to share it with you
When they're not feeling well you leave them to someone else to care for them

When they're sick no one will baby them like you will

More exposure to health issues: ringworm, lice, and colds/flues

You're not there to kiss away their tears

You're not there to waylay their fears

You're not there to set their wild ideas back on track

No opportunity to have a spontaneous day

No time to do "nothing at all" together

To experience the joy of holding and watching your child sleep for hours (hopefully)

You're not there to teach them to climb a tree

To explore the bugs and insects

To plant a seed and watch it grow

Playing "what do you see in the clouds"

Less time to go to the beach, woods, hiking, swimming, biking, skating, etc.

No time to just "play"

To be your kid's playmate

To experience getting to be a kid all over again with your child

Seeing and experiencing life through the eyes of your child

No time to make pancakes in the morning

No time to bake real cookies

Not there to put a band aid on the invisible oweee

Not get to see your child's imagination develop

Not get to see their personal development as much as you could

Don't get to see them beaming with pride at their BIG accomplishments

Infants and toddlers spending 6-8-10 hours a day away from Mom or Dad

The cost of daycare is an added expense: financial and emotional

(Copied and pasted the pro's and con's and attached the link below)


What do I need to pack for my baby?
Q. We're going to the beach in a few weeks, and this is my first time going on vacation with my 4 month old daughter (she'll be 5 months by the time we go though). I'm getting so excited, that I'm starting to get stuff ready for her, but I'm so worried that I'm going to miss something. If you were going to the beach for 4 days with an infant, what would you bring with you?

A. Well, you want everything you use at home - diaper supplies (extra diapers!), clothes (also extra with some warm stuff for nights in case it gets cool and some long sleeve things to protect more from the sun), burp clothes. In your head, just go through what you do each day and write down each item you use. that is the best way not to forget anything!

You will want to bring something for her to sleep in - a playpen could double as a place to keep her during the day. If you don't do a bedtime routine yet, start one now with things you can bring to look and smell familiar to her - a stuffed animal, a special book, etc.

Special beachy things you will need are sunblock (I would say the highest SPF you can find if you are planning on taking her out on the beach much. most say 6 months plus, but I think in this case you are better off using it - you might talk to you dr to get his opinion on that), a sunhat, a large blanket for her to play on, and any way you can think to provide shade for her. They even sell UV-opaque clothes if you are worried about too much sun) Also, if she is out in the hot weather, make sure to nurse/offer bottles more frequently, because that is how babies quench their thirst.

Bring toys that will be easy to shake sand or rinse salt off of. Also bring toys for the car - things that can dangle from a car seat are good.

I always end up bringing emergency medical supplies too, just in case - a thermometer, baby tylenol, diaper rash cream, and a nose syringe. I have never actually used them, but they are small and good to have. Also bring your doctor's phone number!!! That is something I always almost forget but that I feel so much better having!





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