Keeping Your Child Safe

May 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As a parent, child safety is a primary concern. So how do you ensure that your daycare provider maintains a safe and healthy environment for your child? Unfortunately there is no sure fire method to ensure your child’s safety when they are out of your care.

Most reputable day care providers are happy to answer any questions you have about the safety of the day care environment. If your child is injured at a day care, you may have a personal injury claim against the day care facility.  The only way to know for sure is to contact an attorney, such as injury attorneys in Los Angeles.

Here are a number of things to look for when shopping for a daycare provider that indicates a dedication to health and safety.

Facilities

  • Ask to see the day care license and the most recent inspection.
  • First aid kits and emergency numbers should be posted throughout the facility. How frequently are kits replenished?
  • Do staff members know where the fire extinguishers are located?
  • Are there gates at the top and the bottom of every staircase and guards on every window except for fire exits?

Staffing

  • Know what your state law provides for child-to-staff ratios. The most common ratio is 3 to 1 for infants; 4 to 1 for 2-year –olds; and 7 to 1 for 3-year-olds and older.
  • Ask how caregivers are screened? Are criminal background checks done?

Written Policies

Filed Under: Child Care, Parenting Tagged With: , ,

Use the Internet to Find the Best Childcare

February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
DALLAS - JUNE 18: Jennifer Ross, living in a ...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

There are a few different options for parents looking for the best childcare for their children. The best way to find the perfect childcare for your family is to use the Internet. First, determine what kind of care you are looking for. You could hire a nanny to come to your home to watch your children. There are home daycares where you bring your children to someone else’s home. And there are daycare centers, which are facilities that are run more like a school. There are pros and cons to each of these types of childcare. Get online and start researching about each type of daycare and choose the best option that meets your needs and the needs of your children.

Once you have determined the type of daycare you want, it’s time to start researching to find all those types of daycare facilities in your area. Since most people opt for daycare out of their own home, we’ll stick with the examples of home daycares and daycare centers.

Once again, use the Internet to find the names, websites, and contact information for all the daycare centers or home daycares in your area. Start making a list. Visit each facility’s website. Look around and make a note of the teacher/student ratio, their philosophies, their schedules, and any other important information. If you are looking for specific qualities in a daycare, look for those on the websites. Eliminate any center that does not meet your needs.

Finally, all each business up and schedule a visit. Take your child with you when you tour the daycare. Watch how the teachers interact with the children. Look for cleanliness, teacher’s attention on the children, and the condition of the toys and equipment. Does the daycare follow a schedule or calendar? Are children left alone for long periods of time? Are diapers changed as needed or on a schedule? What is the cost? The answers to these questions should provide you with all remaining information to make your final decision on the best childcare facility for your children.

Filed Under: Child Care, Excercise Tagged With: , ,

Planning Play Dates for Your Toddler

December 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Socialization with other toddlers is an important part of any tot’s life. However, it can be difficult to coordinate busy schedules to arrange play dates. Working around your schedule to help your toddler’s social life can be easy.

If you take your child to daycare during the day, look for kids that they enjoy playing with while they are there. When you go to pick up your toddler, talk to the other child’s parents about setting up a weekend play date. If your kids are in daycare at the same time, it stands to reason that you probably have fairly similar schedules and could work something out.

For parents that stay at home with their toddler, there are still play date options. Join a “Mommy and Me” group or a reading group at the library. You will meet parents with kids close in age to yours, and since you are home during the day, you have more freedom when scheduling playtime for your kids. Not only is it a fun way for your toddler to meet other toddlers, it’s also a chance for you to meet other adults you might connect with.

When you are picking places for play dates, there are several fun options. You could host playtime at your house. If you have a safe, enclosed area and don’t mind picking up after, this may be the easiest option. However, if you’d prefer not to clean up after two rampaging toddlers, take it outdoors! A local park is the perfect place to let kids burn off some energy while the parents sit and chat. When the weather doesn’t allow for park outings, try the local mall or shopping center. They often have an indoor play area with toys and structures for kids of all ages. With a little creativity, it’s easy to plan a play date your toddler will love.

Filed Under: Child Care Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Transitioning Your Child to Daycare

December 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Millington, Tenn. (Jan. 14, 2005) - The Morale...
Image via Wikipedia

Children thrive on routine. When that routine changes as a parent returns to work, it’s important to take precautions that ensure their continued comfort and happiness. Daycare is a very big change from being at home with mom or dad all day, so ease into the transition for a pain-free experience.

Choose a daycare that has a philosophy of care similar to yours. The way they treat the daycare kids should be similar to how you treat your child. That way, your child doesn’t have to adjust to a new standard of care as well as new caretakers.

You also want to pick a daycare with a fairly steady routine. If the activities and order of activities changes from day to day, your child will never be able to relax. Instead, they’ll always be trying to anticipate what’s coming next. It’s a bonus if the routine they have is similar to the one you have at home. Then you won’t have to readjust your child on weekends and days off.

After picking a daycare, spend some time there with your child. For a few days, take your child for an hour or two and help them acclimate to the children and teachers. Encourage them to venture from your side and interact with other children. As they become comfortable, allow the teacher to take over the guidance of your child. They may be adverse to this change at first, but if they see that you are still there watching them, they will feel safe.

By following these tips, your child will be ready to go when the first day of daycare comes. There will probably still be tears, but they’re unlikely to last long after you leave. Soon, your child will be playing and not even noticing that you are gone.

Filed Under: Child Care Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Of babies and running noses

August 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Newborn Blood Sampling
Image via Wikipedia

A new born baby can be difficult to handle even when they are feeling fine and well. However, a baby suffering from a cold can be irritable, kicking up a storm, crying themselves hoarse and raising their parents’ anxiety levels to a boiling point! There are several medicines available that your pediatricians will advice you give your child to cure the ailment but as the age old saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Curing a baby’s cold takes at least 10 to 15 days as their body need to develop the immunity required to beat the virus. Watching your child suffer through those days is a harrowing experience any parent would want to avoid. This is why it is important to know the cause of your little one’s running nose.

It could be that your baby is allergic to dust or something that is being fed to him/her. This can be identified if the cold keeps recurring even after it has been cured. You should consult a doctor in such a situation to prevent the condition from escalating. Anther cause of babies catching a cold is their diapers not being changed regularly. Staying wet for prolonged duration leads to infections which is why parents need to pay specific attention. If both parents are working and have to leave their child at a day care centre, it could be that he/she has contracted a cold from another child.

A baby needs to be kept warm and dry as far as possible. Dry your little one well after giving him/her a bath, especially the hair. Dress the baby in warm clothes or wrapped up in a cloth or blanket. A baby’s body is used to warmth, considering they spend a good nine months in their mother’s body. It takes them a bit of a time to get used to the external environment. Sudden changes in temperatures can cause them to develop a cold as well. Also, keep your baby away from gusts of cold air, whether it is from the air conditioning or a fan. Keep an eye for these causes and take relevant preventive actions to keep your baby healthy and smiling.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Child Care, Health, Parenting Tagged With: , ,