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Summer Safety at Daycare and Home

Child's Age, Daycare Centers, In-Home Daycare, Infant, Nanny, Preschool, School Age, Tips, Toddler, , , , , , , , , ,

sun-shine-daycare-childSummer is here and it’s an important time to make sure your daycare is following summer safety recommendations with your children. Even if a trip outside is supposed to be short, it’s best to make sure they always apply sun block, sunglasses, and wear hats when they are out in the sun. Granted, we should be protecting our children’s skin and eyes year round, but in the summer it’s especially important. We are all more likely to be outside, enjoying the nice warm weather!

When talking to your daycare provider, bring up sun and outdoor safety and make sure they are following good, healthy practices to ensure the safety of your children.

If you think your daycare provider may be touchy about you “questioning” them, you can try one of these questions to lead into a conversation about summer safety, and if there is anything you can do to help.

  • “Do you want me to bring in sun block or are you providing that for the children?”
  • “Would you mind if I left an extra set of sun glasses here for outside time?”
  • “I have a hat that my child just loves. Can we keep in in their cubby for outside time?”
  • “How long do the kids play outside on days like this? Do I need to apply sunscreen at home or do you do that before they go out and play?

These are just a few examples of how you can get into a conversation about sun safety with your daycare provider.

The first and most important thing that all parents and daycare providers need to know is the Heat Index. This is what the relative heat feels like when you take into consideration both the actual temperature and the relative humidity. Both of these factors play a crucial role in what effects the weather will have on your children.

Below is a Heat Index chart showing both the temperature and humidity and the areas of danger you should be aware of.

  • Green – Caution should be taken and you should keep an eye on signs that the children are showing signs of heat exposure.
  • Yellow – Limit time outside in the heat. Water should be provided. Remain in the shade when possible and keep outside play time in this temperature under 30 minutes.
  • Red – You should not be out in these temperatures unless you have to be. In times of extreme heat, children should stay indoors where it is cool. In these temperatures, you cannot keep them cool enough to stave off the effects of heat.
daycare-playtime-heat-index
Stay safe in the summer with this daycare heat index chart.

 

Health Effects of Heat Exposure

Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is a heat-related illness that may occur after you’ve been exposed to high temperatures for several days and have developed dehydration, which is an inadequate or imbalanced replacement of the fluids and electrolytes you’ve lost through excessive perspiration.

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion

  • Dizziness
  • Fainting
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Confusion
  • Headache
  • Muscle Cramps
  • Pale Skin
  • Rapid Heartbeat

Heat Stroke

Heatstroke occurs when the body fails to regulate its own temperature and the body temperature continues to rise, often to 105°F or higher. This can happen in extreme temperatures because the body loses its ability to cool itself off. This is extremely dangerous and can cause brain damage as well as organ damage. It is very important for everyone to stay out of extreme temperatures due to this reason.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke

It is important to note that anyone showing signs of heat stroke should be seen by a medical professional. Heat stroke is considered a medical emergency.

  • Convulsions
  • Unconsciousness
  • Difficulty Breathing
  • Temperature over 104 degrees
  • Fast heart rate while resting.
  • Either heavy sweating or no sweating.
  • Skin that is red, hot, and dry, even in the armpits
  • Severe vomiting and diarrhea.

How to Stay Cool and Safe

Summer is a fun time and we all want to spend as much time outside as we can. It is important that we are being safe in the heat and even more important to ensure that your childcare provider is practicing healthy practices. To avoid problems, it’s best to keep trips outside to 30 minutes or less. This limits the children’s exposure to the sun and heat but gives them plenty of time to play and have fun. Make sure that water is available to them while they are playing. When the time is up and all the children come inside, they should drink a glass of water or two as soon as they get in. This is a great time to have them sit down for a snack and some water. Avoid giving them juice, pop or other drinks besides water.

If your child goes anywhere in a car or daycare van during the day (for instance, on field trips or to pick up other children), make sure the daycare provider has a procedure in place to make sure a child is not left in a car when an adult is not there. When the group gets to their destination, and when they return to the home or daycare center, make sure that an adult ALWAYS checks the car, van, or bus to make sure all the children are safely out of the car. It is easier than people imagine to accidentally forget a child in a car, and in the hot summer months, this can be a death sentence in as little as fifteen minutes. Ask that your provider never leave the children unattended in the car.

Whether you have a nanny, in home daycare provider, or drop your children off at a large daycare center, it is important, and it is your responsibility, to make sure they are keeping the safety of your children in mind in these hot summer months. It can be dangerous to assume that they know all of the best practices or that they follow the same guidelines you do as a parent.

Ensuring that your daycare provider follows good hot weather habits also makes it much more likely that your children will pick up on these good habits and carry them for the rest of their lives. Ultimately, you will be helping them to avoid so many problems that can arise from unhealthy and even dangerous habits in the heat.

Have a great summer!

 

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In-Care with a Daycare Center

6-In Care, Daycare Centers, , , , ,

daycare-kids-in-classIn our busy lives it is easy to forget the importance of staying vigilant after you’ve chosen a daycare center for child.  This vital and often overlooked step is very important in making sure you have quality daycare for child.  You’ll want to monitor the situation to ensure that the daycare center and your child are working out well together.

You definitely don’t want to question the teachers on a daily basis, spend an extra half an hour with them every time you drop them off, or be overly critical about the day-to-day activities.  But you do want  to stay vigilant and watchful for signs of trouble or turmoil within the daycare center.  Often if issues are spotted early they can be resolved easily and quickly.  Make sure to address them as soon as you see them and not to let any issues get out of hand.

It’s important to let your child feel empowered by letting him or her have control of some part of the daily routine. Don’t push them into anything they’re not ready for, but giving them decisions to make will help them feel like a part of the process.  It will really help the transition between home and daycare if your child feels that it is (at least partially) his or her idea. It’s a good idea to to stick to their routine as much as possible. Children like to know what to expect.

Ask the Teacher Specific Questions About the Week

Games for Children

It is probably too much to ask the teacher every single day for a summary of the day. However, you can definitely ask the teacher at least once a week how things are going.  Asking specifics and looking at examples of what they are doing will help to give you get a better idea of your child’s day at daycare.  Note your discussions and compare them with your priorities and what you’re looking for in a daycare.  Make sure that these are matching up. If they aren’t, raise the concerns you have with the teacher.  Most daycare centers generally have a daily plan for what the children will do, but they are generally unable to accommodate the individual needs of specific children.

Ask Your Child About the Specifics of Their Day

It is important, to ask your child each evening about their day. Ask them specific questions about the activities they were involved in during the day, about teachers, about other kids.  Sometimes it’s hard to get details but if they mention something, ask them more questions about it. This is very good and healthy for your child.  It makes them think about their day and what they liked about it.  This is a very important part of early childhood development.

Talking to your child about the day can also give you a good and accurate idea of what they’re doing at the daycare center.  Should your child mention something that sounds little suspicious, such as hitting, biting, coarse language, or any other strange behavior make sure to remain calm and neutral.  If you overreact, show surprise or anger toward your child when talking you’ll just cripple you ability to find out about their day.  You want to make sure that your child is always 100% comfortable with talking to you about anything.  Should something stand out ask more details about it, being careful not to plant any words, suggestions, or hints of the behavior you’re trying to isolate.  Once you have an idea of what might have happened in the center and the teacher didn’t discuss it with you, make sure to bring it up with the teachers, then the administrators if you need to.  Most daycare centers are highly regulated and required to report to you even the most minor incidents.

The “Drop In”

Any daycare center should allow you to “drop in” anytime.  I find this to be one of the most effective ways to get a true gauge of how the daycare center is run.  During interviews, drop offs, and pickups, the daycare center and its employees will be on their best behavior.  As a responsible parent for the well being of your child, you also need to be sure that these best practices and best behaviors are carried on throughout the day.

It’s best to give your child a few weeks before you have your first drop in visit.  You don’t want to drop in until your child is more comfortable in daycare.  If they’re still nervous or about daycare, your visit could cause quite the scene.  That is definitely something you do not want to happen.  The best scenario is if you are able to observe your child without your child seeing you.  This gives you the opportunity to see how your child interacts with the other kids, how they interact with the teachers and aides, and what a normal day might be like in the center.

I would recommend three or four drop-in visits spaced out about a month apart when you first start a daycare center.  This should help you to get a very accurate idea of how this daycare center runs and how well your child is doing within it.  You can keep up the pattern of visits but the first two or three are most important.  If you can avoid it don’t come in on the same day at the same time every month.  You don’t want them to get used to when you’ll arrive and prepare for your visit.  The whole idea of the drop-in is that they’re not prepared so you get a truer of the daycare center.

Drop-in visits are also a very useful tool should you suspect something is happening at the daycare center and you want to try to catch it happening.  The effectiveness of this visit will depend greatly on the amount of information you can get from your child.  You’ll need to find out if there’s a specific time, a specific child, or specific teacher that your issue might be with and make sure to coordinate your visit with that information.

The Virtual Drop In

Many daycare centers are employing technology to ease parents’ concerns in this area, by using video cameras in the classroom that the front desk or administrators can watch. Some daycare centers even give you the opportunity to watch streaming video of your child’s classroom over the internet, so you can keep track of your children at work.

Daycare preschool centers can be a great experience for you and your child.  They offer a wide variety of services and education, and grant you one of the most flexible daycare options.  It also gives your child good preparation for entering school. The larger classes and the more organized daily routines are the most like a school environment.

The quality of daycare centers can vary widely so be sure to stay vigilant.  They usually have a high turnover rate which means you may see a lot of different teachers for the children. Make an effort to welcome new teachers and pay attention to how your child is reacting to them.

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Your Time in an In-Home Daycare

6-In Care, In-Home Daycare, Tips, , , ,

daycare_reading_togetherIs very important to make sure you stay vigilant even after you’ve decided on what appears to be the best in-home daycare for your child’s needs.  This step is often neglected but it is one of the most important ways for you to ensure that your child is in a quality daycare.

In a childcare center, other faculty members can keep an eye on what’s going on with the children and each other. But in a person’s private home, it’s another story. The intimate personal setting of an in-home daycare can give your child a much stronger bond with a provider and the other children, and more specialized care but the private nature of the daycare can also come at a cost—nobody is there to report a questionable situation.

It is in your family’s best interest when picking up your children and dropping them off to actually take them inside of the daycare.  This allows you the opportunity to do a quick scan of the daycare for cleanliness, safety, and where the children spend most of the day.  Every so often, you should be able to wander some at the daycare to see where children will be.  Make sure to scan the main play area inside, the kitchen or where their food is prepared, the bathroom, and their outdoor play area.  All of these should remain clean and tidy during drop off and pick up.  The provider’s home should be clean and ready for the day in the morning, and at the end of the day, perhaps a bit cluttered with toys, but things should be tidied during the day. The older children can help more with cleaning up than the younger children, but picking up toys should definitely be a regular part of the day. The floors should be clear enough for people to walk on, meals should be cleaned up and table areas should be wiped down. A clean house is important for healthy and safe environment.

The Other Parents

It’s a good idea to learn the names of the other parents and their children that go to the daycare.  If you can get into a friendly relationship with them, you can work together to keep an eye on the daycare and your children.  These relationships can really be to your advantage when discussing situations with the daycare or with their kids.  It really is only a matter of time before the kids at the daycare are close friends.  But some children may develop problems with other children in the daycare. If you’ve already established a good relationship with the other parents, tackling a situation will be less awkward.

Ask About Their Day

Most daycare providers will generally write up a synopsis of their day or week.  If they don’t volunteer this, ask for one.  One of the advantages of enrolling your children in an in-home daycare is their flexibility to meet your needs.  An update of the day should be posted on an information board just inside the home.  It should include what their meals were for the day, what activities they did and any special events, such as field trips, birthdays or other celebrations.

You can ask the provider specifics about the day, should you need to, but for the most part, the written summary should be sufficient. The activities and preschool topics for the kids should be in line with what the provider promised during your interview with them.

The “Drop In”

Any daycare provider should allow you to visit at anytime.  This can be one of the most effective ways to get a true gauge of how the daycare is run.  During interviews, drop off and pick up, the daycare provider will be on their best behavior.  As a responsible parent for the well being of your child, you also need to be sure that these best practices are carried throughout the day.

It’s best to give your child a few weeks before you have your first drop in.  You don’t want to drop in until your child is more comfortable at the daycare, and knows the routine.  If they’re still nervous or unsure about the daycare, or don’t know the routine, your visit could cause quite the scene, and you don’t want to be the reason they have trouble acclimating. The best scenario is that your child sees you, possibly greets you, and then continues on about their business.  This gives you the opportunity to see how your child interacts with the other kids, how they interact with the provider, and what a normal day might be like.

I would recommend three or four of these visits spaced out about a month apart when you first start daycare.  This should help you to get a very accurate idea of how the daycare runs and how well your child is doing.  You can keep dropping in, but the first two or three visits are most important.  If you can avoid it don’t come on the same day at the same time every month.  You don’t want them to get used to when you’ll arrive and prepare for your visit.  The whole idea of the drop-in is that they’re not prepared for you, so you get a true view of the daycare center.

Dropping in is a very useful tool if you are concerned about the care your child is receiving.  The effectiveness of this visit will depend greatly on the amount of information you can get from your child.  You’ll need to find out if there’s a specific time, a specific child, or specific teacher that your issue might be with and make sure to coordinate your visit with that information.

Things to Look For:

  • An excess of candy or treats.
  • Excessive TV watching.
  • Free play time – This is definitely important for child development; however, the children shouldn’t just be stuck in a room and left to play all day long.  Structured and educational activities are very important.
  • Not having time to discuss the day regularly.
  • The provider sends your child out of the house to meet you instead of having  you pick them up inside.
  • Any talk of secrets from your child.

In-home daycare providers are usually less expensive than daycare centers and offer a very wide variety of care styles.  They are more oftentimes more flexible than centers and can often better accommodate special needs such as allergies or developmental disabilities. Your child will build stronger and longer lasting bonds with in-home daycare providers, which can be very beneficial.  It is very important for you to keep your eyes open and to remain constantly involved in their care.  Daycares are not inspected regularly and may only get a visit from a state investigator when a complaint has been filed. So it is very important that you act as the daily inspector for your child’s well being.

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Warning Signs in Daycare or Preschool

5-First Week, 6-In Care, Child's Age, Daycare Centers, In-Home Daycare, Tips, , , , , , , ,

childcare_artOnce your child is enrolled in a home daycare, daycare center, or preschool, you need to be aware of the provider and the children. If the provider always seems unhappy, exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of the day, you might want to ask her about it.

Relationships between daycare providers and parents aren’t always the most comfortable. Sometimes they can get downright frosty. Oftentimes this is because the provider and the parent have different ideas about childcare. Hopefully it is something that can be resolved. The parent’s relationship with the daycare provider is important. If you don’t have an honest relationship with the person who is taking care of your child, you can’t trust that person to work with you when something goes wrong.

You must take action promptly when you suspect abuse or neglect. It’s something none of us wants to even consider, but you need to be on the lookout for red flags.

Here are some signs of trouble:

  • The provider never has time to talk to you.
  • Child is shuffled out the door when you drive up.  You should always pick them up inside.
  • You should be allowed to visit your child at any time. You should not be discouraged from seeing your child.
  • Change in your child’s behavior—any sort of dramatic behavioral change.
  • Your child starts using inappropriate words.
  • Showing an unusual interest in people’s private parts.
  • Any talk of secrets or keeping anything from anyone.
  • An excessive fear of going to daycare.
  • An excessive amount of scrapes, cuts, and bruises.

Talk to other parents, they may be stumbling onto something you do not know about yet.

Parenting is hard enough without having to worry about your child while you are at work. But no matter the great references or reputation, if you feel that something is not right, listen to your gut. It’s better that you be an overprotective parent than to have a bad situation continue.

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