When it was time for me to return to work after having my oldest child, I was grateful to find an amazing childcare facility for them to go to. However, I quickly learned that childcare is not just about dropping off your kids and picking them up at the end of the day. To make childcare education effective, you need to help those workers teach your kids. So, that's my blog is all about. I want to help parents who are using childcare for the first time to get your kids into a learning frame of mind. From flash cards to building blocks, there is plenty you can do at home to encourage your kid to learn, and that means when they go to the childcare facility each day, the eagerness to learn continues.
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If you are planning to put your son or daughter into a childcare centre, here are a couple of tips that you might find helpful.
Be careful about what you put in their packed lunch
Some childcare centres provide hot meals on a daily basis. However, if the facility you have chosen does not do this, you will need to prepare a packed lunch for your child each day.
It's important to be careful about the foods that you put into your child's lunch box.
First and foremost, you should avoid putting in any items that could potentially cause a serious allergic reaction in other children that your son or daughter comes into contact with during their time at the facility (peanuts are a good example of a food that can cause anaphylactic shock in people with nut allergies).
Secondly, you should be wary of including any foods that are known to be choking hazards, even if your child routinely consumes these foods when they are at home. Whilst it may be quite safe for your child to eat foods such as raw carrots, unsliced grapes, seeds and large chunks of cheese at home when they're sitting at the kitchen table and being closely supervised by you or your spouse, these items could increase their risk of choking if eaten at a childcare centre.
This is because, when eating in a social environment with their peers, your son or daughter may be more likely to chew their foods whilst running around and playing with the other children. Eating in this manner can increase the likelihood of them failing to chew their food properly or of a piece of food going into their windpipe.
As such, it is best to simply not put the above-mentioned food items into your child's lunchbox.
Check the weather forecast before choosing their outfits
When your child is at home with you or a nanny, it's very easy to adjust their outfit if you realise that their clothing is unsuitable for the current weather conditions. If they get chilly, you can simply grab a coat, and if they feel too warm, you can exchange their clothes for lightweight garments.
However, when you leave your child at a childcare centre for the day, they will be stuck wearing whatever clothing you choose for them in the morning. This could result in them feeling too cold or too warm.
As such, it's important to check the weather forecast before you select their outfit for the day. If the forecast indicates that the weather may change quite drastically in a few hours' time, make sure to pack one or two additional items in their backpack to ensure that they remain comfortable throughout the entire day (for example, if the temperatures are warm in the morning but are expected to drop in the afternoon, you may want to put a thick jumper in their backpack).
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