Sometimes kids can’t even name the emotion they are going through. So I let them explain what they are feeling in their body or mind. Like, “What are you feeling?” “I feel like I need to scream and kick”, “Looks like you’re frustrated and angry.” Once we name the emotion we’re dealing with, usually we can find the cause and a solution pretty quickly

I usually take a step back and try to separate the individual from myself. Also I’ll communicate this with my peers and go take a break or a moment to destress and recharge a bit.

Again, listening is key. Let the children know that they are seen and appreciated and catching on cues for help quickly helps a lot because it builds the trust that they will receive help when they ask for it. Even if you’re busy show them some form of response even if it’s a “I’m helping a different friend right now but after I’m done I will…

Read more

I always count to 10 before talking if I’m negatively emotional. I usually ask for motherly love to come out from me for the child and usually that calms me down. Positive interaction with children also help me a lot (hugs, smiles, waving cheerily at me etc.).

Listening is key but remember to do active listening. Make sure to give them reactions or signs that show them that you are still listening. Also, observing is important but it is also important to interact with them. Work with them, have personal conversations that are meaningful to them and to you.

It will be useful in situations where a person has never worked in childcare before or in cases of illnesses or emergencies or generally for situations where things uncommon happen

single layer baby crib, a firm mat or a playpen

I like the idea of having a weekly rotation of jobs for the children to do. Such as “song starter: starts the song for circle or clean up”, “electrician: turns on and off lights”, “Line leader: leads the line”, “Door holder: holds the door open for the line when coming in and going out” etc. This encourages children to be active and get…

Read more

I always like to make healthy habit related games or song and if it’s food related preparing the food together would give them exposure to certain foods they may not like initially.

First of all I’ll welcome them into a classroom and give them a classroom tour. I’ll show where the exits/bathrooms are and the fire exit route. After that I’ll show what procedure we do to ensure the children’s safety such as labeling material, keeping safety hazards either out of the classroom or out of children’s reach as well as…

Read more

If I see anything that seems to point towards child neglect or abuse I will notify the lead first to see if the lead teacher has been also seeing the same issues. Then, if this is confirmed I’ll go talk to the site director to see what the policy is before going straight to CPS. Mainly because I don’t want to jump the guns and damage…

Read more

My biggest fear is doing something thinking that it was the best for the kid only to be it not good for the kid. Also media these days are so accessible and the average age where they are first exposed to media is getting lower. That said, things that are said on media are not always best for the kids

The key is to constantly communicate, be it positive or negative. In this way you can build trust. And I like to talk about positive aspects first and keep the negative part after. Then to wrap it up with a positive note, emphasizing that this can happen and that it is fixable.

Things I want from the provider:

1. Love and support for the child

2. Openness and accepting the child for who they are

3. Professionalism in this field of work

Things I fear:

1. The provider putting their comfort over the child’s comfort/development.

2. Not caring properly/protecting the child

3. Not being honest with me about the child

I think the key-point having children engaged is to do something they are interested in but also to be interested in what they are doing. If a child is doing painting and shows you the picture, instead of saying, “That looks great!” I’d say, “Oh, is that a painting of your family? What can you tell me about them, what are they doing in…

Read more

Pencil in times and obviously try to make it regular. I like to work with meal times first and then sleep times, and then depending on the time zone plan out which activity time it is.

Everything should be easily accessible to children unless they are material that children shouldn’t touch. (in this case, it should be out of their line of sight). The environment should be warm, welcoming, and neat.

Writing out a script and practicing with an experiences co-worker would help. Also to have your observational records ready so that your assessment has factual evidence is needed. When communicating this assessment with the parent, it is good to give them a list of resources they can go to if needed and show that you are willing/wanting to…

Read more

Observing and documenting a child’s development helps you understand the child better. And with better understanding, you can taylor their activity so that it matches the individual’s developmental stage. It also gives you backed-up sources when making decisions such as whether a certain friend is ready to move on a more challenging work or not.

I feel like maybe 20-30 minutes of screen time once a week or two would be okay. Treat it as a special program day or something like that. But make sure it’s an interactive program that’s playing on the screen such as dancing along with the people in TV.

I like demonstrating new works to the child. I’ll show how to do the work and let the child try it. When the child finishes the first step, I’ll demonstrate how to do the next step.

First I would let the mother know that 20 minutes may not feel long to an adult, but for a child 20 minutes is a long time and it affects the child to always be the last one to get picked up. Then I will proceed to ask what the cause of her frequently late pick up is and see if it’s a thing that the center and the parent can work together to…

Read more

WAC 110-300-160 indicates that an early learning provider must provide culturally and racially diverse learning opportunities and must demonstrate those activities. The activities may be equipped with materials such as diverse dolls, picture, games, and music in diverse language from different ethnic groups. It is also the providers…

Read more

I learned a lot through WAC. The shear amount of regulations just made re-realize how big of a responsibility it is to take care of children. It has made me more aware of my actions when interacting with children, be more aware of my qualifications/requirements I need to meet to keep working with them, and gave me a guideline on what I need if…

Read more