The best way to let children express their emotions is by letting them talk to you. Ask them questions such as “what emotions are you feeling right now?” “why are you feeling those emotions right now?” “what can we do about those feelings?” When we ask them questions it is important to listen to them and their answers so that we can help…

Read more

I would talk with my family and friends about my feelings but I would also talk with someone who has worked in childcare or education longer than I have, to see what advice they have for me.

Interact with the child, talk with them, ask them questions, and use the services and return method frequently with them. Be engaged in conversation with the child especially if they are sharing about their struggles, personal life, home life, or passions.

After work I love to sing in the car on my way home, music has always been therapeutic for me so this is what I do when I am stressed. I also love to talk to my friends and family about why I am stressed to get the emotions off my chest.

Interact with the children! Play with them, read with them, and talk with them about the things that they are playing with. Spending time is crucial and having a kind and calm tone will help them gain your trust with you which will help your interactions/connections with them.

Yes, I think that they would be helpful (especially for people who are new or are not familiar with them) in times of a crisis or emergency, where they would likely be stressed and would need to make fast decisions.

You should use a single-level crib with a firm mattress that is not touching any other crib.

During cleanup, I can have my children listen to a song while they are moving around the classroom. I can also have my children get up and dance/move while we listen to songs. Doing morning stretches with the kiddos is also a great way to start their day.

Make healthy habits fun by adding upbeat music, and fun activities that will excite the children. When doing a physical activity make it a game, we did that in my elementary school and it was always really fun. Lastly, don’t add any negative connotations to the healthy habit(s).

I would not focus just on the safety procedures, I would include all of the fun, welcoming, and warm things about the program but I would also include the procedures as they came up. For example, if we walked outside I would mention that my program has a gated fence around the playground and that our doors are locked 100% of the time. I would…

Read more

I would talk with the child and ask them about my observations and then I would report it if I thought that it was abuse or neglect. I am a mandated reporter so I would report first and then consult with my fellow teachers.

One thing that worries me most about keeping children safe is when they are eating because I am so scared that one of the children is going to choke. I am also worried about keeping children safe while outside due to the area that we are in. I am most interested in learning about how to help children manage their emotions so that we can keep…

Read more

I would create a positive relationship with the parents by being honest with them and reminding them of the good things that their child did that day rather than all the bad things. I would try and ask them about their day and how we can make their day better or easier.

If I was a parent of an infant or young child, three things that I would want from my childcare provider are…

1. For them to treat my child with kindness and not yell (in a mean way) or speak to them in a negative

2. I want them to play with my child and get to know them

3. I want them to keep my child safe and care for them when they need…

Read more

I would personally make my lessons hands-on if possible because I know that children are more engaged when they are physically seeing and touching objects. For example, if I was teaching children different shapes I would bring in squishy shapes that they can touch and feel while they are learning. I would also want to learn how each child…

Read more

Once you create the schedule make sure to let the children know so that they can be prepared. If it is a consistent schedule, enforce it from the get-go. If you are comfortable and able to let the children partake in creating the schedule I would say let them.

I think that the environment needs to be very welcoming, calming, and enjoyable for all children. There needs to be toys and other objects that are age-appropriate for each child and fun for them too. It needs to be organized to a certain degree because children can get overstimulated fairly quickly.

I do not like having screens in classrooms and would rather have children play with hands-on toys or books. Screen time is becoming more prominent in schools and children are using screens way too early. I did not have screen time in my classrooms when I was younger and I am extremely glad that I didn’t because I think that it can cause…

Read more

Learning providers can create a “serve and return” environment by interacting with each child one on one or in a small group throughout the day(s). When you spend time with children, overtime you will start to see patterns in what catches their attention. For example, if I interact with a child and they show me animals in every activity we do…

Read more

What are some good ways to approach a parent about the developmental screening of their child?

This is a very tricky subject to talk to parents about because no parent wants to hear that their child could potentially be developmentally delayed. As many others have said, it is best to script out what you’re going to say so that you say enough…

Read more