[Mackenzie]

The best way to help a child recognize their emotions is by letting them express themselves and giving them a safe space to do so.

[Mackenzie]

Deep breathing is an effective way to manage the stresses of working with children. Other ways that I have found work for me is singing a song to myself in my head to distract me from the stressful thoughts, taking a bathroom break to collect myself and my thoughts, and having a vics stick handy to smell when I need a shock to my system in order to calm down.

[Mackenzie]

I would start by welcoming them to the center and to our classroom, and after doing so I would point out our entrances/exits, bathrooms, kitchen, and play areas indoors and outdoors so the parents are familiar with the layout of the entire center so they will never be confused about where to find their child.

[Mackenzie]

The child’s wellbeing always comes first so if I noticed signs of abuse, I would consult with the lead teacher to see if they have seen the same signs I have and if they have, I will report it to the director and to CPS.

[Mackenzie]

My biggest worry about keeping children safe is the requirement to report neglect or abuse going on at home because while it needs to be done, as someone who would’ve ended up in foster care had my caregivers reported the abuse at home, I know in some cases it isn’t always in the child’s best interest to not be in their families care despite possible neglect. I will of course report it because I am required too but it does worry me because I know the foster care system often isn’t much better.

[Mackenzie]

Being polite and professional while maintaining mutual respect is a great way to keep a good partnership between caregivers and families.

[Mackenzie]

3 expectations would be them being treated kindly, being in a safe and clean environment, and having caregivers that care about them and their development. 3 concerns would be possibilities of abuse or neglect, an unsafe or unsanitary environment, and inattentive caregivers.

[Mackenzie]

Developing social skills, getting to know each child individually, and engaging in activities such as circle time to help in multiple aspects of development are all great ways to get children engaged in active, meaningful learning.

[Mackenzie]

Planning out their meal, snack, and outside times is a great way to start a daily schedule. To ensure you stick to the schedule you must keep an eye on the clock and know your schedule by heart to ensure things are done in a reasonable a prudent amount of time.

[Mackenzie]

I believe it is important to have a clean, functional and realistically organized environment that is made to work for the children. It should be at their height, be accessible to all students, and have labels in all languages spoken by children in the care facility.

[Mackenzie]

The best way to approach a difficult subject like this with parents is to do so with utmost caution and respect. You can go over what to say with coworkers and higher officials before speaking with the parents, but when it comes time to discuss it with them you must provide them with the documented information about the child’s developmental red flags to ensure they understand that it isn’t just an assumption of an issue, it is a recorded red flag that needs to be addressed.

[Mackenzie]

Observing and documenting a child’s development helps care providers to learn how to better adapt in order to properly help the child grow at a developmentally appropriate rate. It can also help to individualize lesson plans to better suit the needs of the children in their care.

[Mackenzie]

I don’t believe children need screentime at all in a daycare environment. If the parent chooses to allow their child to have screentime at home that is their prerogative, but I do feel that it causes children to be more distant, aggressive, and overall unengaged with their peers and the lessons being taught in daycare.

[Mackenzie]

Communicate to the parent that while it may not seem like that much time to them, 20 minutes of being the only child whose parents haven’t arrived can cause them to have unwanted feelings and behaviors. Also discuss the schedule and if there is any way to make it work where they can pick the child up in a reasonable amount of time. If the behavior continues, it may have to be suggested that the parent find other forms of childcare because while it is the responsibility of the workers to care for the child, it is the parent’s responsibility to pick their child up on time.

[Mackenzie]

1. Which WACs address diversity and collaboration with families? Interconnectivity, Cultural Humility, and having one set of aligned rules and regulations.
2. What big messages do the WACs give regarding diversity and collaboration? Having and displaying proper intent and authority, creating a supportive and educational environment, and interconnectivity with students, staff, and families.