As an Early Learning specialist, child care trainer, and former Center director, when it came to putting my children in child care I had to find the right place for all of us. My children needed to be happy and I had to be comfortable with letting someone else watch my children.

First off the bat, you don’t find day care. You are not paying someone to watch the days. You are finding someone to care for your child(ren). Finding the right child care can be a challenge. The perfect fit for your child may not be the perfect fit for your best friend’s child.

When looking for a child care, call first. Ask your important questions: cost, routine, activities, menu, etc. The good places will invite you to visit before making your choices. If they don’t want you to visit, consider that a sign. You are a parent; the child care center should have an open door policy for you. But as a parent, understand the best times for coming in. Don’t show up during nap time and expect a full tour, it won’t happen. If you walk in during a huge transition (meal time) expect a bit more noise than normal.

When you visit, and you will visit, look for key things. Is it clean? States have a standard for cleanliness that must be maintained in the child care facility. If you are looking at a family in home, how do they use their space for child care and keep the home feeling? What colors are the spaces? Colors have been shown to affect a child’s behavior. Has the facility taken that into consideration? Red encourages children to be hyper and stimulates an appetite. Blue is calming. Yellow in the eating area helps to suppress an appetite.

Listen to the staff. The volume of their voices will give you an insight into how they talk to the children. If you take your child on the visit, pay attention to how staff interacts with your child. Are they welcoming and engaging? Do they draw your child into the activity? Do the other kids ask her to play? Are the pictures on the wall at a child’s level? If everything is at your height, those are adult pleasers. Children need pictures and projects hung at their level to see and touch them.

During your walk through, check out the learning space. Every child care space must have:

Block area — there should be plenty of blocks for about three to four children
to build together in a safe area so other children won’t knock down their
buildings.
Dramatic play — This can be a lot of things: house, dress-up, kitchen, post
office, grocery store, hospital.
Creative art — This includes markers, pencils, paper, crayons, scissors, glue,
magazines, scrap paper. The children need to have the materials accessible to
them.
Sensory exploration — Do you see a water table or play dough?
Library/ quiet area — Children need a place for books at all times. This area
can include a cozy couch or washable pillows. Is there a spot for a child
to have some alone time?
Table toys — Can you see manipulative toys stored neatly and accessible?
Outdoor/ large muscle areas — Children need a place to run, climb, push, and
pull. Does the play ground meet those needs?

If you don’t see these areas set up in the space, ask. You are the parent and need to find the best for your child. If you have a good feeling about it and are comfortable with the facility and staff, then talk with management. You may have found the right fit for you and your child. Don’t be afraid to say you have to think about it. Go visit more places, but, don’t be afraid to make a decision.

Building Language, Part 3...Last one I promise

Finally, I try to always encourage interaction. Add a word to the discussion to give more vocabulary to your child.
Use C.A.R:
Comment
Add
Respond.

You child shows you a toy or makes a noise. You comment- I see you have a baby. Child holds baby up. Add a new word: The baby is happy. The goal is to have interaction five times. Add: Your happy baby wants to bounce. Keep it up as long as you have your child's attention. This building opportunity will usually go much longer than five:)

In addition, always READ a book. A good children's book will provide at least five vocabulary words that are not used on a daily basis with your child. Every new word or unused word becomes a part of their vocabulary. As your child learns to read, phonics and sounding out, they will know was is not w a s but wus because of the familiarity to it.

It may not be pretty, but I will wear the tights.

We all know that Moms are looked at as super heroes. Most women will tell you don't worry, you can't do it all. You can't be “Super Mom.” (Insert super hero theme song) And that is true. Who could do the laundry, make the lunches, wash the dishes, change the baby, cook the meals, drive the mom mobile, sew the costumes, read the bed time stories, have an immaculate home at all times, ensure all members are up, dressed and out the door on time, have a job outside of the house, and spend time on facebook? It is a daunting task.

My house is a mess. I can't seem to keep it as clean as my mom did. How did she do it? I get it clean for company, so mom did raise me right.

My daughter always has a clean bottom. Dishes are done before things grow.

We spend an inordinate amount of time commuting. We live 30 minutes away from daycare and school. I'm crazy I know it. There are many wasted hours that I could be home cleaning, vacuuming, or running to the store for milk. Not to mention, all the activities have my son in and wait in town for him to finish. But we use that time for car games, reading, talking, and telling stories.

But what I am able to accomplish makes me feel like “Super Mom.” I want to be the mom that amazes everyone, and I do try. I may not always be successful but I give it my best. Maybe story time happens while my daughter is sitting on the potty as a way to distract her from what we are really doing in there. Or maybe instead of buying the expensive costume I make a cool Jedi one using a quick pattern I found. I know where the missing boy scout book is, I can make a music cd for the daycare program, and I can make a mean crockpot meat loaf. That makes me the super hero to my family.

So hand over those tights, make mine green please, and I will squeeze my not so perfect body into them to stand in my super hero pose (again insert theme song).

Building Language, Part 2

In part one, we discussed the importance of using straws and talking to your child. The next step is to give everything a name. You child does not know that a table is a table unless you use that term when talking with her. By using the proper name of each object you will be providing so many new words each day. Just think about it!! In sitting down for dinner you could have 10 words alone (plate, chair, table, meat, milk, cup, corn, napkin, fork, spoon, bread...see I told you).

The important part to naming each object is to stay away from the word "it." This useful little word incessantly finds its way into our vocabulary. Our job, as parents or caregivers, is to be aware of the word it and try to use the proper name of the object, not the pronoun for it. I just did it. OH no I did it again. (See it is insidious.)

Don't stress about the word it. If you find that you said "put you cup on it" just make your statement again with the noun "put your cup on the table."

Growing so fast

Every day I look at my beautiful children and am amazed at how far they have come, how truly kind, compassionate, helpful, and strong they are.

Ethan:


-Is now seven
-has another loose tooth
-Needed new shoes and pants (he must be all legs)
-Loves to help with his sister, always wants to holds and help with her.
-won't try to change a diaper (I really don't blame him)
-Excels at math (he complains that he isn't doing the "x problems" in first grade)
-Writes detailed stories
-draws pictures with detail and action!
-has seven year old behaviors at times.....
-Loves his family and God.
-is very technical savy. He can play all types of games online and on the computer.
-reads very well. His favorite right now is Calvin and Hobbs!
-takes great pictures with his camera.

Ayla:


-Has a tooth!
-pulls up on things
-crawls, and is even starting to crawl traditionally
-parallel plays with a toddler friend at daycare (not a 10 month old skill!)
-plays catch
-can pass/ throw the ball with some direction
-is beginning to sign (she has finished and more down pat!)
-loves to laugh and smile, showing off the dimples on both cheeks
-grabs everything and puts anything in her mouth....she keeps us VERY busy
-Told grandma NO, verbally while shaking her head no, when mema tried to take the -pretty pink sparkly shoe back. Guess what Mema is getting Ayla :)
-loves food with flavor! She will eat almost anything. But for some reason won't touch peaches.
-is enthralled with puzzles! She can entertain her self for a long time.
-stacks things. I was trying to put away the train puzzle and found pieces on top of her activity cube, on top of peek-a-blocks.She is always playing with her stacking cups.

(I have to do the ages and stages assessment again, but I know she has some very advance skills)

Growing so big

Ayla has been standing in her crib for a while. She still does her funky crawl, but she moves fast. Ayla discovered cat food today...YIKES


Big Brother to the rescue!

Built a Wall

Even though he built a wall between them, Ethan put aside his differences to show his love for his sister.