Parents approach child care with mixed emotions. On one hand, it's great to drop your little one off somewhere you can trust so that you can get on with work, study or any number of the important tasks that fill your day. If your child is old enough to have started school, these tasks don't stop just because the term has, and you may be looking into vacation care. But what exactly does your child do all day after you give them one last cuddle and head for the door? And are you really doing the right thing?
It's time to take a sneak peek into what happens at your child care or vacation care centre when you're not around.
CHILD CARE CENTRES
If your child attends a child care centre, you may not be too surprised to learn that they call the shots! Child care centres keep kids on the move, and your son or daughter's day will be jam packed with activities.
Because the trend today is towards child-centred learning, your child's educators actually structure their daily activities around the interests of your child and their peers. This means that what goes on will vary widely from room to room and centre to centre. The things that do stay the same are an emphasis on learning through play, and the ultimate goal of transitioning successfully to primary school.
If you're still yearning to find out exactly what takes place, here are a few activities your child might try:
Numeracy: games and activities centred around recognising numbers and learning to count.
Literacy: hearing and telling stories, singing and recognising and forming letters in unique ways.
Emotional development: naming their emotions, developing empathy, learning to share and deal with conflict and, of course, making friends.
Physical activity: unstructured play and organised activities including anything from yoga to soccer.
Hygiene, oral health and grooming: practising their manners and table etiquette, washing hands, brushing teeth and playing dressup.
Quiet time.
Arts and crafts.
The sky's the limit!
VACATION CARE
If your little one is old enough for school, you may need to enrol them in vacation care during the holidays. Holiday programs are structured a little differently to child care. Although planning will still centre around your child's interests, because they are already in school there is less emphasis on following an educational syllabus.
Here's what your child might get up to:
Sports, fitness circuits, yoga and dance
Trampolining
Water activities
Playing and listening to music
Arts and crafts
Excursions away from school
So go ahead and get on with your day secure in the knowledge that no matter the age or interests of your child, they are sure to have a great time at child care.
Share5 February 2018
Finding a nursery that provides a stimulating and safe environment for your child can feel like a daunting task. I've used nurseries for all four of my children, and as my husband's job requires him to move around the country frequently, I have gone through the process of selecting a suitable nursery around fifteen times. I started this blog to provide a parent's view of nursery care and share practical tips you can use when choosing a nursery for your child. My posts cover a number of topics, such as spotting red flags, working in partnership with nursery staff, preparing your child for starting nursery and asking prospective nurseries for the right information. I hope you find my blog useful and informative.