Are You Getting The Best Daycare Provider?

You’ve scoped out the daycare centre to make sure it’s been childproofed and seems safe, but what should you look for in the daycare provider? While there’s no one-size-fits-all mold that guarantees a positive daycare experience, you should expect certain qualities and skills in the person you entrust with your precious little one. With a list of qualifications in mind, you can easily tell if a potential daycare provider has what it takes.

In fact, this is the question most parents think about before they engage someone to care for their young children in their absence. Because a good childcare provider whether a nanny or babysitter is one that makes the parents and children comfortable, secure and safe. If you are on the look-out for a childcare provider for your children, you may want one that is patience, nurturing, fun loving and responsible. Taking care of children is a very important job and responsibility, the role of a daycare provider is vital in helping and developing the educational and fun activities for young children while also monitoring their safety.

Here Are Some Of The Important Traits You Should Look For In a Daycare Provider.

•  Patience

Without the trait of patience, few daycare providers can be successful in their jobs. Children present all kinds of situations, from the stressful and frustrating to the problematic and outright chaotic. If children are misbehaving or upset, a daycare provider has to be patient and calm enough to handle the pressure with dignity and ease. Remaining cool and collected, with an even temperament, is characteristic of good daycare providers

• A good communicator

A good daycare provider knows how to communicate with the children because the way such a provider communicates with the children provides a good indicator of what experience they will provide the children. It is very important that they ask questions to the children about themselves and show a genuine interest in the replies the children give them. A daycare provider that relates well with the children is sure to provide a fun, stimulating and nurturing atmosphere.

• They have good discipline skills.

They use common sense where discipline is concerned. Are you more of a dictator who expects children to behave? Are you a marshmallow who would allow children to walk all over you? Either extreme will not bode well in a daycare setting. A home daycare provider needs to be able to set firm, yet flexible rules.

• Nurturing

It’s tough to leave your little one with someone else. Your toddler may feel the same apprehension over being separated from you. However, a daycare provider with a nurturing personality can give your child a feeling of safety and comfort when you’re gone .

• Responsible

A daycare provider takes on a huge responsibility when they agree to watch your little one. You may assume that anyone who enters the child care field would have a sense of ,  but that’s not always the case. You want an adult who provides constant supervision of your child and makes responsible decisions that keep him safe while you’re gone. Responsibility often comes with age and experience in the child care field.

• They actually like coming up with new activities.

There is a lot of planning involved in daycare. The children will need something new to discover, learn or to stretch their imaginations. Good daycare providers are always on the look-out for fresh ideas to incorporate into their programs. They enjoy teaching children and are as thrilled as the child when something new is learned or accomplished.

• Child Development Knowledge

Unlike teachers, daycare providers often aren’t required to have specific education, but a person who knows a little about kids is better able to care for yours. If she understands that toddlers often have separation anxiety, she’ll be better able to help soothe your sad tot at drop-off. A daycare provider with some teaching experience, a child development background or years of day care experience is likely to better understand the child.

• Emergency Training
  If a child should ever require emergency health care, it’s nice to know that the daycare provider can handle any crises that arise in the parent’s absence. The more informed a daycare provider is in matters of first aid, CPR and is trained to respond to severe allergies, the more secure the parent can feel that the child will be adequately taken care of during emergencies. For example, if a young child chokes on a toy piece, it would be desirable to have the provider be able to administer the right way to help the child.

• Physical Energy

Kids are known for running around with tons of excess energy, so it’s not an uncommon occurrence for daycare providers to have to keep up with them by physically following them around to make sure the child doesn’t wander or just to keep tabs on what the child is doing. They must be able to keep up their physical stamina for this purpose, but also to ensure that they are always awake and alert on the job because the one minute they doze off could be when the child gets into trouble.

• A Nurturer.

Not only with children, but everyone around them. They have a natural ability to take care of others. They will naturally show affection to others, and know instinctively that children need to be held, cuddled, and made to feel they are important.

Last but not least,  choosing the right daycare provider is a personal choice. When deciding, you will need to consider your hours, finances, values, need for flexibility versus routine, and most importantly, your child! In order to find care that fits your child, choose a daycare provider that is in line with your child’s personality. And in fact, you probably don’t need to hear your daycare provider’s whole life story, but a care provider should be able to communicate well with you. She spends a large chunk of time daily with your little one, so you want to know what happens during the hours they’re together. This includes things like behavior problems, health issues, potty training progress and interactions she has with the other children at the facility.