It’s easy to laugh at helicopter parents. (Especially behind their backs.) But no one laughs at helicopter-style child care centers. Actually, they applaud them. “It’s a marker of quality!” they say. Why the difference in reactions? It’s a subtle, nuanced issue. Stating the obvious, parents and caretakers have different responsibilities. For child care providers, there … Read more
Some kids run until they crash. Others simmer quietly and stew, internalizing the noise of the world until it becomes too loud inside their heads. No matter the personality, all kids need space to reset. The tricky part is, they don’t always know how to ask for it—and as adults, we’re not always great at … Read more
Until a few years ago, nobody thought much about the mental health of preschoolers. Young kids were… kids. Nothing more. Kids, of course, are silly and immature. They do dumb things. Weird things. Today, though, attitudes have completely changed. Mental health is a hot topic in the media. Everyone from celebrities to college students are … Read more
What makes a great daycare? As a parent, you probably have a checklist. But your child doesn’t. He or she only knows whether they like a place or not. Fortunately, all kids, including yours, want the same things. Same things? You bet. That’s because young kids only have a few basic desires. Once met, they’re … Read more
Believe it or not, there’s a lot going on during quiet time at a daycare. Most obvious is sleep. Young kids usually need naps in the middle of the day. (And everyone else–teachers, other kids–need them to nap!) However, scheduled quiet time includes more than a recharge. That’s why putting kids into nap/won’t-nap categories doesn’t … Read more
As a parent, you probably have mixed emotions about screen time at daycare. On the one hand, some is OK because… well, it’s daycare. On the other hand, too much is bad. But how much screen time is too much? Thirty minutes a day? An hour? Two hours? (According to one survey of daycare centers, … Read more
Is outdoor play “weather dependent” at your daycare? It is for most daycares… and that’s a problem. You see daycare licensing agencies leave weather interpretation up to the staff. While licensors do prefer that kids go outside every day, they do not issue edicts. So there’s no ironclad definition of “good” or “bad” weather. Subjective … Read more
Imagine visiting Times Square for the purpose of trying to think. Or talk. Or learn something new. Crazy idea, of course. Because few of us could focus among the jumbotrons and 50-ft billboards. Kids, too, find it hard to ignore visual distractions while using their brains. Which makes it very strange that so many daycare … Read more