| Home Child Care: A Caregiver's Guide |
Organizing Your Home for Child Care
Chapter 2
One of the best things about home child care is that it is provided to children in the most natural of settings -- the family home. While other childcare settings must 'create' housekeepiing areas, quiet corners, and sleeping areas, these are already part of your home. Your challenge is simply to adapt your home to accommodate the extra demands that home child care brings.
There are two important matters to consider when preparing your home for child care. The first is the organization of space -- where will the children play, sleep, and eat? The second is making sure that your home is free from the many hazards to children that are present in any household. In this chapter we will discuss home organization, storage ideas, equipment, and toys.
The time and energy you devote to getting your home ready for child care will be well invested. A safe, well organized home, with sufficient storage space, planned for easy clean-up, will be an inviting place for the children to spend their day and for you to work in.
Remember, when organizing your home for child care, keep in mind your family's need for private space. After all, this is your home as well as your place of business. Your own children may require some private space. Sharing your Mom, toys, and home with others can be very difficult. Some caregivers make their own children's bedroom off-limits to the day care children. Try to keep a child-free corner for yourself too. Sometimes it's nice in the evening to retire to somewhere in your home that's 'for adults only'.
Home Set-Up
Many of your decisions about how you organize your home will depend on the amout of space you have. If your home is large enough to allow a room or two to be used exclusively for the children's activities, this will make your planning easier. But even a small home or apartment can, with careful organization and planning, accommodate the children's needs without making you feel as though you are living in a day care centre or toy store!
The children will need space for sleeping, eating and playing.
Sleeping/Resting
The type of space needed for sleeping will depend on the age, size, numbers, and the sleep or rest patterns of the children involved.
An infant who requires naps in the morning and the afternoon should sleep in a room close enough for you to hear them and check on them regularly. At the same time, the area has to be far enough away from the bustle and activities of toddlers and preschoolers so that the baby's sleep is not interrupted (A good quality baby monitor is an excellent investment if you provide care to infants).
Some toddlers and preschoolers don't have any difficulty having a nap or quiet time in a room with others. If this is the case with your daycare children, you may choose any room where there is sufficient space (possibly the playroom) as the nap area.
Make sure that whatever room you choose can be darkened appropriately for rest time and that the area is far enough away from the telephone, doorbell, and other household noises which may disturb the children. At nap time, you might consider putting the telephone on a lower setting, and hanging a sign on the front door asking visitors to knock instead of ringing the bell.
If you are using an area for sleep that is also used for play, you may find that the children settle down better if you have some kind of pre-nap routine that includes changing the room's appearance somewhat. A routine such as you and the children tidying up toys, setting up cots, dimming the lights, drawing the curtains, and putting on some soothing music helps give the room a different and quieter feel, sound, and look.
There may be children in your care (or your own children) who just can't settle down to rest when there are other children in the room. If so, you may find it more practical to make use of family bedrooms. If a child is using a family bed, cover the bed with a sheet over a waterproof pad and the child can lie on top of the made bed with their own pillow and comforter or blanket.
Eating
The most logical place to serve meals and snacks is your kitchen. But if your play area has access to a sink and the floor is easily cleaned, you may prefer to serve meals and snacks there. There are, however, some disadvantages to serving meals in the play area. Children may be too easily distracted from the table by the nearby play materials. You also have the additional work of transporting food and dishes to and from the kitchen (not to mention all those second helpings and requests for "just a a little more milk"). And finally, don't forget the cosy feeling that comes with eating in the kitchen.
Wherever you decide to have meals and snacks, make sure that the floor is easy to wipe up, or cover the floor with heavy plastic for easier clean-up.
If you are using an adult-sized table, provide booster seats for children who need them. Comfortable seating at an appropriate height will reduce spills and messes, encourage self-help skills (children pouring their own juice, or helping themselves from a serving platter), as well as providing a more sociable atmosphere. Few of us would enjoy a meal if the table reached only to our chin, or if we had to sit on our knees.
Many caregivers prefer to use a child-sized table and chairs for meals and snacks. You can:
Purchase them from department or
specialty stores, garage sales or used school furnishing outlets;
Make your own by cutting down the
legs on a full-sized table to child-sized height;
Use an old door, a piece of formica, or
a large piece or plywood (sand down and tape the edges to avoid
spliters) and use milk crates for 'legs'.
Invert milk crates and add cushions
for comfortable child-sized seating.
|
|
Playing
There are several types of play to consider when planning space in your home. Give consideration to:
Floor Space for
building with blocks and playing with cars. Any empty floor space will
do, but try to provide low shelving or baskets nearby for toy storage.
Table Top Space for puzzles,
peg boards, drawing, colouring, cutting and pasting. A child-sized
table will work best. You might purchase a child-sized folding table
if space is a problem. Again, you will need shelving nearby to store
materials.
Imaginative Play Space
for dress-up. An area with a play house or puppet theatre will
stimulate imaginative play. A clothes tree or wall hooks can be used
for display and storage of dress-up clothes and props. If you don't
have the space for a permanent Imaginative Play area, keep dress-up
clothes and props in a laundry basket or box and bring them out each
day. Use cardboard boxes to 'create' temporary furniture.
Active Play Space
for climbing, jumping, running, and blowing off steam. Finding space
indoors for active play is especially important in a climate with long
spells of cold and wet weather. If you have space for a small indoor
climber/slide it will get a lot of use from toddlers and preschoolers
and can also double as a puppet theatre/post office/store. If the
climber is on a cement floor or a cement floor covered with
carpetting, be sure to have extra padding under the climber in case
of falls. You might have space in the basement for riding toys, an
old mattress (cover with a washable pad) for jumping, or just space
for running around. Even if space is very limited, play pen
mattresses can be used as gym mats for rolling and somersaults and a
well-sanded 2 X 4 makes a perfect balance beam. The mats and balance
beam can easily be stored under a couch when not in use.
Quiet Time Space
for a child who wants to retreat from the hustle and bustle for a
while. Even if your quiet time space is in the main play area, you
can provide a comfortable chair or some large cushions with some books
and audio tapes and tape player close at hand to create a 'quiet'
corner.
Messy Play Space for
painting, gluing, play dough, and water play. Again a low table
works best. Make sure the floor is easily cleaned or put plastic
covering under the table. The kitchen or any area close to a sink
works well for easy clean-up.
Oudoor Play Space
for exercise and fresh air. If possible your outdoor play space
should include: a paved area for riding toys, a grassy area, sand
box, and trees for shade. If you don't have a yard for the children
to play in , make good use of nearby fields, forests, neighbourhood
parks, or your housing developments's tot-lot.
A Welcome Entrance
Place for parents and children. Put a bulletin board near the
entrance to include notices, menus, and receipts. Decorate the board
with pictures of the day care children or their artwork. In wet or
cold weather you'll need a place where children can be helped on and
off with coats, as well as storage room for garments and boots. If
you have the space, consider putting in a shelf or table that
parents can use for purses, briefcases, gloves, etc. while they help
children dress/undress. You'll also find the table handy for notes
or art-work for parents to take home.
There are many areas of your home that you will use for child care. In fact, most caregivers use all of their home at some point in the day for child care purposes: family bedrooms for nap time; the basement for active play; the kitchen for serving meals, messy play and cooking with children; the bathroom for the obvious reasons; the living room and playroom for play.
Without making drastic changes to your home, it is possible and sometimes fun (for those of you who like to redecorate) to make the space you already have work better for you. Sometimes simply rearranging furniture in the play room can change a long empty space that children can't resist running in, to a calmer corner with a small table and chairs for puzzle and table top play. If running is a basement activity don't just tell the children that, set up you space to reinforce the message.
Equipment and Toys You Will Need
Equipment
The following is a list of suggested equipment to provide for the physical needs of the children in your care. Also included are some optional pieces of equipment that will make your day easier. Make sure that any equipment or toys you use meet current safety standards.
For Infants and Toddlers:
Crib/cradle/carriage/car
bed/play pen for sleeping (depending on the child's size) and the
necessary accessories, (e.g. mattress, bumper pads, sheets, blankets)
High chair/portable feeding
chair/booster chair (depending on the child's size)
Car seats -- rear facing
for children up to 9 kilograms (20 pounds), front facing for children 9-18
kilograms (20 to 40 pounds). Ensure that the car seats are properly
bolted. Car booster seats combined with seat belts are useful for
children over 40 pounds who don't yet fit the seat belts snugly.
Stroller/carriage/backpack
Changing table
Potty chair -- Ensure that the potty chair is non-porous, that the 'pot' can be removed for contents disposal and cleaning, and that the chair is sturdy enough so that it will not tip.
Baby monitor
A sled or toboggan for winter walks
A sturdy step-stool to
allow children to reach the sink for hand-washing and toothbrusing.
| |
For Preschoolers:
Sleeping mat/cot/family bed
Car seats (if child is over
18 kg [40 pounds], a seat belt, with a car booster if necessary)
Household Equipment: each child will need:
blanket/sleeping
bag/snuggle sack
pillow (if used) -- both
pillow and pillow cover should be washable
face cloth and towel
toothbrush
hairbrush/comb
plastic glasses and heavy duty plastic dishes and bowls
|
Many caregivers ask parents to provide personal supplies (toothbrush, linens, comb or brush) for their child. Place children's facecloths and towels within their reach to encourage self suffiency and good sanitary practices. |
Toys: There are some basic toys that children of all ages will enjoy:
Wooden blocks
Dolls and stuffed animals
A variety of sizes of balls
Simple musical instruments
Books, books, and more books
Rubber or good quality
plastic zoo and farm animals
Puzzles of varying
difficulty -- from the basic siz-piece wooden puzzles to the 100+
piece cardboard puzzles
Records or tapes of music and stories
| Ensure that the toys, books, records, pictures and other materials that are available to children in your home reflect the may cultures that make up our Canadian society. Your public librarian can suggest many excellent books, tapes and records. Ask parents for their suggestions as well. |
| blunt scissors | glue sticks | large crayons |
| coloured pencils | construction paper | newsprint |
| white glue | markers (preferably washable) | regular crayons |
| chalk | white paper | powdered tempera paint |
| stickers | glitter | stars |
| tissue paper | popsicle sticks | pipe cleaners |
| buttons | baby food jars | coffee and juice cans | |
| egg cartons | catalogues | wool | |
| old jewelry/beads | wallpaper samples | thread spools | |
| old nylon stockings | wrappping paper scraps | cardboard | |
| computer paper | bottle caps | bleach and other plastic containers (well-washed) | |
| aluminum trays | magazines | cloth scraps | |
| boxes of every size and kind | carpet samples | milk cartons | |
| unmatched mitts, socks | tubes from toilet paper, paper towels, etc. | bread/milk fasteners | |
| styrofoam packing chips | used Christmas, birthday cards |
Inexpensive Sources of Toys and Equipment
Whether you are just starting out in child care or are an
experienced caregiver wanting to update or expand your supply or toys
and equipment, there are inexpensive ways to get what you need. It
is better to invest in a good quality 'nearly new' product that to
purchase a new one of lesser quality even if the price is the same.
But keep in mind that many of the things that will provide children
with hours of quality play, can be ordinary household items in your
home.
|
|
The following sources should secure you some good 'finds'.
Wrist bells are simple to make and children (and caregivers) love their gentle tinkling noise. Sew four or five jingle-type bells (available in several sizes in fabric and craft stores) on 1/2 inch wide elastic cut in lenghts of approximately 4 inches. Sew the ends of the elastic together to form a bracelet. Children can slip the wrist bell over a wrist, or a shoe, or can hold it in their hand to jingle.
Maracas can be created by filling individual-sized yogurt containers with dried, uncooked peas, beans or rice. Secure the top of the container well with glue or tape to prevent children from opening the container and possibly choking on the contents.
Drums can be made from empty coffee cans, ice cream, or margarine tubs. Secure the plastic lid to the container with tape. Coffee cans make effective drums, since their top and bottom produce two very different sounds. Use wooden spoons, dowels, etc. for drum sticks. Children can decorate the drum by gluing on fabric scraps.
Rhythm sticks can be made from wooden spoons, the sanded-down ends of brooms or mops, or wooden dowels (available from lumber and hardware stores).
Tambourines can be made using aluminum pie plates. Punch holes around the edges of the plate and tie bells to the holes with strong string.
There is an endless variety of things that you can create using cardboard boxes and a little imagination. These toys have the added advantage of being able to be stacked up and put away at the end of the day, or even being filled with other toys and materials for storage. Try some of these ideas:
These are just a few of the many ideas for simple toys you can make yourself. The Public Library has some excellent books available for more toy-making ideas. The important thing to remember is that children do not require a lot of store-bought toys. Provide them with simple materials and watch what their imaginations can do with them.
Storage Suggestions
The key to having a well organized home child care home is STORAGE. That old adage 'a place for everything and everything in its' place' only works if you have a place for everything. Finding suitable storage space for toys, equipment, diapers, and all that wet winter clothing will take time and practice. You may try several ideas before you find the ones that work best for you. But take heart, no one has ever actually heard of a caregiver being buried alive in wet snowsuits -- yet!
Ideas for Toy Storage
Toy Shelves: If at all possible toys should be on shelves
at a level low enough that children can get to the toys and put them
away by themselves. Try labelling areas where toys should go with
words or pictures (blocks, trucks, etc.) to help children identify
what goes where. For easy toy display and storage, purchase (or make)
shelves with hinges in the centre that can be closed up or set up as
a room divider as well as a toy shelf. Or use the old standby brick
and board shelves.
Toy Boxes: If you plan to use a toy box for toys
that are in daily use, make sure the box is a shallow one and remove
the hinged lid if it has one. This will prevent many hurt fingers and
possibly more serious injuries. Shallow toy or cardboard boxes will
ensure that the entire contents don't have to be emptied to find the
one wanted item.
Large plastic milk crates and laundry baskets are also very useful
for toy storage and have the added advantage of having holes in the
sides so that children can see what's inside.
Containers for Small Toys: To store smaller toys, like
lego-type blocks or small cars, plastic stacking baskets are available
at a very reasonable cost at many department stores. Also useful for
storing smaller toys are large margarine containers, lunch boxes,
4-quart fruit baskets and shoe boxes. Laundry detergent boxes, with
one corner cut away, make perfect storage for catalogues and
magazines for cutting and collage work.
Ideas for Equipment Storage
Unless you have the space to set up a room solely for day care use,
the areas you use for child care during the day will be wanted for
family use in the evenings and on weekends. With this in mind you
should try, wherever possible, to plan things so that most of the
equipment can be moved out of the way when not in use. Again the
key is to make use of what you have. Try some of the following
ideas:
Ideas for Storing Outdoor Clothing and All Those Etc.'s
Most of us are more likely to find a place for toys, equipment and
supplies that are kept in our home all the time. Our problems with
clutter tend to arise from those items that are not permanent
fixtures. It takes creative thinking to find space for items like
the children's outdoor clothing, the diapers, the artwork that is to
be brought home that night, and the treasures that the children bring
in the morning and not only expect, but demand, go home with them
that evening. Try the following ideas:
Cots, playpens and
sleeping mats can be stored under or behind couches or beds.
If you use hinged shelves
for toys, the shelves can be closed and covered with an attractive
cloth or throw cover when not in use.
To get toys out of the way:
Riding toys can be
hung from large hooks installed, out of the children's reach, on a
basement wall or a backyard fence. If riding toys are supposed to be
'parked' in a special area of the room or outdoors, mark the area
using chalk, masking tape, or paint (depending on the surface).
Children will enjoy the challenge of 'parking' in their 'space' when
it's time to put away the riding toys.
If possible, set aside one
cupboard or at least a large shelf to store changes of clothing,
diapers, etc.
Have nap-time gear
(blankets, pillows)stored on a shelf low enough for children to help
themselves.
When purchasing equipment,
particularly large items like carriages, strollers and play pens,
consider how easy it will be to set-up, take down, and store as well
as its durability, safety and cost.
Stack milk crates two high
and assign one crate to each child for personal items.
Purchase, make, or have
made cubby cupboards. These cupboards provide an individual space
for each child to hang their coat and place boots. They also have a
shelf on top of each cubby where artwork and treasures can be stored.
It's worthwhile to contact you local school board to find out when
and how they dispose of used furnishings. Schools are often an
excellent source of second hand cubbies and student lockers.
If you don't have the
space for cubbies, install a row of coat hooks, low enough for
children to reach, with rubber trays underneath for winter or rain
boots.
Set up plastic stacking
baskets near the coat hooks to hold hats, scarves, mitts.
A shelf near the front door
can hold artwork and treasures to be taken home, or you could make a
wall hanging with pockets for each of the children's items.
Take-home artwork can be
tacked on a bulletin board near the door.
To store disposable
diapers, stack boxes in the back of a clothes cupboard. Keep enough
diapers for the day's or week's use on the shelf of the changing
table or in a tote bag nearby.
To dry wet outer clothing try some of the following ideas:
Eliminate as much of the clutter as possible with planning and
organization. A tidy, uncluttered environment will encourage
children to put things away, help you feel more relaxed and in
control, and make you home a safer and more pleasant place to spend
the day for all of you.
Is Your Home Ready?
Go through your home and decide whether you have the necessary space, whether the space is comfortable, well-organized for use and easy clean-up, and attractive (pictures at children's eye level, etc.). Then make a list of those areas that need work and set your goals for changes.
| Sleep/Rest area
Eating area Infant changing area Play areas:
Storage:
A welcoming entrance for parents and children Private space for you and your family. |
Good
_____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ |
Adequate
_____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ |
Needs work
_____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ |
| My "To-Do" List |
| Areas that Need Work | Immediately | As soon as possible |
| _______________ | _______________ | _______________ |
| _______________ | _______________ | _______________ |
| _______________ | _______________ | _______________ |
| _______________ | _______________ | _______________ |
|
|
 |
Posted by the Ontario Network of Home Child Care Provider Groups, August 1997. |
 |  |  |