Tag Archives: daycare

SAFETY RULES EVERY PARENT SHOULD FOLLOW (GUEST POST)

Many parents believe they are doing all they can to keep their kids safe, but with safety recommendations and standards always changing, it can be hard to keep up with what’s safe and what’s not.  Here we’ve gathered 100 of the most important safety rules parents should follow to keep their kids safe and out of danger’s path.

In the House

While there’s no replacement for supervision, there are things you can do to decrease the number of risks that contribute to accidents and injuries in your home. Follow these rules to increase your child’s safety while at home.

    Signup for recall alerts. Stay up-to-date on child-related product recalls by subscribing to the Consumer Product Safety Commission recall alerts

    Turn the water temperature down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot water can scald children. By turning the water temperature thermostat down you can prevent scalds and burns

    Store medications properly. Store medications out of reach and sight to prevent accidental ingestions

    Use the right safety gates. While pressure mounted gates may work fine to keep kids confined to a room, they have no place at the top of stairs

    Safety proof windows. Children needlessly fall out of windows each year. Be sure to add window guards or locks to your windows to be sure your child isn’t one of them

    Choose appropriate toys. Choose age-appropriate toys to reduce the risk of injury to your child.

    Opt for a pet that is good with kids. When considering a family pet, you’ll want to be sure to select a pet whose temperament makes it kid-friendly.

    Clean toys without harsh chemicals. Clean children’s toys naturally to prevent the spread of germs and decrease risks associated with toxic cleaners.

    Store cleaners away from kids. Store toxic chemicals and cleaners out of the reach and sight of children to prevent accidental poisoning and chemical burns

    Be sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are functioning properly. The proper placement of working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors can alert family members of a fire and prevent children from experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning

SEVEN FACTS ABOUT HOME DAYCARE THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW (Guest Post)

Making an informed decision regarding the regular care of your children is one of the most important decisions that you’ll face during their formative years. If you’re considering care based in the home of your childcare provider, here are seven facts that you should consider.

1.       Most States Have Limited Licensing Requirements for Home-Based Care – The regulations and requirements for licensing a childcare provider that operates out of their home are, in most states, considerably more lax than those governing a daycare center housed in commercial property. As a result, equipment, and even cleanliness, might not be as tightly regulated depending on the individual laws of your state. In some cases, home-based childcare may not always be the best option.

2.       Unlicensed Caregivers Are Restricted to Fewer Charges – Provided that caregivers maintain a specified number of charges in their own home, most states do not require them to obtain commercial childcare licensing. A small, in-home operation through a capable, experienced, and competent caregiver who is not interested in procuring a commercial license can keep care on a personal level, eliminating the chance of overcrowding and inattentiveness, but ensuring that kids are able to interact with a select number of other kids.

3.       Keeping Kids Out of Daycare Reduces Their Risk of Communicable Illness – A 2009 Fox News report indicated that children who attend daycare are more likely to suffer from chronic ear infections and the common cold more often than their counterparts who have private, in-home childcare. These findings come as no surprise to parents who have been forced to send their little ones to daycare, only to have them return with a fever and runny nose multiple times a year.

4.       Kids with Behavioral Disorders Benefit from Being Cared for in Their Own Home – Children with some behavioral disorders, such as ADHD and some autism spectrum disorders, are reliant upon a familiar setting and a steady routine to control their symptoms. Engaging a nanny or other in-home childcare provider allows parents to keep their special kids in a setting that best suits them and their individual needs.

5.       Childcare in Your Home is Easier to Monitor – When care takes place in their home, parents have more control over the environment and can check-in with their nanny when they’d like. Parents that want to use nanny cams and other monitoring devices, provided that the practice isn’t prohibited by their state laws, can easily do this in their private homes.

6.       Dietary Rules and Restrictions Are More Easily Enforced in Your Own Home – When your childcare provider comes to your home to look after her charges, she is limited in her menu choices to foods pre-approved by you. When you supply the food the likelihood of your children being exposed to food you’ve excluded from their diet is greatly diminished. When you send your child to home-based care, she could be fed unapproved foods or accidently ingest something she’s allergic to.

7.       The Setting Determines the Tax Requirements – Many nanny employers mistakenly believe that their live-in or live-out nanny can be considered an independent contractor, absolving them from the legal responsibility to pay employment taxes. However, a domestic employer who adheres to a schedule set by her employers and works within their home is not considered an independent contractor at all, but is instead an employee of the parents. Childcare providers that look after their charges in their home within the parameters of hours they’ve set aren’t employees and may be considered independent contractors.

A reputable childcare provider based out of their own home should allow you to thoroughly examine the areas in which your child will be kept, as well as observe them over the course of an afternoon in order to ensure that her other charges seem happy, healthy, and fond of her. Some home-based daycare and daycare centers often restrict parents’ access, citing liability for the safety of their charges. In-home childcare allows parents a considerably increased level of control and, almost invariably, a more personal experience in comparison to daycare.

 Our thanks to NannyAgency.net for this good information to help parents in the important decision of care for their children. pb