Curious Parents Child Care Resources

Brought to you by the Web's most popular destination for inspired parenting.

sponsored by

10 Things Your Childcare Provider Can Do For You

Grant you piece of mind. Whether it is a phone call in the middle of the day or a short meeting at the end of a crazy work week, your provider can inform you about your child’s progress, behaviors, and issues that come up during the week. Many parents are hesitant about being a "nuisance", but a good provider is more than happy to report every little detail.

Give positive feedback. Conferences are great for letting parents know where their children stand developmentally, and what they can be working on at home to help the learning process. If your child is in a childcare center, most will usually provide two or more conferences during the year.

Help with difficult behavior at home. Consistency can be hard for parents to achieve, especially if they have family members, with different parenting styles, watching their children. A positive to having good communication with your caregiver is that they can help by maintaining consistency during the day when you have found the right system for reinforcing positive behavior in your child.

Suggest solutions from experience. Caregivers who have worked for a number of years can offer something that not many friends or family members can boast…experience with many different children, personalities and situations. Parents and caregivers can work together to figure out solutions to undesirable behaviors.

Potty train! Caregivers can be enormous helpers during this trying time. Not only have they had experiences with many little personalities, they can continue using a method during the day that has been successful for you at home. Good communication between parents and caregivers can cut training time in half.

Present an honest second opinion. You know the saying "there are two sides to every story". Who better to ask a second opinion of than the person who spends all week with your child? Most parents can count on their caregiver to offer ideas when friends or family members might be at a loss.

Provide care after hours. More and more centers today are offering after hours care, whether that means three or four hours on Friday nights, or a few times a week during the holidays. This can be a tremendous service for parents who find it difficult to get a sitter for an evening out or to finish holiday shopping without the little ones. Be sure to ask around, as not all centers have the same policies.

Offer ideas. Drawing a blank on what to do this weekend? Need a fun idea for a theme birthday party? Ask your caregiver for their thoughts on developmental exercises or weekend projects.

Listen. Sometimes you just need someone to listen to a concern. Your provider shares a common interest with you…your child. When you can find a moment to open up, your caregiver can lend an understanding ear.

Love your child. If there is one thing that I know to be true, it is that caregivers are not in their field for wealth or personal gain. It is an occupation where the true accomplishment and fulfillment comes from happy, healthy children and families. Love for all children is the force that drives a dedicated caregiver.