With the school summer holidays almost upon us, it’s the time of year where most children are desperate to play outside in the sun. It’s also the time of year where parents and nannies need to pay extra care and attention in order to prevent things like:
To help put your mind at ease and to give your children a fun and safe summer, we’ve put together this guide to help you keep your kids safe in the sun.
Separating from their primary carer is a difficult experience for babies, and their parents too! In this post we look at some of the causes of separation anxiety and strategies to help.
What is separation anxiety?
Most people equate separation anxiety with crying and clinginess to a familiar adult. Separation anxiety is a natural stage that most children experience for the first time between 7 and 12 months. It’s a perfectly normal reaction to being parted from their primary carer. Unfortunately it also often coincides with a child entering childcare for the first time as a parent goes back to work. By the time a child is 2 years old, separation anxiety should have calmed down, although they may still be anxious or nervous about staying with an unfamiliar adult or in an unfamiliar place the first time it happens. Children (and adults) continue to experience some symptoms of separation anxiety even when they can rationalise what it happening. This can often be seen in parents leaving their child for the first time!
What causes separation anxiety?
Separation anxiety occurs when babies realise that things and people exist even when they can’t be seen. Babies realise that they are alone and feel that there should be someone there, so may cry in the night if they wake and find themselves alone or cry if you leave the room, or they feel anxious when a familiar adult leaves, even if there is someone to look after them.
What can help?
This depends on what is causing the anxiety and the extent you’re prepared to compromise what you do.
If a baby experiences separation anxiety every time you leave the room one option is to take them with you. At some stage they will outgrow their anxiety but this isn’t always practical.
Another strategy is to practice, first by playing peekaboo or hide and seek and then leaving the room and popping back in frequently. Say that you’re going and you’ll be back soon, and don’t worry if you can only manage 10 seconds at first. The most important thing is that you leave and come back.
Children will often experience less separation anxiety if left with another familiar adult so try to balance time spent with Mummy where Daddy leaves and time spent with Daddy and Mummy leaves. A child will feel more secure about the absence of one parent because the other parent is still there. Having other familiar adults – extended family, neighbours or friends – who will stay while you leave, even if it’s just to make a cup of tea, will acclimatise them to being without you without being alone.
At night or nap time do comfort a child but keep visits short and try to avoid lots of interaction. Their separation anxiety is real and distressing for them and they need to know that you are there. If they are unable to fall asleep because they are so distressed try the gradual retreat method where you put them in their cot and sit beside them, gradually moving further and further away until you are out the door. It may take a while and you need to be consistent but it is a gentle way to help them overcome their fear.
Separation anxiety and childcare – some advice for parents.
Children who have only ever been in the care of their parents naturally experience separation anxiety when they enter childcare or school.Children who are used to being around a wide range of familiar adults, for example extended family, are less likely to protest when Mummy or Daddy leaves although they are still likely to experience some separation anxiety. The transition just feels easier because they are accustomed to you leaving and coming back and you are used to leaving them.
It’s important to have a settling in period with a childminder or nursery, or a handover with a new nanny. Build up to a short day by first leaving for short periods, then half days and eventually a full day.
Make sure you always say good-bye when you go, and childcarers should always say good-bye at the end of the day too. Once you have left resist the temptation to pop back and see how they’re doing and then leaving again – this is confusing for children.
Always be positive about your chosen childcare. If your child senses that you are nervous or unsure they will pick up on this and feel unsettled too.
This is a guest posting from The Lullaby Trust. The Lullaby Trust, formerly FSID, promotes expert advice on safer baby sleep and provides specialist support for bereaved families.
Working with a baby or toddler can be an exciting and rewarding experience. However, we know how worrying it can be making the best decisions to keep babies and toddlers as safe as possible.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby where no cause is found. While SIDS is rare, it can still happen and our advice below will ensure that the baby or toddler in your care is sleeping as safely as can be both a night and during the day.
Things you can do when working with a baby:
Always place the baby on their back to sleep
• You should always place the baby on their back to sleep and not on their front or side
• Make sure you and the family you work with are consistent with back sleeping- the chance of SIDS is particularly high for babies who are sometimes placed on their front or side
• Once the baby can roll from back to front and back again, on their own, they can be left to find their own position
Keep the baby smoke free
• Never smoke around the baby or have the baby on contact with smoky skin or clothing.
• Don’t let people smoke near the baby and keep the house, car, and other places the baby spends time, smoke free
Opt for expressed breast milk over formula
• If you have the option, always prioritise breast milk over formula, as this can be protective against the risk of SIDS
Place the baby to sleep in a cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for the first 6 months, even during the day. It’s the safest place.
• The chance of SIDS is lower when babies sleep in the same room as their parents or carers, but do not share the same bed as them
Ensure the baby has a firm, flat, waterproof mattress in a good condition
• You and the baby’s family should avoid using soft or bulky bedding (such as quilts, pillows and duvets) as these increase the chance of SIDS
• Sleep the baby on a firm, flat mattress that is clean and in a good condition. A mattress with a waterproof cover will help you keep it clean and dry
Things to avoid when working with a baby:
Never sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with the baby either next to you or on your chest, even during the day
• Sofa sharing with a baby greatly increases the chance of SIDS
Avoid letting the baby get too hot or too cold
• A room temperature of 16-20⁰C, with light bedding or a lightweight well-fitting sleeping bag, is comfortable and safe for sleeping babies
• Check the baby regularly to see if he or she is too hot. Look for sweating or feel the baby’s tummy – their hands and feet will usually be cooler, that’s normal. If the baby is hot, remove one or more layers of bedclothes.
Don’t cover the baby’s face or head while sleeping or use loose bedding
• The use of loose bedding which can cover the baby’s face or head can be dangerous and can increase the chance of SIDS
• To keep the baby safe and their head uncovered while they are sleeping you should:
o Place your baby on their back in the ‘feet to foot’ position – this is where the baby’s feet are placed at the foot of the cot – so they can’t wriggle down under the blankets
o Use blankets which are firmly tucked in, no higher than the baby’s shoulders or baby sleeping bag
For more information and advice, see the Lullaby Trust’s website at www.lullabytrust.org.uk, or phone the information and advice line on 0808 802 6869.
Happy nannying!
The biggest changes to childcare in a decade were announced early this week. A report, entitled More Great Childcare, was sent out by Elizabeth Truss MP, the Minister with responsibility for early years. Two major changes were proposed: relaxing the adult:child ratio for childminders and nurseries and setting out new plans for qualifications. This is the first of two blog posts on the report – first we’re going to look at ratios and the second post will be about qualifications.
What are the changes?
For nurseries the ratios will become 1 adult to 4 babies and 1 adult to 6 toddlers with no change to the ratios for pre-schoolers.
Childminders will still be allowed to care for 6 under 8 but routinely 4 under 5, of which 2 can be under 1 instead of 3 under 5, 1 under 1.
There is no change affecting ratios for nannies.
We spoke to Penny Webb, a childminder with 30 years’ experience who starteda petition against the changes. She currently uses the exception granted under EYFS2012 to regularly care for four or five under-5s on grounds of continuity of care.
“I am shattered every day, I am doing more tasks in my own time that used to be able to fit into the working day. I am passionate about childminding – the children will always come first and will always experience outstanding care and education but I know that I can not maintain this level of commitment and this level of effort long term.” Penny Webb, Childminder
She also warns against the impact on children of childminders who rush into caring for too many children at once with little or no experience. Even as a mother of four and with many years of professional experience she has been surprised by how tiring her current workload is.
“I do know people will do it for the money – I also think some will take on more children – with best intentions and then ‘crash and burn’. This will be bad for the children as either will stay with that minder and not have the best experiences – or the minder will be honest and the child will have to go to a different setting – very bad for emotional development.” Penny Webb, Childminder
That’s without even getting started on the lack of space in most homes for 4 under-5s, the difficulties finding triple prams, the cost of a seven-seater and car seats, and the sheer enormity of keeping 4 under-5s safe when out and about. The Minister also shows no sign of allowing OFSTED to slacken their regulatory role, intending to make them the sole authority over childcare settings (the role is currently shared with Local Authorities). This means the paperwork burden on childcarers who are obliged to follow EYFS will go up by 30% for childminders and 50% for nursery staff.
Em, a former nursery worker who is now a nanny, highlighted that current arrangements already impacted to the interaction she was able to have with the children ‘to their disadvantage’. She feels becoming a nanny gave her freedom to really bond with children and follow their interests, and the care the children receive is better for that.
“That kind of ratio would seriously change my mind about nursery work [in the future] especially with the paperwork burden on nursery staff at the moment let alone with more children in their care. It’s insane!” Em, Nanny
Private nurseries in favour of the changes have been accused of only being interested in profit however Sarah Steel, MD of The Old Station nursery points out that any cost saving from relaxed ratios is likely to be eaten up by increasing quality, paying staff a higher wage and subsidising Early Years funding. The most worrying consequence she sees is a potential two-tier system.
“Those in most deprived areas, where nurseries are already struggling to survive, will have to embrace lower ratios, but this may be at the cost of quality.” Sarah Steel, MD, The Old Station Nursery
This is most evident in areas which are supposed to offer funded places for 2 year olds, an age group where the number of children per adult has been increased by 50% and where struggling nurseries may have no choice but to make ends meet by reducing staff costs. Even experts are unsure that more children per adult will lead to a reduction in cost. Eva Lloyd, from the University of East London, said there was no relationship between ratios and cost to parents. She is also sceptical that higher quality will be possible under the proposed changes and it’s easy to see why. The most highly qualified childcarer is physically limited in the number of children they can safely care for or comfort at once. Higher ratios may effectively prevent them from deploying their knowledge and reduce them to refereeing hordes of toddlers. The members of the PLA seem inclined to agree and Laura Henry, an early years consultant but also parent of two boys, posted an impassioned letter on her blog aimed at parents.
Even though the changes proposed don’t mention nannies it would be naïve to assume they won’t somehow be affected. On the one hand it’s good news for the sector – parents who are unhappy about the quality of care offered by local childminders or nurseries may look into a nanny or nanny share. A nanny with 4 under 5 would still be able to dedicate more time to his/her charges because nannies are not required to provide reams of paperwork for OFSTED inspections. On the other hand parents may find it more difficult to find quality candidates. It doesn’t take a GCSE in maths to work out that reducing the required number of adults to care for a roomful of 12 toddlers from 3 to 2 leaves a member of staff without a job. The BAPN expressed concern that the nanny market may become flooded by nursery workers who have been made redundant because they are no longer perceived as fit to work in nursery settings, leaving an entire sector of the market lagging behind in terms of quality.
Many parents are unhappy about the changes. The online parenting forum Mumsnet revealed that only 5% of members surveyed polled in favour of relaxed ratios and Netmums reported a figure of 20% in favour. They may still be faced with an impossible choice, to pay over the average for a provider with low ratio and high quality care or accept lower quality care for lower cost. Parents who are unable to get spaces in settings offering coveted lower ratios may stretch themselves to pay for a nanny until the funded hours kick in at 3 years old, an age group unaffected by the ratio changes.
If you are reading this, you may be considering becoming a childminder. But how do you know if it’s the right career choice for you?
Many stay at home parents choose to become childminders so that they can continue to care for their own young children full-time (rather than going back to work), and then continue their childminding career long after their own children have grown up and moved out. Many other people choose childminding as a career even if they haven’t had their own children. Being a childminder can be an incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable career choice, but it’s not for everybody.
This article has been written to give a clearer picture of what life is really like as a childminder, and to help you decide whether you are cut out for the busy and varied lifestyle that being a childminder brings.
What Do Childminders Do All Day?
Well, they certainly don’t sit down watching the children play all day long! Childminders are like stand-in parents, doing all of the things that a mother or father would do should they be home with their children. Childminders focus the majority of their energies and time on playing with the children in their care, and instigating educational and enjoyable activities. Childminders also need to keep their own homes reasonably tidy throughout the day (well, as tidy as is possible with several small children in the house), prepare meals for the children in their care, do school runs and other errands, as well as completing paperwork. So as you can see, there’s not a lot of time left for sitting down!
Could I Be a Childminder?
Before you start thinking seriously about whether being a childminder would work for you, you need to ask yourself these questions:
-Is your home suitable?
Many people believe that in order to be a childminder, your home must be spacious with a large garden. This simply isn’t the case. Lots of childminders have small houses, and houses without gardens. You simply need to be able to demonstrate that any children in your care will have lots of opportunities for exercise and fresh air – so if you have a local park, playing field or other accessible outdoor space, you will be fine. You can even mind children if you don’t own your own home – you just need permission from your landlord first.
-Is there a local demand for childminders?
This may seem like a very obvious question, but it really is one worth thinking about. Good childminders are indeed like gold dust, but some areas have more childminders than others. There is little point in setting up as a childminder in a town where many other childminders are struggling to find work, unless you feel you have something to offer that puts you above the competition.
-Do I have the right personality?
If you genuinely enjoy spending time with children, have a good imagination and sense of fun, and you’re motivated to facilitate learning and exploration of the world, the chances are you would make a great childminder. You don’t need to have had your own children to be a childminder, but childcare experience is invaluable to figuring out whether you would enjoy a career looking after children.
Choosing a childminder for your children can be a difficult task. Finding a childminder who you and your child click with, and who can provide childcare at the times you need it, isn’t always easy.
It can also be difficult to know which questions to ask when meeting a prospective childminder. Following is a list of tips that you may find useful.
When you visit, take your child. Allow the childminder to interact with your child and observe how your child reacts to them. It may take your child a while to warm up to them, but the childminder should be open, friendly and non-pressuring. Talk to the childminder before the meeting to arrange a time when you will be able to stay for a decent amount of time – 1 to 2 hours – as this will give your child a chance to get acquainted and for you to get a better idea of whether they will be a good fit for each other.
Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you wish – a good childminder will be happy to answer any you may have and to help you feel at ease when making your choice. You may wish to ask questions such as –
You will also wish to enquire about costs. Childminders generally charge around £3-£4 an hour. Some will make additional charges for food and drink, whereas others will include a certain number of meals and snacks in their costs. The childminder will have a sheet or two that you will be able to take home which will have detailed information about costs, notice periods, what will happen in the event of sickness and what you will be expected to provide (spare clothing, sunblock, etc).
And, of course, you will need to find out whether or not your chosen childminder will be able to look after your children at the times you need. Good childminders are often well-booked, and have waiting lists, so it is important that you start to seek a childminder with plenty of time to spare if you are returning to work, for example, after maternity leave.
As with any professional relationship, being upfront and honest from the beginning is the best way to avoid problems later down the line. If you have any doubts about a childminder, don’t feel pressure to hire her because you gave her the impression you would when you met. A good childminder will fully understand the importance of your decision and will certainly have no hard feelings if you choose to go with somebody else – after all, your child’s well-being is the most important thing.
Childminding can bring some challenging times, especially on those days when evacuating to the garden or local park is not an option. Childminders will often be responsible for children of different age groups, so it is vital to have some ideas up your sleeve to help keep them occupied (and to avoid going stir crazy!).
On that note, here are a few suggestions of activities do engage the children in whilst childminding that can be easily adapted to different age groups.
Home made play dough is quick and easy to make, completely non-toxic and a joy to play with. I challenge you to think of one child (or indeed, an adult) you’ve met who doesn’t enjoy a good dough squishing session!
There are many different recipes you can use to make play dough for use while childminding, with varying levels of success. The following recipe is pretty reliable and makes a large amount of dough. You could even split the mixture and make two different colours!
You will need:
Simply combine the dry ingredients (sieving the flour first), before adding plenty of food colouring to the water & oil mixture. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients gradually, stirring throughout. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and takes on a nice doughy texture.
This play dough will keep for a long time if stored in an airtight tub in the fridge. Try adding rice or lentils for an interesting texture for little ones, or even throw in some glitter! Older children will enjoy making the dough with you, or you can easily make it the night before for ease’s sake.
Everybody loves finger painting. Very young ones adore the feel of the paint on their hands, and older ones can get creative and make beautiful pictures to take home with them. Finger painting is messy, though, so it may be a good idea for childminders to pre-warn parents that they plan to do it, so they can provide old clothes for the children to change into for the activity. Putting newspaper down is a very good idea, too. Messy play can be a bit of a challenge for the adult in charge, but it’s well worth it for the learning experience that the children will get.
You’d be hard pushed to find a child who doesn’t love picnicking. Picnics in the garden are lovely, but if the weather isn’t accommodating, bring the picnic inside! Make a finger-food lunch together with the older children – sandwiches, breadsticks, houmous with vegetable dippers, crisps, cut up apples and cupcakes are all good choices – and take the plates of food to a blanket on the floor. The children will love helping themselves to their lunch, and the novelty of eating on the ground can be enough to convince even the fussiest of eaters to dig in. For extra fun, make a canopy with a sheet laid over the back of some chairs.
