Posts Tagged ‘childcare’

Finding For Quaility Childcare In Streetly – Smart Start Day Nursery, Streetly

Smart Start Day Nursery
Reay Nadin Drive
Streetly
Sutton Coldfield Birmingham
West Midlands
B73 6UR

Nurseries In Sutton Coldfield

Here at Smart Start Day Nursery, we want all our children to feel loved and secure in the absence of their parents. We want them to recognise ourselves as a source of help, friendship and authority, so that they can share with their parents the new learning experiences they have enjoyed in nursery. All children are taught the value Home from Home’ in the environment that our nursery offers them.Our fully qualified staff cater for the individual needs of every child, ensuring the highest standards of care and safety are maintained at all times

Within our brightly designed nursery, we cater for children from three months to five years old. The capacity in our baby unit is twenty four babies. In our Toddler and Pre – School area we have a total of thirty four places.

Baby Unit

We have Three rooms to our baby unit that have up to six babies in each room. The rooms consist of a sensory area, a kitchen to prepare bottles and meals and a bathroom. All rooms are fully equipped with attractive stimulating toys and play materials, providing the children with an atmosphere similar to the home environment. Babies aged three months to twenty four months will be encouraged to further develop their skills and co ordination through stimulating play, such as walking, talking, listening to and singing songs, enjoying books, and painting. A daily routine is implemented for the babies, structured to their individual abilities and needs.

At the end of each day we complete daily reports, giving parents information about their child’s day at nursery. During theirtime in the baby unit we monitor and record their progress in a personaliseddevelopment folder through observations and evidence collected.

Toddler’s and Pre School

Our open plan, brightly designed rooms have the benefit of wooden floors and carpet areas which provide the children with all the space they need for many stimulating activities.Children have access to water play, painting, collage materials and an indoor sand pit. There is a home corner for the children to explore and a wide variety of books to read. Adjacent tothis is computer and printer facilities for the children to use.

Children aged twenty four months to preschool have a varied timetable to follow that encompasses letter and number work, early science, art and craft and physical activities.

Children aged three to five years participate in stimulatingtopic work which is planned to incorporate the early learning goals that areset out in the curriculum guidance for the foundation stage and required from OFSTED. These areas are personal, social and emotional, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding ofthe world, creativity and physical development

Extra Curriculum Activities

* Spanish lessons weekly
* Martin the Music Man visitsus weekly for a music session
* Throughout the year wearrange various outings such as the farm and zoo.
* We also arrange social eventslike Easter Bonnet parade, Charity Fundraiser and Christmas concert
* We have a photographer whovisits us in May and November every year.
* Occasional visits fromSutton Coldfield library who read to us
* We take advantage (weatherpermitting) to visit Sutton Park as it is on our doorstep.
* We also have links with Longmoor School and also make good use of their outdoor play facilities,sensory area and extensive playing fields.

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Top Tips When Searching For Nursery Schools

A good pre-school will provide a sound introduction to skills and concepts that will help your child when they start school.

Most pre-schools offer a foundation-stage curriculum which prepares children to progress with confidence to the National Curriculum at the age of five. Socially, pre-school (or nursery) is one of the best ways of helping your child to learn how to interact with other children and with a wider range of adults. Nevertheless, it can be quite a stressful transition, both for you and for your child. Here are some ways in which you can ease the process for all concerned:

* If you know any other children who are going to the same pre-school, try and introduce your child to them in advance and maybe invite them to play at your house.

* Gradually get your child used to spending time away from you, maybe with other family members, or a day with daddy while you relax at home!

* Do an introductory visit to the pre-school and see if they will let your child stay for a little while as an introduction, maybe with you there also for some of the time to help him settle in. Some nurseries offer a system where your child goes in for one morning a week and gradually builds it up over two years until they are there all week. This gradual transition will help your child to get used to a completely new set-up, not to mention helping you get used to not being around your child.

* Talk to your child about the interesting things that they will be doing at pre-school and the new friends they will make. If youíve already visited the pre-school, pick up on things that you saw there that appealed to him.

* Donít worry about getting your child reading and writing before they start pre-school. The most important skill for children at this stage is language ñ talking, singing, exploring and reading to your child provide the best preparation for pre-school.

* Get your child used to some of the things they will be expected to do at pre-school, such as tidying away toys and using a knife and fork at meal times ñ check with the pre-school what your child may be expected to do. Some strict nurseries expect your child to be potty trained or to have dropped naps before they start, but most will work with the routines your child is already in.

* Look in book shops for books about nursery schools that are designed to help your child understand what will be happening. These are great at introducing the concept to your child and also to get them used to the idea through imagination and stories.
There are also plenty of books for toddlers on subjects such as potty training, starting school and even telling the time.

* Prepare yourself for the fact that the first time you leave your child at nursery there wil be tears – from your toddler and probably you!

* Get involved with your child’s nursery as much as possible so you feel informed and cconfient in speaking up about any issues that concern you.

* Try not to be too competitive. By pushing your child at nursery it might have adverse effects and make your child less willing to learn or accept being there.

* Above all, try to be up-beat and positive about the move to pre-school and if you are apprehensive about it, donít let your child pick up on this.

Weíd all like our children to start out in the world as confident little people who know that the worldís their oyster. However, the truth is that confidence and self-esteem often take many years to achieve, and are often gained only after a lot of trying and failing and doubting ourselves.

Here are some hints at helping to encouaging your child’s confidence:

- Show him that you hold him in high esteem. After all, youíre the person whose opinion matters the most to him so if you think heís great, then the rest of the world is sure to follow. The opposite is certainly true ñ if he is constantly criticised at home, then his self-esteem will be rock-bottom. If you donít have a high opinion of him, who else is going to? The trick here is to find a balance – being overly critical can backfire as much as over-praising (so beware if you are telling your child they are amazing or ‘beautiful’, too much as this can make them have an inflated ego! Obviously telling your child you love them is a great way to reassure them and make them feel secure and confident, but also let him know how much fun he is to be with by telling him you can’t wait to go to the park with him after work for instance, and that you’ve been looking forward to seeing him all day!

- Lack of confidence is underpinned by a fear of failure, so make it clear to your child that you believe in him. Highlight past achievements and do your best to set him up for success at his next task ñ make it manageable and achievable. Set your expectations high, but within reason. If your expectations are low, his self-esteem will suffer ñìif thatís all they think I can do, then they must be right.î If your expectations are too high, then youíre setting him up for failure. See our features on games to play with your baby and Toddlers and play for ideas on play and how you can encourage your child’s confidence through play.

- Donít heap praise on insignificant achievements, or praise something that isnít really worthy of praise ñ he will soon start to see this false praise as patronising, and he wonít rate your opinion very highly. Praise should be reserved for instances where it is really merited, as this is where it will be most appreciated.

- When he doesnít succeed, give him credit for trying and offer constructive criticism, but keep it simple and then move on to something else and donít dwell on his failure.

- Try and get a balance between his valuing the opinions of others but not being too influenced by them. You wonít do him any favours in later life by constantly telling him that he is the best, and to disregard anyone who says otherwise. Explain that of course he wants his teachers/friends/sister to think highly of him, but that respect and praise has to be earned. You can explain that he can do this by sharing, not telling lies and playing nicely with other children.

- Let him see thatís itís OK to fail at things, and donít cover up mistakes that you make ñ share them with him, and heíll see that even grown-ups canít expect to get everything right. Just by saying ‘Uh-oh, Mummy scribbled outside the line, i’ll try to be neater next time’, will make him realise that it is OK to make mistakes and that even adults make mistakes sometimes!

- Encourage your child to try new things on a daily basis. This may mean food he hasn’t tasted before, climbing on something new in the park, or playing a new game at nursery. This will also help to develop his confidence as he feels able, with your reasurrance to tackle new challanges.

- Using books to develop confidence can be helpful, especially if your child has a certain fear – fear of the dark, fear of dogs or even fear of the new baby arriving! There are plenty of books writtten on all these subjects which can reassure your child and help to dispel their fears and restore confidence.

- Talk to your child constantly about how he feels. Ask him how his day was, whether he enjoyed the park for instance or what he did at nursery. Ask him what parts he liked most about the day and which he didn’t. This will encourage your child to express his feelings and lets him know it’s OK to tell you if there is something bothering him.

- If your child is old enough you could try using a simple technique such a worry box. Here your child can post his worries into the box and you can respond to them – they might range from worries about his friends or the rabbit at nursery school, but can sometimes reveal deeper issues, like his fear at being away from you for example. Obviously this method works best if your child can write and may not be suitable for a young child, unless they are willing to express their feelings to you.

- Sit down with your child and ask him to tell you all the things that are special about you (mummy or daddy) – he might say he likes your hair, or that you make him nice food for instance. Then run through the things which make him special to you – that you love it when he mixes words up, or when he sings his nursery rhymes for example. This will further develop the confidence he feels about himself.

- Listen to your child. Even if he is babbling or knows only a few words you should try to listen to and respond to what he is saying. To know that you are worth listening too, is a confidence builder whatever age you are!

- Encouraging your child to put on his own clothes, shoes and to do-up buttons in a great confidence booster, but beware when he gets frustrated and be ready to help him out if he needs it.

- Do things like eat as a family and have family days out, or even have eggy bread together in bed on a sunday morning! This will help your child to feel part of the family and to fit in, but also provide him with happy memories as he grows

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Help Saving Necessary Money With Childcare Vouchers

Childcare is something that is necessary with working parents. We want to keep our children safe and make sure they have something to do until the parents get home. However, it also sometimes feels like we are working just to pay for daycare as child care costs can be quite expensive. If your employer offers childcare vouchers, though, this is a great way to save money each year and get a significant discount on day care costs. In today’s economy, this is a solution that should be taken advantage of if offered.

Vouchers are often offered through your employer. While just about any employer can offer them, many larger companies have them as an added benefit to their employees. The way the vouchers work is that a portion of your salary is deducted every pay period. This amount gets put into a fun that is used for childcare expenses. But how does this save you money? The amount that is deducted from your salary is non taxable. So, you get taxes deducted from a lesser amount of salary each pay period while still having the money available for day care expenses with the childcare vouchers. At the end of the tax year, these vouchers can save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

The use of childcare vouchers is very simple. Some are available electronically for increased efficiency and convenience. The day care provider will get timely and secure payments with no hassle. Many places that offer vouchers also have some additional benefits such as childcare hotlines where you can get the latest information on day cares and childcare workers. Whether looking for a full time provider or one for emergency use, you can get the information quickly and pay for the services via the childcare vouchers.

Part of the reality of becoming a new mum is taking stock of your family’s finances and working out how you will cope financially. When you’re considering returning to work, how you will afford to pay for childcare and what kind of childcare you will choose are important decisions. Many new parents will not be familiar with childcare vouchers, how they work and how they can be used to pay for childcare. 

The use of childcare vouchers is very simple. Some are available electronically for increased efficiency and convenience. The day care provider will get timely and secure payments with no hassle. Many places that offer vouchers also have some additional benefits such as childcare hotlines where you can get the latest information on day cares and childcare workers. Whether looking for a full time provider or one for emergency use, you can get the information quickly and pay for the services via the childcare vouchers.

Childcare vouchers are a financially beneficial way to pay for childcare in the UK, because you don’t pay tax or National Insurance on childcare vouchers to the value of £55 a week. This means that working parents can save as much as £1,195* a year by paying for childcare with vouchers. The savings could be double, if both parents sign up for a childcare voucher scheme.

1        Check whether your employer’s childcare vouchers are a benefit that is paid on top of your normal pay or whether it’s part of a salary sacrifice scheme

2        Work out how your tax credits will be affected

3        If your cash pay is affected, ask if your other earnings-related payments will be affected (pension, overtime rates, pay rises etc.)

4        If your cash pay is affected, ask will your benefits-related payments be affected? (will your NI contributions to your State Pension be affected etc.)

5        If your cash pay is affected, ask would any student loan repayments be affected?

Childcare vouchers are redeemable to pay for childcare and child minding ensuring that a parent’s return to work need not have a negative impact on their family finances.

Parents can also be assured when selecting a childcare provider that they have undergone rigorous vetting procedures. Before childcare vouchers can be used to pay providers the provider must be registered with an approved regulatory body and will need to meet the standards set out by that body. Ensuring only registered providers can accept vouchers for payment offers additional peace of mind to mums knowing that their child is being looked after in a safe friendly environment.

Quality day care options are not cheap and in today’s economy, it is more important than ever to save money wherever possible. Using vouchers is a great way to continue working and providing a dual income while saving significant money on childcare costs. If you work for an employer that offers vouchers but are not yet taking advantage of the opportunity, you should reconsider and enroll in the plan. You will still pay your childcare provider using vouchers but you will save a lot of money in taxes that are deducted from your salary. Childcare vouchers are a smart way to save a lot of money.

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MOVING YEARS Support When Your Children Changes Year

Transitions happen every day in your childs world and September, like no other month, is a time of transitions for your child. Starting a new grade. Getting a new teacher. Learning new classroom rules. Adding more homework. No matter what the transition, you can expect an added level of stress as your child adapts to the change.

When making the transition to a new grade, your child will be challenged by more rigorous academic challenges, more social demands and more responsibility. Your child will have to follow the rules, take turns, make new friends, learn harder material and try to meet the requirements of a new teacher(s).

It takes a lot of energy, focus and control to keep it together all day long at school, so most kids will be tired and you’ll see an increase in temper tantrums, whining and defiance at home. Don’t take it personally! Recognize the stress that your child is under!

The best response to stress is to provide empathy and support, help the child gain a sense of control, create rituals that provide predictability and teach your child ways to de-stress.

Way to Show Empathy:

A.) Listen – Become an empathic listener by listening for feelings.

Listen for the unspoken feelings that are behind the words that are said.
Look at your childs body language and try to gain helpful information.
Listen with your heart.
Dont be critical.
Give your child your full attention by sitting down, looking him/her in the eye.
Try to reflect back the feeling that you believe your child is conveying.

B.) Ask open-ended questions. i.e. What will you miss about preschool? What do you like about your new teacher? Whats the hardest part of your day?

C.) Share a story from your childhood. The point here is to share a struggle that you had and the different feelings that you experienced. If you found a process that helped you overcome the struggle, share that, too.

Another important point to understand is that transitions involve a sense of loss:

A loss of fun. I want to play with a friend now. I dont want to do homework!

A loss of spontaneity. Im tired and Id rather have a jammy day than get dressed and go to school.

Or a loss of my classroom as I know it. This teacher is different. I liked my other teacher!

Generally, when a child feels a sense of loss s/he feels a loss of control and a beneficial strategy is to help the child gain a sense of control. So how do you do that?

A.) Involve your child in the decision. Ask your child, What might help you feel more comfortable?

B.) Walk your child through the process, explaining how it will go. Knowledge is power.

C.) Show visual aids such as reading books on the subject.

D.) Explain the benefits so the child can learn the positives.

E.) Slow down the pace. Give your child a chance to wind down or to say goodbye.

F.) Learn to read your childs cues and help him/her learn to identify them, too.

Another helpful strategy for reducing the stress of changes is to create a ritual. Family rituals help your child adjust to change. A ritual can be simple or elaborate, used daily, weekly, or once a year. The reason that rituals are important is that rituals help make the world predictable and the repetition helps kids feel more secure when transitions are occurring.

Rituals that Can Help with Transitions:
A.) Develop a goodbye ritual. Develop a secret handshake with your child thats used only when s/he leaves for school.

B.) Develop an after-school ritual. Let your child have a snack and play outside for 30 minutes before starting homework.

C.) Develop a chit-chat time at bedtime. Ask your child about the happy, sad, scary and frustrating parts to his/her day.

D.) Develop an end-of-the-week ritual. Have a family night every Friday night to reconnect and unwind after a busy week.

Change also increases a child’s anxiety level because there is a loss of the familiar and the uncertainty of the future so finding safe, healthy outlets for a child’s anxiety is important, as well. Teaching your child how to soothe him/herself and providing calming activities will be a great help.

A.) Increase Physical Touch Make a conscious effort to hug and kiss more often, snuggle more or provide massage to your child.

B.) Teach a Deep Breathing Method. (Pretend that there’s a balloon in his/her tummy that s/he has to blow up. Actually use a balloon to illustrate. The technique you want to have the child use is to breathe in through the nose and breathe out through the mouth, actually moving the diaphragm while pretending to blow up the balloon with big, deep breaths.)

C.) Consider Dramatics – Let your child use his/her imagination. Lets pretend that youre the fairy godmother. Get a wand. Lets see what the fairy godmother would do to solve this problem. Create a movie, play or story about this problem. Play School to see what issues your child may be facing.

D.) Spend Time Alone with the Child Let the child pick what the activity will be and focus on your childs needs.

E.) Laugh Find your own ways to be silly, have a kids joke book on hand, do something unexpected, watch your favorite family movie.

F.) Give Your Child a Journal Writing about a problem can release pent-up feelings in a healthy way.

In summary, there are many useful strategies that you can use when your child is faced with a transition, large or small:

Respond with empathy recognizing that your child may feel a sense of loss.
Help your child gain a sense of control by involving him/her in decision-making.
Develop a ritual to create predictability.
Offer soothing and calming activities.

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Finding Good Nursery Schools

The very words “Child Care” can create a wealth of emotion when the subject is raised. Caring for a child is one of the most important things anyone can do. Taking proper care of a child can mean the difference in development between a well adjusted and mal-adjusted adult. Thousands upon thousands of words have been written on the subject of child care and today child care itself has grown into a huge industry.

Enormous changes have taken place over the last two generations concerning the way in which children are cared for. Years ago the child’s mother took sole responsibility for bringing up her child (apart from those children whose parents were wealthy enough to employ a nanny or a governess) whereas nowadays parents both work full time. In today’s world, it has become an economic necessity for both parents to work against a background of ever increasing costs plus a lifestyle, which our grandparents could never have begun to imagine. Child care is now extremely big business. Nurseries for babies and toddlers have mushroomed and, in some cases, parents have to put their child’s name down to attend a particular nursery soon after the child is born.

All parents think their children are special and they are. However, once a baby or toddler begins to attend nursery or nursery school that child has no choice but to learn and accept that attention from staff has to be shared between all the children. An only child has become used to being the focus of attention at home. It often comes as a considerable shock for an only child to realise the world doesn’t revolve round him/her. However, children are far more versatile and resilient than most parents realise and most children soon adapt to a new environment. This forced interaction with other children can in fact, be extremely beneficial, especially for only children. Many of these only children often have to cope, at some stage, with the arrival of brothers or sisters, which frequently creates jealousy on the part of an only child. Having learnt to share attention with others at nursery or nursery school prepares a child to accept a new member of the family far more easily than would have been the case had that child not learnt to interact with children of the same age.

Choosing a suitable nursery usually throws parents into a panic as they consider the implications. How will they recognise which nurseries offer excellent care? Will all the staff be fully trained? What is the percentage of staff to children? Are meals provided? What is the level of cleanliness, both in the nursery and in the kitchens? Is time set aside for babies and toddlers to sleep? How good is security at the nursery? Does bullying occur? What arrangements are in place if a child should become sick? Many parents feel overwhelmed and have no idea where to turn for advice. Nurseries which fulfil all the requirements needed to operate a successful nursery are normally registered with the local community which will be happy to supply details of these nurseries to anxious parents. One of the best ways of deciding upon a suitable nursery is, of course, by recommendation. Mothers whose children already attend nursery are generally are only too happy to advise other mothers which nurseries are particularly good as opposed to those which are merely satisfactory.

Another option for childcare is to employ a nanny who will work at the family home. This option has become something of a minefield due to fairly recent high profile cases in which a nanny has physically harmed a child in her care. Other cases have actually resulted in the death of the baby by the nanny left in charge. It must be emphasised that these cases are very rare indeed and are not representative in any way of the majority of child care undertaken by nannies. A reputable agency supplying nannies has strict rules in place for their selection. References will be required as to the nanny’s previous positions and will be scrupulously followed up. If the references are not satisfactory, the nanny will not be recommended for that particular vacancy or any other.

A section of childcare often taken for granted is that of grandparents who are happy to devote countless hours looking after their grandchildren. Grand parents offer one of the very best forms of childcare, simply because of the relationship between them and their grandchildren whom they look on as their own. In addition, this form of childcare usually comes free although some parents give financial payment for the time and effort expended on their children by doting grandparents.

There is no doubt that most babies and toddlers acquire confidence by attending nursery schools. A child who has never spent time away from home finds it tremendously stressful if he/she ever has to cope with the absence of a mother perhaps through hospitalisation. On the other hand, a child who has learnt to adapt to a different environment will not be nearly as traumatised by the absence of a parent and will be able to deal with the separation far more easily.

Obviously, all children attending nursery school have to conform to certain rules, which amount to a form of discipline. It has long been acknowledged that children exposed to discipline welcome the fact that boundaries have been set which makes them feel more secure and, consequently, happier. Some children will always rebel but all children will be faced with some form of discipline as they grow up and will also be expected to comply with rules and regulations in the workplace. Without such rules, anarchy would reign. Quite simply, discipline is based on showing consideration for other people and their possessions.

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Points To Consider When Picking Pre School

Choosing a day nursery is one of the most important decisions that a working parent will make to help ensure the health, safety, and overall well being of their child while they must be away from them.

Parents should not be afraid to ask to see the license and most recent inspection date. Find out how many infants, toddlers, and older children they are license

Parents should find out if doors are kept locked during the hours the center is open for operation and how the childcare provider ascertains that only approved persons are picking up a child and if they have a form that can be signed designating who can and cannot pick a child up?

Other training staff should have had is on positive discipline, nutrition, child development, how to prepare and store food, food allergies and food borne illnesses and the proper storage and handling of food, etc. Make sure there is enough staff to care for the number of children in the nursery school

Take a walk through the nursery school
, including outdoor play areas, and the kitchen where food is prepared.

Outdoor play areas should contain equipment that is of a proper height for younger children to minimize the danger of getting injured by a fall. Check to see that there is ample room between pieces of equipment, that the play area is completely enclosed with a locking gate.

Find out if staff goes outside with the children to supervise and oversee their safety and wellbeing. If possible outdoor play areas should have a thick covering of wood chips or soft rubber matting under equipment to soften a fall. (The wood chips or rubber matting is helpful but not required as they can be an expensive purchase, especially for a pre school
). Large nursery school
should keep playground equipment and things like trikes that are used by older children separated from equipment for children under five.

Ask providers how infants are placed in a crib to sleep, making sure they are put down on their backs without pillows or comforters.

Once a nurseryhas been selected and a child is in attendance, parents need to be sensitive to any changes in their child’s behavior. If the child develops a fear of the provider, a staff person, or going to the nursery school
parents should follow up by asking heir child questions and by scheduling a meeting with the pre school to discuss any concerns.

Parents can never do too much to make sure that their child, or the child of a friend or relative, will be cared for in a healthy and safe childcare environment. These guidelines will help in selecting the best provider and help a parent be less stressed at work.