Job at a daycare, need advice!?

Question

I just got a job at a daycare, and I will be taking care of 1- and 2- year olds. Is there anything special I need to know about that age group that will help me succeed in my job? What should I expect/not expect from these aged children? What demands should I make and not make? I have never had children of my own and am unsure of what exactly I should do. Any advice would be great, thanks! :)

Answer 1

Just remember they have a very short attention span. Keep them busy with music and games. Puppets and reading books with alot of enthusiasm. Always bring your attention down to their level. So you'll be doing alot of squats. Remember they feed off your attitude so just have fun and enjoy. The best part is you get to enjoy them all day and send them home. LOL.

Answer 2

Well a "floater" is usually a person who is everywhere. Typically a supervisor would look to see if you are the first person in an area when help is needed. For example, say two children are fighting over a toy or something. The supervisor would be looking for you to be the first person to notice the problem and be actively involved in trying to problem solve to fix the problem. My advice would be just be at all places at all times. While this sounds impossible this is really what will be expected of you. You just have to be very, very active. Always keep your eyes and ears WIDE open. Don't just walk around aimlessly, always look like you have something to do and you have a purpose for being at work and everything should work out great. Good luck with your new job. Working with people especially children is really rewarding. I'm sure they will bring a lot of joy to your life. : )

Answer 3

there are classes you can take to help you with this.
but the 1 and 2 year olds are a great class, i taught them for a while as well. I prefer the 3's though
anyways, You should expect from this age that they will not always want to listen, they need to be constantly kept busy with things to do. There really shouldn't ever be a lag in time they aren't kept busy.
activities should never exceed 10min 15 at the most.
they need a regular schedule and routine to get use to.
they will learn as much as you teach them.
there are lots of great books out there as well with activities that are good for this age group.
good luck and have fun

Answer 4

-They are very active!

-They are still learning boundaries and testing their limits so don't be surprised if they repeat the same offense time and time again (ex. throwing food from their high chair)

- Some may have well developed language skills, most will not. It is VERY frustrating for toddlers this age because they can't verbally express their feelings and this frustration can often lead to little melt downs...patience is key!

- Give them plenty of warning when you are going to transition them from one activity to another. If someone needs a diaper change, tell them something as simple as "okay, it's time to change your diaper" before you scoop them up. This helps them anticipate the next activity and (at least for my kids) makes them a lot more willing to cooperate.

Answer 5

That is still considered the baby to young toddler age. They are able to get around, some of them just learning to walk at or around a year old. This is the curiosity age so everything will go into the mouth to taste it and discover what its components are. Watch for that so that do not swallow toys or pieces of thing, or get food pieces that are too big of a piece as well. They are also still in need of morning and afternoon naps and so they will have their cranky periods during the day. They will not be potty trained at this point so they will need regular diaper checks. Most parents do not want to find their babies left with wet pants on for too long of a period. Checking that at least every 30 minutes is a good idea since babies all drink different amounts. They will need bottles too and be on the watch for someone's baby taking another ones bottle. That isn't good for passing germs around. They will still have a very short attention span at this age and will go from toy to toy so you will need to be on your toes for entertaining them. Some toddlers at this age try to take toys from others so be on the lookout for that too. They will even throw temper tantrums if you try to stop them from doing it so sometimes you have to use psychology and trade the toy question with another one for the baby that currently is playing with it so that this toddler can have it. Don't do that too often though or will teach him that he can get away with it. They are too young at this age to play child games like ring around the posey but you can play games like peek a boo and have story time with picture books where you just talk about the picture since they can't understand the story. For example: "Look at the boat! It's big and red." They will need snacks inbetween their meals too. One thing to become very aware of is information that mom and dad sent with the child. At that age, they will most likely have their own food source in their diaper bag and if not, then you will definitely need to become aware of alergies, especially so that they do not take any food from another child that they may be alergic to. Love and hug them a lot and talk sweet to them. When you have to correct them remember that they are just in the beginning of their learning stage of life so do not yell at them or speak sternly. A firm NO or Unh Unh is all they will need. Repetition is their way of learning at this stage so you may have to repeat this several times for each situation to get them to understand that it isn't allowed. And, they will test you to see just how far they can go with this education and learning process. Good luck.

Answer 6

I maybe be a dude but you get alot of money babysitting or helping some one baby sit.

1.They lie candy.
2.Stick with your word
dont be soft.
3.Make them go to timeout
Let them know you are in charge.
4.Always watch them.
5.If you are tired MAKE theam watch a movie.
6.Have fun.

Answer 7

i have a home daycare and i can tell you that kids copy everything you do, example is the best teaching tool. so when you're teaching model everything!
-they also all like to do the same things the other kids are doing, so teach them to share and take turns
-keep them busy!
-have fun and act silly, they love that
-put them down for a nap!!! this is good for them and YOU!!

Answer 8

all i can say is that 2 year olds are very active.

Answer 9

They bit, be careful

Answer 10

get ready for some fun.