Cupboard of curiosities for intensive kindergartener
April 15, 2015 12:54 AM Subscribe
I want to set up a cupboard with prepared activities and toys that the adult caregivers for my youngest can use to keep her occupied while I get work done. She has the usual books, blocks, playdoh, open-ended toys and art materials, but what she wants and needs are structured activities to do with caregivers. Has anyone else had success prepping activities and resources for their childcarers to use? I'm imagining stacks of ziplocs with craft kits/toys and instruction sheets, and a binder of suggested activities, but is there another approach that would work better?
They love her and try to keep up but she is so intense and high-energy compared to other kids her age (and her siblings at this age). I don't want them to keep relying on videos to babysit her.
They love her and try to keep up but she is so intense and high-energy compared to other kids her age (and her siblings at this age). I don't want them to keep relying on videos to babysit her.
Response by poster: Sorry, my question is how to get the childcarers to use the resources and activities, preferably not by just ordering them to use them, not on finding the ideas for the activities.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 1:08 AM on April 15, 2015
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 1:08 AM on April 15, 2015
The key here is the caregivers. The right kind of person for the task can create captivating activities with little more than a leaf and a pencil. The mindset of an educator with a background developing activities, supporting current the developmental level, and extending learning is very different from that of the average babysitter. Having materials is nice and fun, though the focus here would better be channeled to nurturing the most effective leader for your young explorer. Now, how do you do that? An hour of training won't be enough. You really need someone actively interested in early childhood. Maybe you could research books or curriculum to give ideas and provide the incentive of professional development ( and stuff to add to the résumé).
posted by maya at 1:52 AM on April 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by maya at 1:52 AM on April 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
1. As far as videos, it is easier to enforce a "no screen time" rule than a "not too much screen time" rule. We go with no screen time. All of our caregivers (paid babysitters and unpaid relatives) have always understood this.
2. As far as activities, it will help if you arrange a specific activity for a given day. "Hi Abby. Here's a recipe for sugar cookies and some cookie cutters. Baby alms loves cutting out the shapes. You can make these together today, but don't let her eat more than one." "Hi Abby, here are some snow man stencils, cotton balls, and glue. Baby alms activity today can be making snowmen. If she doesn't want to do that, there are markers and coloring sheets that I printed out."
If you are specific about the activity for the day, it will increase the chances of that activity being done. If the kid doesn't want to do that activity, there can be other fallbacks, but the no screen time rule means that the grownup can't just park the kid and get on their phone.
posted by alms at 4:56 AM on April 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
2. As far as activities, it will help if you arrange a specific activity for a given day. "Hi Abby. Here's a recipe for sugar cookies and some cookie cutters. Baby alms loves cutting out the shapes. You can make these together today, but don't let her eat more than one." "Hi Abby, here are some snow man stencils, cotton balls, and glue. Baby alms activity today can be making snowmen. If she doesn't want to do that, there are markers and coloring sheets that I printed out."
If you are specific about the activity for the day, it will increase the chances of that activity being done. If the kid doesn't want to do that activity, there can be other fallbacks, but the no screen time rule means that the grownup can't just park the kid and get on their phone.
posted by alms at 4:56 AM on April 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
I hope this isn't straying too far from your question but I would start with your caregiver's interests. Is s/he crafty, a baker, a cook, a gardener, into history? Maybe you could sit down together to design the activities to get some buy-in. For me, I get pretty tired of Lego but I'll do play dough forever.
For my active guy, "units" of interrelated but different activities capture him best...so learning about the life cycle of the butterfly, going for a walk looking for them, making a little wheel with pasta/yarn representation of the life cycle, making tissue paper butterflies, making butterfly cookies, reading the hungry caterpillar...etc. Pinterest has a ton of stuff. (His daycare did all that::)
posted by warriorqueen at 5:37 AM on April 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
For my active guy, "units" of interrelated but different activities capture him best...so learning about the life cycle of the butterfly, going for a walk looking for them, making a little wheel with pasta/yarn representation of the life cycle, making tissue paper butterflies, making butterfly cookies, reading the hungry caterpillar...etc. Pinterest has a ton of stuff. (His daycare did all that::)
posted by warriorqueen at 5:37 AM on April 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ask the caregivers to give you a shopping list, online or otherwise, of suggested activities that you can approve and purchase or say no to because, if she isn't interested in it or if she doesn't understand it, she isn't going to be able to interest your daughter.
It sounds like she is in your house at the same time as you, which can be very intimidating (I was a nanny for a bit). The child acts worse when you are home because she wants to get your attention, making the caregiver's job a hundred times harder. And then there is the fear of being micro managed. T.V. can just feel easier. The kid is quiet and no decisions have to be made.
Your best option is to find places the caregivers can take your child. Set up a scavenger hunt in your neighborhood, create an amazing play area in your yard with a chair and a fan for your caregiver, look for playgroups and parks that your caregivers are comfortable with.
You want to give the caregivers some leeway to exercise their own creativity without fear of constant questioning and control. Give them a voice in what they can offer your child.
posted by myselfasme at 6:39 AM on April 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
It sounds like she is in your house at the same time as you, which can be very intimidating (I was a nanny for a bit). The child acts worse when you are home because she wants to get your attention, making the caregiver's job a hundred times harder. And then there is the fear of being micro managed. T.V. can just feel easier. The kid is quiet and no decisions have to be made.
Your best option is to find places the caregivers can take your child. Set up a scavenger hunt in your neighborhood, create an amazing play area in your yard with a chair and a fan for your caregiver, look for playgroups and parks that your caregivers are comfortable with.
You want to give the caregivers some leeway to exercise their own creativity without fear of constant questioning and control. Give them a voice in what they can offer your child.
posted by myselfasme at 6:39 AM on April 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
How old are your other kids? What do you think overall of your caregivers engagement with all of your children, not just this one?
I could understand reservations about doing special activities with one child if there are multiple children in the household. There can also be cultural issues at play as well. Some caregivers would struggle to read enough English to follow crafting instructions. Other caregivers were raised in cultures where children play with children and adults are more hands off.
All of that said, I have sat in a house with a paid caregiver to help with my school age daughter while she watched movies. We fired the caregiver. The next one was more engaged. This might be the answer.
However, if it is just one child in a multi child house, you might consider lessons or play dates for this child instead of indoor activities. Pocket cash for field trips, library cards, playgrounds, and other options that all the children will enjoy also work.
posted by crazycanuck at 7:01 AM on April 15, 2015
I could understand reservations about doing special activities with one child if there are multiple children in the household. There can also be cultural issues at play as well. Some caregivers would struggle to read enough English to follow crafting instructions. Other caregivers were raised in cultures where children play with children and adults are more hands off.
All of that said, I have sat in a house with a paid caregiver to help with my school age daughter while she watched movies. We fired the caregiver. The next one was more engaged. This might be the answer.
However, if it is just one child in a multi child house, you might consider lessons or play dates for this child instead of indoor activities. Pocket cash for field trips, library cards, playgrounds, and other options that all the children will enjoy also work.
posted by crazycanuck at 7:01 AM on April 15, 2015
Response by poster: She's 3, but in the 4-5 year group at school. I can't change her current caregivers who are relatives. There are no other small children her age in the afternoon, and the other children are older with school activities.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 7:49 AM on April 15, 2015
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 7:49 AM on April 15, 2015
Are they paid caregivers? Because that would change my answer significantly.
posted by lydhre at 8:01 AM on April 15, 2015
posted by lydhre at 8:01 AM on April 15, 2015
Response by poster: They're all partly paid - not the market rate, but essentially "friendship" rate.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 8:04 AM on April 15, 2015
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 8:04 AM on April 15, 2015
Ask the caregivers what kinds of things they would be willing to do. Browse the internet with them to pick out activities they would like and dislike. Adjust the like / dislike columns as experience is gained.
Since they aren't paid market rate, they are doing you a favor so you need to cater to the limits of their motivation. For example I wouldn't want to do things like fingerpainting at a favor rate.
posted by WeekendJen at 9:30 AM on April 15, 2015
Since they aren't paid market rate, they are doing you a favor so you need to cater to the limits of their motivation. For example I wouldn't want to do things like fingerpainting at a favor rate.
posted by WeekendJen at 9:30 AM on April 15, 2015
Honestly, get them out of the house. Talk a walk, go to the park or have a "Little Gym" class to attend.
posted by saradarlin at 5:21 PM on April 15, 2015
posted by saradarlin at 5:21 PM on April 15, 2015
This is easier said than done, but the easiest fix would be to have the things in the cupboard really interest your daughter. If she is naturally drawn to the cupboard on her own then she'll use it. You might even be able to frame it as a things-you-get-to-use-for-good-behaviour cupboard and ask her to help you shop for the things that are inside. Many toys and crafts can be made to be educational, especially if you have a caregiver that can ask guiding questions. Also, consider leaving some examples of things that can be made with different materials. A bunch of different clay butterflies that mommy or daddy made might encourage her to either play with them or experiment to make her own.
posted by eisforcool at 7:34 AM on April 16, 2015
posted by eisforcool at 7:34 AM on April 16, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by saradarlin at 1:02 AM on April 15, 2015 [2 favorites]