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Working Moms
XP- Clicky Poll - TV and Childcare
I just posted this on my local board and I thought you girls would have some good in sight too...
I just started doing in-home childcare last week and it has been busy! Last week went pretty smoothly and this week pretty much so... but we've had a few little snags. I watch a 2 year old who is very very busy. It is really hard for me to make lunch everyday and keep him entertained/out of trouble while I do this. Yesterday I let him play by himself while I made lunch and he found a pen and drew all over the couch. Today I tried to sit him down at the kid table with the 3 year old I watch Mondays and Tuesdays and let him draw with crayons (this table is visable from the kitchen). This lasted for approximately 2 minutes before he started drawing all over the table. I need something for him to do while I make lunch, 15 minutes of keeping him busy would be awesome.
Well when I first talked to parents when they came to interview me I said that I was not into TV watching and that we would be much too busy to watch TV. I said maybe, maybe on a rainy day, but otherwise, no. They insisted that it was fine with them if we did watch and that they had they tv on at their house when they were home.
We do tons of other activities throughout the day. What do you think if I had the 2 year old and 3 year old watch an educational show for 15 minutes while I prepared lunch? It would be something that I had previously taped on DVR, so I have total control of what comes on, and how long they watch.
[Poll]This discussion has been closed.
Re: XP- Clicky Poll - TV and Childcare
C'mon, Alisa, do you have NO pens in your house at all? My DD is a freakin' pen magnet -- if there's a pen in a 1-mile radius of her, she'll find it. It's pretty amazing
Anyway... if it were me, I would want you to find another activity. That said, she goes to a preschool where they do watch TV (and it bugs me to no end...) so it wouldn't be the end of the world if you sat the kids down for 15 mins to watch TV. I would just be careful about making sure it's ONLY for those 15 mins/day, and doesn't start to expand into other times where you "need" to get something done, ya know?
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
Can you find another activity? Try something that is only an option while you are prepping food, like magnets on the fridge, or a play kitchen, or having a drawer in the kitchen with toys in it. This way the child is in your field of view, yet busy with another activity.
Good luck!
This.
plus -
at Alisa's pen comment.
I am not a daycare center. So pens around my house are not an issue. Although, my kids haven't found one yet. Because I put them away.
I would be unhappy if my kids were randomly finding sharp objects at my daycare center.
Which is why I don't like in-home care.
I am also rolling my eyes at this comment. I feel really happy for you that you never leave anything out that your children could write with.
When I was filling out each child's form that says what their daily activities/eating/sleeping/diapering habits were, I left a pen on top of the papers on top of an adult desk, not realizing that the 2 year old I watch would be able to reach up there or would even think to get anything up there. I was wrong and learned my lesson.
IMO, and from experience working at childcare centers, writing utensils are sometimes within reach, because centers also fill out paperwork like I do.
BTW, I talked to the 2 year old's mother and she once again assured me that TV watching is fine with her. I taped a couple of playhouse Disney episodes and let him watch Handy Manny, which was like 20 minutes long. I was able to prepare lunch and have everything that I needed during lunch within reach, which allowed me to sit with the children while they ate and made for a much more pleasant experience. I was able to talk to them instead of running back and forth to get things ready. I think the 2 year old liked me eating with him too.
Thanks for all the advice! I will definitely remember the magnet and kitchen utensils for other days. And now I am off to clean up from lunch, since they are all napping. This is totally an exhausting job! (But I love it!
)
Huh? Because there are no pens at your daycare center?
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
And your daycare center's workers are so perfect that it's inconceivable that they might accidentally leave a pen within a kid's reach? Wow. That's pretty amazing.
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)