As a parent, when you start searching for a childcare center, you want the best for your child. You want to make sure that when you leave your toddler there, they will be able to take good care of him/her. There should be no stress at all, and when you take back your baby in the afternoon, you should be happy that baby had a good day, he/she is looking healthy and smiling at you. There should be no sign of mistreatment or carelessness from the childcare center. In this post, we will look at the several qualities the best childcare providers have in common.
The caregivers truly love children
This one is primordial! You don’t want to leave your baby with caregivers who are doing the job just for the sake of a salary. They should love being around children, and find it to be fun and fascinating. They should typically have a background where you’ll find they spent a lot of time babysitting in their youth, or spent a lot of time with younger siblings, not because they were obliged to, but because of their love for children.
They should love spending time with other people’s children. Caregivers should honestly be able to treat your child in the same way they would have treated their own child. This quality is a MUST.
Caregivers should be natural nurturers
Caregivers should have a natural ability to take care of others. They naturally show affection to others, and instinctively hold, cuddle, and make children feel they are important.
Caregivers are warm people
They are good with people and get along with everyone. They can clearly state their point of view without being bad to others. This is an important childcare provider quality which helps the caregivers to cooperate with parents who may have differing parenting and discipline styles.
An abundance of patience
Good childcare providers are calm and patient. At times a child may go out of control but they but a child’s tantrums are all in a day’s work and good caregivers are not annoyed by the messes. They patiently look after everything till the child calms down. There may be instances where a child’s anger seems to terrorize other kids around, and the situation gets messy as other kids start to behave uncontrollably. This is where an abundance of patience comes to help.
Good discipline
Good caregivers use common sense where discipline is concerned. The caregiver cannot be a dictator who expects children to behave nor a marshmallow who would allow children to do whatever they want. A home childcare provider is able to set firm, yet flexible rules. In this sense, the child also learns to respect discipline.
Healthy childcare providers
The job of a childcare provider is both physically and mentally demanding. Childcare providers are “on duty” and “on alert” at all times. This is one of the childcare provider qualities you will want to see in the childcare provider that you will choose for your child. And, for this to be, they should be on good health and fit for duty. This is definitely not a sit-down job and good childcare providers need a lot of energy to keep track of several children.
Well organized
They have to be naturally well organized. From nutritious meals to all other activities, everything must be planned to keep all those little hands busy and learning. They also have to keep track of the children’s information and food program without forgetting the financial records. Record keeping or other administrative tasks are yet some other responsibilities childcare givers have to do on an on-going basis.
Creativity
Children will occasionally need something new to learn and discover to stretch their imaginations. Good childcare providers will always come with fresh ideas to incorporate into their programs. You want to see your child come back home and show you how thrilled he/she is when something new is learned or accomplished at the childcare center.
Training
You want to be assured that the caregivers have taken some First Aid and CPR classes.
They should be having a basic knowledge of Medicare and first aid response.
Child-friendly environment
They have plenty of space for several children and the surrounding has a child-friendly environment. The childcare center should comply with the health and safety regulations and strive to provide the best possible care. There are no hazards and the center have passed a fire inspection.
All in all, if you can see the child childcare providers in the list above, then more than likely, you are going to send your child to a good place where he/she will grow and learn.
Good luck with your child and don’t forget to share your experience in the comment section below.
You made a great point when you said that you should look for a child care provider who has a good balance when it comes to disciplining your child. They should be firm about rules but at the same time relaxed enough to let them play and move around when it is beneficial. I wouldn’t want my kid to grow up spoiled or anything like that so I hope that I can find the a child care center that can give him the same level of discipline that I do.
My husband and I have talked about both of us going back to work once our baby is old enough to walk. Thanks for mentioning that we should look for a childcare provider who is organized in preparing meals and other activities to keep our child preoccupied and educated throughout the day. I hope we could find a good place with great mentors so that we’d feel at ease to leave our son.