Two common blunders parents make when they first use childcare centres' services
Posted on: 12 May 2021
Here are the common blunders parents make when they first begin using childcare centres' services.
They don't consider the weather outside when deciding what outfit to put their child in
Many parents make the error of not taking the weather into account when deciding what outfit their child should wear on a particular day. They may do this because the childcare facility's interior will remain at a steady, comfortable temperature all day. However, childcare centres usually have outdoor play areas that the children may spend up to an hour each day playing in. Furthermore, if a parent ever ends up running late and collects their child after the centre has closed, the child might have to sit outside the centre with a staff member whilst they wait for their parent.
If a parent dresses their child in, for example, jeans and a t-shirt, the child might be quite comfortable in it whilst they're inside the centre. However, if it happens to be chilly outside that day, they may be uncomfortably cold after the 30 minutes they spend outdoors at breaktime. In this situation, the staff might have to improvise and use coats from their lost-and-found box or give the child a blanket to keep them warm.
As such, when picking outfits for their children, parents should choose ones that will keep them comfortable, both indoors and outdoors, given the weather that is expected to occur on that day.
They make packed lunches for their children that are the same as the lunches they give them at home
Another blunder some parents make when they first use childcare centres' services is making up packed lunches for their children that are the same as the lunches they serve them at home. This can lead to a few problems. For example, even if a child has no food allergies, their parents should not put foods that some other children in the facility could be allergic to (like peanut butter or prawns), as their child could share their lunch with their friends who are allergic to an ingredient in their lunch and accidentally cause them to have a reaction.
Additionally, if a parent gives their child messy foods (like pasta with tomato sauce) and they spill them on their clothes, they'll have to wear those food-stained garments for the entire day (whereas if they spilt food on an item of clothing at home, their parents could just give them another garment to wear). As such, parents should give their children foods that are not too messy (such as sandwiches, cucumber slices and hard-boiled eggs).
Reach out to a local childcare centre to get more tips.
Share