Helping New Parents and Infants Transition
Helping New Parents and Infants Transition
Of all the research done on childcare and early childhood education
you'd think someone would do studies on the fear that make couples
looney in the head after they become parents.
The biggest thing for a new parent is fear. Fear of what they would
do if anything happened to their little Johnny or little Sue.
This advice was given to them by their loving and caring family,
friends, experts and professionals that never had a child.
Truly all of that wonderful advice was meant to help the new
parents, but it set off a stampede of stuff inside of them even they
didn't know they had.
So for three months they are homebound with their new baby while
entertaining their family and friends, hearing all of the protection
laws for the infant from grandparents, aunts and uncles, godparents
and admirers while the parnts forgetting they have a world of other
living awaiting them when they come up for air.
When they do come up for air to breath back into the rest of living
they are confronted with questions that begin to shake the fabric of
their existance.
They have to return to work, they must find the perfect caregiver
and they must begin the "Act" of parenting.
So now where are they?
They have read all the books on how to care for their baby, how to
teach, exercise, feed and love their baby.
What not to let others do or not do around the baby and all the
wonderful advice from the family and best friends and experts.
Behind the doors of a child development center:
The notebook of a child "Caregiver".
The way to choose a child care center, what to look for that is
never revealed and things that are hid that a center may not want
you to know.
1. Always have more than one visit.
2. Ask if you may make a random visit.
3. Donot pretend to smile. If you are nervous, be nervous so it can
pass easily.
4. Do not be embarassed, write all of your questions down
you will remember to ask them. Once you enter a room with infants
you loose your thinking power because infants take your mind off
why you are there.
5. When you find a center you are comfortable with, the TRANSITION
is the sealer to you and your baby beig happy there.
6. A poor transition creates stress. It will leave you uninformed,
nervous, in a state of emergency at all times, fearful, worried
and confused becaused you have unanswered questions.
7. A good transition relieves stress. You asked all of the questions
from the books and those your family and friends told you to, now
you feel better.
8.A good transition consist also of getting to know the individuals
that will be personally caring for your infant.
Communication is number one.
The caregive should be informed of the activities of your infant
for the past three months.
Compare it with what will become the new schedule and work with the
new caregiver to assist with the transition for your infant.
9.As you develop a relationship with the care giver you will be re-
leiving yourself of the question as to the kind of care your
infant will get.
10. Remember, it is ok to cry as many time as you feel like it
because you are being seperated from you infant.
Three thing happens when parents go back to work:
a. Parents are separated from their infant, the infant is
seperated from their parents and the cargiver and the infant
are alone with no clue as to how things will work out.
11.Speak to other caregivers that will care for your infant.
Some individuals are hired that cannot read or write, some
barely can read or write. In emergencies this could be a problem.
Slow reading could cause a childs death so could no reading.
It may be true that good workers are hard to find and there are
good workers that are illeterate so where should they be placed
for working in a child development center. Love, yes and no are
teaching tools yet caregivers should be able to teach through
plans and also developing plans for teaching.
12.One major thing to look for when doing interviews at a center,
watch out for the kind of thin skin of information you get from a
director and if you don't feel the meat and potatoes you need ask
more questions and watch where the answers come from.
13.Ask to see guidelines for the center that governs the directors,
curriculum director, teachers, cooks, houskeeping and traffic
in the building.
14. Anyone apprehensive about answering any of those questions
you should take another look at that facility.
15. The infant room should be kept clean at all time because
infants crawl on the floors. Check the floors and behind the
beds if you are brazen enough and you will see just how dusty they are.
About the Author
She taught for a year as a substitute teacher, worked with homeless families, shelters and for the past five years worked as an Infant room teacher opening and unfolding the latent talent with infants
Her company Veola Momon and Associates consults with those needing help in finding a good care center.
Email: vmomon30317@yahoo.com