My daughter is nearly 2, but I am worried, confident and crazy around me n mum but clams up around other kids. Its painful to see such a strong personality clam up. So, we're considering playschool, but is it early. My main worry is her aggression, she bites and pinches, very hard, enough to mark me n mum, on young skin this could scar. I have no clue why she does it but I reckon being around kids slightly bigger might put her in line. But is two years a bit early anyway?
- Thread starter Anastacio
- Start date
start playgroup at 2yr old?
Our daughter started daycare at 13 months. She goes 3 days a week and loves every second of it. When she was in the toddler room (18-30 months) she was bitten three times (2 different kids). It is typical of this age because they are trying to express themselves but can't verbally so they bite and pinch. All three times our daughter was bitten it was over a toy. Twice she had a toy someone else wanted and when she didn't want to share they bit her. The other time, she tried to take a toy away from another kid and they bit her. The teachers in the room monitored the behaviour to find the trigger and resolved it. Both kids grew out of it once their vocabulary increased and they were able to express their emotions.
I was very hesitant at first to bring her to playschool but we found a good one and have been very happy. The social aspect, playing with other kids, learning songs and games, letters, counting, reading, using her imagination to tell stories...it has all been so much fun to watch her develop in these areas. I also think its good for her to have a little separation from being with the parents all day everyday.
I was very hesitant at first to bring her to playschool but we found a good one and have been very happy. The social aspect, playing with other kids, learning songs and games, letters, counting, reading, using her imagination to tell stories...it has all been so much fun to watch her develop in these areas. I also think its good for her to have a little separation from being with the parents all day everyday.
I think it is good for kids to be around other kids. I put my younger son in headstart at the age of 3 in the states it was only for a few hours a day. But he loved it. She may still cling to you when she first starts the group but after a few visits you might have to drag her out of there. But you shouldn't be worried about her behavior as most kids are like that at her age and they do grow out of it in time.
Oh wow, you have no idea how much you have relaxed me with that post, I thought we had a serial killer in the making. And the progression sounds great fun. What signs are you looking for when finding a trustworthy playschool? Yes, na?ve, every day is education to us, fun but stressful.
We aren't experienced either LOL! I do have an ESL teacher and a retired Principle for parents so I guess they pass along alot of info to us but alot of it is trial and error and research online and from other peoples experiences.
We looked for a place that was clean, a manager and teacher that were hands on and genuinely cared about the kids, a program that sounded like fun for our daughter and had a philosophy of positive reinforcement and confidence building. One thing we really like is that when there is conflict between the children they remove them from the situation and put their focus & energy on a new task thereby eliminating the conflict immediately. They don't reinforce the negative behaviours of the children.
Our daughter comes home singing new song after new song and has learned so many new words and games and stories. She is happy and she asks to go back every day! She calls it "Play Play Play"! (although they do learn alot!)
Things aren't always perfect with any playschool but we chose this school because of a good feeling after meeting the teachers and seeing the program. It was our daughter that made the decision to stay there because of how happy she is when she goes everyday. If we had a bad experience or she was screaming and fighting to go then we would change. I will say that after interviewing possible home babysitters (aweful experience) it was really easy to know we picked the right place when we found it!
We looked for a place that was clean, a manager and teacher that were hands on and genuinely cared about the kids, a program that sounded like fun for our daughter and had a philosophy of positive reinforcement and confidence building. One thing we really like is that when there is conflict between the children they remove them from the situation and put their focus & energy on a new task thereby eliminating the conflict immediately. They don't reinforce the negative behaviours of the children.
Our daughter comes home singing new song after new song and has learned so many new words and games and stories. She is happy and she asks to go back every day! She calls it "Play Play Play"! (although they do learn alot!)
Things aren't always perfect with any playschool but we chose this school because of a good feeling after meeting the teachers and seeing the program. It was our daughter that made the decision to stay there because of how happy she is when she goes everyday. If we had a bad experience or she was screaming and fighting to go then we would change. I will say that after interviewing possible home babysitters (aweful experience) it was really easy to know we picked the right place when we found it!
LMAO...I think just about everyone who has kids has experienced the bitting and pinching at some phase. And like the other poster said they do grow out of it. I think the best way to go is find some highly recommended places and go and check them out. Take your daughter with you to see how she responds to them and the rest of the kids. Also go a few times unannounced just to see how the staff interacts with the rest of the kids and how they respond to the good and bad behaviors of the kids. And most important see how they respond to any demands you may have for them pertaining to your child as far as don't let them have this or whatever it may be. And see what it is that they are doing with them as well playing is good but they should also be having some sort of educational play. Best of luck to you. I think this is the most fun period of being a parent, when their little personalities are really starting to form.
This may not always be possible for a variety of reasons. Besides, I believe that a bit of the structured learning provided by daycare makes a world of good to toddlers (just my personal experience).
Our daughter started daycare for 3 hours twice a week weeks before she turned 2. While there was no crying when I left her at the daycare (I cried), I knew she would be out of her comfort zone. I work from home so my daughter always had me around.
It did both of us a world of good. I learned to let go and not to worry too much, I started to work more hours and she gained a lot of independence. A couple of weeks after starting daycare she announced "no more boobies!" (she was still breastfed). Her Spanish improved tremendously (out of need) and she was soon potty-trained (peer pressure is not always bad). When we moved to PuntaCana she started school shortly after she turned 3, best money we ever spent.
So, yeah, I am a fan of daycare.
I understand people send kids to daycare our of necessity (or even perceived necessity) but I think it is always preferable not to send them if not really necessary. Unlike in the States where kids can miss out on socializing with other kids due to a variety of reasons, the DR is very different and much more social and generally there are plenty of opportunities for kids to socialize among the extended family.
Urban DR is a totally different thing nowadays. If my family were anywhere around we would still be out of luck: there aren't any kids near my daughter's age in my extended family (a couple of preteens, one baby). Frankly, there are very few kids in my extended family.
But honestly, even if we had kids around I still think daycare was very good for my daughter. Of course you mileage may vary.
Daycare isn't for everybody but quality daycare can be very beneficial for children. The key is getting the high quality Care because many daycares are not much more than babysitter services. One of the things we plan to open in Jarabacoa to compliment Yris's school is a DayCare. Yris has her early Childhood diploma from here in Canada to go along with her Dominican education ( which is better than many think)
Child- care research has shown that compared to low quality situations, high quality care can impact young children's intellectual, language, and social skills and behavior. In a recent study published in Child Development, better classroom materials and practices in the day care setting were associated with more advanced development of children's language and academic skills. The benefits of high quality care were even stronger and longer lasting for children at greater risk for having difficulty in school than the average. This was particularly true in case of better math skills and fewer problem behaviors.
Factors which contribute to high quality child-care are:
•Low child-teacher ratio increases the likelihood of one-to-one attention.
•Safe and healthy environment
•Caregivers who are nurturing and knowledgeable about children's development
•Caregivers have a consistent and stable presence in the child's life.
Staff training and educational background are among the most critical elements in improving children's experiences in child-care. Providers who receive higher quality training and more specialized training are more likely to be found in high quality care environments. Job satisfaction and commitment are two factors that contribute to the stability of care. Turnover rates in child-care providers are high. This is due to the stressful conditions of providing child-care with long hours, low pay, and few or no benefits.
Many people think that providing child-care comes naturally, but teaching and caring for children in groups takes special skills. The best child-care providers have education and training about children. Licensed caregivers in Missouri are required to have 12 hours of child-care training every year. Caregivers learn how to plan the day, provide nutritious foods and fun activities that children will like.