I walked into a 2-year old classroom today and there were four bean bags. How adorable and soft they looked. They were strategically placed in a semi-circle as if a group of students would gather there at any moment. Fortunately, someone else picked them up to inspect the tags. The tags were clearly marked for 13 and up! Yikes! Once we squeezed the bags we realized the filling inside was small pieces of some foam-like material. If the bag was punctured a young child could easily choke on these small pieces. Fortunately for us, we don't have any students. Age-appropriate refers to materials, toys, videos, games and even furniture. Remember to read labels and instructions before introducing new items to your children.
Well 1st... Congrats on the new Blog and the new position!!! In just the few posts so far you've got me hooked and I am excited to hear about your journey and learn from your experience in the field!!
ReplyDeleteI have grappled with the "Age Appropriate" dilema for awhile now. Running a multi-aged Home Child Care Program presents many obstacles with age appropriate toys & materials. I am constantly reading tags, labels, and deciding what can and will be offered to the kids!! I think the hardest part are the parents themselves... they bring me things for their children to use that are definately not for their age. Thanks for the reminder!!
Again, I look forward to keeping up with your journey!! Good Luck!!
Aw...you are too kind! I am very excited about all my new journeys! A bit scary but I've learned soo much. So you do Home Childcare. That is how I began my love for the field:) Unfortunately, I was better at teaching than collections! My parents would sing me a sad story every other week. And I would be left trying to care for my family barely scraping by. I wondered how could I continue to do what I love but be certain I'd be paid each week. I know, I'll let someone collect for me?!:) The more parents you meet the more you understand age-appropriate means something totally different for each family. I always accept teaching materials and toys smiling broadly and either thinking "no way" or "cool". I pulled out some posters I snagged from a older public school teacher years ago. I needed to add some pictures in "My Sad Class". One has a picture of a funeral scene. On the back inside the story it says, "I told you Billy, Grandma is not here, we'll see her at the funeral". Grandma had apparently died and the child in the story clearly did not understand. While death is a apart of life, a story of that magnitude was certainly NOT age appropriate.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking this journey with me:) I appreciate you! I look forward to buggin' you like crazy!
Blessings,
Myra
Ahh... yes, the business end of Home Daycare is the worst!! It has taken me a while to get the hang of it, but I still get taken every now and again. When my boys get older I may go out into the world again, but I have a new baby sibling starting in the fall... so who knows... I do love those babies :)
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I'm glad it's not just me being a drama queen about the business end of Home Daycare. Ooh you have a baby starting?...it's the baby smell! I just loooove that baby smell! Why haven't they put that baby smell in a bottle? I'd carry it in my purse and take a big whiff!
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