after school program to build children discipline

When a child misbehaves, it is mostly due to a craving for attention. A supervisor should observe the children and find out what the child wants. Talk to the child so that you can understand what he or she wants. Appropriate disciplinary measures should be taken if there are no apparent reasons for bad behavior.

Every program should begin by laying down the rules. The supervisor or teacher should explain each rule and can thus prevent future mishaps. Misbehavior should be addressed as and when it occurs. Deal with the problem in such a manner that it causes the least disruption. It is unwise to turn a blind eye to misbehavior because it catches on like fire, and soon you will have a bunch of unruly children on your hands. Besides, however much they resist it, children like to operate within the safety net of strict guidelines and rules.

How important is discipline when it comes to after school programs? Since most of the activities are recreational, does a program have to adhere to strict rules? Discipline is just as important here as it is in activities that pertain to the school. The child is sent to a program because you want him to learn more. Discipline in one form or the other is necessary to facilitate learning.

Why your children need after school programs

After school is not baby-sitting:

After school programs thrive only if it is backed by sufficient parental involvement. What would a soccer match be without parents cheering their little heroes from the sidelines?.



Research and choose:

Instead of convenience being the decisive factor, find out things that will interest your child. Once you select a program, get the fine print and find out what you have to contribute.



Free time:

Many children attend piano classes, followed by ballet and squeeze in some time for play dates in between just before they rush home in time for bed. This rigor is too much for a child. So, go slow.



When to quit:

Often, parents enroll their child in an activity to discover that he may not be the prodigy they thought he would be. This is the time to let go. Your child may not become the next wonder-kid. But, let him cultivate an interest that he enjoys. Remember, happiness and fulfillment are all that matter.



For many of people around the world, the day does not end with the school bell. There are still pictures to be painted, songs to be sung and games to be played. This all adds up to keeping children happy, safe and out of trouble. But, parents have to steer away from going overboard.

How to Choose a Child Care giver provider

Choosing the right child care provider is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. Children begin to learn long before kindergarten, and the kind of child care they have prior to that can make a big difference in their academic performance. For older kids, the right child care provider is just as important during these formative years.



Here's a helpful checklist to help you choose a child care provider.



1. Space for Your Child



Is there an opening for your child? This is an important first question, whether you are contacting an individual or child care facility. There's no use wasting time on other queries if they are not taking any new children.



2. Adult to Child Ratio



What is the ratio of adults to children? If you're going with a home-based caregiver, find out if he/she has children at home as well. If it's a family of six kids, adding more children can push the ratio out of balance. The same is true for a commercial facility. A rough guideline is this: there should be 1 adult for every:

* 4 newborns

* 5 infants from 6 weeks to 18 months

* 8 preschoolers

* 10 children aged 5 to 9

* 20 children aged 10 to 12



Again, this is a rough guideline. Your local regulations may differ, and your personal requirements may be different also.



3. Find Out about Violations and Complaints



Contact your local child care information agency regarding a provider's record of complaints and/or violations. If there are some complaints, it pays to do your research - there might be violations in the past that are no longer an issue, for example, or that have gotten worse instead.



4. Do an Internet Search for Reviews



When you have several names of providers, type them into your search engine with the word "reviews." This can yield a lot of information.



5. Food



Small children need to eat frequently, and babies do too. Ask about the food policies of the child care provider. If you demand-feed your infant, will the provider do the same? If you take a more scheduled approach, will the child care provider respect that? For older kids, you'll want to ask about the kind of food that's served and how often. Find out if there are provisions made for kids with food allergies.



6. Hours

Make sure the hours of the provider fit with yours. If there are scheduling problems or delays in pick-up times, ask about the provider's policy in case you're late or early with pick-up or drop-off.



7. Credentials and References



Ask for references and credentials. The provider should be glad to give you the contact information of individuals who have used their services. Ask about licensing, accreditation, and how long the provider has been in business.



Above all, sit down and make a list of things that are important to you and your family in choosing a child care provider. You may have specifications that are not standard, and those are still important. So having a master list helps a lot in keeping you grounded during your research.

know when your children ready to stay home alone

Is My Child Old Enough to Stay Home Alone? This is a simple question but the answer is complicated. As children grow up, parents begin to wonder if their child can stay home by themselves. After all, child care can be a lot of trouble and expense. And during the summer months, parents may really wish their child could be home alone for at least a little while.

Of course, all children are different, and some kids are ready to be left alone at a much younger age than others. Your child's maturity level, home environment, geographical location, and other factors all play into the issue. And there are also certain laws on the books about this as well. So age can be determined in a somewhat general way, but there are other considerations than your child's age.

So to answer the question of whether or not your child is old enough to stay home alone, it's important to look at various factors.

1. Your Child's Age - How Important Is It?

First, look into your local laws. You must follow those guidelines first and foremost.

And there are some obvious things in the age department that can determine how independent your child is. For example, it's never okay to leave a baby, toddler, preschooler, or kindergartener home alone, even for a few minutes. Once your child gets to gradeschool age, though, it gets to be more of a gray area.

2. How Long?

How many hours your child will be home by themselves is another key thing. Children in gradeschool - the "latchkey kids" as we came to call them - may be fine to be at home for an hour or two. But leaving a gradeschool-age child at home alone all day is not advisable. A general guideline is, the younger the child, the shorter the time home alone.

3. How Safe Is Your Neighborhood?

If you live in a high-crime area without any trusted friends or relatives nearby, then leaving your child home alone at a young age may not be a good idea at all. A quieter neighborhood with family down the street is another matter altogether. So your location has a lot to do with your decision.

4. Evaluate Your Child

In addition to age, your child's personal character traits have a lot to do with whether or not they are ready to be left alone. Here are some things to look for and ask:

* Does your child listen and take directions well? If so, he or she may be mature enough to be left alone a bit. He will need to know how to follow directions when you're not there.

* Does your child tend to panic or be anxious? High-anxiety children may not be good candidates for being home alone.

* Is he able to fix food for himself?

* How does your child feel about being home alone?

* Has your child exhibited responsible behavior in the past?

* Can he make independent decisions?



5. Evaluate Your Home

Your home will need to be safe for your child to be left alone. For example, if your home is heated by firewood and it's cold out, you'll need to make sure your child is old enough to handle that without endangering himself. Your water heater will need to be turned down to a safe level, dangerous areas need to be locked off, and your home will need to be safe enough not to pose any danger of injury.



As long as you are within your local laws, the final decision is up to you and your child. If you're not certain, try leaving your child home alone for very short periods at first, and then work up to longer times.

Preparing Your Children to Stay Home Alone - Best Tips

When you've checked with your nearby laws to determine you're not in any sort of violation, you can choose whether or not your youngster is prepared for this huge step. It's not dependably a simple choice.



Provided that you've chosen that it works for your family to let your kid stay at home alone, it is essential to plan every living soul in the family -yet particularly your youngster. Here are some top tips for planning your kid to stay home alone.



Begin Small and Short



Start with exceptionally brief times at home alone. Run over the road and talk with a neighbor, or take a short walk yet don't go far. These first times alone could be as short as 10 minutes or inasmuch as 30; it hinges on upon your extreme time objective and your kid's personality. At that point you can work up to more extended times and going more distant away, for example running an errand crosswise over town or something comparable.



Crisis Contacts



Take a seat with your kid and head over a rundown of crisis contacts. Post this record alongside the phone, or on the fridge. This record might as well incorporate the accompanying numbers:



Your mobile phone number



Other relative mobile phone number



911 (adolescent youngsters may need to see this recorded to help keep them quiet)



Poison control



Closest relatives' telephone numbers



Your own particular full name, address, telephone number, and auto permit plate number (your kid may need to give this data a crisis scenario)



For more youthful kids, pictures can assist with speedy distinguishing proof of numbers (a blaze truck by 911, for instance, or your portrait by your cell number).



Obligations



A thought for keeping youngsters out of inconvenience is to have a rundown of errands or obligations your tyke needs to finish, then afterward a rundown of prerogatives. Provided that your youngster does the errands in the first place, he can do the prerogatives. Make it clear that, provided that you get back and he's occupied with a benefit (like motion picture recreations) and his errands aren't carried out, then he'll lose that (or some other) concession.



Practice



For more youthful youngsters, why not practice a touch? Have your tyke call your cell while you go outside, for instance, and afterward request that he get when you call. Provided that conceivable, you can orchestrate with your neighborhood

Should You pay for a Teenager to take Care of Your Children? Pros and Cons

Some time ago babysitting was a regular route for teenagers to win cash, and it was frequently a high schooler's first occupation. Nowadays, however, there are a ton more choices, and folks are well cognizant that there is more than restricted to find kid mind provided that they need to have a date night.

Obviously, its still adequate to contract a young person to watch over your kids. Be that as it may like any youngster consideration decision, it has a few pros and cons. Here are some of the aforementioned pros and cons to recognize as you choose whether or not you might as well contract an adolescent to watch over your youngsters.
 

Pros

1. Children Like Teenagers

Children often respond really well to teenagers. They're fun, and children know that teenagers are not quite adults yet.

2. Teenagers Cost Less

It's pretty well realized that an unpracticed teenager is a considerable measure more reasonable than, say, an expert caretaker or more advanced in years grown-up with bunches of experience and monetary obligations. Generally high schoolers acquire babysitting cash as using cash or to safeguard to a specific buy or objective. They don't have the monetary commitments and obligations that grown-ups do.

3. They Are Fun

Teenagers have more energy to spare than your average adult. This can come in very handy if you have multiple children or a high-energy child who loves to play.

4. Teenagers Come to Your Home

It can help ease any anxiety about your leaving if children are in their own home. It's also convenient; you don't have to pack up your kids and drive them somewhere.

Cons

1. Lack of Experience

This is probably the number one con to hiring a teenager to care for your children. Teenagers do not typically have children of their own, and unless they grew up with baby brothers and sisters to care for, they aren't going to have a very broad frame of reference for handling problems and issues with your kids.

2. They're a "Kid" Themselves

While this can come in handy in the energy department, the fact that teenagers are, brain-wise, still kids themselves can't be overlooked.

3. Young Teens Can't Drive

This is a concern in the case of emergencies. Some parents are uncomfortable with a caretaker who can't drive, or who doesn't have a car of his or her own.

4. Teenagers are Busier and More Distracted Than Ever

These days, teenagers have a lot of distractions (cell phones, video games), activities (sports, drama, music, etc.), and schoolwork. College preparation and competition are more intense than ever, and teenagers just don't have as much spare time as they used to.

As you can see, there are pros and cons of hiring a teenager to care for your children. Hopefully, you'll be able to arrive at a decision you're comfortable with that works for your family.