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child care for special needs kids

Having a special needs child comes with an extreme level of responsibility, and oftentimes, more expenses. So, what do you do when you have to go to work and need someone to care for your child? I struggled with this for about two years before I couldn't financially stay home with my son any longer. I spent a lot of time looking for information about finding the right child care center for my son and what I could do to prepare him for the transition from home to the center. On this blog you will find tips that can help the process go much smoother for you and your child.

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child care for special needs kids

Does Your Child Insist On Doing Things Independently? 3 Self-Help Skills Your Toddler Learns At Daycare

by Sid Van Minnen

After spending so many months doing everything for your child, it's nice to hear them say that they want to do things themselves. However, it can also get frustrating when your child's attempts at independence cause you to run late or to have to clean up a major mess. Fortunately, it is possible to strike a healthy balance between teaching your child how to be independent and managing to get out of your house on time. Working with your child's daycare teacher is the ideal way to help them learn these three self-help skills faster.

How to Put Away Their Toys

The toddler stage is a time when your child's attention span is still developing. At this point, it is still common for young children to quickly drop one toy and leave it on the floor while they go play with another. As a parent, it can sometimes feel easier to just pick the toys up at the end of the day, but this can lead to the establishment of bad habits that are hard to fix later on. Daycare services include time in the schedule to help toddlers clean up their toys. Teachers use a variety of different child-friendly strategies to get this done. For instance, they may sing a cleanup song to get the whole group to help out with putting toys away. They may also use gentle reminders or turn cleaning up into a game that makes your toddler want to take care of their mess.

How to Get Dressed

It is pretty adorable to see a toddler who clearly got dressed on their own. Although a backwards shirt or mismatched set of buttons is not a big deal once or twice, it does become a hassle if it slows you down. Toddler child care services include lessons on how to do tasks such as zip a zipper, and your child may even have access to fine motor boards that help them learn how to use snaps, buttons, and laces.

How to Clean Up Their Messes

Those early attempts at independence may lead to some messes, but a toddler child care program views things, such as spilled milk, as an opportunity for another self-help lesson. In their classroom, your toddler may be encouraged to help clean up messes that fall within their skill set. If spilled food happens, your child's teacher will simply help them get a towel and wipe up the mess. At home, you can help to encourage the development of this behavior by also encouraging your child to clean what they can with your help.

For more information on daycare services, check out a company like Lighthouse  Academy

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