Quality infant care and what it looks like

In the early childhood srena infant care is the most expensive and most intricate of all tiled care. The main reason for this is that infants need individualized direct care.  there for there are fewer teacher to Children the ideal ratio in one teacher to for children. This ratio makes it possible for the teacher to not just feed and change a baby that also to have real true interaction with them helping them to work on aspects of an infant's development with them right where they are.

So here's a breakdown of what I think an infant room should be:

1. Anyone injured room should be to remove their shoes put on Fox or pre-prepared how shoot and immediately go wash their hands.
2. What they want their hands and put on a smog then and only then can they enter the infant room and catch babies.
3. If they themselves have cold or some other kind of respiratory infection they should cover their mouth with a mask
4. Everyone who comes in contact with the infants need to work really hard to ensure that they are kept well. 
5. Breastfeeding moms should have a quiet private place to nurse.
6. Teachers should be seen either on the floor with infant or holding them in rocking chairs or playing with them in some kind of way talking with them engaging with them reading to them showing them black and white pictures and colorful objects.
7. You should find a lesson plan on the wall somewhere it should have individual children's named and an activity or page number something to let you know that the teachers are doing some kind of educational activity with each child.
8. The staff should remain static only if there are lunches a teacher is sick or there's some other kind of training teachers in the infant room should be there always and Romaine the child teacher until they leave that classroom.
9. Only parent and infant teacher should be allowed in the infant room at all times.
10. You should be able to ask any teacher in the room what is the procedure for emergency evacuation and they should be able to tell you.
11. Bottle should be warmed in a bottle warmer a Crock-Pot with water or an electric kettle with the big tub nearby that allows hot water to be used to warm bottles, bottle should never be warmed in a microwave.
12. The diaper changing area should be meat and clean there should be a water solution that is 1 part bleach 3 Parts water used to clean the infant changing station.
13. Hot and cold running water with soap should be close enough for Teacher to watch their hands without removing the the baby after changing.
14. Babies who are walking should not be in the same space with babies who are not.
15. When babies are awake they should be either in a carrier on the floor with other baby, on the floor on their tummies playing with objects, in their cribs playing with your hands and feet, or with the teacher. You should see babies in all of these places when you visit. If you see baby's only and carriers for every time you did that that's a warning sign.
16. If you see baby to have balding spots in the back of their heads, and it's more than one baby that cost or warning sign that they spend most of the day in their carriers are car seats or laying on their backs in their cribs.
17. Our teacher talking to baby as they change them this is a good time from language and Faith to Faith activity and teachers should be using it for such.
18. Every Center should share information with you on how your child is doing daily. One of the most special ways that I have seen is an infant care room that used journals and wrote down more than just what the child 8 or whether or not they made use of their diaper. The teacher also shared their impressions of the child what exercises they were working on what cute things were done and took pictures Polaroid and take them into the journal so that it not only became a way for parent to learn about your baby during the day it also became a keepsake. The really cool thing about this journal is that it went back and forth between parent and teacher so that each one of them had a chance every day to write in until both the center and the home had really good ideas includes about what was going on with the baby every day.
19. There should be information about infant care in the room for you to pick up teacher should share with you and be able to answer your questions about infants on a regular basis they deal with infants everyday.
20. The infant room should be a comb and happy place you should hear music in the background teacher should be pleasant with one another it should be happy place a place that you want to stay and linger with your baby while you're there.

So if I was with you looking for child care on infant room that I would say yes this is where your child should be these are the 20 things that I would look for and expect in a high-quality infant room.

Taking care of infant is exacting and exhausting work. Teachers who love it though never work a day in their lives they just love an opportunity to be around babies all day

You want to get the sense from being in that room that that's exactly how they feel and they are looking out for and doing the very best possible job for DMV in their care. Ultimately this makes the very best high quality program. Teachers who are well-educated and love babies I want to do everything they can to help them grow and develop.

Believe in Parenting
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Want more information about quality child  care? Check out the book Choosing High-Quality Child Care!

Co-parenting-Coming Together Like a Sperm and an Egg

One of the things I've always found very interesting is that we have adults who are not marreiedand share their child in different households, and that's called co-parenting. I find that to be ironic because the truth is everybody co-parents.

There is this myth that exist in Western culture that parenting is somehow an innate behavior. The truth is we learned to parent from how our parents parented us. We take the sum of our childhood experiences and repeat those experiences with our own children. Now, if your parents were wonderful. loving, kind, supportive, and understood who you were meant to be then that is awesome!Because, you're going to be that same kind of parrot. However if your parents were mean-spirited, cold, unresponsive, neglectful, and vengeful the chances are you are going to raise your children the same way. Tthere are cases where this is not the case; my own father is a Case in point. Just understand that there are always exceptions to the rule.

I will point out this is not a doomsday prediction, it is afgterall why parent coaches exist. Here are some things to remember.

1.  Every adult has the power to change the way they act, think. and behave; it is a choice. 
2. This process is difficult because as I said before parenting is a learned behavior which means you have to unlearn some things and relearn others. 
3. A parent coach is oone professional who can help you beging to navagate the changes you may want to make. 
4. This is also what makes co-parenting so valuable; because you are not parenting alone you have a partner This partner is a person who is in this with you who wants you to be the best parent you for the sake of your children.

So here's an exercise what emphasizes the most important parts of co-parenting. That is having a clear erstanding of the household your spouse grew up in. I encourage take a day or two and think about the following question and then come together and talk about it.

The best/worst thing about growing up in my house with my parents was...

 Here is how I recommend you go through the process.

1. When you talk about it the atmosphere is really important. Talk in a quiet plaxce where you both feel safe and cozy. This is probably going to be one of the most intimate conversations you will have in your realtionship. 
2. Be courteous and really listen, observe body language, and hear the emotions your spouse is feleting as they share about how they grew up. Is it something they want to repeat or is it something they want to change? Sometimes even the things that seemed good did not necessarily felt that way growing up.
3.  Get really transparent with each other about how you grew up and what your household was really like and then give each other love, comfort, and understanding around those tough issues. Celebragte and laugh about the happy and joyous times.
4. After sharing these thoughts and feelings give it a couple of weeks maybe even a month, but then come back together and talk about how you wamt tp raise your family together. 

Ask these questions

1. What are some of the things that you really want to repeat and make a tradition in your own household?
2.  What are some of the things that you absolutely do not want to repeat, and do not want in your family?

Create a Parenting Pact

1.  Talk about these things 
2. Write them down J
3. old each other accountable 
4. Make a plan to review this at least yearly 

Our views change becayse we read, gain more information through talk-shows, and onversations. Parenting at it's root is a relationship between parent and child. Children have different relationshps with each parent. This is neither good nor bad it just the way things are. Revising these things in an open and honest conversation keeps you on the same page and helps your children know what the boundares are because they get the same answer from each of you.

I will say it again everybody co-parents. The thing about it, is you could do it wisely by talking it through, offering each other support, and being on the same page. Or you could fight one another never seeing eye to eye on what it means to parent. I would pick the former it us for the best. Good luck!

Believe in Parenting

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Moms of Compassion Community Forum Tour of Georgia

Hello I am so excited to be a part of a phenomenal group of women Sheneeza Volcova, Corey Lowe, April Ward, and I are the hoSts of a new Christian Television Network and Queen Water Network talk show called Moms of Compassion. This is a project of His Kindness Foundation and is a nonprofit work to combine our mission of serving Christian community by bringing everyday issues into their living rooms and then getting them to come out of their houses to meet as a group to provide the answers they need through outreach, subject matter experts and people in the community who want to help and support families as they are empowered to turn and help someone else to come throught the same issues.

This concept is unique. Because we are not just working to produce a television show. We are r3eaching into the homes of hurting poeople and then bringubg the answers they need abd are looking for with our Moms of Campassion Tour.

I want to share the fact that our first community forum is going to take place on March 14th 2019 acting East Roswell Recreation Center from 6 to 8 p.m. ourfocus  is on the needs of special needs children, their families, and how the church can support families who need it.

I can tell you that we are looking for service providers, support group leaders, families with special-needs children, churches who want to support them, respite agencies, and the general public who are looking to be able to  help these families, to come and be a part of the conversation.

We do have vendor and sponsorship opportunities if you're interested and we would really like to have at least 30 vendors. There is room for everyone we want to make your service known to those families who need you. Here is a link to the information.

As I stated earlier this Moms of Compassion Special Needs community forum is coming  to a city in Georgia near you. If you are a parent, provider, respite organization, or physician. We would like to speak to you about being a Keynote Speaker for one of these events near you.  If you have questions please contact me at Barbara@andbabyco.com or Sheneeza Volcova at info@hiskindnessfoundation.com.

If this idea intrigues you, but you can not participate in person. We would appreciate a donation to our Fundly page here is that link.


Here are our tour dates (more details to come):

Roswell 3/14/19

Macon 4/18/19
Augusta 4/25/19

Columbus6/6/19
Albany 6/20/19
Athens 8/22/19
Chattanooga 8/29/19
Savannah 10/24/19
Valdosta 10/17/19

Special needs parents are a unique breed of people they love their children and they do everything they can to help them become as and dependent as possible.

Please come out and support them because if you're like me and you believe in parenting then the best thing we can do is offer loving kindness and support to pair to have one of the toughest jobs on the planet.

Believe in parenting!

It is time for the church to take her head out of the sand!

Hello, as many of you have probably seen on Facebook and Linkedin, I am one of four host on a new show coming to Christian Television and Queen Ester network in Macon, Georgia. The show is called Moms of Compassion. It is our goal to bring to the forefront of Christian living the struggles, hardships, and needs that the church has been ignore for decades.

These issues are as follows:

Special needs children, mental illness, alcoholism, drug abuse,spousal abuse, child abuse, sex trafficking, pornography, abortion, and many others.

I can tell you that after communing with the Holy Spirit, He is not happy. He called us to the Earth to be His hands and feet to bring hurting people comfort, support, aid, to bind up there wounds, to get in the trenches and help them. To work with and be led by Him to the remedies to help people deal with what's going on in their everyday world.

Instead, we have abandoned them,  looked down on them with our pride and log filled eyes. It is time for us to take our heads out of the sand. It is time for us to recognize that we have failed to love one another. To really love and care for the least of us. It is time to wake up and be about our Father's business.

Moms of Compassion is a television talk show dedicated to Bringing these issues to the forefront through conversations and then getting out into the community and bringing forth solutions, information, support, and resources for people who need them.

I recently heard the story of a special-needs family whose child admittedly an older child accidentally soiled himself at church. Did the church respond in a loving and caring way? Letting the parents know that even though the child was older, we recognize and he has special needs and he may not have all the capabilities of other children. No, you Guessed It they asked that family to leave the church and not bring that child back. The left foot of fellowship!

It makes me ashamed to call myself a Christian  because they do. It just adds another layer to the line Christians are the only ones who shoot their own wounded. It is time for the Bride of Christ to stop acting like a bunch of lily-livered wimps and stand up and come against the enemy with everything in us and love  know another, and hurting people with everything in us.

I know this post is a rant and I'm sorry. For those of you who follow me I know you know that my heart is to help and support people. To give people especially parents the tools and resources they need to do an exceptional job with their children.

It is my hearth desire to see the church step up and become exceptional  in how they care for God's  people.

Believe

Why the Parents of Premies need to Visit Their Local Socttish Rite?

On a Saturday September  I got a chance to hang out with a friend at Congregate Beth Hallel where we attend. She is the grandmother of  5 kids on the Autistic Spectrum. She told me something I knew, but had not really considered autism effects each child differently and what works for one child will not work for antoher. Because the disorder effects different people with different modes of challenges.

It made me see that Autism is a disorder with many faces. One thing I have learned is that most pre-mature infants who spend tie in the Nursery Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will mostl ikey be somewhere on the autistic spectrum. This was interesting for me to find out; because I was born premature in 1965. I can see that at times I can fail to read social cues, sometimes I actively ignore them, but there are times when I fail to ecognize them at all. It has not hindered my life overall though. I tend to make friends easily, and my three closets frends I have had since my teens.

Autism is not a one size fits all disorder it has a spectrum. It might be a mild form like me who misses occasional social cues or servere like a child who has no visible sign of communication with the outside world. This is why I recommend that parents who have premies go to their local Scotish Rite Hospital and learn about the variou services in your city for autism. Many children do not begin to show signs of autism until about 12-18 months. However, as the saying goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Since we know premies are much more likely to suffer from the autistic spectrum getting the information, tips, and suggestions on working wiath a child to improve the outcomes of this possibility is imperative. You need to know the signs to look for and get help immediately. The sooner interventions are in place the better the outcome for your child.


The reason I recommend the Scotish Rite hospital is they they specialize in the care of children with special needs everything from with physical needs, to speach and language issues, and social/emotional challenges they deal with it all. It is a good place to start to seek out resources and find support. If your child was born premature it is essential that you find a high-quality center that uses the Ages and Stages Qustionnaire to do a yearly baseline on children's development. It is this instrument that is likely to show any issues in developmental lag. You can also use this instrument, however the professinals you are working with should also be using it to help you spot issues so intervention can be immediate.

If you are looking for a center which does great work in this area already check your local area for an Easter Seals child care center. Easter Seals does great work with young children who have all kinds of siabilities much like Scottish Rite Hospitals. They also provide parental and other family support services.

I know your sweet baby is precious to you and having been in the NICU was difficult and you just want your life to get back to normal. However, it is important for you to recognize that coming into the world early is going to effect and affect your child their whole lives. However, the more services and interventions you put in place while they are young; the better the outcome will be for them when they are older. There is support out there for you! Your best support are the professionals and other parents who have been there. Get help now so you can begin to know what to do. Overwhekm is mitigated by knowledge. Arm yourself now and you will be ready to face any challenge which might come later!

Believe in Parenting

Women the forgotten victims: How God Loves You!

Tomorrow many thousands of people will walk in the streets of Washington DC for the 46th Annual March for Life.Here in Georgia the gathering will be held on January 22 at Liberty Plaza at the Georgia Capital. I have been a pro-life supporter since the age of 16, when I did a report on the affects of abortion on women. After working in a crisis pregnacy center I have concluded that women as well as their babies are both vicims in this violent, cruel, and life destorying process.

In every war there are casulaties many people in this particular fight talk about mercy and compassion, but what is lost in the war of words is the fact that there are millions of women who are living with the fallout of the horrors, emotions, biological and mental effects of having had an abortion. Even as I wrote my paper in 1983 there was massive research on how abotion negatively effects the women who have them. It included everything from abortion psycosis to brest and ovarian cancer. However, this post is not about thet. This post is to remind women that God cares about you and what you have been through and He has long since forgiven you for the choice you made and it is now time to forgive yourself.

I realize I am not talking to every women who has gad this procedure; but there are enough of you I think need to hear this. There is only one unpardonable sin and having an abortionn is not it. The God of Heaven who sent His only Son to die for your sins on the cross is reaching His arms out to you and loving you as Hid daughter. He wants to help youheal your mind and emotions from this choice you have made. Romans 8:38 says:

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k]neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of Godthat is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This measns the choice you made to have an abortion can not separate you from His love. But, at the same time you have to choose to turn to Him and get the forgiveness He has already granted you. The truth is that your baby is with Him and thoughthey only lived within you for a short-time they will live forever in the world where time is no longer relevant. When you turn to Him and reeive the forgiveness the Messiah purchased for you on the cross the end result is you will get to see your child in the world that existed before time and will exist long after time is no more.

I have spent years praying for women on both sides of this tragic decision,those who are considering making this choice and the women who have made the decision to go throughwith it. I have come to love them all. Life is hard and no matter the reason this choice was made the pain of it can last a lifetime and cripple the women who make it. But, God does not want that. He wants women to heal from this tragic circumstance and receive His love. He wants them to heal; so they can move forward and do what He has sent them to the Earth to accomplish.

I encourage you to cry out to, speak to, and reach out for the love of the great Father of Lights who wants to heal you and make you whole again. All you have to do is ask Him for help. Is is as simple as saying; "God, I know you have forgiven me. Help me to forgive myself."

If you need someone to talk to you can feel free to reach out to me. I will listern and prey with and for you. Blessing on you and I hope this blog will help you to begin the healing process. You can be whole again all you need to do is ask.

Love, peace, and joy.

Barb

Social/Emotional Development: The Foundation for School Success

     Early Childhood Education  is based on children learning about themselves and what they can do. The main focus of this form of education is the development of social emotional development.When people hear the term social/emotional development they instinctively think about how a child gets along with others. However, that is leaps ahead in the process. First children must be able to focus on themselves. The one thing most people fail to understand about the main purpose of early education. That purpose is all about the in many ways  a child is learning about themselves what they can do. This is the crux of social emotional development.

One thing to keep in mind as we talk about children three and younger is the fact hat they are focused on learning about themselves and what they can do in the field of early education this is called egocentric. Do not mistake this for selfishness. Children this age are not developmentally able to separate themselves from what is in their hands. Asking a young child to share a toy is the same as asking them to take of their hand and give it away. They just are not ready for that sharing is a developmental stage most appropriate for children three and older.

What children learn about themselves from Birth to Age 3:

•         Recognizing independent person
•         Recognize they have emotions  
•         Label those emotions
•         Listen to and follow one direction
•        Learn to express them appropriately
•         Recognize their own things
•      Develop the ability to put those things where they belong   
•         Hear, listen to and follow two  directions

  

In addition, children learn to sit and pay attention from 2 minutes at 18 months to around 10-12 minutes at age three.Once children have mastered these skills they move on to being able to interact with others. These skills look similar but, are different in that children associate what they have learned about themselves and begin to apply it to others. They make the mistake of thinking others are just like them and it take a while before they learn others have their own way of doing things.

Learning to interact with others age 3-5:

   

• Recognize others have feelings
• Begin to learn to share
•  Learn to negotiate in cooperative play
• Learn to share feelings in a verbal manner
• Listen to and follow three step directions
• Start bargaining to make friends
• Show signs of frustration in the give and take of bargaining
• Listen and follow three or more directions when given
• Become responsible to put things away where they belong
• Sit and listen for up to 20 minutes by age 5
• Learn how to listen to another's feeling and share theirs
• Share freely

    Only after children begin to master these abilities are they ready for elementary school. These are the building blocks for Kindergarten. Many parents think that knowing alphabet, numbers,colors and site words are the things children need to begin school and that is true to a certain point. However,  the above skills are more necessary for a successful elementary school experience. Which is why you see now the move to include so many aspects of emotional education in the school setting. Children who did not get these skills in early childhood in early childhood disrupt classroom learning and negatively affect the classroom experience for the other children. Thus, teachers are constantly working to get kids to develop self-control in these areas and not able to teach the grade level subject matter.

     As an early childhood expert, I often find it frustrating to see the push for reading, writing, and more kindergarten skills younger and younger and the push for social emotional growth in elementary grades. This is exactly backward. Kids need the social emotional development before they enter school this is the foundation for learning. Therefore, I highly suggest you look for an early childhood program focused on social/emotional development it will give your children the foundation they need for educational success.

Believe in Parenting