Caregiver Responsibilities

That’s the Way Kids Are Read “That’s the Way Kids Are” to the class.

Pre-School Experience Handout and explain the “Pre-school Experience”. Handout and explain the “Parent Letter”.

Responsibilities of Caregivers Love and Understanding Maturity Health Safety Love and Understanding It is crucial that a responsible caregiver understands and loves children. In turn, he/she is usually liked by children. At the start, some people have a greater aptitude for these qualities, but one can learn to understand children by observation and study. Maturity This does not mean one has to be a grandparent to be a successful caregiver. Maturity involves qualities such as being level-headed, dependable and have an understanding of oneself. It commands the respect and confidence of others and is an aid in maintaining authority and discipline. Maturity is almost a necessity for successful interaction with others. Health Caregivers should be in good physical health. They should also be mentally and emotionally sound. This is a protection to the caregiver as well as to the child. Providing quality care for children requires stamina and patience. Safety Good caregivers are safety-conscious and make every effort to protect the children they are responsible for from accidents. The safety-minded individual is alert to unusual as well as obvious dangers. He/she can quickly decide how to respond to potential dangerous situations.

Responsibilities of Caregivers Developmental stages of children Guidance Play Toys Developmental stages of children Each child is special and different, yet every child follows a certain pattern or order of growth and development. Many things can affect the way a child follows these growth patterns. Heredity, nutrition, and surroundings all affect the way children grow. Family love and attention are important factors. The words normal and average tell what is true of most people or children. However, there will always be some individuals who grow and develop more slowly or more quickly than what is considered normal or average. Guidance The mental and emotional needs of children are often more difficult to think of and remember than are the physical needs. To get along in the world, children need basic guidelines for behavior. We have the responsibility to teach children how to behave. The word discipline comes from the word disciple, which means “student” or “follower”. To teach guidelines successfully, begin with encouragement, love and praise. Children repeat actions they are praised for and give up actions that are ignored by others. Play Play is a child’s natural way of learning. Children test and practice new physical, mental and social skills through play. Play gives the child an opportunity to act out feelings and builds a foundation for future learning. It is the way a child learns to concentrate, to imagine things, to try new ideas, and to practice grown-up behavior. Toys You can help a child to learn and grow by providing toys that are safe and fun. Children at different ages enjoy different kinds of toys.

Confused Cathy Write down at least 20 mistakes that Cathy makes while being a child caregiver. Read the story, “Confused Cathy” Have the students write down 20 mistakes Cathy makes. Review the answers with the class.

Emergency Guide Choking Fractures/Sprains Convulsions Animal Bites Nosebleeds Choking Children less than a year old – Place the child face down over your arm and hit the child four times between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. Children older than a year old – Do the Heimlich Maneuver. Fractures/Sprains For a fracture - Check for pain or swelling. Do not move! Call 911. For a sprain, apply cold compresses, and elevate the injured part. Convulsions Protect the child from injury. Place the child on his/her side with the head lower than the hips. Do not put anything in the child’s mouth. Call the doctor or 911. Animal Bites Wash the wound with soap and water and call the doctor. Locate and identify the animal for possible rabies. Nosebleeds Sit the child down. Squeeze his/her nostrils between your thumb and index finger for at least 5 minutes. Do not tip the head backwards as the child may choke on blood. If the bleeding will not stop, call the doctor.

Emergency Guide Skin Wounds Poisoning Insect Stings Burns Head Injuries Skin Wounds For bruises, apply cold compresses for 30 minutes. For cuts, apply direct pressure with a clean cloth until the bleeding stops. Wash with soap and water and put on a bandage. If the cut is large or deep, keep up the pressure and call 911. For puncture wounds, wash with soap and water and call the doctor. Do not try to remove large objects. Poisoning Decide exactly what was taken and how much. Know the child’s age and weight. Take the bottle of poison with you to the phone, if possible. Call Poison Control Center or 911. Insect Stings Remove the stinger by scraping it with your fingernail. Do not pull it out. Once it is removed, apply a cold compress. Check for allergic reactions and if so, call 911. Burns Place the burn under cool running water or cover with a towel soaked in cold water. For burns deep burns, call 911. Head Injuries Check for unconsciousness, drowsiness, convulsions, inability to move any body part, severe headache and oozing of blood or water from the ears or nose. Call the doctor.

Ten Tips for Safety Never leave a small child alone at any time. Keep the child away from electrical equipment or hot objects. Keep gates closed or have a barrier across the top of stairs. Keep dangerous objects out of children’s reach.

Ten Tips for Safety Do not let children run around with sharp objects in their mouths. Keep pot handles turned to the inside of the stovetop. Keep children away from water unless supervised constantly.

Ten Tips for Safety Teach children how to use their toys safely. Teach children to pick up their toys when they are finished playing with them. Teach children to stay out of the street.

Spot the Safety Hazard What safety hazard is connected with the word on your card? How can you correct it? Hand out the index cards to each student. Ask the following questions found on this PowerPoint slide.

Summary Being a caregiver is a big responsibility. It requires preparation and dependability. This responsibility cannot be taken lightly.