The next asset children need to grow up healthy and develop strong relationships with others is the caring out of home environment. For infants and toddlers this most often means a child care center that will care for the child while mom or dad are at work. Always carefully research and interview anybody that will be responsible for caring for your child in your absence. Check the cleanliness and structure of the facilities. Are the building and grounds in good condition? Is there enough space for your toddler to thrive in both indoors and out doors? Talk to all of the staff members and parents. Get to know the person or people who will care for your young child.
Don’t stop your diligence once your child is placed in a childcare facility or home based daycare. Observe how the caregiver interacts with each child. Are they loving and kind? Monitor new hires to see how they interact with your baby or toddler.
The most common out of home environment for elementary age children, is of course, school. The main objective is to help ensure your school age child is flourishing in their school environment. You may have chosen to home school, send your children to a private school or attend your neighborhood public school. Whatever your educational choice-be as involved as possible. This will not only show the teachers and administration that you are an involved parent. This will also help to reassure your child that you are still interested in their lives. In addition, it may make it easier to approach the teacher or the teacher to approach you with a potential problem with your child. Other popular out of home environments for school age children may include a local after school program such as the Boys and Girls Club or a service oriented group such as the scouts.
Teens typically prefer extracurricular activities such as sports, art, and music type classes to meet their needs for a caring out of home environment. In addition-hanging out at other friend’s houses, or community meeting places such as a pizza place or arcade are favorite things for teens to do. As a parent, you can make sure you know the other parents and the exact whereabouts of your children during their teen years. They do not need less supervision than younger children, just a different more independent type of supervision.