How to help your caregiver with this topic

• Let people in your community who would be qualified to work at the child care program know when there is an opening at the child care program.



• With the permission of the caregiver, organize a pen pal program with a different part of your city, country or the world. For younger kids, it could be the exchange of art projects; for older kids, an exchange of letters.



• Never make fun of a person because of their race, religion, body size, gender etc. Children tend to copy what you say, especially when there is drama or emphasis on key words.



Example:
Don’t: “She’s just a dumb blonde and doesn’t know what she’s talking about”.
Do: “She needs more information” or “She had incorrect information”.


• Bring in materials, books, music, songs, and foods that reflect your child’s culture. Be willing to demonstrate a dance, sing a song, and share a skill or custom with all the children.


• Engage your child’s grandparents and other relatives to share traditions when they were growing up.


• Be sensitive to other children’s backgrounds and do not say or do anything that would put down another child’s beliefs.


• Think about your customs, and how they would work in your child’s program. Don’t be mad if your caregiver doesn't accept your offer. Do something else, or adapt the tradition.



Example: The Piñata (a paper mache figure filled with wrapped candies and knocked open by blindfolded children swinging a bat) is a well loved tradition. But it may not be a good choice in a child care program for several reasons:

• A swinging bat is very dangerous if there are not enough adults to keep the children away, and children tend to crowd in so they’ll be close when the candy falls out.


• Once the piñata is cracked open, the children who are the most aggressive grab the most candy. This is not a behavior that the program wants to reward.


• Even if children share the candy, some children may have allergies to the candy and the candy may be a choking hazard to smaller children.

Think about how you would adapt the piñata experience to capture the delight of “hidden treasure” without the hazards mentioned above.



Guidelines for a successful celebration: Ask your caregiver well in advance. Be open to the need for changes (time available, allergies, short attention spans, appropriate to the age, etc.). Make sure that your own child understands that they will be just one of the kids and you will be the teacher. Story telling is good, but keep it short and add props, photos and pictures, if possible. Don’t take family treasures that could get damaged by curious children. Focus on singing and moving more than eating. This helps your caregiver teach the lesson that special occasions are about more than treats. Hands on is always better. Don’t just tell kids how Grandma always made noodles from scratch, show them, and let them make noodles, too. Bring Grandma in to demonstrate her technique. Have enough equipment and supplies so that kids don’t have to wait a long time for a turn. If turn taking is necessary, have something for the kids to do who are waiting. You will quickly realize the planning that your caregiver does every day. Try to plan activities that use all the senses: Seeing, Hearing, Smelling, Touching, Tasting Plan enough time for the children to help clean up.