You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'safety children' tag.
It’s strange, scary but also true how many children do not know how to read. I was watching a documentary recently on how children all over the world are being passed over from one grade to the next, without knowing the most basic of essential survival tools in our world today, how to read. This is especially true in South Africa.
So what is going on, why are children not reading, why is the learning process taking a turn for the worse? What can we do about it? For one thing, there are endless other forms of entertainment consistently available at their little finger tips. From TV, Videos, Games and the biggest technological culprit, the internet, games that talk to you so you do not have to read and in extremes it is simply a case of poverty or school classes so big that teachers cannot teach, and due to incentive based outcomes, teachers are passing the children as it is simply easier for them. Either way the least we can do for our children is give them a love for literature from a very young age. With it being proven time and time again, that children who read from a young age are likely to be more successful in life and are more likely to excel in whatever it is they do, reading should be a priority.
When is a good time to start reading to your child? Well from the moment they are born really. Even an infant finds the sound of mum or anyone talking, soothing. Not only does reading to your child increase their vocabulary at a rate you cannot even comprehend until they are much older, but teaches them that reading is important. Taking time out to read to your child can even be relaxing for you. It will instill a sense of curiosity and interest in your child and as they get older even help with your bed time routines.
The very best way to get kids to do anything is to teach them through example. Occasionally, turn off the TV and sit down with a good book. Doing so will help your children to see how important reading is. As your son or daughter grows, the two of you can read together. Take turns reading a story to one another, or read a page and then have your child read the next page and so on. Tell the story with enthusiasm and don’t be afraid to really get into it and make funny faces and voices. I have loved doing this over the years and have even taken it the point where I was doing a different accent and voice for every character in a story, which is a lot more fun than you think. If you enjoy reading time, so will your kids.
Personally I have been reading to my daughter since she was born and every night, as part of the bed time routine, we have read a story. From the time she was 2, she knew that bed time, meant story time and getting her to bed, even if I read the same book every day or the story was short, was never an issue. I am happy to report, that 8 years on, it has all been worth it. Just 2 days ago, she said to me ‘mum I think I am going to read to myself tonight’. I will admit, I love our story time together and was a little upset I wasn’t going to be included in this session. At the same time however, I was over the moon. So I put on her night light and just so that we had a little bedtime fun, handed her a torch and did a quick shadow puppet show for her. She proceeded reading ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ for 30 minutes independently for the first time. It was a moment I have been anticipating for years and I will never forget it. It made me the proudest mom in the world in that moment, for having successfully inspired a love of literature in my daughter.
Giving your child books for gifts instead of a steady stream of toys, they hardly play with, will signify how important books are to you. Even before he or she can read, you can encourage a love for books in your child. Purchasing classics and collections of books in all genres will definitely keep the interest high. Taking them with you to the book shop to choose their own will give your child a sense of control and allow him or her to explore his/her own likes and dislikes. Then by exhibiting curiosity in what your child is currently reading, and asking a few simple questions about each book can also encourage excitement and a natural inquisitiveness. When you do reach this stage though, remember not to push to hard. Understand that for your child, reading should be fun and something they want to do, not have to do.
Sometimes you will find your child may have trouble reading. By being closely involved, you will more likely be able to pick up where the issues are and stop them, in their tracks while any issue is still in infancy. To ascertain difficulties, asking your child to read out loud to you is the best bet, you will immediately see if they are struggling and with what aspects they are struggling. If you do pick up on an issue that goes beyond your capabilities, don’t be scared to obtain assistance, from teachers and other professionals. Once your child has a better grasp of reading, the desire to read will grow. Be encouraging and try not to show frustration at temporary setbacks that occur from time to time. Find books that are of great interest to your kids, and this will act as a source of motivation for further reading.
Even if your youngster does not require reading help, take him or her to the library to sign up for a library card. Visit the library regularly and encourage your son or daughter to try several different kinds of books. Make it an important, special occasion. You will both begin to look forward to these outings and the opportunity to relax and enjoy a good book in the calm, quiet atmosphere of the library.
If you praise your son or daughter whenever they read rather than watching television or playing video games, your praise will be rewarding to them and they will attempt to continue impressing you reaching new goals, slowly but surely, reading will quickly become a normal part of your children’s routine and one day you too will look back and say, ‘Wow, today I am the world’s proudest parent!’ as your child turns off the TV and heads to bed with their book, lost in a world of imagination and growing a strong and intelligent mind for the future.
As a follow up to one of our recent posts , ” Mom, make up, a freeway and no seatbelt.“, I thought it would be a good idea to load up this video I took yesterday at our First Aid course, which we host for both our candidates and the public on a regular basis. Michelle van der Merwe, popped in to give a 15 minute chat child safety around vehicles.
The facts are scary. 84% of children in South Africa do not wear a seat belt. If you are in an accident driving at 50 km’s per hour it is equivalent to throwing your child off a second storey building ( that’s when you are in an accident with a stationary object) or having 30 adults stand on top of him or her. It is our responsibility to ensure that we reduce 80% of the fatalities in children involved in vehicle accidents in South Africa. Child fatality in accidents is currently the 4th leading cause of death in the country. All it takes is a few seconds, and yet 84 % are currently not strapping their children up! Wake up South Africa, 80% of these deaths are preventable.
more about "Viddler.com – Your videos – Currently…", posted with vodpod
Today I have to admit I have been feeling a little under the weather. Both my daughter and I have been at home, sick , and of course hubby isn’t feeling a thing, yet. I think I pulled through the day in fine form though.First there was coaxing my daughter to stay in bed, which was difficult but we survived with a few books, some drawing and more coaxing. Work was another story altogether… and I feel its my duty to tell you why, even though my head was throbbing and my temperature a little above normal, it was a great day!
What made it such a great day? Well normally its happy clients and candidates that make my work rewarding but let me bring your attention for a moment, and my praise, to a company that worked wonders with a smile for one of our clients this morning. About 2 days ago the client contacted me and told me she would be flying to Cape Town and would require a babysitter over the weekend. We sorted out for her booking for her quite quickly and then early this morning, she called. She had just landed at the airport and had to hire a vehicle but then she had a bit of a shock. She realised she did not have a car seat for her 14 month old son.
Frankly, I’m a little surprised to find that vehicle rental companies do not have car seats available for rent, apparently they don’t ( I know shocker right!). She called to ask me to find out if perhaps I knew of a place she could hire one from. Right off the bat I knew who to call…. Babylite , I found them a while ago and they are listed on our “Mom’s Link Directory”. They hire out a massive array of child related products including prams, car seats, baby monitors, toys , walkers, chairs, safety gates and more. Better yet is that they are everywhere from Cape Town, to Johannesburg, to Plett, to George, Durban and a long list of others.
To take some pressure off the client though, I called on her behalf. I got through to Shawn from their northern suburbs branch. Now just so that you can understand the magnitude here, the client is staying in town centre which is quite a distance in Friday traffic from the northern suburbs ( at least an hour and a half, both ways). I asked Shawn to give her a call and assist. Shawn called her right away, took her requirements down and Babylite then delivered the car seat to her at her guest house. A little while later she called me to say thank you. What superb service! Shawn and Babylite, on behalf of our client and myself, a big thank you! You and your company really made my day!
Sitters4U has just added an emergency numbers section for Cape Townto the “useful info” section on the website and will soon be adding an emergency section for Johannesburg and Pretoria.
There is a comment section at the bottom of this page that you can use to tell us about any emergency numbers you would like to see on in section. Tell us about them by clicking here.
I am ecstatic! Finally, months of work, sleepless nights and barely any social activity finally bears fruit…I am watching as I am typing this, our new website go live. Features include forms for every service, navigation that ensures you know where you are always, and some other wonderful features on our Content Management. Over 200 pages all neatly tucked into their individual spaces and all fully, easily navigable!
Like I said I am ecstatic. Check it out www.sitters4u.co.za
I recieved this chain mail this morning and had to share… Enjoy:
The Price of Children
This is just too good not to pass on to all. Here is something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It’s nice.
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with R1,681,470.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn’t even touch college tuition.
But R1,681,470.00 isn’t so bad if you break it down.. It translates into:
• R93414.93 a year,
• R7784.49 a month,
• R1796.34 a week.
• A mere R254.52 a day!
• Just over R10.50 an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice is: don’t have children if you want to be ‘rich.’ Actually, it is just the opposite.
What do you get for your R1,681,470.00?
• Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
• Glimpses of God every day.
• Giggles under the covers every night.
• More love than your heart can hold.
• Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
• Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
• A hand to hold usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
• A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
• Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For R1,681,470.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:
• Finger-paint,
• Carve pumpkins,
• Play hide-and-seek,
• Catch lightning bugs,
• Never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to:
• Keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
• Watch Saturday morning cartoons,
• Go to Disney movies, and
• Wish on stars.
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodlewreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother’s Day, and cards with backward letters for Father’s Day.
For a mere R254.52 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
• Retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
• Taking the training wheels off a bike,
• Removing a splinter,
• Filling a paddling pool,
• Coaxing a wad of gum out of hairs, and
• Coaching a rugby team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
• First step,
• First word,
• First bra,
• First date,
• First time behind the wheel.
You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you’re lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great-grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match..
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!
Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren!!!!!!!
It’s the best investment you’ll ever make!!!!!!!!!
Change…Are you ready for it? I certainly am, whilst most people spent their Easter weekend away with family, my family went to Saldanha, visiting family and can you believe it, working. Whilst my daughter had lots to do, my partner and I packed in an incredible amount of time into Sitters4U’s new website? Why? I have been so excited about our new launch and it looks like its finally here!We are about 6 hours work away!
Its got a new look and feel, its going to be extremely easy to navigate, all services are now accessible from the website, so a client need never download forms, fax or email a form, its now all accessible online.
To add to the current forms online, which include au pairs, babysitters and house sitters, New service forms previously only downloadable, include:
On the child care side we have Drivers, Tutors and Nannies;
Home care now includes online requests for Domestics.
and Frail care Services can now be requested online, include: Nurses, Paramedics, Care givers, Companions, Medical Administration Staff, other medical services, Treat a Senior options and Home Management services which include everything from gardeners and electricians to plumbers and more.
To make it even more incredible we now have online staff applications for each and every service, obviously as a candidate you will still need to come and see us but at least it makes processing your applications alot easier, meaning faster processing of applications as well!
Okay but that’s not all I have up my sleeve! We have also just launched a new child care course in Cape Town for Nannies, domestics and Au pairs. As far as I know it also happens to be the most well priced course at a rate of only R 500 per person ( the next course up starts at R 1500)! Very exciting stuff, covering:
• Basic Childcare
• Etiquette in Employers homes
• Communication between Employer and Employee
• Communication between Child minder and Children
• Safety
• Health and Nutrition
• Child Development, month to month
• Age Appropriate activities from newborn to Preschool
and with ongoing support and a monthly newsletter, this course is well worth it!
So watch out for the new website, launching in the next few days! Looking forward to the new challenges, clients and staff we will be assisting.
This weekend we will be hosting the Pediatric First Aid course in Midrand, we still have space available, so if you are keen to join sign up by clicking here now.
Why would you want or need an au pair? Its a good question! Personally speaking I want to know that my daughter always has the care love and attention she deserves, but we understand that with the hectic schedules of modern day life, as a parent one cannot always be by their side 24 hours a day. Parents play the important role of primary provider and an au pair can play a vital supportive role in our children’s lives, making the time we spend with our children, quality time.
In the traditional sense, an au pair, is defined as a young person living with a family abroad caring for the family’s children and doing light house work.
However in South Africa, today, an au pair is much more than this. An au pair in South Africa, is a professional, responsible, experienced and even trained person who cares for the child’s entire welfare whilst in his or her care. An au pair is expected to do a lot more than just supervise the children.
It should be remembered that the parents should always be the primary care providers and role models for their children and au pairs can support the parents in achieving this goal by contributing to the childrens vital support network. An au pair helps with daily activities related to the child’s needs, from lifting to helping with homework, preparing healthy snacks and filling the children’s days with fun, age appropriate activities. This leaves time for mom and dad to relax with their children and enjoy a healthy relationship which ultimately will provide the basis to develop the communication and trust needed between children and parents as they get older.
We know it takes lots of love, care and personal attention to develop a child to his or her full potential and every child deserves that chance. As children grow, so do the influences they are susceptible to outside the home. Having an au pair ensures that your children are cared for in the comfort of your home. The au pair will provide fun and learning opportunities in an environment safe for your children. What’s more, is that you will have more control over your child’s situation, you will get regular report backs on progress and activities, behavior patterns and this means that you will have a better chance of helping your children reach their full potential. Hiring an au pair provides you with the ability to spend your evenings/time with your children uninterrupted by homework, cooking and other child related chores. An au pair helps with the development of your child by balancing schoolwork, sport (extra-mural activities) and other activities of daily life.
Choosing an au pair is one the best things you can do for your child/children no matter how old they are. Children are influenced by friends, the media, teachers and other influential adults. Having some control over who these influences are, can only have a positive effect on your children’s lifestyle and over-all development.
I believe in this concept and would recommend an au pair for children of any age as long as you have thoroughly established your needs and done research to ensure that these needs can be met by a person capable of doing so.
Choosing a Baby sitter
Choosing a reliable babysitter whom you can trust with your children can be tedious and down right scary, especially if your children are still very young. Knowing what to ask, what to check and what instructions and information to give this person is of critical importance. Although it’s scary, being cautious and doing your homework will give you peace of mind and that’s worth its weight in gold.
…So what is the first step? How do you begin your search? What options are there?
Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is probably one of the best ways of finding a babysitter, as long as the people you are asking are people you know well and trust. This is especially true if your children are the same age. You are trusting the lives of your children to this person, so if they come highly recommended by someone who has used their services, then it’s probably a safe option.
Agencies
If you don’t have good friends that know of an excellent sitter then an agency is another safe route to take as long as they are a reputable company which has very high standards for their staff. It is of great importance that, when contacting the agency, you make them are aware of the age of your children and your needs for the evening that you will be away. You should also ensure that the sitter suggested has experience, has been reference checked and has her own transport. It is also important that the agency sends you a sitter whose age, experience and training is suitable to your children’s needs. An agency, if they do ensure these factors, you may just solve your babysitting requirements for all time! Reputable agencies definitely do take the pressure off you to find what you are looking for.
….If you are doing it yourself though there are many factors to take into account:
Consider the age of your children and that of the sitter:
Younger teenagers do not posses the emotional or physical maturity to deal with the many problems that could arise; in fact some of the situations that could arise may even be caused by this. A good general rule to apply: the younger the children, the older the babysitter should be and the more experience they should have. The sitters level of maturity is of vital importance to your children’s care and your own peace of mind. If you are comfortable with just anyone then that’s your choice. However considering the babysitters own behaviour and maturity is a major consideration before leaving your children with her or him. Another consideration you should take into account is that; should you leave your children with anyone under the age of 16, you are legally responsible for anything that occurs in your absence.
Interview the potential candidates
Again if you are doing the research yourself, it’s important to hold interviews with any potential sitters, to ensure that they are appropriate for your children. Arrange to interview the candidates. Invite them to your home; find a good interview guide that will help you in knowing what questions to ask. Keep it casual so that you get to know what they like on a professional and personal level. If you interview a candidate that you feel may be “the one”, introduce her/him to your children and observe their interaction. Let the children lead the interaction, from showing her their room, or favorite toys etc. Do they interact well? Is the sitter genuinely interested in your children and do they like her as well? Your children will be a great indicator of the sitters sincerity and suitability. After she leaves chat to the children and value their opinion of sitter. The combination of your and their instincts will give you the impression you need.
Check potential sitters references
References are of the utmost importance! References can be an excellent indication of the sitters capabilities, skills and personality. Ask about the reference about their children, how old they were when the sitter cared for them, did they ever experience problems with reliability, time keeping or otherwise? What was their children’s opinion of the sitter? What was the sitters interaction with the children and what responsibilities did she have?
Quality and Personality
Some of the qualities and personality traits you should ascertain in your ideal candidate include:
- Is she in good health? She should preferably not smoke, be experiencing any illness at the time of the babysitting and have no contagious diseases/viruses.
- Is she dependable and responsible? She must be dependable in the sense that if she experiences any problems whatsoever, she feels confident enough to contact you about it. It should be clear that she is willing to this and that if she cant make it to the job for any reason she gives you enough time to find a suitable replacement. She needs to realize that she is responsible for your children’s health and welfare whilst they are in her care.
- Does she have a genuine interest in child care? She should be understanding and love being around your children and this can be shown through her experience, training and as mentioned previously, your children will automatically know whether her interest is genuine or not.
- Self confidence is also very important. Your children will respond better to a sitter who can remain calm in all situations. She should be self confident and present herself in a respectable manner. She should be respectful of the children in the same way that you are. She should have good manners, and respect for the privacy of your family; both for your personal space, possessions and information. Cross questioning her about the previous babysitting jobs and families she has worked for and her attitude towards them is another great indication.
- She should show a basic understanding of the different stages of a child’s development. For example she should know that whilst removing privileges from an 8 year old may work for discipline, a 2 minute time out for a 2 year old will work better than taking away his toys, if she knows how to implement it properly or that for example, while a child of 10 years old goes to bed at 9pm and 4 year old may need to be in bed at 7pm.
- She should be adaptable to your pattern and routines and have a responsible outlook towards working with you. This can be evaluated by the information she requests from you, emergency numbers, the route to the closest hospital, what the children are allowed to eat and what they are not etc.
- Above all trust your instincts!
Emergencies and Medical Training
Accidental injuries in the home are one of the highest causes of death in children under the age of 14 in South Africa today and in fact the world over. Scary, right? The importance of proper first aid training should be obvious and cannot be stressed enough.
Ideally your sitter should have first aid training and know the Heimlich manoeuvre and the appropriate way to use this technique age appropriately. Knowledge of CPR techniques for children and infants is also vital. You should have a first aid kit which is accessible to them and they should know where this kit is located. Sitters need to be alert at all times, if they suspect that a child requires professional medical assistance for any reason what so ever, they need to feel secure to do it even if it ends up to be unnecessary. If they do not have proper training they should at the very least be able to think logically and rationally in the case of an emergency.
In the case of an immediately life threatening emergency, a medical professional is allowed to treat your child, however if the situation does not immediately threaten the child’s life, the doctor will not be able to help without your consent. Ensuring that you leave a “consent to treat” letter with your sitter is a good option if you are very worried about this.
Remember that nothing is more important than the safety and well being of your children. Be prepared and responsible. Never cut costs when it comes to the safety measures you put in place! Your sitters ability to remain calm in the event of an emergency can mean the difference between the life and death of your child. Cutting corners and not doing proper research on your sitter can be fatal.
Make sure your sitter knows the following basic safety guidelines:
- Never give a child any medication without written consent from you.
- Never leave the children alone outside or even inside, not even for a minute.
- Children must never be left alone near water. Infants and small children under 5 years of age can drown in a matter of minutes in only a few centimetres of water.
- Do not give children under the age of 5 hard sweets, popcorn, nuts or other foods that may cause blockage. Large pieces of food, particularly meat, should always be chopped into edible portions before being given to younger children.
- Keep children away from small objects, plastic bags and balloons. Children should also not be permitted to play in the kitchen, near the stairs, windows and should be monitored to ensure they do not go near electrical power points.
…Now you have now found a sitter you are happy with, and tonight is the first time she will be looking after your children by herself. What’s next?
Early Arrival is Key!
Asking your sitter to arrive 30 minutes before the time, especially the first time she is babysitting for you is essential, even if you have to pay her a little extra, it’s worth it. Use this time to discuss emergency procedures, telephone numbers she may need, the quickest route to the closest hospital, discipline guidelines, house rules, bed times, fees etc should all be clearly discussed.
By planning in advance you will know that your children are safe and happy and this will bring you the peace of mind you need to enjoy your time off or out.
The Instructions
Before leaving always ensure that your sitter is armed with the following information:
- Go through your child’s routine and the general household rules.
- Ensure the sitter knows where you will be and under what circumstances she may phone you or emergency services. Provide an emergency phone list including your own number and address.
- Ensure she knows where to find numbers for emergencies including the poison centre number.
- Demonstrate how to enable and disable your security systems and alarms. With South Africa’s high crime rates this can be imperatives.
- Let the sitter know about any allergies or special needs your child/children may have. If medication needs to given to your children right down specific directions for the administration of these, including time and amount.
- It may seem strange but it is advisable that your children are also aware of emergency numbers and how to dial them in case anything happens to your babysitter.
- Explain any guidelines and expectations you have with regard to leaving the house or use of the phone etc, clearly to your sitter.
House rules and other information
It is important that both your sitter and your children know the rules for while you are gone, and it is a good idea to have your children sit in on this explanation so that there is no arguing with the sitter from the children about instructions once you are gone. Discuss snacks, rules for TV, time for bed, and what you expect from your sitter and children.
Call home
It is a wise idea to call home at some point in time during the evening. A good time for this is just before bedtime. You can check to see everything is running smoothly and if there are any problems you can help with.
The Follow up
When you get home spend a few minutes going over the evening with your sitter. Ask about the things you think the sitter may have had problems with. Often sitters are hesitant to discuss problems they have encountered unless asked directly. The next morning chat to your children about the evening and whether they enjoyed having her there. What they ate, what activities they did and if anything happened that made them feel uncomfortable.
With all of this behind you, you can feel more at ease next time in the knowledge that all your hard work has paid off, your children are safe and happy, and you can enjoy your evenings out without much worry!
Written by Bianca Wagener of Sitters4U
