Taking care of children up to three years old may not be as easy as taking care of older children, but it's a lot of fun! Get ready to play a lot and meet all your little one's needs.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Ensuring Basic Care
Step 1. Don't leave the child alone
Stay tuned and keep an eye on her at all times - you never know what someone that age will try to do, open, touch, pull or drop; therefore, don't leave the little one alone for a second, not even to go to the bathroom. You'd be surprised how much of a mess such a small human being can make for a few minutes, so take the child with you whenever you need to do anything in another room in the house, and don't forget to keep dangerous objects out of the room. reach her.
Step 2. Offer a snack between meals
Children need to eat more often than adults, so offer a few snacks if she's hungry. Talk to her parents to find out what they tend to serve - some children can eat cookies, others only eat fruit; and perhaps the snack is offered along with a glass of juice, water or milk. Watch her eat and learn to take food out of the child's mouth if she chokes.
Be very careful not to offer any food that causes allergies - parents will give advance notice if the child is allergic. Also, be aware of the size of the snacks: food that is too big or too small can cause suffocation
Step 3. Check diapers regularly and change as needed
The smell is often a great sign that a diaper is expired. If your child has recently learned how to use the pot or toilet, look out for signs that she needs to pee or poop and ask regularly if she wants to go to the bathroom. Don't wait until she calls it on her own, or it might be too late - and you'll have to clean up the mess.
Step 4. Bring a first aid kit
Cover the kit with fun stickers and add some colorful bandages - another option would be to paint your child's regular bandages with a pen if he gets hurt and you don't have one of these on hand. Make sure you gather all the important items and name the kit "Dodoi Box". Don't make a fuss when the little one gets hurt - instead, just say something like "Oops! Let's get a bandage!" and he'll learn to laugh at the situation.
Step 5. Be prepared for emergencies
Keep a paper with all important numbers, such as the phone number of the child's parents, pediatrician, and the Toxicology Assistance Center, on a paper next to the landline. These numbers are crucial in an emergency, but only call parents if you really need to - avoid bothering them or worrying them for no reason if they are doing something important.
Step 6. Evaluate the possibility of participating in training
Many schools and vocational centers offer child care courses, where you can learn resuscitation techniques and other information that will be very helpful in an emergency. These courses, which also teach students how to play and how to handle children better, are usually inexpensive and will impress any parent looking for a new babysitter.
Step 7. Ask what the basic family rules are
Try to learn as much as possible about parental rules, such as bedtime and permission to eat certain things before bed. In addition to the sweets being harmful to the health of the little one, you can be caught breaking the rule if he already knows how to speak and tell the truth to the parents. Don't believe him if he says "Daddy always lets me do this thing": kids like to test adults' limits to see if they get what they want.
Step 8. Follow family rules when disciplining the child
If she needs to be disciplined, only do so if you've already talked to her parents about how to act in such a situation - different people have different rules and even if you believe that a pat doesn't hurt anyone, for example, many adults don't will agree with that opinion. Respect the opinion of those responsible.
Step 9. Be polite and respectful
Don't take things out of the fridge without permission - the food is family food, and the parents called you to babysit, not a feast. Respect the rest of the house too, and don't open drawers, cupboards and wardrobes. You never know when a family has one or more security cameras around the house, so be careful!
Part 2 of 3: Distracting the Child
Step 1. Make a list of activities to keep the little one busy
Kids love to play, so it's important that she has lots of toys and building blocks around. Depending on your age, you could also bring art supplies, rattles, books, and even wooden spoons; the important thing is to use creativity! Some children are very happy when nannies bring old childhood toys - they may be old for you, but your little one will be very excited about a different toy.
Be prepared to change the game several times, as children of this age are easily distracted
Step 2. Go for a walk or get some exercise
Place the child in the stroller to take a walk around the neighborhood and, along the way, point out various things in the street or on the sidewalk. Make crossing the street a game, always remembering to say, "Look left and right. No cars in sight, we can cross!" - in time, the child will start repeating this mantra with you! Walking hand in hand with the little one is also a good option if he already knows how to walk well, but just walk to the end of the street and back home.
- Running around with your child and having fun with them is also a good exercise option, but you'll need to do it right. Spend hours running with the little one if you want to put him to sleep - running a little will only make your child hyperactive, but running for too long will cause him to collapse with fatigue.
- Awaken your artistic side. Draw with crayons and have the child draw a picture of their family, pet, or favorite toy, as they will be happy to talk about the things they like. You could also play with building blocks - help the little one build different types of towers and show them how to take them down in the end. On the other hand, if he gets upset when the tower falls, just help him build a new one.
Step 3. Read a book
Even the most active kids love books, so sit on the floor or on the couch, put the little one on your lap (they love cuddling too!), and read him a book. “Good Night, Moon”, “The Cat in a Hat” and “A Very Eaten Cat” are great options for this age group.
- Show pictures from a book about a farm or zoo and say, "Do you see the puppy? I see the puppy! Where's the little horse? Here's the little horse" - little ones love to show off their knowledge, and soon the child will begin pointing out the animals in the book.
- Describe an animal, such as a cow, horse or pig, and ask what it sounds like. Don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself - imitate the sound of the animals if you are reading a book on the subject, and ask the child to do the same.
Step 4. Sing a song
Choose a classic circle song, or some song your child knows - maybe she can even suggest one! Little ones love songs, particularly those that involve clapping and choreography. "Butterfly", "Pop Pop", "If You're Happy", "A Dona Aranha", and any other preschool songs are very successful with this age group!
Step 5. Play organizing objects by theme
Slightly older children can learn to sort toys by type, size, color, or any other category. After playing once, rearrange the objects using a different theme.
Step 6. Teach colors
When the child takes a solid-colored toy or object in his hand, excitedly shout out the color in question, as if it were a game: "Red!", "Blue!", "Green!" When she starts to understand the game, say something like "Can you get all the red toys together? Show them which ones are red!" - this way you will help her learn to identify colors.
Speak the name of the color whenever one of you puts or takes a new toy from the pile, and also when the child plays with one of them or puts a color in the wrong pile
Step 7. Play counting
Count toys to five or six if the little one seems interested in numbers, and encourage him to count even if he doesn't know the order-don't mind mistakes. Give several examples of each number, making several piles of two or three toys each.
Step 8. Don't offer too many choices
Offer one toy at a time - if you have too many options at once, your child will play with the whole pile for a moment, but will get bored soon after, leaving the house a mess. Ask her to help you organize the toys and turn the activity into a game - thank her for the favor so she's happy and wants to help you again.
If he only gets one thing, the little one will play with it until he gets bored, and then it's time to get a new toy. After a while, however, offer two or three toys that are related to each other because children of this age also like to play with more than one thing at the same time
Part 3 of 3: Behaving properly
Step 1. Be kind
Don't be mean, don't get angry and don't act with sarcasm - this would only confuse the child, as they are too young to understand certain words. There's nothing wrong with pretending, jokingly, that something surprises you or that you're angry or offended. Be a good actor, but don't go overboard when it comes to playing the fool - stay a little serious and use the opportunity to teach something.
- You may even be able to communicate that certain words or actions of the child have hurt you, but keep in mind that although they can say anything, young children usually don't mean to be mean and quickly forget what they say. Just pretend you're surprised and laugh at the little one's "smartness" or his cute attitudes - he'll be more likely to cooperate if you don't turn the situation into a war of will and serious words.
- Cheerfully explain what you mean, but don't be surprised if the little one decides to touch on several forbidden things and watch your reaction - in which case, simply say "no" and try to think of some activity to distract him.
Step 2. Watch what you say
Never call the child a tomboy, a brat, a brat, a cat, a brat or anything else like that - this age learns new words quickly and you never know what the little one will repeat to the parents! Also, some families may have negative views on words that you consider harmless - instead of "dumb", for example, prefer to use "silly".
Step 3. Comfort the child at bedtime
In case the little one wakes up and starts crying for his parents, just sit down next to him and gently say "Shhh… It's okay, I'm here with you". If he asks for his parents, tell him they'll be there the next morning and they'll shower him with kisses - he needs to know that things will be back to normal soon.
- Don't talk about his parents if he hasn't brought it up yet - the conversation will only piss him off.
- Try singing lullabies and rocking your child in a rocking chair.
Tips
- Be nice and treat the child like a friend; like that, she will always want you to come back.
- Always keep the child distracted with something to keep him from making a mess.
- Distract the little one with some activity if he starts to miss his parents.
- Bring only safe and age-appropriate toys.
- If you REALLY need to leave your child alone for a while, put them in a crib or playpen. Watch out for any noise, no matter how safe your solution sounds.
- You will need to think of many different activities if you want to keep the little one distracted.
- Talk to him about anything - kids that age love it when adults talk to them!
- Always be very kind, no exceptions! Show calm and compassion to convey a sense of calm.
- Read a book to the little one if he can't sleep - you can bring your own or take one that's already there, the important thing is that the work is appropriate for the child's age.
- Do not open the door for anyone while working as a nanny, unless the parents give permission.
- Always ask for parental permission if you want to take the child for a walk on the street or on the playground.
Notices
- Children this age like to know that an adult is in control, taking good care of them. Pick her up if she starts crying and say "It's okay" and "You're okay" - she just wants to know someone is there for her. Remember that this age is the most active phase in your child's life.
- Learn to take objects and food out of your child's mouth if he starts to choke.
- Your child will get bored if you just leave the television on all the time - try activities like listening to music, eating a snack, playing with a pet, walking around the yard or playing a game.
- Do not offer any food that may cause allergies.
- Keep the little one away from tables and other furniture he might bump his head on.
- Children of this age also enjoy coloring, so bring crayons and pictures to color with your little one's favorite theme, such as princesses, cars, trains, or television characters.
- Avoid offering rounded foods such as grapes or sausages - most children of this age do not chew their food very well, so cut them into slices. Also, avoid offering nuts, snacks and very hard meat (the meat should be very tender).
- Change the baby's diaper, feed and cuddle if he starts to cry. If none of this works, start singing! Take him for a ride in the cart if he starts screaming - the movement is calming.
- If nothing goes well, call the parents after two and a half hours of constant crying.
- Never offer toys, food or any other object smaller than the child's mouth. Also, learn to apply first aid techniques in case of suffocation.