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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>What Questions Should I Ask About An 8 Month Old?
preschoolteacher 12:13 PM 04-24-2014
A current family is starting their younger child (8 months old) here soon. Baby has been at a center. This will be the youngest DCK I've taken. What questions should I ask?
SignMeUp 12:26 PM 04-24-2014
I'd ask why they decided to make a change.
Developmental stuff: age she rolled, sat up, crawled
Food stuff: formula, BF, solids
Sleep stuff: hopefully not a problem if the center followed appropriate practice
Adjustment stuff: how do parents 'think' it will go, making the change?
Comfort stuff: what the childcare did, what the parent does. If it's stuff you can't/won't do, you will know in advance and can discuss or decide it's not worth working through
I'm sure there's more but that's from the top of my head.
Developmental stuff: age she rolled, sat up, crawled
Food stuff: formula, BF, solids
Sleep stuff: hopefully not a problem if the center followed appropriate practice
Adjustment stuff: how do parents 'think' it will go, making the change?
Comfort stuff: what the childcare did, what the parent does. If it's stuff you can't/won't do, you will know in advance and can discuss or decide it's not worth working through
I'm sure there's more but that's from the top of my head.
gracepatiencelove 12:45 PM 04-24-2014
What they are wanting to get out of a home daycare.
I think that some parents of infants have bad experiences at centers, look online, and think that at a home daycare someone is going to be able to hold their baby all day. That's just a feel I've gotten from some parents, I could be wrong.
Definitely why they are switching care.
I think that some parents of infants have bad experiences at centers, look online, and think that at a home daycare someone is going to be able to hold their baby all day. That's just a feel I've gotten from some parents, I could be wrong.
Definitely why they are switching care.
nothingwithoutjoy 05:58 PM 04-24-2014
Originally Posted by SignMeUp:
I'd ask why they decided to make a change.
Developmental stuff: age she rolled, sat up, crawled
Food stuff: formula, BF, solids
Sleep stuff: hopefully not a problem if the center followed appropriate practice
Adjustment stuff: how do parents 'think' it will go, making the change?
Comfort stuff: what the childcare did, what the parent does. If it's stuff you can't/won't do, you will know in advance and can discuss or decide it's not worth working through
I'm sure there's more but that's from the top of my head.
Also..I'd ask why they decided to make a change.
Developmental stuff: age she rolled, sat up, crawled
Food stuff: formula, BF, solids
Sleep stuff: hopefully not a problem if the center followed appropriate practice
Adjustment stuff: how do parents 'think' it will go, making the change?
Comfort stuff: what the childcare did, what the parent does. If it's stuff you can't/won't do, you will know in advance and can discuss or decide it's not worth working through
I'm sure there's more but that's from the top of my head.
I always ask about communication. If they're not using words yet, do they sign? What signs? Do they have particular gestures that the parents recognize? One mom of a two-month-old was actually able to describe how her son's eyes looked when he was tired vs. hungry. Really helped me interpret those cries!
I ask about typical daily schedule. Not that you'll necessarily copy what they're doing, but it helps to know what they're used to.
I ask about names--who's in the family, and what will the child call them? Helps if I'm talking about "mama" vs. "mommy" or whatever, so my words match what they're used to hearing. (I also ask how they spell things--are you "momma?" or "mama?"--because that child will likely be with me as they're learning to spell, and I want to take their dictations down correctly when they come later.)
SignMeUp 06:02 PM 04-24-2014
Originally Posted by nothingwithoutjoy:
Also.
I ask about names--who's in the family, and what will the child call them? Helps if I'm talking about "mama" vs. "mommy" or whatever, so my words match what they're used to hearing. (I also ask how they spell things--are you "momma?" or "mama?"--because that child will likely be with me as they're learning to spell, and I want to take their dictations down correctly when they come later.)
Yes, family names! Siblings, pets too. It helps. I've had a ten month old who talked about her kitty Also.
I ask about names--who's in the family, and what will the child call them? Helps if I'm talking about "mama" vs. "mommy" or whatever, so my words match what they're used to hearing. (I also ask how they spell things--are you "momma?" or "mama?"--because that child will likely be with me as they're learning to spell, and I want to take their dictations down correctly when they come later.)
Now what she was saying, I don't know, but she was definitely saying keekat 
cheerfuldom 10:30 PM 04-24-2014
Why are the leaving the center?
Ask specifically if they chose to leave or if they were asked to leave. Does their child take regular naps? If so, at what times, in what place, and what is needed in order to get him/her to sleep? What feeding schedule is he/her on? Bottles or sippy cups? self feeding at all?
The biggest issues for kids that age are definitely excessive crying (which you wont really know about beforehand unless they are getting kicked out of their old daycare for that reason!) and napping issues (listen for red flags in their details on napping).
Ask specifically if they chose to leave or if they were asked to leave. Does their child take regular naps? If so, at what times, in what place, and what is needed in order to get him/her to sleep? What feeding schedule is he/her on? Bottles or sippy cups? self feeding at all?
The biggest issues for kids that age are definitely excessive crying (which you wont really know about beforehand unless they are getting kicked out of their old daycare for that reason!) and napping issues (listen for red flags in their details on napping).
DaisyMamma 06:24 AM 04-25-2014
Originally Posted by gracepatiencelove:
What they are wanting to get out of a home daycare.
I think that some parents of infants have bad experiences at centers, look online, and think that at a home daycare someone is going to be able to hold their baby all day. That's just a feel I've gotten from some parents, I could be wrong.
Definitely why they are switching care.
Interesting thought. What they are wanting to get out of a home daycare.
I think that some parents of infants have bad experiences at centers, look online, and think that at a home daycare someone is going to be able to hold their baby all day. That's just a feel I've gotten from some parents, I could be wrong.
Definitely why they are switching care.
Ask if they hold their baby all night