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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Parent Pleaser Crafts - Had To Share
blandino 11:36 PM 12-11-2013
So I have a friend of a friend who is on our waiting list, but had to start her daughter at a local center in October. So today I shot her a FB message to see how it was going.

She loves it there. And especially loves that they do art with her 4 month old weekly. This art consists of taking hand prints and foot prints, and turning them into leaves and other things.

Does she really think her child is doing art ? That baby has no idea what is going on as her handprints and footprints are being taken. That was one of the most thoughtless things I have hear recently. She isn't DOING art, the teachers are.
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Josiegirl 03:34 AM 12-12-2013
I don't look upon it as art either but maybe the mom figures her baby is actively engaged in their daily activities and that's what she's looking for? I don't know.
I feel some of what we do is to please the parents anyways, don't you? Heck, most of what we do. Lol I consider handprint activities to be more craftsy. Art is open-ended.
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 03:47 AM 12-12-2013
Ok her child may not be doing "art" and 4 mo is a bit young however I can see "standards" being met in that activity. I am assuming best case senerio here. The paint is a tactical object so they are exposing that baby to a different feel and texture. If they are brushing the paint on that is a different sensation too. Washing the paint off is also. I am assuming that they are talking to the baby the whole time so this is red paint.. etc. and yes 4 mo is a little young but I definitely have done this with 6-8 mo olds. And before a year old they are painting! What they are learning is not "art" but it is stimulating to the infant and that does fit into the standards. Is it a parent pleaser, yes because they have these cute little pictures to display.
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dingledine 08:40 AM 12-12-2013
Who wouldn't love someone taking prints of their kid for them to save. One of my moms was tickled pink about it, I did it for I think it was Valentines day last year, her daughter was 7mo.
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Play Care 08:49 AM 12-12-2013
Originally Posted by dingledine:
Who wouldn't love someone taking prints of their kid for them to save. One of my moms was tickled pink about it, I did it for I think it was Valentines day last year, her daughter was 7mo.


I also agree with the poster who said they parent may see it as "proof" they are engaging baby during the day.
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littlemissmuffet 08:49 AM 12-12-2013
I agree that the child isn't doing art - but it's still a keepsake that parents love. I always do handprint/footprint crafts for babies parents while the older children have arts/crafts time - parents love it. It also gets a young child involved and prepared for arts/crafts when they are older.
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melilley 08:56 AM 12-12-2013
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
I agree that the child isn't doing art - but it's still a keepsake that parents love. I always do handprint/footprint crafts for babies parents while the older children have arts/crafts time - parents love it. It also gets a young child involved and prepared for arts/crafts when they are older.
I love when my kids do these kinds of crafts!
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Maria2013 08:59 AM 12-12-2013
Originally Posted by Play Care:


I also agree with the poster who said they parent may see it as "proof" they are engaging baby during the day.
me too
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melilley 08:59 AM 12-12-2013
I agree with a lot of what pp's have said.

I think that at that young of an age that it is appropriate, and can loosely be considered art.

I also think that while I am pro process art, that even for the older kids that every once in a while, it's ok to mix product art in with process.

I also think that many parents don't know what process vs. product art is.
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Heidi 09:00 AM 12-12-2013
I agree that it's not art. It would not score you any points with our stars program, either. Even saying it's a tactile experience is far fetched when most of those because it wasn't the baby in control.

That said, I do one or two of those sorts of things a year, for holidays. It is definitely a "parent pleaser" more than anything.
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julie 10:32 AM 12-12-2013
Meh, I don't see what the problem is. Handprint/footprint art is cute! i do it all the time. I also do lots of expressive art, and just let the older kids go to town with a pile of art supplies to do with our theme and they make their own masterpieces. Both are helpful, the kids love both. I DO notice that the handprint art gets hung up a lot more, so I guess they are parent pleasers...but what's wrong with that? I'd like my parents to be pleased wit what we're doing here.
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blandino 10:36 AM 12-12-2013
Oh, I totally agree that they are nice keepsakes. I do handprint stuff with babies for each major holiday. But it was more that the mom was calling it "doing art with them". I get how a parent would think that means they are actively engaged, but honestly I think sometimes it is easier to get handprints when they are sleeping.
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blandino 10:39 AM 12-12-2013
Originally Posted by julie:
Meh, I don't see what the problem is. Handprint/footprint art is cute! i do it all the time. I also do lots of expressive art, and just let the older kids go to town with a pile of art supplies to do with our theme and they make their own masterpieces. Both are helpful, the kids love both. I DO notice that the handprint art gets hung up a lot more, so I guess they are parent pleasers...but what's wrong with that? I'd like my parents to be pleased wit what we're doing here.
I don't think there is anything WRONG with it per say. But more that it is presented as an activity for the infants. When in realty, they probably are sitting there while their prints get taken. I do them too, occasionally, but I don't present it as part of an infant curriculum.
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blandino 10:44 AM 12-12-2013
Maybe you have to live around here, and be familiar with this particular center to understand where I am coming from. Reading my post it sounds like it can be a little snarky, and that wasn't my intention. They are just very very parent centered, and make everything look nice for the parent. They refer to themselves as an "early learning center". But one of our employees used to work there and said that the employees actually construct the art at nap, using small pieces that the children did. I guess because I know all the behind the scenes stuff, it irritates me more.

Was definitely not judging on the handprints, as we do them for all holidays with the infants. Actually getting ready to do them for Christmas today.
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daycarediva 10:48 AM 12-12-2013
Originally Posted by Heidi:
I agree that it's not art. It would not score you any points with our stars program, either. Even saying it's a tactile experience is far fetched when most of those because it wasn't the baby in control.

That said, I do one or two of those sorts of things a year, for holidays. It is definitely a "parent pleaser" more than anything.


parent-pleaser projects, for sure. I only do them at holidays, because.....they are parent pleasers. I seriously think parents come to expect this type of art.

I have one dcm who does NOT understand that process art is valuable. When her poor kid makes her something I have heard her say on more than one occasion "What is it?" I love his responses. "Your favorite colors!" "All the colors" "All the blues. I like blue!" Does it have to BE something?
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