Making a Good Impression

[SevenAteNine]

Hey all!

So, I don't actually work at a daycare yet, but I have an interactive interview tomorrow for a few hours. Basically, if I get the position, I'll be working with the toddlers as an assistant teacher. They want to be able to observe how I'd interact with the kids before hiring me.

The thing is... I really don't have any prior childcare experience! I like kids, but I've never really taken care of children before. All of the kids in the toddler room are younger toddlers... I think the youngest is 14 months and the oldest is almost 24 months. I know this is a really stupid question , and I'm sorry for it, but how do I interact with kids that age? I really would like this job because working with children is something I'm very interested in, and I know I need to make a good impression tomorrow.

Also, I was debating making a separate thread for this, but I'll just include it in here... I'm male. I'm not, like, an old man or anything like that. I'm college-aged. But, still, not many men work with children, and I don't want to come across as weird or creepy, you know? Is there something I can do that can put the stigma aside, or maybe the best thing to do is just interact well with the kids?

Help me, I'm very nervous!

[melilley]

:hug: I'm sure you will do great! My biggest piece of advice is to make sure you get down on their level when interacting with them! I have seen it many times when an interviewee is interviewing for a position working with kids and they stand above them and talk down on them...that's a big no no. And just make sure you interact with them! I seriously had one girl who was interviewing in my room (when I worked in a center) that stood back from the kids and played with a toy truck...all by herself. Now that's weird!

I have worked with male co-workers and I actually preferred it. The kids seemed to gravitate to them too. All my dck's love my husband and when he's around, I'm chopped liver. (all my dck's are 2.5 and under) ::

Good Luck and let us know how it goes!

[Blackcat31]

Other threads about men in early childhood...

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=male+providers

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=male+assistant

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=men+in+daycare

Personally I believe MORE men should be in the early childhood field. They bring something entirely different to the table and are 100% perfectly capable of doing the same job as women.

[Laurel]

:hug: I'm sure you will do great! My biggest piece of advice is to make sure you get down on their level when interacting with them! I have seen it many times when an interviewee is interviewing for a position working with kids and they stand above them and talk down on them...that's a big no no. And just make sure you interact with them! I seriously had one girl who was interviewing in my room (when I worked in a center) that stood back from the kids and played with a toy truck...all by herself. Now that's weird!

I have worked with male co-workers and I actually preferred it. The kids seemed to gravitate to them too. All my dck's love my husband and when he's around, I'm chopped liver. (all my dck's are 2.5 and under) ::

Good Luck and let us know how it goes!

Laurel

[Laurel]

'Follow the child' so to speak. You don't have to feel pressured to entertain them per se. Just see what they are doing and join them. Just be yourself.

For example, I am one that is rather quiet so I would just go kneel or sit down near a child and watch for a bit and if they seemed interested, I'd engage them. I might suggest something if they seemed to need direction but I wouldn't 'take over'.

If I was trying to get a child interested in a toy or activity, instead of doing a lot of talking, I'd just go get some blocks and start building something. Then invite whoever seems interested to join you.

Just be aware of what needs to be done or who needs attention and do it. No need to ask what you should do unless you really are confused about their rules.

When I worked in a Montessori preschool we had a girl interview. She did some things wrong but she just seemed so happy being around the children and they loved her so we figured the rest we could teach her. All of the 'help' told the director to hire her and she did. Just forget the adults are around (as much as possible) and enjoy the children.

Good luck!

Laurel

[daycarediva]

Personally I believe MORE men should be in the early childhood field. They bring something entirely different to the table and are 100% perfectly capable of doing the same job as women.

My daycare kids L O V E my husband.

Get down on the floor, and start playing, build a tower, set up some cars to race, and kids WILL gravitate toward you.

[Leanna]

Some advice for you:

~Get down on the floor! Don't stand or hover.

~Talk to the children in your normal voice. Use your regular tone, inflection, and vocabulary. Don't use "baby talk" or a high-pitched voice.

~Young toddlers are just beginning to learn to talk so don't ask them a lot of questions ("What's this?" "What color is this?" What shape is this?"etc.) - most won't be able to answer and they will lose interest in whatever you are doing. Instead describe out loud what the child is doing ("Anthony, you have a baby doll. Oh, you are feeding her some banana. Yum. I bet she was hungry." or "Tina, you put the triangle block on top of the rectangle ones. It made a little tunnel. Now you are driving your car through.")

~Be positive. Spills will happen. Just act like they are a regular part of the day and have the children help wipe them up. Poop happens. Don't tell children they are "stinky" or "yucky," just focus on the process and their comfort ("Jenny, this clean diaper will feel so much more comfortable than your wet one.")

Good luck! AND if you have any more questions please post here - there are a lot of experiences providers that will give you advice!

[Mister Sir Husband]

Personally I believe MORE men should be in the early childhood field. They bring something entirely different to the table and are 100% perfectly capable of doing the same job as women.

I have been told this by quite a few people since I decided to open a daycare myself. It was even suggested by a couple that some of the kids may be from a home where mom is single and the kids would benefit from a male influence in their lives. So by all means, just be yourself and have fun with them..

[SevenAteNine]

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Thank you all so much for the advice and words of encouragement! I was still pretty nervous going into it, but once I got down on the floor with the kids, all my nervousness disappeared! I think I was psyching myself out too much because it was really easy to connect with kids and play with them! It just sort of came naturally to me, even though I really had no prior childcare experience.

Anyway, I think it went well, and I hope I made a good impression. There are a few others jousting for the job, so it'll be a few days before I hear back about whether I'm hired. Fingers crossed though!

[melilley]

Sounds like it went well. I'm crossing my fingers for you! happyface::

[Maria2013]

Hi Steve, crossing fingers too

[Sugar Magnolia]

I hope you get the job!!! Please update us when you hear back. In the meantime, watch the movie "Daddy Daycare" with Eddie Murphy!::

[SevenAteNine]

Sounds like it went well. I'm crossing my fingers for you! happyface::

Hi Steve, crossing fingers too

I hope you get the job!!! Please update us when you hear back. In the meantime, watch the movie "Daddy Daycare" with Eddie Murphy!::

I got the job! And I start tomorrow! happyface Thank you all so much for the advice. Oh, and Sugar Magnolia, I've already seen the movie -- very funny! ::

[butterfly]

I got the job! And I start tomorrow! happyface Thank you all so much for the advice. Oh, and Sugar Magnolia, I've already seen the movie -- very funny! ::

Congrats!!! happyface I keep checking back to hear how it went! Awesome!

[slorey]

Congrats! happyface Hope you enjoy it!