How Do You Keep Them Safe

[MommyMuffin]

Ok so I am a new provider. The first week I had 2 2year olds and after a week we got a routine and I started relaxing. Well now I have a 15 month old today. i have a 2 month old coming next week.
My problem is.....they keep almost hurting themselves...15 month old almost pulled plastic bins over on top of himself...he is throwing heavy elmo microwave and I am so afraid he will hurt himself. I have all the baby proof materials. I have been removing the toys as I see fit but I just feel horrible and unprepared and anxious. I am thinking of having an area blocked off for the 2 and under ages but I also dont want them to not be able to play together...
For those of you that have many young kids or mixed ages...how do you keep them safe...I am going crazy!!

[MarinaVanessa]

I just do the same as you and remove toys that they misuse. I've had a DCB that started at 9 months that has gotten the gyst of things. I've had to remove toys some days because he was throwing them, standing on them or trying to "bop" other kids on the head. All I would say was "No hurt. Ouch. Can I have it?" and then remove the toy(s) for the rest of the day and he was not allowed to play with them again until the next day. Each day we would try again. It took a bit but they eventually learn.

The only issue I have now with him is that he tries to climb and stand on bins or toys but I keep doing the same thing. You just have to stay on top of it and be watchfull.

[ninosqueridos]

Hi, I read through this and your recent post as well......first of all (((HUGS)))..............I was just thinking about how your daycare space is set up...........do the kids have access to all areas of your home? Perhaps having a dedicated space for childcare would help get the kids together and easier to watch and keep safe. Then you'd be able to zero in on how to make certain areas safer, remove unsafe toys until your littlest dck learns to play more safely with things........and would keep your house less messy as you wouldn't have to "live" in your daycare space once the dcks go home. just thinking out loud...hth

[Francine]

My house is set up in sort of a big circle, when you walk in through my garage door you are in my diningroom which opens to the kitchen, which opens to the familyroom, continue around to the livingroom (daycare playroom) and then back around to the diningroom. After all of the kids arrive in the a.m. I put up gates blocking off the diningroom, that way the kids can be in the playroom or familyroom and that is it. If I am in the kitchen the babies are in the familyroom so that I can see them and make sure the olders aren't trampling them in the playroom. If I didn't put up the gates the kids would be doing laps all day, I keep the dogfood and the dogs for that matter when they are in the house in the diningroom. There is no reason that the kids need to have access to every bit of my house. I have one DCD that doesn't believe in baby gates " I will not cage my child" blah blah, I see him give a look every now and again when he picks up and sees the gates but most parents would appreciate the fact that their kids are being kept safe. The "no gate dad" also has a woodstove at home, we will see how this works out for the winter with a 10 month old.

It will get easier! I promise! I have done this for 16 years and will still have moments of being overwhelmed etc. Take a look around and see what you can change to make things easier for you and relax, kids hurt themselves all the time it's amazing what their little bodies can be put through, it has always amazed me that all children aren't brain damaged by the time they are three with the number of times they bang their heads on things and pop right up like nothing has happened.

[MommyMuffin]

Hi, I read through this and your recent post as well......first of all (((HUGS)))..............I was just thinking about how your daycare space is set up...........do the kids have access to all areas of your home? Perhaps having a dedicated space for childcare would help get the kids together and easier to watch and keep safe. Then you'd be able to zero in on how to make certain areas safer, remove unsafe toys until your littlest dck learns to play more safely with things........and would keep your house less messy as you wouldn't have to "live" in your daycare space once the dcks go home. just thinking out loud...hth

I have a living room, dinning room and kitchen and they are all connected, like one big room. We have a small house. Husband is building the basement for daycare and I think that has to help me!!
I changed things around yesterday at nap time cuz i thoght I would lose my mind! so that they cannot just run from living room to dinning room, I put the couch across the room. The 1 yo comes tomorrow so I am going to see how it goes. I hope it goes better!

[laundrymom]

see.... you are finding your groove. =-) you can do this! =-)

I have a living room, dinning room and kitchen and they are all connected, like one big room. We have a small house. Husband is building the basement for daycare and I think that has to help me!!
I changed things around yesterday at nap time cuz i thoght I would lose my mind! so that they cannot just run from living room to dinning room, I put the couch across the room. The 1 yo comes tomorrow so I am going to see how it goes. I hope it goes better!

[SimpleMom]

I am in the basement now, but began,as you have, upstairs. You are doing great!! Just takes time to figure out what works for each group of kiddos I find that each day can be different as well for the set-up in the basement even.

Hang in there. I agree with the above post...you CAN do this and you're doing well.