Those of You Who Accept Newborns & Preschool Age

[midaycare]

How do you interview differently for newborns? I received a call for a newborn - I don't get too many because I have a preschool set up here, and everything is geared towards play based learning. So the parents of the 1 and unders aren't too interested in me.

I did have one interview when I first started and the parents, who were still pregnant, said: "This place will be great, when our snowflake turns 2."

So how can I interview this couple tomorrow and demonstrate the positive things I have for infants? I do have a lot of preschool-type stuff here, but my curriculum starts at age 6 months.

[Annalee]

How do you interview differently for newborns? I received a call for a newborn - I don't get too many because I have a preschool set up here, and everything is geared towards play based learning. So the parents of the 1 and unders aren't too interested in me.

I did have one interview when I first started and the parents, who were still pregnant, said: "This place will be great, when our snowflake turns 2."

So how can I interview this couple tomorrow and demonstrate the positive things I have for infants? I do have a lot of preschool-type stuff here, but my curriculum starts at age 6 months.

I have an open space for 6 weeks and up....when I interview I express how even the smallest children may not be able to interact or have the attention span as the older children but they are still learning in the environment around them through listening, watching, following, etc.....I also express how it is beneficial to the child starting them at 6 weeks because they grow up knowing the routines/expectations and that I usually keep children till they go to kindergarten.

[midaycare]

I have an open space for 6 weeks and up....when I interview I express how even the smallest children may not be able to interact or have the attention span as the older children but they are still learning in the environment around them through listening, watching, following, etc.....I also express how it is beneficial to the child starting them at 6 weeks because they grow up knowing the routines/expectations and that I usually keep children till they go to kindergarten.

That is great, thanks!

[MotherNature]

Mainly, I just ask about their schedule at home, how they sleep, diapering, what they're fed, if they're planning on using purees or baby led weaning when the time comes, etc...(I provide food..so need to know that.) etc... Then work with the parents on recreating a similar environment here. My current client is 9 mos old. She sleeps w/ a white noise machine, so I put her in the pack & play for naps & turn a box fan on for white noise. We do outside time. I emphasize my wooden and natural toys, and generally just try to keep a similar schedule and routine between the two houses. After the first week, it's like 2nd nature for each baby, as you know when they usually pee or poop, when they get tired, how muh breastmilk or formula they'll eat, etc. New babies aren't hard, just kind of boring for a lot of people.

[SignMeUp]

My brochure outlines strengths of my program for each age group. At interview, I have an area set up to show some of the things we do, even if I don't have that age of a child now. Many times (if it's not an unborn child), the baby/child will end up using that area during the interview.
And then I just expand on the points from my brochure. I talk up the benefits for each age group, so that the family gets an understanding of how FCC works. But I concentrate the most time on the age group of the child whose family I'm interviewing.

[midaycare]

I will definitely need to come up with a brochure. I have other handouts, but a brochure would be nice.

[MarinaVanessa]

I explain that I run a developmentally appropriate program and while the older children learn about more complicated concepts the focus on the infants is positive relationships and motor control. There is a lot of eye contact, singing, and interaction with infants to prepare them for the preschool program. I also explain that some of the infant toys are given to the infants to play with so that they can discover and manipulate the objects (like large unit blocks for example). I do however have infant toys but not too many, mostly just different size/textured balls, nesting bowls, stacking rings, noise makers and simple household items (metal bowls, restaurant plastic baskets, measuring cups, lids etc). They don't have to be special infant toys, just safe.

[midaycare]

I'm feeling a little more confident after hearing what everyone tells the parents of infants. Thank you!

[SignMeUp]

In my somewhat humble opinion :: the greatest advantages in FCC come from the mixed age group. Infants reap the love, attention, language immersion, and environmental richness that comes from the older children, as well as the strong relationship with their caregiver.

[llpa]

In my somewhat humble opinion :: the greatest advantages in FCC come from the mixed age group. Infants reap the love, attention, language immersion, and environmental richness that comes from the older children, as well as the strong relationship with their caregiver.

I am a firm believer in this also!!

[KiddieCahoots]

I do a lot of what others have posted.
Ask about the baby's schedule. Likes, dislikes, food, all the norm.
Eye contact, talking to them....a ton...vocally mimicking them to strengthen our social and emotional bond, how I tell the baby in advance that I will be changing their diaper and talking to them on what I'm doing throughout to set the standards of routine, same thing with other routines. I show off the toys and explain the developmental domain it targets and how. Then explain the basic steps I start with baby to carry it over to the preschool program, basically touching on the early learning guidelines.
How we use sign language to help understand language and communicate better.
Show them the baby furniture and items I use.
I agree with SignMeUp. I like to only take one under 1yr at a time, so that babe reaps the benefits of the older children in so many ways.

[midaycare]

My interview went really well! Thanks for your help everyone!