Infants Outside

[Annalee]

I let them play.

Grass stained clothes, scraped knees and a couple handfuls of dirt/sand is a right of passage in my eyes and I won't contain a child simply because they cannot walk yet or because the parent doesn't like their child being dirty.

It's part of being a kid.

I wouldn't be able to accommodate a parent that didn't understand that.

I understand your position in regards to agreeing to take this child so if you don't think educating mom on kids and dirt and it's normal-ness... do you have a pnp or an exersaucer you could keep her in while you are outside?

Outside play is for ALL KIDS in my care....I tell clients at interview, we will get dirty, and to dress accordingly.

[Unregistered]

My parents supply baby legs or crawling knee pads to keep them cleaner but mostly just to protect there knees. My babies crawl in the mulch and grass just fine with the baby legs. Keeping kids clean when there having fun is impossible. Sometimes the messier they look the more fun they had.

[Laurel]

We spread out a big blanket and put toys on it and that usually keeps them entertained for a while until they start to crawl away and then we see if they want to swing in the baby swing and the three we have love it so they stay in it a while. There's an exersaucer that we use just for outside that they can sit in.

I think they need fresh air but don't necessarily need to crawl around in the grass. Once they start walking they get more freedom. I didn't want non walkers putting rocks/twigs in their mouths either or being down there with various gnats/bugs even though we had our lawn treated for pests.

Laurel

[Laurel]

I'm currently researching and planning on adding lots of natural things to my daycare. Which, of course, can lead to messy activities! I'm going to try to MAKE my parents understand that children NEED to get messy to learn, experiment, and experience their world. I'll probably lose every kid I have!

Your parents probably can't afford extra clothes. I'd get some myself at a thrift shop for them to use while there. I know it would be a pain to change them but it seems like a bigger pain for you to constantly be stressed out about this. That is how I always look at it. What is the bigger pain?

Laurel

[permanentvacation]

I have thought before about buying sweat pants and jackets to keep here to put over the kids' clothes. I might do that.

I've never heard of knee pads for babies. I just looked them up and they are a neat idea!

[mommiebookworm]

I stocked up leggings and sweatpants at the thrift store. It was when they were doing a big sale. So I can change dck into the pants, and change them back before pickup.

[Stephnrich]

I have PNPs and walkers for the infants I have and I also have this area set up for them as well.
[ATTACH]3498[/ATTACH]

Sometimes I do a blanket in another Super Yard with just a few toys too.

Back when I took children younger than 18 months, this is exactly what I had. I worried that the babies would feel confined, but in actuality all the older kids kept begging to go in there, .

[Jack Sprat]

I let them play.

Grass stained clothes, scraped knees and a couple handfuls of dirt/sand is a right of passage in my eyes and I won't contain a child simply because they cannot walk yet or because the parent doesn't like their child being dirty.

It's part of being a kid.

I wouldn't be able to accommodate a parent that didn't understand that.

I understand your position in regards to agreeing to take this child so if you don't think educating mom on kids and dirt and it's normal-ness... do you have a pnp or an exersaucer you could keep her in while you are outside?

[permanentvacation]

That's how I feel too. I grew up in Alabama. We ran barefoot through the woods, caught crayfish and frogs in the creek, climbed hay barrels and jumped on cows' back and rode them until they bucked us off! We helped our parents plant and tend to our own vegetable gardens and picked tomatoes, wiped them off on our shirts and ate them like you would apples. We played out in the rain and jumped in mud puddles. We were almost never inside! We were always outside exploring nature, getting dirty, and we had a BLAST doing so!

I completely feel that kids should be out in nature. And each area that I lived before here, my daycare kids were outside most of the day. But since I've been here, the majority of my parents flip out if their child gets a speck of dirt or a little grass stain on them.

I think I'm going to just start adding the more natural activities (as I can afford to) and start telling my parents about our new hands-on activities. And try to get the parents to get excited that their children are doing some new, fun activities while learning about their world. I don't know, we'll see.

[christine19720]

Outside play is for ALL KIDS in my care....I tell clients at interview, we will get dirty, and to dress accordingly.

Yep. Same here.

[Indianadaycare]

I put a large blanket (soft one side; waterproof other side) down under a shade canopy with toys on it. pillows, too. A water table next to the blanket so they can practice standing and splash in the water with toys. Those few items (including the canopy) have been lifesavers for me!
When I see play yards on sale/craigslist, I pick them up and am gradually "fencing in" my 12x12 canopy. Even better!
If I have the energy, I bring all of that stuff to my front yard which has a huge beautiful tree and lay them on their backs (small infants). They LOVE looking up at the branches and feeling the breeze.

[Laurel]

That's how I feel too. I grew up in Alabama. We ran barefoot through the woods, caught crayfish and frogs in the creek, climbed hay barrels and jumped on cows' back and rode them until they bucked us off! We helped our parents plant and tend to our own vegetable gardens and picked tomatoes, wiped them off on our shirts and ate them like you would apples. We played out in the rain and jumped in mud puddles. We were almost never inside! We were always outside exploring nature, getting dirty, and we had a BLAST doing so!

I completely feel that kids should be out in nature. And each area that I lived before here, my daycare kids were outside most of the day. But since I've been here, the majority of my parents flip out if their child gets a speck of dirt or a little grass stain on them.

I think I'm going to just start adding the more natural activities (as I can afford to) and start telling my parents about our new hands-on activities. And try to get the parents to get excited that their children are doing some new, fun activities while learning about their world. I don't know, we'll see.

I grew up like that too but I doubt my mom started it at 18 months. Of course, I can't remember. ::

Laurel

[permanentvacation]

Laurel,

Oh, I bet she did! I clearly remember my best friend's baby brother out in her yard barefoot and wearing nothing but a diaper running through the dirt, mud, and grass. He played with sticks, caught little bugs, ran his cars and trucks through the dirt and mud, and was out with us playing in the rain all of the time. He was a little mud ball within an hour of waking up!

[permanentvacation]

http://handsonaswegrow.com/30-dirty-kid-activities/

I just found the above website. I might just start my preschool year with us jumping into a bunch of the activities on that website! Maybe I just need to throw my parents in the deep end and tell them to sink or swim regarding their kids getting dirty! We'll see which kids stay and which one's parents freak out too much and find another daycare that keeps them clean.

[Thriftylady]

I tell parents of kids of all ages, well I will quote my handbook. I have a section titled "appropriate dress for daycare". It says

Please dress your child appropriately for the weather! They should be dressed in play clothes and tennis shoes. I will try to keep your child reasonably clean, but we are having fun so I cannot promise there will be no stains. Please don’t send your child in “cute” or “dress” clothes as I cannot promise they will stay nice. If your child needs nicer clothes for some reason, I can give you a place to change your child at drop off or pick up, and you can keep the nicer clothing with you. Footed PJ’s are NEVER acceptable as the child cannot then wear shoes for outdoor play. Shoes are a MUST, even if your child chooses not to wear them in the house, they can’t go outside without them. Girls wearing dresses or skirts must wear leggings or shorts under them.