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I have a small in home daycare with 4 kids ages 1, 2, 3 and 4 yrs. All the kids are well behaved and get along but my challenge is with the 1 yr old. I feel like all I do is chase her all day. She is on the go and my house has an open layout so she pretty much runs all over the place. I close all the doors to block off rooms but she just won’t stay where I and the other kids are. My living room is my play area so she tries going in the entry way to get into the coats and diaper bags, kitchen, dining room and hallways which are off limits. I need to be able to see her. She thinks it’s a game for me to chase her! Also the other kids get frustrated because when they are playing something she is grabbing their toys or trying to knock over whatever they are doing. I have a large play yard but when I put her in there she screams. Any ideas?
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Screams forever, or screams until she starts actually crying, then settles down and starts playing? I have a 1yo like that, too. Can't abide a gate between herself and the other kids, but she's not able to do parallel play without grabbing, so I keep her on one half of the playroom and other kids on the other half. She hates the idea, until she doesn't hate it. Repeat daily. -
I agree. She has to go in there if she’s causing problems and screaming won’t kill her. She will eventually get why she’s being put in there and you will get to a point where you can even ask her if she wants to go in there or if she wants to stop pestering/going down the hall/tearing up whatever it is she’s doing. Put some fun 1 year old type toys and things in there and then walk away and let her scream.
Is there another little in your daycare that might like to get to go in for a bit to play too? Maybe if she had a friend in there with her. For some reason a couple of mine actually like to go in the gated area and I’ll let them sit in there to play for a bit. I just take out the basket that has the baby toys in it.Comment
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I bought a playpen the kind with a gate and noflooring.We called it the "clubhouse".Why not get something like that and when she starts taking off put her in with some toye.Often the older kids wanted to play in it to be able to build ,or do a floor puzzle ect.It was a fun place to be and my rocking chair was right next to it.I used a bigger play pen with floor outside and on porch to keep infants safe.Comment
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I have a 2yo who has to be gated onto his napping mat so he doesn't rush around the room, and when the mat is folded up and put away the kids all beg me to leave the tiny gated area up so that two of them can go in there, sit down side by side, and grin like it's the most fun in the world. :
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That’s exactly how my two are!I have a 2yo who has to be gated onto his napping mat so he doesn't rush around the room, and when the mat is folded up and put away the kids all beg me to leave the tiny gated area up so that two of them can go in there, sit down side by side, and grin like it's the most fun in the world. ::Comment
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I use a play yard for lo, most will stop screaming and play.
The older ones want in too, it's a novelty.Comment
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It's normal.... I also keep 4 children. I've never had 2- 1 year olds until now. I currently have 3, 2.5, 2, 13 months and my own 13 month old! It is WEARING ME OUT!!
I always said I'd never have more than 1 under a year - forget that! I'll never have more than 1 under 18 months again. In the meantime..... Playpen or gated area is your friend when you need to do something else. Other than that, you're the baby's shadow--especially to keep them from knocking over towers that the big kids built. I teach my older kids to say "no thank you" and wait for me to intervene. It takes some time and you need to be 100% eyes on baby when they're in the same area together until the older kids learn. Your best bet is to organize your space in a way that keeps the little one reasonably contained - shelves, gates, furniture, etc strategically placed, but definitely contained when you can't be right there watching. Good luck! We'll both need it for a few more months until they learn the boundaries better.
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