Mighty Bambinis
Nursery School in SF

Dear Evelyn, 

We are getting ready to babyproof our home, and since you are no doubt an expert in that area I'm wondering if you could share with me links or product names for the items you find most reliable? Specifically...

• Cabinet locks
• Baby gates
• Door knob covers
• Toilet seat lock
• Any items to cover/tie up electrical cords? (Is that a thing?)

Dear Parent, 

Good plan to child proof way before you need to. Usually people do the opposite! Most of the time I just go to Amazon and look up each item and order based on reviews or get things donated or cheap on Craigslist. 

But here are the items I use and like: 

1) baby gates - I love our IKEA pressure mounted ones with the extra security of using closet rod mounts screwed into the door frames (got them at Home Depot). We also have this regalo one that fits into the closet rod cups. Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru Gate, White, Fits spaces between 29" and 39" Widehttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OC5UMQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_JemUxbMZ0KJ6X

2) cabinet locks
The really simple ones should work if you don't have your child home 24/7 like these: Dreambaby Safety Catches, 12 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003NSAY7U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_QJmUxbTR88BYV

But my favorite kinds that you can turn on an off are the magnet type. These kinds don't even need to be screwed in. They may not last if a child pulls them for a sustained amount of time, but likely they are strong enough since its unlikely to have an unsupervised child mess with a baby lock got a long time. 
Safety Baby Magnetic Cabinet Locks - No Tools Or Screws Needed, 4 Locks + 1 Keyhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PV6H3Z8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FKmUxbCYN7A3Y

I also like these for things like oven doors or fridges: 
BabyKeeps Adjustable Child Safety Locks - Latches to Baby Proof Cabinets, Drawers, Fridge, Oven, Dishwasher, Toilet Seat - No Tools or Drilling - BONUS: Reusable With Extra 3M Adhesive Included - Childproof Your Home in Style - Adorable Box Ideal For Baby Shower Gift - Ivory White - 6 Packhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UE7RLJM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_JMmUxbJGP7BEH

3) toilet locks 
I've tried several, all of them fall off near immediately, so my advice is that children should never be unsupervised in the bathroom since there is risk of water for slipping and drowning. 

4) bathrooms - should have knob covers inside and out. I like to disable the lock inside by using a knob cover like this: Safety 1st OutSmartTM Knob Covers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BTUNK5Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_oQmUxbRZGSNKG

Make sure to move hazardous liquids into high up and locked cabinets. Even medic if cabinets can get dangerous so it's best lock those too. 

5) kitchens are another area I think should be gated off or have knob covers. It's not safe for children to ever be unattended in kitchens. There are too many hazards. If you want him to hang out in the kitchen with you, I'd lock all the cabinets except for one. In that one you can put things like tupperwares that you should expect to be everywhere all over the kitchen every time he is in there. I'd limit the quantity so that it doesn't become a behavior that frustrates you. 

6) electrical cords and outlets: 

I have come to like the kinds that is a self closing outlet cover: Self-Closing Electrical Outlet Covers for Baby Proofing | Automatic Sliding Electrical Safety Covers | Made with BPA Free Plastic (4 Pack, White)https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CHM3X4I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_TUmUxb2F79ZN4

But sometimes they reduce the effectiveness. We have several kinds of outlet covers at school. Some children I think given enough time would be able to pull
Some of them out. The ones they can't are smooth, but then again sometimes we can pull them out either : Dreambaby Outlet Plugs, 24 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DD68YA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_4VmUxbWNZ2CNQ

As for outlet cords, I try to have all the cords behind furniture to reduce risk of tripping and chewing on cords, or pulling them out. If that doesn't work, I honestly love zip ties for everything! But if you don't mind thousands of holes in your wall you can consider this: Cable Matters (200-Pack) Nail-In Cable Clipshttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y362HSA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SXmUxbEG51FZB

7) drop your crib way early. Kids can tip out of cribs easily! And while you're sleeping and they are practicing new found skills is the perfect time for accidents to happen. Same as if you let kids sleep in your bed. One day, a parent may put them in the middle of a king mattress even if they don't usually seem to move much and they can end up on the floor. Ouch! These two things have happened to Mighty Bambinis parents! So my advice is never leave a baby on a mattress while they are sleeping or away and leave. 

My general philosophy when it comes to baby proofing:

1) do it before you think you need to. Way before. Babies and kids always surprise us. It is safe until it's not, but it may be too late. 

2) you want your space to be a "yes space"
 So that you can cut down on the times you say, "be careful," "that's not safe" and "no."
Some children will test us constantly. Some things you may need to remove completely like tables that become climbing structures for testing toddlers. Others you just come up with effective boundaries and enforce them 100% of the time in a unruffled, matter of fact way. 

3) make a 100% safe space. This is a RIE idea. Magda Gerber, RIE founder, said there should always be a place somewhere in a house, where all caregivers got locked out of the house the children would be safe, apart from injuring each other (as in group care). To do this many people use gate enclosures like this: North States Superyard 3-in-1 Metal Gate https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000U5FOT2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_04mUxbMAZRR7X

4) choking hazards - crawling babies see literally everything and before you can get to them they put it in their mouth. Regularly scan the environment for small things on the floor like coins, bottle caps, and if you have an older child beads, small toys. You can test if it is a choking hazard using this tool: Safety 1st Small Object Choking Tester https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0062TNEOC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_P6mUxbVBQY4PG

5) keep the floors clean: try to limit shoes in the house, or clean floor often. Babies spend all day on the floor and shoes track in germs. 

Having a safe place to play makes life as a parent / nanny / childcare provider sooo so much easier! You can never be 100% attentive all of the time. 

​ 
At Mighty Bambinis, we believe children are competent, curious, resourceful learners.  Our approach is inspired by the philosophies of Reggio Emilia (read more below) and Magda Gerber's RIE approach. We respect children by allowing them to develop at their own pace rather than expecting them to meet developmental milestones on our timetable. We show this through caring individualized support, positive encouragement, affection, frequent eye contact, and communicating at the child’s level.  Children are encouraged to respect others and to care for one another. 

Our curriculum provides firm limits and predictable routines, but within that framework children are entrusted with freedom to explore, make choices, play, and build autonomy. Our thoughtful and intentionally designed environment fosters children’s interests, relationships, and opportunities work cooperatively. Materials and projects are selected based on children’s interests and provoke a spirit of experimentation and inquiry. 
 
Reggio Emilia Approach UnpackedBelow is a more in-depth description of the central components of the Reggio Emilia approach: 

The image of the child. All children have preparedness, potential, curiosity; they have interest in relationship, in constructing their own learning, and in negotiating with everything the environment brings to them. Children should be considered as active citizens with rights, as contributing members, with their families, of their local community. 

The role of parents. Parents are an essential component of the program; a competent and active part of their children’s learning experience. They are not considered consumers but co-responsible partners. Their right to participation is expected and supported; it takes many forms from reading at home, drop-ins during the day, field trip chaperoning, attendance at parent nights, supplying materials, suggesting ideas for “school” and more. 
 
The role of space: The infant-toddler childcare conveys the message that this is a place where adults have thought about the quality and the instructive power of space. Space is often called the “third teacher.” The layout of physical space fosters exploration, communication, and relationships.  

Teachers and children as partners in learning. A strong image of the child has to correspond to a strong image of the teacher. Teachers are not considered protective baby-sitters, teaching basic skills to children but rather they are seen as learners along with the children. They are thoughtful observers and empowered to embark on projects, activities and space changes that further children’s interests and curiosities. 

There is not a pre-set curriculum but a process of inviting and sustaining learning. Once teachers have prepared an environment rich in materials and possibilities, they observe and listen to the children in order to know how to proceed with their work. Teachers use the understanding they gain thereby to act as a resource for children scaffolding learning rather than showing children how to do and how to think. They ask questions and thus discover the children’s ideas, hypotheses, and theories. The children and teachers re-visit and expand their understandings together. 

The power of documentation. Transcriptions of children’s remarks and discussions, photographs of their activity, and representations of their thinking and learning are traces that are carefully studied.  These documents have several functions.  The most important among them is to help guide projects and the everyday experiences of children. Once these documents are organized and displayed they help to make parents aware of their children’s experience and maintain their involvement. They make it possible for teachers to understand the children better and to evaluate the teachers’ own work, thus promoting their professional growth; they make children aware that their effort is valued; and furthermore, they create an archive that traces the history of the school.
 
The many languages of children. Children are communicative beings who should be encouraged to express themselves in many different media. A space, special workshop or studio, at a Reggio childcare is known as an “atelier.” The atelier contains a great variety of tools and resource materials, along with records of past projects and experiences.  Children do not make art per se, but they use the media as an integral part of the whole cognitive/symbolic expression involved in the process of learning. 

Projects. Projects provide the narrative and structure to the children’s and teachers’ learning experiences. They are based on the strong conviction that learning by doing is of great importance and that to discuss in groups and to revisit ideas and experiences is essential to gain better understanding and to learn. Projects may start either from a chance event, an idea or a problem posed by one or more children, or an experience initiated directly by teachers. They can last from a few days to several months.

Content adapted from “Frequently Asked Questions Related to Reggio Emilia Philosophies and Experiences”, Retrieved December 9, 2009, fromhttp://www.reggioalliance.org/faq.php and Introduction to the Fundamental Values of the Education of Young Children in Reggio Emilia by Lella Gandini, adapted from “Introduction to the Schools of Reggio Emilia,” Insights and Inspirations: Stories of Teachers and Children from North America, L. Gandini, S. Etheredge & L. Hill, Ed., 2008


​A bit about Magda Gerber's RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) 
From Dear Parent by Magda Gerber THE BASIS OF THE RIE APPROACH:  

Respect
Respect is the basis of the RIE philosophy. We not only respect babies, we demonstrate our respect every time we interact with them. Respecting a child means treating even the youngest infant as a unique human being, not as an object.

Our Goal: An Authentic Child
An authentic child is one who feels secure, autonomous, and competent. When we help a child to feel secure, feel appreciated, feel that “somebody is deeply, truly interested in me,” by the way we just look, the way we just listen, we influence that child’s whole personality, the way that child sees life.

Trust in an Infant's Competence
We have basic trust in the infant to be an initiator, to be an explorer eager to learn what he is ready for. Because of this trust, we provide the infant with only enough help necessary to allow the child to enjoy mastery of her own actions.

Sensitive Observation
Our method, guided by respect for the infant’s competence, is observation. We observe carefully to understand the infant’s communications and his needs. The more we observe, the more we understand and appreciate the enormous amount and speed of learning that happens during the first two or three years of life. We become more humble, we teach less, and we provide an environment for learning instead.

Caregiving Times: Involving the Child
During care activities (diapering, feeding, bathing, dressing, etc.), we encourage even the tiniest infant to become an active participant rather than a passive recipient of the activities. Educarers create opportunities for interaction, cooperation, intimacy and mutual enjoyment by being wholeheartedly with the infant during the time they spend together anyway. “Refueled” by such unhurried, pleasurable caring experiences, infants are ready to explore their environment with only minimal intervention by adults.

A Safe, Challenging, Predictable Environment
Our role is to create an environment in which the child can best do all the things that the child would do naturally. The more predictable an environment is, the easier it is for babies to learn. As infants become more mobile, they need safe, appropriate space in which to move. Their natural, inborn desire to move should not be handicapped by the environment.

Time for Uninterrupted Play and Freedom to Explore
We give the infant plenty of time for uninterrupted play. Instead of trying to teach babies new skills, we appreciate and admire what babies are actually doing.

Consistency
We establish clearly defined limits and communicate our expectations to develop discipline.

Read more at: http://www.rie.org/educaring/ries-basic-principles/

Introducing solids to your baby is an exciting time! It's also a little daunting, even for second time parents, because it's means you have to do more than whip out a boob or mix up some formula to feed your baby. So don't stress and have some fun. It's the start of hopefully a great relationship with food and start to healthy eating habits for life. Feeding is one of the most important relationship building caregiving times that we have with our babies. It is one of the activities, like diapering, that Magda Gerber (RIE founder) called "wants something time." It's built in time that if we fully tune in during and give undivided, unhurried attention and love we are able to build a strong relationship of trust and attachment during what could be just seen as routine caregiving. It is not a time we rush through just to get to the next "fun" activity. It is a meaningful time all on it's own.
 
Here are some things that the Nichols' family does, based in large part of Noelle's doctor Dr. Buccholz at UCSF when she was an infant. (Note: What foods and how fast we introduce them to our Mighty Bambinis at school, is decided in conjunction with parents and each child's doctor's advice. But I wanted to share some resources I've found informative.)

1) Eating is a fun, important time to bond and recharge our love buckets. That means whether we're holding a baby or having a few eat with us in their own seats, we are fully present, making eye contact, and discussing what is going on now - foods they are trying, what we are doing, etc.  This article on Janet Lansbury's blog has great insights. 

2) Make it easy. What I do is make purees buy either steaming veggies or fruit on the stove, and then blending them OR using the Beeba Babycook to do both. Then I freeze them in ice cube trays and freeze them in labeled bags. That way, food is always ready and can be thawed quickly in individual portions for each meal. Usually I will defrost 1-2 cubes of 2-3 foods per meal. 

Here is a good chart of what foods to introduce when:


















3) Mix up textures with purees and baby led weaning foods after 6 months old. From my experience babies that are exclusively fed using baby led weaning try less variety of foods because they "choose" what to try at such a young age. Babies need to try a new food 10-15 times before they acquire a taste for a food so I find it helpful to use purees to introduce new foods. A baby does not need to eat a lot of something to develop a new taste for something. Also babies who exclusively baby led wean, are more resistant later to having someone feed them later on. So at each meal, I find it helpful to have some finger foods like peas, small bite size steamed fruits or veggies, or cheerios AND 1-3 purees. 

4) Introduce utensils. You'd be surprised how early children like to explore how to use utensils. We even give Teddy a spoon at some meals now at 6 months old. 

5) Don't forget the water. Is your baby pooping out turds? Check with your doctor, but maybe you need to give them some water, formula / breastmilk, or water down the purees.

6)  Maybe try common allergen foods early. Please check with your doctor because individual children based on personal or family history should be more cautious, but my doctor actually shocked me when at my 6 month appointment he suggested that I go home that day and give Noelle peanuts. He said new research is indicating that withholding allergen food while breastfeeding and during early solid introduction, maybe be causing more food allergies in children. Here's an article with some info, but again PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR. 

Here are some more resources for you! 

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/

http://frenchfoodiebaby.blogspot.com/p/first-vegetable-purees.html

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babyledweaning.htm

http://frenchfoodiebaby.blogspot.com/

Dear Evelyn,

Do you have any resources (websites, blogs) that you would recommend that focus on a death in the family for preschoolers/toddlers. I'm at a loss for how to communicate it to her, if we do at all given she is so young , how to explain why everyone is so sad, etc. if you have any ideas of sites to direct us to, I'd appreciate it.

I'm not sure whether to even bring her to the hospital or not. What to tell her after? How to answer all of her questions so trying to get ahead of it? Any suggestions you have are really appreciated.

Dear Parent, 

I am so sorry to hear that you are likely going to lose your father. Losing a parent is one the of biggest losses that we all unfortunately have to experience. I lost my dad somewhat unexpectedly from a heart attack when I was in grad school and it was certainly a huge moment for me. I didn’t have a perfect relationship with him and I was devastated that we had drifted apart and we would never be able to have the opportunity to repair the relationship, that he’d never see me get married, and he’d never meet his future grandkids. Sometimes I still get sad about not being able to hear is long winded lectures and have a heated debate about politics with him. And we had a strained relationship. I know the depth of your sadness and grief will be palpable now and when he eventually passes.


I think that there is no way for your child to be kept in the dark. I think she will feel all of your pain, experience confusion of all the different experiences, and I think she is old enough and has enough sense at her age to be told in simple words what is happening. I think the best approach is to be honest about what is happening both about your own feelings as well as what is happening. You could say something like, “Grandpa is very sick and weak, and he isn’t going to live much longer. He won’t get better because he is old and his heart is damaged. We are all very sad and we are going to miss him very very much. Grandpa is my dad and I love him like you love your daddy. I will cry a lot because it’s very hard for me to not have my daddy anymore.”

Children are very perceptive and being honest will help your children feel less confused about what is happening. You can probably spare her the blow by blow updates because those are such a roller coaster and she won’t understand all the information and doctor lingo. It would be good to listen to her questions and responses and answer them directly and simply.

She may feel “inappropriately” or say things that don’t make sense or even seem wrong (like sometimes people are angry when someone dies and don’t know what to , but I think that it’s best to answer comments like that by saying something like “I see you are feeling a lot of things. We all are. I am here for you if you need me.”

Perhaps if you are really emotional and falling apart, that may be overwhelming for her, or get stressed and snappy. So perhaps if that’s happening your spouse can explain how you (or someone else) are feeling or you can later in a calm moment let her know that you were snappy because you are very sad and feeling hurt. You didn’t mean to get upset and you’re sorry. We’re all only human and the more important part is to just awknowledge our mistakes or weak moments and apologize to clear the air and make sure she knows she is loved and nothing is her fault.

From Janet Lansbury's blog: 
Here are six guidelines from John W. James’ book When Children Grieve: For Adults to Help Children Deal with Death, Divorce, Pet Loss, Moving, and Other Losses. I can’t recommend this book highly enough…
Listen with your heart, not your head. Allow all emotions to be expressed, without judgment, criticism, or analysis.
Recognize that grief is emotional, not intellectual. Avoid the trap of asking your child what is wrong, for he or she will automatically say, “Nothing.”
Adults – go first.  Telling the truth about your own grief will make your child feel safe in opening up about his or her own feelings.
Remember that each of your children is unique and has a unique relationship to the loss event.
Be patient. Don’t force your child to talk.
Never say “Don’t feel sad” or “Don’t feel scared.” Sadness and fear, the two most common feelings attached to loss of any kind, are essential to being human.

About going to the hospital to see him, maybe you can give her a choice. Since so many things are new to her, I actually don’t think she will know to be scared. Adults are more scared of hospitals and death because they know more about it. She may want to see him and say good bye and he may want to see her. But if she doesn’t want to go, maybe that’s better too. Unlike an adult she won’t spend her life regretting that she made the choice not to go. I think if Paul’s dad or mom were ill, I would take Noelle because I think it takes some of the mystery out. But I like the idea of a choice. However, I’d probably bring someone with who could leave with her when she needed so that she didn’t become stressful. Hospitals are the best environments for kids to hang out in for a long time.


My heart is with you and your family! I know that this will be a difficult time. However, in death there is an opportunity to come together as a family, to celebrate the wonderful life and memories you had together and to reflect on the many gifts we have been given by being part of each other’s lives. Let me know if I can do anything to help. I don’t have any death books here, but I would be more than happy to amazon prime some to you if you send me your address there.


Some book recommendations - I can go through them and pick some I think are best, but most of these should be appropriate for ages 3 and up. 


I’ll Always Love You, a tear-jerker (as if you needed one) about a boy dealing with the death of the family dog.
https://www.amazon.com/Lifetimes-Beautiful-Explain-Death-Children/dp/0553344021/ref=pd_sim_14_4?
ie=UTF8&dpID=61AKF0Z4B5L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=M0F7Z37P9G603HP3619T
https://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-Book-Todd-Parr/dp/0316404977/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468361898&sr=8-1&keywords=the+goodbye+book
https://www.amazon.com/Badgers-Parting-Gifts-Susan-Varley/dp/0688115187/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468361920&sr=8-1&keywords=badgers+parting+gift
https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Freddie-Leaf-Story-Life/dp/0943432898/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468361936&sr=1-1&keywords=the+fall+of+freddie+the+leaf
https://www.amazon.com/Wings-Butterfly-Story-About-Death/dp/0943990688?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0
https://www.amazon.com/Cry-Heart-But-Never-Break/dp/1592701876/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468362084&sr=1-1&keywords=cry+heart+but+never+break
https://www.amazon.com/Life-I-Story-About-Death/dp/3899557719/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468362106&sr=1-1&keywords=LIFE+AND+I+A+Story+About+Death
https://www.amazon.com/Grandads-Island-Benji-Davies/dp/0763690058/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468362132&sr=1-1&keywords=GRANDAD%27S+ISLAND
https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Bird-Margaret-Wise-Brown/dp/0060289317/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468362156&sr=1-1&keywords=THE+DEAD+BIRD
Ida Always
What Happens When A Loved One Dies? Our First Talk About Death
Rabbityness
Following Grandfather
Grandma's Gloves
Remembering Crystal
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-You-First-Death-At%C3%82-Series/dp/0764117645/ref=cm_lmf_tit_20
https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-String-Patrice-Karst/dp/0875167349/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XY7Q3T6W5R2K8T6Q0KH4
https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Willow-Story-Children-About/dp/1591470722/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468361683&sr=1-1&keywords=Gentle+Willow
https://www.amazon.com/Help-Me-Say-Goodbye-Activities/dp/1577490851/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=41TJ4%2Bfg06L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=Q61BC6CMC49DVAVNYJ6X


When Children Grieve and The Grief Recovery Handbook (for adults), both by John James and Russell P. Friedman, provide excellent roadmaps for understanding grief and processing it in the healthiest, most productive manner possible. Their recommendations reflect all I’ve learned about healthy social emotional development through infant specialist Magda Gerber.  The gist of their message: We not only all have unique responses to loss —  we respond to each loss uniquely. Allow yourself to feel your feelings, share them with your child, and give her the freedom and the time to process her unique feelings, too. Unfinished grief creates problems that can have a profound effect on our life.

Starting a family childcare in our home has been a wonderful journey and absolute gift to our family at this time in our life. As a new parent and career educator, we were faced with a tough decision that many families face when they have their first child. Who and how do we want to raise our child? Can we find it? Can we get in? And can we afford it? Ideally we wanted to be able to afford to live off of one income and have me stay home to raise our child and future children. But with the high cost of living in SF, that just didn’t really seem truly feasible. Also, being someone who always loved working, I was worried it might leave me wanting “more” somehow.
 
Our family got creative. We wanted to have it all – the ability for me to stay home with our kids WITH a source of income, a community of likeminded families, and a fulfilling career for me. With the help of the wonderful resources at CCSF and a very supportive husband, we embarked down the road less traveled and started our own family childcare.
 
Here are some things that I’ve discovered along the way.
 
Anyone (who doesn’t have a criminal record) can open a small family childcare in any home or apartment. Small family childcares serving less than 6 children at a time, don’t require you to re-zone your home, get your neighbors or even landlord’s permission, and are a protected class of business. Other than two one-day long classes (Infant/Pediatric CPR / First Aid and Preventative Health Care Practices), there is no required educational path needed to start your own family childcare. Of course that means that it’s a little bit of the Wild West out there in terms of providers/program quality, the good news is that anyone with a passion for children can start one. So if you’re an artist or engineer or landscaper (or anything else) and you want to develop a wonderful program for children, you can do it! Your childcare is personal, develop a program that shares your skills and talents with children and embodies your personal values and philosophy.
 
Although anyone with little training in child development, can open their own childcare, I really really recommend that people take some time to invest in themselves and learn more about what is best for the age of children they hope to work with and how to design a program and environment of high quality. There are inexpensive ($50 at CCSF), convenient phenomenal classes locally offered by CCSF and the local R&Rs (resource and referral agencies Wu Yee and Children’s Council) specifically designed for family childcare providers. Some of the titles offered at CCSF in the CDEV 41 series (one night a week courses) are Issues in Child Dev-Starting a Childcare Center or Large Family Childcare Home In SF, Environments in Family Childcare, Music and Movement in FCC, and more. The professors are high quality veterans in the field (special shout out to Kathy Zetes in particular), and assignments are all practical and will get you set up. In these classes, I designed and got feedback on my business plan, my classroom layout inside and out, my handbook, and website. If you can’t schedule in these night classes, I recommend buying the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale and Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale on Amazon, and reading Magda Gerber’s Your Self-Confident Baby
if you’ll be caring for infants and toddlers. I also wrote a short piece for parents about how to identify quality group care, which could be helpful for providers also.
 
I was sort of surprised to discover that your own children do count in your family childcare until they are 10 years old. A large family childcare is unlikely to get granted in SF since you have to pass a fire marshall clearance, which is HARD due to SF architecture! So let’s focus on the small family childcare numbers. You can have 4 infants (0-24 months) only OR 6 children under 6 or in kindergarten of which no more than 3 can be infants (0-24months), or 8 children if two are enrolled in Kindergarten (no more than 2 infants 0-24 months). This can be severally limiting from a financial perspective depending on how many of your own children you have under 10 years old, but hey, you get to stay home with them and make an income. In our case, it seemed worth it given that I could make my dream childcare for my children and all the children in our program and I get “free childcare.”
 
Make sure you can make the commitment and that everyone who lives in your home is supportive. It’s ideal for children to have the same carer for 2-3 years if possible. Be sure to ask everyone in your home if they are ok with you having children there 40-50 hours a week (or whatever times you decide) and have you to redesign some parts of your home for the childcare. One challenge I find, is our schedule for vacations is now very limited. We can only take vacations when our childcare is closed, so that’s something to consider too. Becoming a childcare provider is a big responsibility and it should not be entered into lightly.
 
There are roughly 5 infant openings at licensed childcare centers or FCCs in San Francisco per every 100 infants (0-24 months) needing care. Families with infants are easiest to recruit, but make sure no matter what children you decide to work with and serve, you love being around them! Running a family childcare, while rewarding, is a lot of work with long hours. So be sure that you like to be around babies or toddlers, or a mixed-age group for about 40-50 hours a week. As a family childcare provider, you must be present at your home for 80% of operating hours, and ideally you are the primary caregiver even if you have assistant teachers.
 
Recruiting via word of mouth or becoming a parent of parent communities online seems to work best. Being a mom myself has been my best recruiting technique. Before I started our FCC, I was already a member of yahoo parent groups near me, and apps like parenthoods, bernalhoods, and some facebook groups. Like any social media marketing strategy, it’s best to give as much as you get, meaning become a true member of your social media or real life communities, don’t just use the platforms for advertising.
 
Develop a philosophy and make a handbook. It takes some soul searching and time, but the more upfront and clear you are with yourself, your families, and your assistant teachers – the easier your life will be in the long run. It’s always better to have a conversation about the kind of care children receive and why you do things that way, or how sick is too sick to come to school before you enroll a family rather than after. Parents and childcare providers should work together in partnership and it’s important to see eye to eye from the start. To develop mine, I looked at published handbooks of school’s I admired and also checked out samples on http://www.childcarelounge.com/child-care-lounge.php
 
Make the administrative side of things as simple as possible! Nurturelist.com is a great listing site so you don't need to develop your own website to advertise. DayBear hopes to help FCC for free to manage the administrative side of things. For now I use Gusto for my payroll, Google Forms for my wait list, Google Wallet to get payments, and Google Voice for my phone service. I’m looking into better accounting tools, so in 2016 I’ll probably try out Xero (for accounting) or something like it because you can write off a significant part of your household expenses (including some parts of your rent or mortgage) since you really do run it out of your home. Most of us educators, don’t love paperwork, and you won’t have much time to devote to it. So keep it simple. That’s one reason my tuition is the same from month to month, it’s too hard to calculate days or hours per child each month.
 
Network with other providers if possible. I met some in my CCSF classes and introduce myself to people if I see them at the playground or see them post to a yahoo group about an opening at their childcare. It’s so nice to share and learn from each other. In some neighborhoods the Family Child Care Association of San Francisco is pretty active too, so it might be worth joining them too.
 
Good luck and if you live in SF keep in touch!

Other resources:
Community Care Licensing Division
CCSF Child Development 
SF SEED - for financial support for CDEV courses
Wu Yee
​Childrens Council
Facebook SF Childcare Providers Community

 I couldn't agree more with this quote: “Babies thrive out-of-doors. They sleep better, eat better, look better, play better, and learn better. Fresh air both soothes and stimulates. I always tell parents how much more easily they could raise healthy, “happy” children if they would make outdoor living a regular habit for their babies.” – Magda Gerber, Dear Parent: Caring for Infants With Respect

I just read an article by one of my favorite child development thought leaders, Janet Lansbury, and I thought I should share about our outdoor classroom. ​You can totally make an awesome outdoor play space in a small (San Francisco-sized) yard. 

Since our program is inspired by Reggio and RIE, we integrated the ideas of Reggio's loose parts and a safe "yes" space from RIE. 

My goal is to have a "yes space" where the kids can really do what they want in the yard with few limits other than hurting each other. I wanted it be changeable, safe yet challenging, and allow for experimentation and dramatic play.  We recreated some of the elements that they love from inside such as a mud kitchen, our magnetic wall, and also use outside friendly inside toys and materials.  

Our yard has two parts. One side is a cement patio and the other side is a grassy open space yard. We divided the two spaces with a low 3 foot fence which essentially turns them into "kiddie corrals" that Janet wrote about. Since we have mixed ages, we can keep the bigger toddlers away from the little babies when we need to. 

We covered the cement patio with rubber tiles so soften falls from our early walkers which gives the kids a sense of security to explore their bodies more on the ride on toys and the slide. 

On the grassy side, we put some small hills in, because it adds a little challenge. The hills alone are hours of endless fun and confidence building for an early crawler or walker. We love our "me do it" toddlers. They can move everything (ladders, tubs, crates, etc.) around to change the landscape and put on their own shoes and smocks. 

A few of our inexpensive (or free) favorites of the children are: 1) the teeter totter which invites social play, as well as can serve as a great balance board, 2) yoga balls, 3) the milk crates which make create obstacle course steps or can be easily turned into train cars with the spark of a toddler's imagination, 4) our easy DIY ladders and balance beam, and 5) plastic kiddie pools. 

The plastic kiddie pools are really my favorite. They are fun to climb in and out of, make large water/sand/sensory "table" and can be a wonderful protective "space bubble" for a very young infant to spend time outside. 

We also have lots of the same things (a ride on toy for each for example) because we have younger toddlers who don't share and like to do parallel play. It really reduces conflict if you develop the space and have appropriate expectations of how they will play.

Who said baby dolls, dinos, kitchen dramatic play, lunch, and pretty much any other inside type of activity can't be done outside. 

Baby Dolls and Dinos - The kids love washing their baby dolls, doing car washes, and having elaborate dramatic play worlds with the dinos. They are easy to wash up and bring back inside when we're done, so why not! 

Playing house outside - We bring real pots, pans, and cooking utensils out when the kids are into making "soup" and cooking. We set out out kid sized picnic tables, and bring out plates and utensils if they want to cook and serve meals. And we have a mud kitchen that has lots of utensils, pots, pans and containers to "cook" with. The kids gather twigs, gravel, lemons, pinecones, flowers and whatever else they want to cook with. 

Magnet STEM wall - Using a oil pan, we made a really easy magnet wall and used PVC pike and gutters to have loose parts for the kids to do experiments with. They can run water, ping pong balls, rocks or whatever else they want down it. All the parts live in a crate near the wall so they can choose how they want to set it up. We don't show them what to do, but it's amazing how fast they figure out what they can do with all the components. 

​

To create this loose parts, creativity laboratory we have to look no further than the ground, in the trees/bushes and our own recycling bins. 

Loose parts may be manufactured or natural materials (Frost 1997) or recycled objects (Drew and Rankin 2004).
Manufactured items could include the following: ■ boxes ■ buckets ■ blocks ■ trucks ■ cloth ■ baskets ■ tools ■ dramatic play props ■ balls

Natural items could include such items as: ■ bark ■ sand ■ seeds ■ mud ■ stones ■ vines ■ leaves ■ tree stumps ■ twigs ■ straw bales

Recycled items could include: ■ cardboard boxes ■ building materials ■ packing pellets ■ old pots and pans ■ tires ■ milk crates ■ ribbon, rope, string ■ polystyrene ■ plastic bottles and ■ felt containers

http://www.childcarequarterly.com/pdf/winter14_parts.pdf

Since children learn so much through their senses and by doing, we set up sensory and art materials on a daily basis that often hold their interest for long stretches of time and lead to many fascinating discoveries. 

Infant Daily Supply List (stored in cubbie)
 
☐Pacifiers (if applicable)
☐Diapers
☐Wipes (4 full-sized pack per family a month)
☐Diaper ointment
☐Extra Clothes – 3 onesies long, 3 shirts, 3 pants, 3 pairs of socks, 2 jackets. Pack clothes that you would be ok with getting dirty. Little ones learn by doing, which often means getting messy.
☐Sunscreen
☐ Unopened formula for emergency use (if applicable)
☐Tote or Diaper bag (large enough to store empty bottles and clothes that may be sent home)
☐Medications for emergencies (Note: We don’t administer medications, except those required in emergency situations such as EPI pen, nebulizer or inhalers)
☐Photos from home of important family members and baby
☐ Toothbrush & toothpaste
☐Blanket and security lovie

Toddler Daily Supply List (stored in cubbie)
 
☐Pacifiers (if applicable)
☐Diapers and/or undies 
☐Wipes (3 full-sized pack per family a month)
☐Diaper ointment
☐Extra Clothes – 4 shirts, 4 pants, 2 pairs of socks, 1 jackets/sweatshirt, 1 rain jacket, 2 pairs of pajamas (if needed), 1 pair of rain boots (or extra school shoes. (Pack clothes that you would be ok with getting dirty, lost (although rare). Little ones learn by doing, which often means getting messy.)
☐Sunscreen and sun hat 
☐re-useable grocery bag
☐ Medications for emergencies including signed doctors note with instruction for administration (Note: We don’t administer medications, except those required in emergency situations such as EPI pen, nebulizer or inhalers)
☐2 photos from home of important family members and baby. Also text/email Evelyn an electronic photo of all members in the family together for school family gallery)
☐Blanket and security lovie
☐Toothbrush and tooth paste
☐Text recent headshot and full-body shot of child for activities 

• Please label all items with child’s initials.
• All creams and sunscreens to be applied require a completed As Needed Medication Authorization form and must be kept in their original containers with your child’s full name on it.
• All prescriptions must be in the original containers with the patient’s name, dosage and prescribed time to be given. The doctor must sign and provide directions for administration. 
• Do not bring toys to school as they often cause conflict. 

 
 

(Note: largely adapted from PITC’s Six Program Policies with some two-cents from Mighty Bambinis founder Evelyn Nichols www.mightybambinis.weebly.com)
 
Primary Care
In a primary care system, each child is assigned to one or two special infant/toddler care teacher who is principally responsible for that child’s care. Family childcare requires that the licensee (owner) must be present 80% of the time, to attempt to ensure a primary care exists. This fosters attachment and predictability for young children. They know who to look to for help and feel secure to try new things.
 
Small Groups
Every major research study on infant and toddler care has shown that small group size and good ratios are key components of quality care. PITC recommends primary care ratios of 1:3 or 1:4, in groups of 6-12 children, depending on the age. The guiding principle is this: the younger the child, the smaller the group. Small groups facilitate the provision of personalized care that infants and toddlers need, supporting peaceful exchanges, freedom and safety to move and explore, and the development of intimate relationships. Family childcares are licensed as a small (4-8 children, depending on ages served) and large 12-14 children, depending on ages served) to try to ensure small group size. If you choose a center, be sure to ask how many children are in each room at once AND what the child to teacher ratio is.
 
Continuity
Continuity of care is the third key to providing the deep connections that infants and toddlers need for quality childcare. Programs that incorporate the concept of continuity of care keep primary infant/toddler care teachers and children together throughout the three years of infancy period, or for the time during that period of the child’s enrollment in care. So when choosing childcare it is important to consider if the childcare / nanny is an appropriate fit for your child when they are a young infant, mobile infant, AND a toddler. Not all settings and caregivers can grow with your child equally.
 
Individualized Care
Following children’s unique rhythms and styles promotes well-being and a healthy sense of self. It’s important not to make a child feel bad about him or herself because of biological rhythms or needs that are different from those of other children. Responding promptly to children’s individual needs supports their growing ability to self-regulate, i.e., to function independently in personal and social contexts. The program adapts to the child, rather than vice versa, and the child gets the message that he or she is important, that her/his needs will be met, and that his choices, preferences, and impulses are respected.
 
Young children thrive with predictability and firm boundaries, but lots of freedom within those limits. Even newborns/young infants should be spoken to and invited to participate / help themselves. They should be both protected, yet seen as competent and challenged and given opportunities to make their own discoveries/do things on their own. Responsive care doesn’t mean that caregivers should always rush to pick up a child or solve all their problems / frustrations. Evelyn highly recommends the RIE principles of respectful care (Magda Gerber, Janet Lansbury, and authors Faber & Mazlish). Check out www.rie.org (infants) and http://www.janetlansbury.com/ (toddlers).
 
Cultural Continuity
Children develop a sense of who they are and what is important within the context of culture. Because of the important role of culture in development, infant/toddler care teachers who serve families from diverse backgrounds need to:

1. heighten their understanding of the importance of culture in the lives of infants,
2. develop cultural competencies,
3. acknowledge and respect cultural differences, and
4. learn to be open and responsive to, and willing to negotiate with families about child rearing practices. In this way, families and infant/toddler care teachers, working together, can facilitate the optimal development of each child.

 
Relationship and Family-based Care
A strong relationship between caregivers and parents is extremely important for children, especially in their earliest years. Parents and caregivers can share insights and observations, struggles and exciting developments. It’s important to choose a caregiver that you can trust to be honest, communicate with about the good and bad, and work together with to problem solve. Caregivers and parents should see each other as partners!
 
Some questions to ask when choosing care:

• What ages are enrolled? How many are in a classroom at one time? How many children to each caregiver? Does each child have a primary care giver?
• What training do staff members have in infant-toddler development? What is their philosophy for infants / toddlers? (You can ask the caregiver how they handle biting/hitting or more difficult behavior to get a good sense. Ask them to tell you what they would say to a child to get an even better understanding.)
• Do caregivers speak to the children, even babies?  Do they sing and read to the children? 
• Do they answer children’s questions patiently?  Do they ask children questions?
• Is each baby allowed to eat and sleep according to their own rhythms, and not based on a schedule imposed by the caregiver?
• For toddlers, is a daily schedule posted, using pictures and visuals, so that children can anticipate what will happen next?
• Are toys and materials well organized so that children can choose what interests them? (Battery operated toys and electronics aren’t recommended. Clutter and lots of color / busy decorations can be over stimulating)
• Are caregivers able to accommodate the special needs of children? Does the environment accommodate the special needs of children?
• Do caregivers respect the language, culture and values of families in the program?
• How does the caregiver feel about discipline? Breastfeeding/Weaning? Toilet training/learning? Feeding?  Do the caregiver's beliefs match your own?
• Does the caregiver handle conflicts without losing patience, shaming a child, or frequently displaying anger?
• Does the caregiver seem to enjoy children?
• Are you welcome to drop in at any time? How do they communicate with parents? What do they do when a child is injured (large or small) at school?
• Would your child feel good about coming here?  Would you feel good about leaving your child here?
• Is the environment sanitary and safe?
• Is the setting appealing with comfortable lighting and an acceptable noise level? Do they spend inside / outside?

 
Some advice about getting into childcare in San Francisco:

• It is much easier to get children into childcare / preschool after 24 months of age, due to licesing rules about ratios based on ages
• It is easiest to get into childcare around August because that is when children graduate on to preschool
• Nuturelist.com has some more helpful advice on how to get into childcare in San Francisco

 
Resources:

• http://www.zerotothree.org/early-care-education/child-care/choosing-quality-child-care.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
• https://www.pitc.org/pub/pitc_docs/policies.html
• www.rie.org
• http://www.janetlansbury.com/