Babysitting help for a beginner babysitting kids aged 1-6?

Daisy L

I need to know everything about babysitting kids aged 1-6. I need to know about every age, games for each age, meals and links for food I can cook kids (healthy), advertising, tips for every age, and maybe a few of your babysitting stories if you want to write them. I prefer very big answers like 2 big paragraphs. Thanks!

Answer
TODDLERS(ages 1-3) Toddlers Usually-
Walk
Feeds him/her self,
uses one two or three word senences
is determained to do things on their own
Climbs on Furniture
Runs Skips Jumps Climbs and Gallops(Older toddlers)
Dresses self (with help)
Bushes teeth (with help)

Most Toddlers still wear diapers Unless they have a Dirty diper you can change it quick and easy. 1. Get clean diaper Unsnap or pull down his/her pants and remove Dirty diaper.lift legs to clean him/her and dry him/her off. put clean diaper on.If it was a dirty diaper dump contents of the diaper in toilot throw disposible diaper away or put Cloth diapers were the parent told you. Wash your hands.
Toddlers can usually eat their food by them selves. Move high chair away from stoves, Electrical applieces and Hot liquids.Do let child stand in the chair and sacure the saftey straps. Toddlers can easly choke on food if they run or walk. Some good food ideas are sliced cheese, Crackers, sliced Hotdog, sliced fruit, sliced vegitables and other finger foods. Make sure there cut up small though. Also Ask the parents about any food allergys!!
You can tell when they are getting tierd They rub their eyes, Pull on their ears, get cranky and may even get circles around their eyes. Most Toddlers dont want to go to sleep. Get them into their pajamas and their teeth brushed etc.. try reading them a bedtime stroy be firm that its bedtime tell him/her that your close by turn off the lights and turn on any night lights there may be. Say goodnight then leave.
Toddlers like fun activities like:
Large Blocks
Cars and Trucks
Picture Books
Push and Pull Toys
Play Dishes
Dolls and Puppets
Play Tools
Jack-in-the-box
rocking horse
puzzles
stacking blocks(knocking them down)
Rolling a ball hide and seek


PRESCHOOLERS(ages 3-5) Usually:
Walks up and down stair without help
Dresses alone puts shoes on
uses fork and spoon
Brushes teeth by him/her self
Talks well
Asks a lot of questions
learns to you toilot
Likes to show off
good snacks for preschoolers are :
Yogurt
Muffins
Fresh Fruits
Cookies
Juice
Crackers
Cheese
Hard-boiled eggs
milk
Vegitables
Many Preschoolers ocaionally wet the bed Don't yell at them just get them clean clothes take off all their sheets and bedding get new bedding a send them to bed.
Good Activitys for Preschoolers:
Dolls and Trucks
Picture Books
Paper and Crayons
Painting
balls
sand toys
toy dishes
toy broom
playdough
dress-up
playing outside
Blowing bubbles

SCHOOL AGED(ages 5 and older)
Loses baby teeth
Understands that games have rules
know what is Pretend and what is real
Does more by him/her self
is interested in sports and music

Snacks:
Sandwitch
Cearel
Fruit and vegitables
apple sauce

Games:
Drums
skipping rope
paper airlanes
computer
television
movies

ASK PARENTS IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE THEY LEAVE

Picky about your kids' toys?

Theodore M

Does anyone dislike the selection at Toys R Us? I am really picky about my son's playthings! I love stuff that not everybody else has. Not only that, but toys that allow for open-ended play that engage his imagination and thought. So many toys today do too much for the child. I am always looking for people to talk to about this, so if you are someone like me, please respond and let's discuss this!

Answer
Ever seen a kid spend more time playing with a cardboard box the toy came in?

Give your kids tons of balls... big, little, bouncy, lightened, fuzzy...
Some good books...
Plenty of cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, paints... pots, pans... stackable spoons...

Depending on your child's interests: lego, erector sets, pretend play things...

That assuming your child does not mouth everything.

Buy at garage sales and thrift shops, they are a dime a ton, and you can donate those you don't like

When your child is at the imitation age, get them old cell phones and other imitation stuff...

Get different textures and shades... toy stores don't have them... I remember myself as a 6 month old and can tell that my perception of color at that age was much deeper than it is now. Just because basic colors are instant attention grabblers (i.e. best sellers) does not make them more stimulating.

Bikes, walkers... bath toys...

One of the best things you can get is one of these: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=%D1%88%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F+%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B0&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2
I have no idea how these are called in English, if at all; we call them "Swedish Walls". They've been clinically proven to accelerate 1-year-olds' mental development, along with physical, as at this age physical and mental development is highly correlated; and they can fit even in the smallest apartment.

Hard to be specific without knowing your child's age.

G

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Kid friendly yard tips?

Megan

I am looking to make my yard more fun for the little ones. Any suggestions that aren't too expensive to making it more fun? We have a large back yard that is fenced in and safe for kids. We have some nice trees so it stays cool. I have hung swings but would like more. I want it to be fun for ages 1-5. Any ideas?

Answer
Kids are always in my backyard from newborns up to age 10. We have a big swingset but it is the things that you don't expect the spend the most time with.

Get a big box like a plastic deck box that is used to store cushions but make it a toy box. Stock it with balls, bubbles, wands, jump ropes, bats, tees, etc. Stuff that you can get from the dollar store. Also have a digging spot - not necessarily a sandbox, it can just be a spot in the yard of dirt or in our case, we have gravel under our deck that is a raised deck. We keep shovels and toy trucks under there and they spend hours in their hide out.

I sometimes give the kids ideas to do like hey, why don't you set up an obstacle course? Then they use all the stuff over again in a new way.

But truly, the most fun they have is when some of the parents join int. That always makes for a good time.

Discovery Toys- 1,2,3, Go! - need directions?

Mary

I bought this board game called 1,2,3 Go! by Discovery Toys at a garage sale and the directions are missing. Does anyone have a copy or just a bried explanation?

Answer
I found It!
1,2,3 GO! by Discovery Toys is a wonderful, easy board game that is a perfect tool for teaching beginning math concepts to young children, children with special needs/learning disabilities, or children that simply find math to be especially challenging.

Since 1,2,3 GO! is recommended for ages 3 and up, it is a great choice for parents who want to introduce the concept of playing board games to a young child. Its simple "rules" are very easy to grasp, and you can play 2-3 rounds of the game in less than 10 minutes, so it is wonderful for young children and their limited attention spans! Of course, if your kids are anything like mine, they will not find 1,2,3 GO! to be tiresome at all; we play this game over and over and they never get tired of it!

1,2,3 GO! is a game for two players and consists of a 11 by 9 inch red plastic playing board. The inner part of the board contains a shallow well (about 5 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches) that can be used for throwing the dice into when playing the game, and for storing the game pieces when the game is not in use. On one side of the board there are two arrows raised on the plastic; each arrow indicates a starting point for each player. Following in the direction of each arrow, 19 short raised posts/pegs go around the board on each side, meeting on the opposite side at a star/sun shape raised on the plastic. This star/sun shape indicates the end of the board/game.

Each player has a set of pieces, either blue or yellow. Each set includes 9 playing pieces; three #3 pieces, three #2 pieces, and three #1 pieces. The #1 pieces are a cylinder shape piece of plastic with a hollow inside; a #2 piece is a double piece of this nature (imagine two #1s glued together) and the #3 piece is a triple piece. When placed on the board, the #1 piece covers one of the raised posts/pegs, the #2 piece covers two pegs, and the #3 piece covers three pegs.

The object of the game is to be the first player to cover all of his/her pegs and reach the end of the board.

To play, the players take turns rolling a die. (The game comes with two; one numbered 1-3 one numbered 1-6.) Imagine first playing the game with the 1-3 die. Let's say you roll a 2 and must cover two pegs. You can do this either by using a #2 playing piece, or two #1 pieces, etc. However, since the pegs do not follow a straight line, you may have to use combinations of pieces to cover your pegs. For example, if you roll a 3 and your next available pegs create a corner, you cannot use a straight #3 piece, because it does not bend; you will have to use a combination of other pieces.

As they play the game, children will absorb the addition concepts used in the game. A young child will probably not understand the abstract concept that 1+1=2, but in playing this game, he/she learns that a #1 piece plus another #1 pieces covers/equals two, etc. and begins to grasp the concept that 1+1=2!

But it doesn't stop at 1-2-3......also add 4-5-6! You will first want to introduce the game using the 1-3 numbered die, but you can soon start to use the 1-6 numbered die for higher addition concepts! Along with the items mentioned, this game includes a green plastic Adding Tray with three grooved wells, numbered 4, 5, and 6. A player/child can insert the #1, #2, and #3 playing pieces into the grooves to determine which combination of pieces fill them completely and "make" that number. So when playing the game with the 1-6 die, the child may roll a 5. If it is a young child or a child experiencing difficulty with addition, he/she may not know that 2+3=5. But he/she can use a #2 piece and a #3 piece (or combinations of other pieces) to fill up the #5 section of the tray, then transfer those pieces over to the playing board to cover 5 pegs.

When I play this game with my 4 1/2 year old son, we play the conventional way; we each start on one side of the board and cover the pegs in order. We are introducing 2+ year old Katie to this game; when we play with Katie, we play in "random" mode; roll a 3 and cover ANY (as opposed to the next available) three pegs on the board. So you may alter the suggested "rules" of the game to suit your needs and the age(s) of the children playing. Or if a younger child is playing with an older child, the older child could use the 1-6 die while the younger uses the 1-3 die, etc.

Since this game simply involves rolling the die and covering the subsequent number of pegs, the game moves very fast. We can play the game 3 times or so in 10 minutes.

The concepts of this game are very easy for young children to understand, and the "rules" are so simple, making 1,2,3 GO! and ideal way to introduce the aspects of playing board games (following rules, taking turns, etc.) to young children.

I very highly recommend this game, and I strongly suggest that the other Discovery Toys consultants that are also Epinions members reading this (hi ladies!) purchase this one to show to their customers! We lov

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What is a good inexpensive way to Christmas shop for kids online?

best kids toys age 1 image

caseynjaso

I am trying to find some good deals online for kid toys, clothes, etc for my children for Christmas. I have girls ages 8, 6, and 1, and a boy age 3.

Answer
try ebay! Another couple of good catalog sites with inexpensive toys are collections etc and the lakeside collection keep checking their websites and sign up for email alerts they offer free or reduced shipping often..good luck and Merry Christmas

Where is the best place to buy kids toys for christmas?

michelcree

I am buying for a varitey of ages (1, 2, 4, 5 and 9), and want to get good prices too. Suggestions on national chain stores with good selection and good prices would be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer
Online! I have a bunch on nieces and nephews plus my own toddler. There is nothing worse than a crowed toy department. I'm beating them all by purchasing all those toys online. Amazon actually gives you free shipping and handling if you spend enough. It's certainly something to consider.

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What are some toys that kids of all ages can play with?

best kids toys age 1 image

B

What are some toys that kids ages 6-12 can play with together? There is also a 1 1/2 year old. Preferably something that can be played with outside and at least 4 or 5 kids can play with at a time or take turns playing. Something the 1 1/2 year old would enjoy too if you can possibly think of anything to fit with that age. We are already buying a slipping slide and sand toys. Does anyone else have any suggestions? Something that isn't very expensive either. Thanks.

Answer
these are things my kids play with and they are a girl 6 and boy 3.

soccer ball

jr football or foam one might be better

Frisbee

a rubber ball for playing kick ball with bases. you can make ur own bases and the dollar tree did carry them

jump ropes

kid size rakes

plastic t ball

paint, lots of paint and boxes or posters are 2 for a dollar at $ tree
Spray paint a big huge box, let them i mean, and make a play house outta it.

How bout a tent? If not that, they could make a fort using kit chairs and blankets and sheets and stuff

if you have a table, uno and other games without tiny pieces might be good. My daughter loves uno!

horse shoes is fun too, they make them mobile kinds so you can bring them in when your done with them

kites are a $ at the $ tree too

who doesnt like bubbles or bubble blowers? You can get an awesome bubble blower at wal mart for not too much like 10 or 15 dollars and its GREAT LOADS OF FUN

potting soil and seeds is fun too

dont forget the boom box, gotta have tunes outside right?

I hope this helps it was just off the top of my head!

Where is the best place to buy kids toys?

Elinor Gun

I am buying for a varitey of ages (1, 2, 4, 5 and 9), and want to get good prices too. Suggestions on national chain stores with good selection and good prices would be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer
Shop around on line first. That way you can check prices in the comfort of your own home.

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What are the 3 most important toys for a toddler ages 1-3?

best kids toys age 1 image

Lindsey

I would like to know the 3 best toys for a toddler. Toys that can help them learn and grasp different sersory skills. Can you answer why those toys you picked would be best for the child?
Thanks sooo much!!
Would help me a lot!

Answer
If I have to limit myself to 3, this is what I pick:

1. It's not technically one toy, but a toy kitchen. Pretend play helps with vocabulary, social skills and story telling narrative. The little pots, pans, dishes, etc are good for motor skills.

2. A water table. For one, it will occupy them for HOURS. Pouring is a good fine motor skill and pouring from one vessel into another helps kids learn to conceptualize spatial concepts like volume.

3. Nesting cups. Stacking and balancing is a good motor skill. Nesting cups allow a child to stack just like blocks, but they also allow a child to experiment with size and again, conceptualize the spatial relationships of the cups.

There are others that are important, but those are my top 3. If you wanted a longer list, I would add:
Puppets for building narrative skills which is vital for pre-reading.
Art supplies for fine motor and color recognition.
Small pretend play sets such as little cars/trains, doll houses, action figures, Little People sets, etc for narrative skills and fine motor skills.
Dolls, household items, stuffed toys, doctor/vet kits, costumes, etc for pretend play to encourage imaginative narrative play. Copy-cat play is the primary vehicle through which kids learn.
Tricycle for gross motor.
musical instruments (emphasis on rhythm instruments) for pattern recognition (both a pre-reading and pre-math skill), learning rhythm (improves math abilities because music is applied math) and vocabulary (the more you sing and particularly the more you RHYME the more your child is likely to pick up on new words and pick up on the phonemic relationships between words).
Balls. Lots of balls in lots of sizes. Great for gross motor.
Puzzles. Spatial relationships and object manipulation.
And books that your kids can handle without fear of messing them up. Pretending to read is part of print concepts which is a pre-reading skill.

my house is a mess how can I get motivated?

JazzyKat

I've got dirty dishes piled up in the kitchen, laundry to be folded on the couch, dirty laundry to be washed, kids toys (3 yr old and 18 month) scattered through out the house, floors need mopping... and i'm sitting here feeling like crying because i'm worrying about other things like money, moving country and my weight... I know I just need to just do it but I don't know where to start... how can I get motivated?

Answer
i feel your pain!!! im a mother of three ages 8,3, and 1. i work four days a week and my hubby is ALWAYS working. hes a neat freak and is usually making comments about the house and usually i dont care. i clean as much as i can when i have the time or energy during the day. then after the kids are asleep i sit and relax for about an hour then i do dishes or whatever needs to be done. fold the luandry as u sit on the couch. grab a "toy box" and load all the kids toys at once. you dont need to do it all at once!! once you see the results youll feel better i always do!! good luck and dont worry.....with kids your house will always be a mess

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my house is a mess how can I get motivated?

best kids toys age 1 image

JazzyKat

I've got dirty dishes piled up in the kitchen, laundry to be folded on the couch, dirty laundry to be washed, kids toys (3 yr old and 18 month) scattered through out the house, floors need mopping... and i'm sitting here feeling like crying because i'm worrying about other things like money, moving country and my weight... I know I just need to just do it but I don't know where to start... how can I get motivated?

Answer
i feel your pain!!! im a mother of three ages 8,3, and 1. i work four days a week and my hubby is ALWAYS working. hes a neat freak and is usually making comments about the house and usually i dont care. i clean as much as i can when i have the time or energy during the day. then after the kids are asleep i sit and relax for about an hour then i do dishes or whatever needs to be done. fold the luandry as u sit on the couch. grab a "toy box" and load all the kids toys at once. you dont need to do it all at once!! once you see the results youll feel better i always do!! good luck and dont worry.....with kids your house will always be a mess

What are some ways to make cleaning fun?

Nicnac

When we clean it is so boring. We all hate cleaning.
What are some ways to make different kinds of cleaning fun for kids ages 1-17? Of course the little ones won't be able to do much to clean.
Also, how can littler kids be involved and do some of the cleaning?
They are not my kids. I am one of the kids. I'm 16.

Answer
turn it into a competition. Who can find the most red toys? Try having the kids shoot dirty laundry into the hampers as if they were shooting baskets in basketball.Listen to your favorite music,or even talk about like fun times yall have had and just talk and stuff im 15 and doing at that makes time for faster when we have to clean the house or sumthing :}hope i helped :}good luck lol

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Where is the best place to buy kids toys for christmas?

best kids toys age 1 image

michelcree

I am buying for a varitey of ages (1, 2, 4, 5 and 9), and want to get good prices too. Suggestions on national chain stores with good selection and good prices would be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer
Online! I have a bunch on nieces and nephews plus my own toddler. There is nothing worse than a crowed toy department. I'm beating them all by purchasing all those toys online. Amazon actually gives you free shipping and handling if you spend enough. It's certainly something to consider.

What are some toys that kids of all ages can play with?

B

What are some toys that kids ages 6-12 can play with together? There is also a 1 1/2 year old. Preferably something that can be played with outside and at least 4 or 5 kids can play with at a time or take turns playing. Something the 1 1/2 year old would enjoy too if you can possibly think of anything to fit with that age. We are already buying a slipping slide and sand toys. Does anyone else have any suggestions? Something that isn't very expensive either. Thanks.

Answer
these are things my kids play with and they are a girl 6 and boy 3.

soccer ball

jr football or foam one might be better

Frisbee

a rubber ball for playing kick ball with bases. you can make ur own bases and the dollar tree did carry them

jump ropes

kid size rakes

plastic t ball

paint, lots of paint and boxes or posters are 2 for a dollar at $ tree
Spray paint a big huge box, let them i mean, and make a play house outta it.

How bout a tent? If not that, they could make a fort using kit chairs and blankets and sheets and stuff

if you have a table, uno and other games without tiny pieces might be good. My daughter loves uno!

horse shoes is fun too, they make them mobile kinds so you can bring them in when your done with them

kites are a $ at the $ tree too

who doesnt like bubbles or bubble blowers? You can get an awesome bubble blower at wal mart for not too much like 10 or 15 dollars and its GREAT LOADS OF FUN

potting soil and seeds is fun too

dont forget the boom box, gotta have tunes outside right?

I hope this helps it was just off the top of my head!

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