24 secrets of daycare teachers—steal their tricks!
15Sharing: Create house rules and follow through
Daycares and preschools are governed by rules—rules that the kids, even the smallest ones, are well aware of. “We make sure the kids know what they can’t do,” says Sjuberg. “They can’t hurt each other; they can’t bite; they can’t kick.”
“Whatever the laws of your land are,” says VanGerwen, “you have to be able to define them and enforce them. The trick is determining what your laws look like and then following through.” In other words, at daycare, if kids aren’t allowed home toys, they’re never allowed home toys—the toy will be removed. If they aren’t allowed to throw sand, they’re never allowed to throw sand—the child will lose sandbox privileges.
Kids will try to push the limits, but they are also looking for limits, VanGerwen adds. She suggests creating your own set of rules. Make it a fun activity by writing them together on poster paper and putting them somewhere visible, like the fridge or a kitchen wall.
