Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

Hi all, starting in Jan. we're offering enrichment courses to our 6-8th graders; b/c I'm available at the time they're offering it; I was elected. I figured I'd teach a child care course; HOWEVER, I did not realize it would be 1 1/2 at a time (for 6 weeks).

How would you set this up? That's an awfully long time to just "talk" about caring for babies.

I was thinking maybe start with pregnancy & then infancy & work my way up to watching older children; but would love ideas/comments/opinions, etc.

Also has anyone been certified in the red cross class to "teach" girls how to be certified babysitters? (this is another option)

Thanks ladies

Message edited 11/6/2009 6:13:20 AM.

Re: Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

bumpin' ladies, could use your help

Re: Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

What is the setting? Do you have dolls? Play kitchen, etc...

Re: Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

Can you do a mock baby thing? Like an egg or a baby doll?

Re: Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

I don't know if I can be of much help, but check out this website...

My DH and I took an infact CPR and safety class at this place in Smithtown over the summer.

The woman who taught the CPR class said that she also teaches a class to teenagers to be certified babysitters.

They have a section on their website for professionals. Maybe this could help you out.



FamilyCFA.com

Re: Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

Start with pregnancy, then with infancy, if you have baby dolls, give each student their own "baby" (if possible).
Maybe show them how to hold, change, feed.
Show them how the babies can "Play" like tracking objects. tummy time, and looking at books.
As the "babies" get older, you can introduce crafts and stuff to do with the babies.
Do a lesson on First Aid/CPR.
Maybe also tell them that if they are babysitting, make sure they ask the parents of the child to leave a list of all Emergency Numbers.

Maybe you can use this list and adjust it to babysitter to parent...Kind of like, what the parents will most likely expect from you:
Linnky

Hmmmm not sure what else.

Re: Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

Thanks ladies, I totally forgot about the "egg"...we did that in HS & it was an eye opener. I think I'll only have up to 10 girls (or maybe boys) 11-13.

This also isn't my grade level so its going to be an eye opener. I just don't want to be up & lecturing the whole 1 1/2 b/c I'll lose them real quick.

I definitely want to check out the red cross babysitting class (as I'm currently not certified in CPR myself).

Re: Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

I'd be more than happy to supply you with a live subject or two to keep the children occupied


No seriously, the egg thing is perfect...i had taken child care courses in JHS and that was a lot of fun.....You can have them keep a log of what they did with their " baby" ..... The one thing you need to do though, is mark the egg with a special signature ( stamp etc..) When we were in school, the kids who dropped their eggs got replacement egggs and the teacher didnt know that the egg wasn't the original

Re: Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

Posted by Bops

I'd be more than happy to supply you with a live subject or two to keep the children occupied


No seriously, the egg thing is perfect...i had taken child care courses in JHS and that was a lot of fun.....You can have them keep a log of what they did with their " baby" ..... The one thing you need to do though, is mark the egg with a special signature ( stamp etc..) When we were in school, the kids who dropped their eggs got replacement egggs and the teacher didnt know that the egg wasn't the original

Re: Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

little tangent.

just a thought (as a parent) will these children/their parents have the option of WHAT they will learn about in this course ?
only bc it seems to be a world where parents will fuss about anything, what if they dont like the idea of this topic for 6 weeks?

what about sending them a note home, having them VOTE on what the topic of the class will be ?
what if you have more boys that will be taking enrichment and they dont want this course ? (that's an age where most boys wont want to sit in a babysitting course I think )

what other options are there (if I remember correctly youre a guid, counselor, so you want to stay on the area in which you work with them?)

since thats a long time ( 1 1/2 hrs, can you do 40 min on one topic, ten min break and 40 min on another.?

maybe it will generate more interest, and it will make it easier for you to not have to make lessons to utilize so much time, kwim?

i hope this made sense, and hope it helped. just trying to help brainstorm.

Re: Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

Re: Need your help...Parenting Class...child care ideas

Ask them to turn in their cell phones at the beginning of the infant stage for a few minutes. Secretly set their cell alarms to go off every hour.