What Are The Requirements On 2year Olds In The Setting?

[Guest]

Hi I am thinking about offering extended care to younger children we are a small pre-school with approx 30 children on our books. We are regstaired to have 30 children at a time but limit that session number to 26. We take children as soon as they are 2.5 but I was wondering can anyone advise me on the introduction of 2 year olds into the session. Do I need a seperate room? Or can they all play toether? Do I need a sleep room? Or would buggys do? I have so many questions does anyone know who could answer them? or where to go to get those answers.

 

KAT

[Cait]

We have 2 year olds and don't have sleep room or buggys - how long were you considering having them in for - 2.5hrs?

They shouldn't need to have a sleep if they are only in for that length of time. We have some big quilts that some children who are in all day like to snuggle up in for a while after lunch, and they can sleep if they want to.

We have pottys and changng mats and nappy bags for each child. Not a problem really.

[Panders]

Don't know about the "stat requirements" but in the ideal world I would want a different kind of set up, i.e. dedicated sessions for 2 - 2.5+ only for one or two sessions per week, say, afternoons only which could then feed into your older groups when they are ready.

 

Even 2.5 yr. olds need to be fairly robust to share the setting we are in with the 4+ age group as we have only one big hall and they do not have a segrated area.

 

Must say, never been happy about children sleeping in buggies, ok if you are out shopping and they drop off - afterall they are your own child, but personally, I only ever really wanted my children to take their naps lying down properly, could you get a few foldaway camp bed type things - they are advertised widely in the nursery press.

[Guest]

Hi

Yea I think yes offering from 2.5 hours to start off with. We are at the moment researching extending hours for all a few times a weelk so the next part would be to exten the age limit as well i was thinking.

 

KAT

[Cait]

Bear in mind that a lot of 2 year olds have sleeps after lunch so this may not be the best session for them as they'll be crabby

[Panders]

Shh, Cait, don't tell the mummies that kind of thing - there would be no point them bringing them to us if they knew they would have a sleep - think of a blissful gentle hour or so to begin with, playing calm soothing games, then while many are having a little sleep, snuggly stories etc. with the others - or am I deluding myself?

[Guest]

We take children at 2 and don't offer sleep facilities as they are only in for 2.5 hours. One consideration is if you are set up to change nappies, although you might need to do this for 2.5 year olds already. I don't think there is anything specific you need to do because they are 2 years. We do have a large hall and the children mix together in there for most of the morning, but we do have the advantage of having some smaller side rooms into which the older children go for a short time each morning. Sometimes we really need to separate, other times it works without any problems. Really it depends on the personalities rather than the ages of the children.

[Guest]

I don't think nappy changing would be a problem as has been said above. I think Ms O would want you to show how you would cater for a child who was tired, needed to sleep etc. You could simply have a quiet area of the room with cushions and 'snuggle nests'.

 

In case anyone is unsure, 'Snuggle nests' are a bit like dog baskets (Sorry, best way to describe them though). The principle is that children learn to self-regulate sleep times and these baskets are available for them to go and lie quietly or sleep whenever the child wants. They are used all the time at Pen Green, if you want some 'authority' for them.

 

Gruffalo2

 

N.B. Children should not sleep regularly in buggies as their backs are not supported. Sorry to pour cold water on that solution.