Things childcare workers absolutely avoid during indoor play on rainy days
When I first started working as a childcare worker, I was nervous every rainy day.
We couldn't go outside.
The variety of play was limited.
The children's energy levels were at their peak from the morning.
I still remember worrying before my shift even started about how I would get through the day.
As I gained experience, I gradually began to see patterns of things that would make the afternoon difficult.
Today, I will share two common mistakes that are particularly easy to fall into.
Mistake #1: Relying on TV or tablets from the start
On a rainy morning, a child might say, 'I want to watch TV.'
Honestly, it's a huge help, and since it keeps them quiet, you might think, 'Well, that's fine.'
However, if you let them watch videos all morning, it becomes very difficult to get them to nap in the afternoon.
Video content on TVs or tablets is a form of 'passive stimulation' that only uses the eyes and ears.
Because their bodies aren't moving but their brains are in an excited state, they often find it hard to fall asleep when it's time for a nap.
At the nursery school, we had a rule to only use video content for a short time at the end of an activity.
That alone made a huge difference in how easily they fell asleep for their nap.
Mistake #2: Keeping them jumping and running around with the idea of 'just getting them to move'
This is the pattern of continuing indoor obstacle courses or tag games with the idea that if you make them exercise indoors, they will get tired and sleep.
There is nothing wrong with making them exercise itself.
However, if you only keep their bodies moving, their 'physical fatigue' and 'brain excitement' become mismatched.
Their bodies might be exhausted, but their brains are still active, which can actually make it harder for them to fall asleep.
Even in the childcare setting, I experienced many times that the days we had them move their bodies excessively were the days when many children wouldn't sleep at all.
So, what should you do instead?
After avoiding these two mistakes, what can you actually do to help children nap smoothly?
I have written everything I have learned through my experience as a childcare worker and what I practice daily with my own 2-year-old son (he was 1 when I posted the article) in a paid article.
If you want to know the 'correct way to spend a rainy day,' please take a look.
👉 Rainy days, and the child won't sleep at all. You were 'tiring them out' the wrong way
https://note.com/marou62220/n/nf2a123ddf9c5