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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

25:2  - I would hope that ratio is for school age children.

Cleaning is a chore and not all kids enjoy the process of cleaning up or will want to clean up. 2 yr olds like to pull things off shelves just because. They don't really have the same desire to replace things on shelves. This is why daycare centers have low shelves, with limited toys per shelf for kids in that age range. They also usually have some  gross motor area in the classroom with a low to the ground climbing structure.

Please don't tell parents anything as hokey as "bright colors on the wall will distract your child from playing".  Children naturally gravitate towards bright colors and that's fine. Their development will not be stunted.

Books should be available in all areas for kids and not confined to a quiet area.  The benefits of books for toddlers and preschoolers included fine motor skill development - turning individual pages of a book, learning basic concepts about the world - animals, colors, etc, learn simple sequencing - picture books will have the story written in illustrations and photos and the child follows along as he turns the pages,  developing imagination - looking at pictures and illustrations and then incorporating those into play later on by building a structure with blocks, or dress up, etc.

One adult with 5 kids under age 5.  You are providing custodial care first.  You have one kid who throws a tantrum that lasts 15 minutes and you still have to make sure the other kids are safe and somewhat occupied. This would be one reason that home daycare often have specific daycare areas that have gates and/or doors.  It's not because they are trying to confine a child's spirit, they are just trying to confine the children to keep them safe as they are the only adult in the house.

Realize that daycare centers do not have it wrong. They actually setup their environments according to well researched early childhood education studies and information.

And lastly, don't get too caught up in Waldorf-ness.  The reason there are not Waldorf daycare centers is because it goes against the principal of Waldorf where daycare is something that is not good for the child because they should spend their early years with their mom and do not need to be separated from her and of course parents are the first, best teachers.

[/quote]

No, unfortunately 25:2 was for ages 2-6 and at a public Kindergarten...which is why I am happy to be able to provide a small group size now.

All our shelves are within child's reach. There is no problem with children taking stuff off the shelves. Quite the opposite as that's what the toys are for! However during Circle Time, Story Time and Quiet Time as well as Meal Time children will be guided to stay with the group for short periods of time. Naturally different ages will act differently and we do not have a problem handling that. I am aware that the younger the children are, the less they understand what they are 'supposed to do'. Again, our setup is not set in stone and can easily adapt to the actual age of children we have in care.

I think it might have gotten lost in the length of my post that we do have 2 caregivers for 5 children. We are aware that children might need individual care, while the rest of the group still needs to be cared for at the same time and are able to provide that.

I don't exactly know, what you mean by "Waldorf-ness". We are a natural daycare. What we do, why we do it and how we do it is the result of my combined experiences to this point. I adjust and improve whenever necessary. I am thankful for all comments because feedback is what allows me to become better. However, there are Waldorf early play groups and Waldorf Kindergarten. The philosophy in the modern age is that of course the best would be for children to always be with their parents - but if that is not possible for whatever reason, let's provide them with the best care we can. That's what we are doing, Waldorf or not.[/quote]

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