A career taking care of children is very special. You get to build special bonds with them and see their faces light up when they learn something new. But to be successful in this field, there are skills every childcare provider should have.
Skills Every Childcare Provider Should Have
This industry involves not only looking after young ones, but also providing them with a basic, solid foundation for their education. It’s a very big responsibility. To make sure you’re ready for this job, let’s explore the skills every childcare provider should have.
- Patience
- First Aid
- Playful
- Observant
- Communication
- Organisation
- Child development knowledge
- Creativity
- Classroom management
- Empathy
Patience
Taking care of children can be stressful. Your patience can be tested many times a day. From being asked to listen to Baby Shark for five hours straight, to cleaning up potty accidents. It’s important to always keep your cool.
First Aid
Young children are especially prone to injury. Their most common injuries include burns and choking, both of which happen very quickly. Waiting for an ambulance to show up can decrease the child’s chances of making a full recovery. So give them a fighting chance with your first aid skills.
Playful
Children need to be entertained as well as educated. What better way to do this than through playing games? Childcare providers should have a playful energy that makes young ones excited to be around them and learn new skills.
Observant
You need to take note of every child so that you can see if there are changes in their behaviour. This means keeping a close eye at all times. It is important that you watch them play, eat, learn, and sometimes even sleep. If there are any issues, parents will want to know asap and you’ll be expected to give detailed information.
Communication
Building good relationships with staff, parents and children is very important. Remember what we said about giving detailed information? Well you’ll only be able to provide that if you have good communication skills. This includes both written and verbal. Don’t worry, you can learn this through a basic Business English Course.
Organisation
Without good admin skills, staying organised will not be easy. As a childcare worker at a preschool, your job includes taking stock of classroom supplies and keeping student files up-to-date. No need to struggle with pen and paper though. Just brush up on your computer skills and you’ll be good!
Child Development Knowledge
Knowing how children develop at each age will help you understand their behaviour. A child psychology course can aid with this. The more you know about these young ones, the better you can care for them. If a toddler cries when their parents drop them off, you’ll know exactly how to soothe them.
Creativity
When working with children, you always need to have a bag of tricks handy. There is a large chance that they won’t find learning basic skills such as potty training or maths fun. You’ll have to come up with creative ways to keep them motivated and interested in all their activities.
Classroom Management
This skill is more about good leadership than admin. If you’re responsible for a group of children, you need to always maintain the group’s behaviour and build a good community. The last thing you want is for children to get comfortable bullying you or their fellow classmates. Coming up with rules and discipline strategies are crucial.
Empathy
Putting yourself in a child’s shoes will help you understand them more. Just imagine being home with a parent all day, then suddenly being sent to a strange building with many new faces. You’d probably cry too. Showing sincere care for them will help build trust between you and the little ones.
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