More Safety

I am currently working on creating some safety trainings; therefore, you all get to benefit the monster of safety it has made me.  Today’s will be easy:

Slips trips and falls!

There is really one way to avoid all of them:

BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS

When you see a spill (like milk) on the floor, wipe it up immediately.  Don’t wait until the end of the meal to wipe it up when children, who are already a bit clumsy, are clearing their plates and not watching where they are going and then end up slipping on the wet spot.

We have a saying at our agency, “Don’t stand on the freeway!”  Basically it means, “Don’t stand in the bike path!”  When you are outside, make sure you aren’t standing in the middle of the bike path.  Step back a couple steps so that you aren’t in the pathway.

Use step ladders appropriately.  NEVER NEVER NEVER use a chair!  Use a stepstool and make sure not to step on the top step unless there is something to brace yourself.

These are the type of injuries that are easily avoided if you are just aware.  On occasion, there may be an incident when a child steps behind you and you don’t realize it.  Just be aware and you’ll stay safe!

Save Your Backs!

One of the most common injuries in child development, to the teachers, is back injury.  Once you throw your back out once, it’s GAME OVER! 

Partly because it’s your back and it just is going to constantly give you problems after that, and partly because we don’t ever really allow ourselves to fully heal the way we should, do we?  It’s the nature of who we are!

Did you know that you can throw your back out simply by picking up a single piece of paper off the floor?  It’s true!  It’s not HOW HEAVY the item is but merely HOW you are picking it up.

So, how do you save your back?  I’m going to give you a few simple tips:

First, that paper that is on the floor?  You have two options.  First, bending your knees, keeping your back upright, head up, squat down next to the paper and then stand back up, using your legs to push yourself up.  This goes the same for lifting any heavy item. 

Second is what I have heard be called the “golfer’s bend”.  Simply bend forward at the waste while shifting your weight to one leg and having the other leg, remaining straight, lift behind you.  It’s almost like it stays inline with your back.  Keep your back straight and your leg that is kicking out straight.

This one you have to be careful that there aren’t children behind you because you might accidentally kick them…wouldn’t want that, would we?

When lifting a heavier item (like a child) again squat down to the ground keeping your head up and your back straight.  Pull the load close to your body (think hug it close) and straighten your legs using your leg muscles to push that weight. 

Someone once gave me the hint to spot a point on the wall across from you about eye height and keep your eye on that spot.  This will force your head to remain up and, as a result, will force you to use your legs rather than your back.

The other important thing to remember in all of this is to NOT TWIST your body.  If you are carrying something and need to move it, even just a 90 degree turn from where it is, plant your feet, pick it up, then step forward (or backward) in order to turn your body in the direction.

Many times this comes into play when you are changing diapers on a changing table.  Even though we have those changing tables that have steps that the children can climb, there are times that we can’t use the steps (either the child is too young or unable to do this yet, etc…).  When this happens I do the following:

First, I crouch down to the child’s level, knees bent back straight.  I embrace the child in a warm hug (they don’t even know that I’m actually saving my back).  While hugging her close to me, I stand up, using my legs to propel us up.  I turn my feet and make sure that I am facing the table before laying her down.

After the diaper change, I again hug the child close to me.  If she can stand, it’s even easier because I can get her to hug me back.  As she hugs me and I huge her close, I again turn my feet so they are facing away from the table and crouch back down, making sure to firmly plant her feet on the ground if she is a walker.

These are just a few tips to help save your back; but if you keep these in the front of your mind, you will save yourself a lot of pain later!

Do you have any tips for back safety?

Those classroom germs

I'm going to preface this post by saying that none of this is based on scientific statistic or knowledge and all of it is based on 20 years of experience in the field. Some of it comes from knowledge that I obtained in these years that do have some scientific basics but I am not going to find a link to give because there are too many places to find these facts.

Most people know that children get sick in child care. It's true. Typically, people (children, teachers, volunteers, etc...) will get sick in the first 6 months quite often. It will seem like you or the child never fully gets better. This is true every time you change centers as well.

After about six months (and sometimes up to a year), the rate of illness drastically gets reduced.

Why? Well, the fact is that you build up an immunity to the germs that are common to your environment. So, when you go into a new environment you are introduced to some germs that you have no experiences with. This is what causes those illnesses.

When I change jobs or centers, I just know that I will get sick in the first few months and resign myself to push through it. Unless I am kneeling in front of the porcelain bowl or have a high fever, I make sure to go in to work.

I have heard parents comment that they don't like to see their child's teacher sick at school because, in their opinion, the teacher is going to get their child sick. For the most part, the children have already been sick or at least half the class has been sick. In other words: the teacher got sick from the kids in the class.

I always implement a rule into the centers and classrooms I work in: Everyone must wash their hand upon entering the building.

This includes parents, children, teachers, volunteers, etc... When we do this, we stop MOST "new germs" from coming into the environment. Sure, germs get in, but it greatly reduces the illnesses.

Another thing that we do is open the windows and turn of the air or heater. Of course, when it's under 62, we don't do this, but in San Diego there are many days which we can keep the windows open from about 10 to 4. This also keeps the germs out.

See, the reason that people get sick more in the winter than the summer is because we get caught inside much more in the winter. Those germs sit inside multiplying and getting passed from person to person while it does it's most damage.

As long as it's not raining or we have enough cover, we make sure to get outside as well. Yes, we wear jackets and all that. But here's the thing: you don't get sick from being cold!

We actually have less illness when we do this. We also have parents donate galoshes (enough for all the children) and after a good rain we go puddle jumping! It gets them out, gets their energy used up, and stops the teachers from going insane stuck inside.

Here's the bottom line: we don't get sick from being wet or cold. If that were the case, we'd get sick every time we took a shower. We get sick from, well, being sick!

Getting wet or cold will not get you sick. Actually, it seems to be the contrary; staying in a warm, heated classroom seems to cause more illness!

So, open those windows, get out those jackets and galoshes, and get outside! Children will warm themselves up by running around and moving anyway!

Toothbrush holder

We are taking just a quick break today from our lesson to talk about this fabulous product. Everyone should be teaching the children to brush their teeth. We do it everyday after lunch. If a child wants to brush after breakfast, we do encourage it; but they must brush after lunch. This product allows you to put this up on the wall where they can access it on their own. You can also purchase a screen cover s that it is protected from the dust and stuff that is floating around them. The children are able to find their name and toothbrush, get it, use it, and return it all on their own. They are very sturdy and last forever! Then again, there isn't alot that we ask out of this product; only to hold toothbrushes quietly on the wall.

A few notes about toothbrushing in the classroom:

We don't use toothpaste. You don't need to. The purpose of brushing teeth is to get the food particles off the teeth. This makes it a task that doesn't need much supervision.

When children first start, we go over proper toothbrushing practices and help them learn the right way to do it. Do they sometimes just stand at the sink sucking water? Yes. That's okay. We just tell them, "Okay, you're done. Put your brush away."

We don't do it for them. The idea is to teach them independance. Besides, there are too many children to try and help each one. We leave the intense brushing for the parents at home.

We don't push the issue. If they really don't want to, we don't make them. This is something that we want them to make a part of their routine: I eat, I brush. We don't want to make it a chore.

When I was first told that we needed to brush teeth, I was intimidated and thought that this was going to be a very time consuming event that was not going to end pretty. Now I have seen that it really isn't. We have made a very simple routine after lunch. The children ask to be excused (may I be excused please?) and the teacher responds, "Yes you may. Go scrape your plate, stack your things, and don't forget to brush your teeth." And they do it!

So, do you brush teeth at your center? Is so, how do you handle it? If not, what is your reluctance?