When you enrol your child in preschool, you are probably thinking that it is simply to keep your child busy with their peers under adult supervision until they get to a school-going age. However, preschool is much more than a babysitting facility for your child. In fact, preschool is where they get to learn skills that will help them interact with other children, which will prove essential once they join a formal school.

After welcoming a child into the home, some families wonder if both parents should go back to work and if they should put that child in a day care centre, or if one parent should stay home with the child. In some cases, both parents may not need to work, but may consider enrolling the child in a preschool facility for a few days each week. While only you can determine the best choice for yourself and your child, you might note some advantages of a day care facility, and this can help you to make this decision.

Work demands by parents might require them to make tough decisions on how their young kids will spend the rest of the day while parents are at work. Hiring a nanny is one option, but it often requires the element of trust, which can take longer to build. A childcare centre is another option for parents who seek professional help taking care of kids. However, not all daycares are the same.

Is your little one recovering from chickenpox? Or are you providing childcare for a child who is? Either way, there's a good chance you'll be feeling pretty overwhelmed by the challenge. Chickenpox is contagious for around five days after the start of the illness, or until all of the blisters have scabbed over. If you're still in the early stages, you won't have the option of taking your child out to entertain them so you'll need to get creative around the house.

When you have young children learning to use the toilet and playing in the garden it is very important for them to have a healthy handwashing technique. This can prevent a range of communicable diseases and can help to keep the kids happy and safe while they are learning. Here are some tips:  Make it fun to wash your hands It's important not to turn handwashing into a chore so you can make it more fun by using the handwashing song.

Did you know that food allergies affect around 5% of all children in Australia? They're most common in children under 5, and even babies can develop them. Generally, more severe allergies are picked up on quickly as their effects are immediately noticeable. Mild to moderate allergies, on the other hand, go undetected in many children. Everyone knows food allergies can cause children to feel discomfort, but what many people don't know is that they can also affect your child's speech development.

In an ideal world, any parent would like to spend weeks searching for the perfect nanny for their kids. Unfortunately, when dealing with the reality of a busy work and social life, this isn't always possible. Below is a guide to how you can quickly find a fantastic nanny. Contact a childcare agency A childcare agency can make finding a nanny much easier. Agencies have a list of fully qualified nannies who have had their references checked.

Many children start pushing the limit and acting in challenging ways when they become the 'big kids' in their child care centre. Setting some clear guidelines and expectations on behaviour can help to make the class run more smoothly and reduce frustration for the kids and the teachers in the room. Here are some tips to help you develop useful classroom rules for kindergartens and child care centres.  Involve the kids

If your kid is a little animal crazy, having an animal themed party can be a great way to assuage the interest and provide some great photos for the album. Here are some ideas on how to have an animal themed party if the most exotic animal in your home is a goldfish.  Head to the zoo One of the easiest options is to head to the zoo. Most larger Australian cities have a zoo or wildlife park that offer party packages.

If your kids are feeling enthusiastic about dinosaurs, this can be a fun starting point for a dino-themed learning plan. Here are some ideas about incorporating dinosaur themed activities into the learning plans for your child care centre. Babies In the baby's room, dinosaur themed music can be a great way to encourage your kids to move around and imitate dinosaurs, which stimulates gross motor development. Try reading some dinosaur storybooks, and encourage the children to act out roles and pretend to be the dinosaurs.