When choosing a caregiver for your child, discuss how instruction and correction should be verbalized. Some daycare centers and home caregivers practice positive direction, forming all correction statements with no negative phrases. For example, rather than telling a child, 'Don't throw sticks,' the caregiver might say, 'Throwing balls is safe and fun.' A modified form of this would be combining the correction with a stated consequence, such as, 'Throwing balls is safe. If you continue to throw sticks, you'll earn a time out.' When speaking with children, caregivers should remain calm. Some providers find they can effectively quiet a child's loud speech by whispering to him or her. Remember, when discussing verbal guidance during the interview, speak directly with the person who'll be caring for your child. This is easy when dealing with family care providers, but you may need to schedule a specific after-hours interview to speak with the daycare employee who will be caring for your child. The effort will be worth it, though, as a center director will be more familiar with policy than individual practices.
