College Nannies + Tutors Arlington

A big part of a babysitter’s job is to stick to the schedule that parents set for you. Kids do best with expectations of a regular routine and lots of structure.

Consistency is very important in many areas. Here are a couple of examples. With schedules, especially for young children, consistency is comforting. Children may act up when they have to eat or go to sleep at a different time than they expect. With rules, consistency is important so that your child knows the rules are important. If you don’t follow through on rules, the rules don’t have as much value.

When you give instructions, one thing that is really useful to consider is the instruction from the kid’s perspective. It’s good to be clear and give a reason for your instructions. Vagueness can lead to confusion, so keep them as specific as possible!

There are all kinds of ways to show your child you love them. Show them in many ways and show them often.

Here’s a fun game you can make with your kids with materials from the dollar store! Everything will just cost a few dollars. Buy some lawn flamingos and get some plastic rings for a fun alternative to ring toss!

This is a super cool craft idea we found! Mix some watercolor paint into different cheap sq**rt guns and use them to create fun watercolor abstract art! This is an awesome summer activity. Make sure to wear clothes you don’t mind getting paint on!

Here’s a great idea for a lawn game! You can make matching prints or designs on sheets of plastic or foam you can find at a craft store and place them around the yard and time how fast your kids can match them all! This can be a fun craft and a game at the same time!

Show your child what they do that you appreciate and they’ll appreciate you for it!

Here are some more great summer kids game ideas.
-Slip n’ slides can be great fun on a hot day. All you need is a long plastic sheet if you don’t have the official slip n’ slide and some water. Add soap for extra slippage.

-Play marco polo in the yard!
-Get some rings and put a stake in the ground for a game of ring toss! See how many rings you can get on the stake.
-Find some pretty leaves and use them for crafts.
-Catch is a classic game you can play just about anywhere. You can even turn it in to all sorts of other games. All you need is a ball.

Remember you can never spend too much time with your kids! Children benefit greatly from personal time spent with and attention from parents, adults, and role models. All of these can help shape kids positively.