Looking for a new childcare training course or annual training hours? Take our five clock-hour course Child Abuse and Neglect: A Caregiver’s Guide to Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Take this course to learn ways to recognize forms of child abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) including household dysfunction and exposure to racism, as well as the long-term effects of such experiences. Learn the reasons for and results of child abuse and neglect, typical traits of abusive or neglectful parents, the caregiver’s responsibility in reporting it, and ways caregivers can help children who are the victims of child abuse, neglect, and other ACEs. Learn specific strategies to strengthen families and reduce risk for children of all ages. Read a small excerpt from the course here:
Childcare Training Excerpt: The Benefits of Relaxation
Relaxation refers to any exercise that helps remove stress, anxiety, or fear from our minds. Relaxation helps children slow down and “unplug,” which is crucial in an increasingly technological world as well as a busy early childhood program setting. Alongside outdoor recreation, relaxation provides children with a good balance between being “on” and “off.” Relaxation can also allow children to develop their cognitive skills, including attention and pattern recognition.
Relaxation has multiple emotional and physical benefits for children. It relaxes the mind without the negative consequences that can emerge when children engage in competitive play and sports. Relaxing the mind improves children’s focus and has positive spillover effects for physical health. Research shows that practicing relaxation exercises can help children suffering from high blood pressure, immune dysfunction, headaches, and gastrointestinal distress.
Relaxation Exercises, Deep Breathing and Quiet Places in Child Care
There are many ways to adopt relaxation exercises into your program. Children will enjoy movement-based activities such as yoga that can help them become calmer and improve their focus. Creative visualization and art activities can help strengthen children’s imagination skills. All children will enjoy and benefit from these exercises. These exercises are particularly helpful for reducing children’s stress and mitigating the impacts of ACEs.
One such method for relaxation is deep breathing. Practicing deep breathing for even a few minutes daily can help children learn to manage strong emotions and find a sense of calm when they are stressed.
Another way to help children relax in child care…
… is to create a quiet place for children’s relaxation exercises. Practicing relaxation exercises in a soft, grassy, and spacious area—near trees for shade—is ideal. If your program has limited outdoor space, create a relaxation area indoors, preferably in a quiet corner away from entryways.
Arrange furniture and lighting in the space to create a relaxing environment for children. A large, comfortable rug is a good way to clearly designate the space. Lamps produce a softer light than overhead lighting. To ensure children’s comfort, place pillows or cushions on the rug to create a cozy, accessible environment.
Explain to children that in addition to its use for specific individual or group relaxation activities, this quiet space is available any time they are feeling stressed, need a moment to manage their emotions and find a sense of calm, or simply need a moment of quiet.
Take our five clock hour child care training course Child Abuse and Neglect: A Caregiver’s Guide to Adverse Childhood Experiences to learn more! Care Courses offers convenient, affordable online and coursebook options, unlimited free trainer support with all of our early child care training, and online childcare classes that can be completed at your own pace.
Looking for more free childcare training content? Check out our blog: Achoo! What to Do About Environmental Allergies in Child Care.
Looking for a free 1‑clock-hour child care course? Take our free course, Playing Outdoors!
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