Dietary Concerns

• The kinds of foods your child is allowed to eat is another very important aspect that some families overlook. This could incorporate everything from allergies to sugar-free snacking. What your child eats throughout the day will also affect his or her mood, and your care provider needs to understand what is a feasible meal and what is included in snacking. If the care provider is to supply meals throughout the day, it is necessary that you communicate what this constitutes.

Visiting Friends

• Although some parents don’t allow guests over when they are not present, some are more lenient. Your care provider needs to know which friends are acceptable to have in the house and which need to be avoided. It’s a sad truth, but a child’s innocence only goes so far throughout his or her life. It’s one thing to misplace your great-grandmother’s wedding ring, but it’s a different situation when it finds itself in the pocket of a “friend” that should never have been in the home in the first place. (Doug: Younger friends who attend can gain experience by watching a veteran provider if parents don’t mind. Friends with romantic involvements, however, are probably never a good idea.)

Visiting Relatives and Parent’s Friends

• Friends are not the only ones that could come calling when you’re away. In fact, how does the care provider know that the person standing in the door is your cousin? Your family may already know that you’re not home and you should provide a list of those that are welcome to come in. Realistically, family members shouldn’t happen by the house anyway unless they are showing concern for the child. Stranger Danger works for adults as well as children as anyone the childcare provider doesn’t recognize should remain on the other side of the door.

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