Sue

Policies

Babies Under 1 Year


Make sure your breast fed baby doesn't mind sucking from an artificial nipple. For parents who plan to use breast milk, it is very important to use a bottle for at least one feeding per day as soon as possible in your baby's life. This will ensure that your baby will suck from an artificial nipple in order to feed when he or she begins child care.

Feeding Babies
Parents need to bring breast milk (either fresh or frozen in bags or bottles) or baby formula and baby foods enough for at least one day, each day to the child care home. Sue Rowe will store bottles in the refrigerator along with unused portions of baby foods. Sue Rowe will provide both infant rice, oat & mixed grain cereal in addition to small portions of age-appropriate table foods. Parents who prefer a different cereal should plan to bring enough of the alternative cereal each day to child care.

Transitioning to Self-Feeding
Introducing and mastering self-feeding mushy and small bits of age-appropriate table foods is a developmental progression beneficial to your baby. It promotes cognitive and motor development, self-regulation, eye-hand coordination, and problem solving. We begin about the age of six (6) months. In the absence of known allergies or medical conditions, your baby will begin self-feeding small, bite-sized and mushy foods offered from our table using his/her fingers. During this time, parents will continue to bring puréed baby foods and breast milk and/or formula. At first, the table foods that your baby will be able to manage will be foods such as small bits of white bread, small bits of graham crackers, mashed potatoes, peas, green beans, carrots, bananas or other foods in small bits that readily mush in the mouth. As your baby continues to make the transition to table foods, we will begin to notice that he or she is not as interested in puréed baby foods as much. This is usually because the taste of table foods is generally more appealing as to seasoning. As such, a baby's intake of jarred or puréed baby foods will diminish as more and more table foods are introduced. In time your baby will be able to manage macaroni and pasta, sandwiches in small bits and many other foods even prior to their first birthday. By the first birthday, most children are able to feed themselves small bits of food offered from our table.

It is recommended that the use of a bottle be gradually eliminated around the first birthday. In the absence of allergies or medical condition, most children transition from formula or breast milk to cow's milk around the first birthday. Sue Rowe will provide milk and all meals and snacks once a child has transitioned from baby foods and breast milk and/or formula to table food and cow's milk.

Promoting Peaceful Sleep Patterns for New Babies
Placing babies to sleep in a crib or playpen when they are tired but still awake encourages peaceful (and self-controlled) sleep patterns, now and in the future. Holding, rocking, feeding, or similar methods of movement to "help" an infant sleep only promotes dependence on a parent or caregiver and may create sleeping and soothing issues as your child matures.

A period of "sleep training" may be necessary to encourage your baby to sleep while in child care at Sue's House as well as at home. To facilitate "sleep training," we observe a baby for signs of fatigue such as yawning, rubbing the eyes, and fussiness. A baby's diaper is checked for wetness and changed if necessary and the baby is then placed in a Pack 'n Play with a pacifier, if the baby uses one. We allow the baby time to adjust to sleeping in the Pack 'n Play, checking every few minutes. Each child care day, the time we allow the baby to spend in the Pack 'n Play increases until the baby has made a peaceful adjustment to sleeping in the Pack 'n Play.

Prevention of SIDS
In accordance with State of Wisconsin licensing rules, all babies under one year of age will be placed to sleep on their backs when placed to sleep in a Pack 'n Play at the Child Care Home. Parents who wish their babies to be placed for a nap in a Pack 'n Play in a different position must read the "Back to Sleep" informational pamphlet and must have their physician sign a written approval form, which will be kept on file at the child care home. All helpers and subproviders at Sue Rowe's 1st Care for Children will be trained by Sue Rowe in the procedures related to SIDS Prevention.

"Tummy Time"
To encourage the development of upper body gross motor development, babies will be placed for "tummy time" during portions of their child care day.

What equipment is used for babies?

Discourage Use of Swing, ExerSaucer, Walkers, etc.
Sue Rowe's 1st Care for Children uses bouncing baby seats and car carriers to place infants in an upright position until they are approximately 6 months old or until they are rolling or creeping on the floor. Sue Rowe's 1 st Care for Children does not use infant swings, exersaucers, walkers or other equipment that confines or promotes "artificial" movement. We encourage parents and grandparents to limit their use as well. Sue Rowe's 1 st Care for Children uses high chairs for babies from 4 months old until they are physically capable of using a toddler booster chair, usually in the second half of their second year.

Pacifier Policy
I believe the use of a pacifier for infants can be very beneficial. Babies find sucking very comforting and soothing. Extended use of the pacifier into your baby's second year, however, can interfere with speech development. It is, therefore, the policy of the child care home to limit the use of the pacifier to naptime only once your baby has reached his or her first birthday.

Parents of Babies under 1 Year need to Bring the Following Items to Child Care Each Day in a Small Diaper Bag:

 

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