The ONCDC Blog
Swaddling
In the US it is common to see young babies wrapped tightly with their arms held close to their body. Swaddling advocates say it mimics the tight hold of the womb. Claims are made that swaddling reduces the startle reflex resulting in better sleep and an easier transfer from arms to bassinet. Not to mention…
ECE Math
Basic math that is missing from the high-quality child care discussion. Infants need one teacher for every four children. One teacher’s salary at $15.00 per hour is $31,200 a year. That is $7,800 per infant annually. The federal government defines affordable care as care that costs no more than 7% of a…
Why We Chose Holacracy?
Power-With Adult Relationships In our commitment to treat children like whole people from birth and offer respectful care, we want to be mindful of the power dynamic between teachers and children and creating a power-with relationship. The goal in a power-with relationship is recognizing the needs of all parties, including the children, and interacting respectfully…
Learning Through Play
As an early childhood professional I often find myself saying over and over, “Children learn through play.” I defend play as not only a way to learn, but the best way for children to learn. I was reminded recently of a simple study that shows how important play is for young children. Fifty years ago…
Preschool Should Be Ages 3 to 8
Preschool should be ages three to eight not ages three to five. Children under age eight are in what researchers call a sensitive period of growth. Our public school system starts at age five so the majority of families just assume between five and six preschool ends and Kindergarten begins. Once in school children are…
Baby’s Nutritional Needs – 12 Months +
We welcome, support, and recommend breastfeeding as long as it suits the mother and child. The World Health Organization (WHO) states from age 12-24 months up to 30% of children’s calories can come from breastmilk, however that is not a reality for most children in the United States. If you’re feeding and enjoying it, keep…
Baby’s Nutritional Needs – 6 to 8 Months
If you haven’t yet, it’s time to start your journey into food. After age six months, neither breast milk nor formula have sufficient iron for baby’s nutritional needs. The extra calories and density of solid food may help your child to stay full longer and sleep in longer chunks. During this age, food will be…
Baby’s Nutritional Needs – 10 to 12 Months
Breast milk and formula remain necessary for baby’s diet through their first year but with the first birthday on the horizon you will begin to see a drop in milk consumption. If you are nursing and it is working well for you and baby, the World Health Organization recommends keeping it up through age two.…