Nursery Issues

Crying Issues
If a child is crying there needs to be a plan. My rule of thumb is if the child cries for more than fifteen minutes, we should get the parents. However, in those fifteen minutes, the attendant should ensure the baby's needs are met: dry/clean diaper, pacifier, multiple holding positions, bounces, play with toys, swaying, walking, burping, hungry, lights are too bright, tired, cold, hot, too loud. There are exceptions to this, as it is really different for each child, parent and situation. Attendants: learn what the parents would like you to do. Parents: tell the attendants what you would like them to do.

Parent Update
When dropping your child off at the nursery, please let the attendant know you are leaving your child in the nursery. Give the attendant a report of your child's needs. For example: Billy just ate an hour ago but will need a bottle during the 10:30 service. He will probably need a diaper change in the next five minutes, then he will fall asleep in the next ten minutes with his pacifier which is in the side pocket of the diaper bag. Sally is in training pants; please take her to the toilet every twenty minutes and make a big production of it if she goes.

Attendant Update
When you change shifts in the nursery, please update the next attendants. For example: Child A is potty training; she just went to the bathroom five minutes ago, but she also drank a cup of water. she will need to go again in ten minutes. Children B and C just went to the bathroom and are now eating snacks, child D was just changed. Billy needs a bottle during 10:30 service but he is sleeping in the pack and play right now. Child E is having crying spurts every three minutes, but he is working through stranger anxiety. Parents would like us to tough it out. Do you have any questions?

The Nursery Window's Blur Shield
The blur shield was put on the nursery window because the volunteers work hard to make the children comfortable in the nursery. Some children in the nursery are just getting used to the idea that mommy and daddy are not in the room and will cry when the door is opened and when people look in the window. By having a blur shield on the window, it allows parents and "peekers" to look into the nursery at the bottom of the window, but the children either either do not notice or cannot identify the person.

"Stranger Anxiety"
If your child is in the five to eight month stage or is not used to being in the nursery, he/she may experience "stranger anxiety." There are several things we can do in the nursery to alleviate some of the stress that accompanies this normal stage of development.
1. Bring your child into the nursery ten minutes or so before you must leave them there. This will give the child an opportunity to get familiar with the environment with mom or dad. This will also allow the child to bond with an attendant while mom or dad is present in the room. It will be the attendant's job to build a relationship with this child through interaction. After a few moments, the parents can leave with or without the child's knowledge. The child may cry when he/she realizes his/her parents have left, but the nursery attendant will care for the child until he/she is stabilized again.

2. Parents could volunteer in the nursery while their child is in the nursery. This will familiarize the child with the environment and the child will still have the comfort of a parent there in the room.

How can I quickly bond with a new child?
Age Appropriate:
1. Sleepyheads (birth to six weeks): these children like to be held close, sung or hummed to, swayed, rocked, walked or bounced.

2. Charmers (six weeks to five months): these children are laughing, smiling and learning how to control their heads. Bond with this age group by smiling, making eye contact and playing with bright colored or musical toys.

3. Sitters (five to eight months): these children are enjoying throwing, banging and dropping with any adult who is willing to play. They enjoy peek-a-boo, shapes, kicking, rolling, scooting and crawling.

4. Movers (eight to fourteen months): these children are imitating sounds and actions, scooting, crawling and waling. They enjoy stacking toys, balls, shapes and fill and dump toys. They like to be read to, the like to hear sounds and they like to talk.

5. Motion Machines (fourteen to twenty-four months): these children are walking, running and jumping. This is an age to turn on the CD player and let them shake their booty until their parents come home! These ages enjoy talking, problem-solving games, climbing, paper and crayons and testing limits. For their safety and the safety of others in the nursery, be firm and consistent!

6. Talkers )twenty-five to thirty-six months): these toddlers are talking in complete sentences and are very active alone or in groups. These children are becoming more aware of their emotions and the emotions of others around them. This is the time for toilet training and consistency is very important to the child and parents. These children like hide-and-seek, role-playing with kitchens, puzzles, dancing, activities that include language and body movement such as "Hokey Pokey" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." Routine and limits are very important for this age group. Again, be firm and consistent.

(Resource: Commission on Child Advocacy)

What if the child is not age-appropriate for the nursery?
The nursery is for infants and toddlers from birth to thirty-five months. The only three year olds that should be in the nursery are those who have turned three after September's Promotion Sunday. The nursery is so full and there is only enough room for birth to thirty-five months; no exceptions. During services, children ages three to five can attend the church service for the first five or ten minutes, and then go to KidZone for the remainder of the service. Hear, they will sing songs, learn Bible verses and have fun. During Sunday school hour, there is a wonderful pre-school classroom on the ground floor.

Sometimes the nursery gets so hectic at the changes of services with parents coming in and out for their children or to check on their children or babies.
Beginning immediately, Amy Rinck will be making herself available in the nursery to care for that specific concern. From 9:00-9:15 and again from 10:15-10:30, the nursery can be chaotic. Parents are getting their children, feeding their infant or dropping of their children, which is normal nursery activity. There are people coming into the nursery to talk to attendants and to see or hold babies. There are parents coming into the nursery to see if their child stopped crying or needs anything. On top of all of that, there are two or three attendants in the nursery caring for many children and trying to get parents updates while making sure no children crawl, walk or get carried out of the nursery while the door is ajar.

To the parents, we suggest that you drop your child off and enjoy the time you have to peacefully worship. If the attendants need you, we will come and find you.

To the volunteers, please let Amy Rinck know if you have any concerns.

If you would like to see or hold the babies, please sign up for some time in the nursery... we can always use more volunteers!

I went to drop my child off at the nursery and there were only two attendants and they already had their hands full!
We will be posting on the nursery's bulletin board a list of people who will help in the nursery if there is an attendant shortage.

Do the toys in the nursery ever get cleaned?
The nursery linens are cleaned once every month and the toys are cleaned and disinfected every-other Saturday. During these cleanings, all the toys are cleaned and returned to their storage area and broken toys are thrown away. The nursery is cleaned by two people who volunteer their time on Saturdays for about an hour. It is a great opportunity to get to know another nursery volunteer on a personal level. If you are interested in this service, please contact Amy Rinck or Wanda Heimbach.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please contact Amy Rinck at AmySRinck@verizon.net.