Many children begin attending a daycare center when they are in preschool or even earlier. Some move on to other childcare options when they reach elementary school, but others remain at their first center because of convenience or respect for the quality of care they are getting. But often this can lead to boredom on the part of older students who are now surrounded by children several years younger than them.
If children are at home after school, they typically can explore on their own, or at least walk home from the bus stop. However, in the childcare setting they are always under the watchful eye of adults-- much more than they would appreciate.
Is the only solution to transfer children away from their center and enroll them in another program, such as an after school program? This may be a successful idea for some children, but hardly feasible for all familes that may have younger chidlren, budget constraints, or location issues.
Another solution that can give older children a break can be to meet with your daycare provider and discuss the feelings that your child is having. Many centers are excited by the prospect of having an older child that may be willing to take on more responsibility though reading to younger children, setting out snack, leading games and other areas of responsibility. As these children being their path toward adolescence they are looking for ways to be independent and simply are looking for a small show of acknowedgement that they are not three years old anymore and should not be expected to conform to three year old rules.
Visit my recent blog post on this topic, here.
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