Getting experience with 0-3 years

[Baumann77]

Hi All,

We have just started the process and would like advice on where we can get experience with 0-3 years, and what you guys have done in the past?

Hi, we have a birth daughter so had experience with her but were told to get experience with other children too.

I was part of NCT already, and so I was lucky to get involved in things as a parent. I also got involved at the local pre school.

Places to try would be:

Baby groups, toddler groups, Pre schools, nurseries, creche facilities (at churches or other places of worship, sports centres etc).

You will need to approach organizers of 0-3 activities and I'd suggest you explain why you want to volunteer. Whether the organizers pass on why you are there could be up to you. EG they could say you want to work with kids, if you wanted to keep the adoption private. But I would be completely honest with the actual organizers.

Things you could do to help could include reading stories, organizing craft activities, helping with snack etc.

Read up on child safety, things like chocking hazards - the right way to cut a grape, it could all be useful.

Good luck.

Definitely don't ask random strangers in the park if you can borrow their child. That didn't go well for me.

Great list from italian, not much to add; except:

Try to get regular volunteering experience with kids with SEN. If you have limited childcare practice this will really pep up your PAR.

If you want to be matched with a baby, SW really like overnight care of little ones. This can be hard to get- really the only way is babysitting for friends. I think if you know someone with babies or toddlers you may need to be a bit forward about wanting to help them out. You may find people surprisingly willing- I'd dump my two on you in a heartbeat. Little kids are hard.

Don't fret too much about it, you can only do what you can do. A lot of this is box ticking- its no substitute for the real thing; but I promise it's worth all the hassle. Good luck.

I have no experience of looking after children at all and I was really worried about this. However, although I kept acknowledging this as a weakness, SWs weren't bothered by it at all and never even commented on it.

I wonder if it is partly how you deal with all these requests. if you try and get what sws ask for and are polite and interested and can see the value, I do think that goes some way.