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Ok, so I am trying EVERYTHING! I do mean everything to calm this little boy that I babysit down! He is 3 years old and autistic! I have never heard a boy scream so loud! Well anyways, do you have any tips to calm him down??? Thanks! By the way, I babysit him every day of the week except Sundays from 12:00 noon to 7:30pm! Help!
Oh yeah, fun right?
Well, I'll assume that you have done a little bit of homework on autism. If not, go ahead! At the very least read the wikipedia article. I teach a class for special Ed students that are older, so I'm more experienced with them.
Maybe the better approach to keeping this kid calm (and keep in mind he IS three...autistic or not they like to be crazy) could be avoiding what sends him over the edge in the first place. This could be as minute as the way the lights are shining at him. The TV's too loud. Who knows. Frustration for no apparent reason is common.
Make sure you ask his parents what seems to bother him, or get him to excited, and what helps with calming him down. A girl a knew had a bag of random toys that her girl liked and would calm her down.
Another one that I knew seemed to respond well to repetitive touch. Maybe just a stroke on the arm and talking in a smooth voice. Keep in mind that not all kids like this, but it's just a suggestion.
I have found that more often than not, these kids have a real keen interest in music making. You can try singing together, or playing a (more or less) "quiet" instrument. I like to slow things down with my class by playing a mellow song and dancing slowly with gauzy scarves. (when they are already in a calm state, that is ) Just twirl around and float with him, and see if he complies. If not, don't give up. Just take it away and try again later when he is calm again.
The sad truth is that this is a trial and error situation, and you're just going to have to invest in a pair or earplugs for a while.
When he gets into his fits, try to remain calm, as not to further aggravate him. If he has an siblings, put them in another room with a distraction until the other one is calm. I understand that this is a very vague answer, but I hope it helps a little! Above all, make sure that you have patience, and understand that he doesn't mean to be a pain in the butt sometimes. Just wait. The more time you spend with him, the more he will trust and listen to you. In time, you will find out what works, and you will have a very well behaved lovable little boy.
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I'm trying to find a babysitting job but I don't really have any expirience with young children. I got a response to babysit a 2 year old boy from 9-5 3 days a week and I don't even know how to take care of a 2 year old! Do they need changed? Do they eat normal food? Do they talk? Please give me tips so I don't sound stupid asking the mother questions like that.
Okay, here we go. Right around 2 is the age where the line between little baby and rambunctious toddler is crossed.
There is NEVER a stupid question to ask a mother when the well-being of her child is concerned. Just use your common sense. Mothers realize that their sitters aren't parents themselves, and while they are capable of taking care of children, they may not know just what the kid is doing at what age.
For the most part, children at two are:
-walking around and in some cases running
-talking up a storm (not all of it understandable)
-trying to shove anything they can in their mouths
-they have an independent streak, and want to "do it myself"
-attempting to use the potty, or at least starting.
...yes, this means you may be doing some changing. The mother will clue you in on their progress, and tell you what to do.
One thing to keep in mind: At this age KEEP AN EYE ON THEM AT ALL TIMES. They have a newfound mobility, and more often than not will explore their surroundings. They want to look at everything and run everywhere, and climb and jump and....et cetera. This means that you have to keep the place tidy...nothing they can hurt themselves on or destroy.
Also, FYI, don't baby-talk at them. They can understand a lot more words than they can speak. They can't formulate the sentence "I want a cookie", but by jehovah, they know what it means. Just ask "Do you want to ________?" and they will give a yes or no. I'm sure you'll find something to talk about. They don't shut up. Some common questions are "What's that?" and "Where's mommy?" (to which the answer is "She's shopping. But I'm here to play with you.")
At this point they are eating big-kid food, but in small quantities, and in little pieces. Be sure to cut up stuff into small pieces, including hot dogs and bananas, and junk. Keep meal time quiet, and distraction-free, and don't worry about the mess. You can clean it after.
Toddlers are very black-and-white, so make things simple. They are repetitious, so don't be surprised if she asks you to read the same book over and over again.
Don't be embarrassed if you screw up, and don't be afraid to call the mom or dad if you have a question. In one single night, I had to call the mommy because the 5-month old wouldn't stop crying. Turned out that he had a special couch that he liked to be fed on. On that same night, I accidentally put the diaper on his two-year old brother backwards. And I had no idea.
I hope this helps you. Good luck! And learn as you go.
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