5 innovations that could change the nursery for the better
Parents and educators or government officials are speculating about what they would implement in today’s preschool system.
Every September thousands of parents across Russia take their children to kindergarten. And many face the fact that year after year their child does not want to eat in kindergarten, has no time for lessons, or asks to go home. Such behavior in children may have several reasons, but one thing is clear: if the preschool system was more open to all participants – children would be happy to see both children and kindergarten teachers.
We talked to several educators and parents and asked them what they would dream of in the preschools their children attend. From the popular responses, we compiled a short list of “wishes.”
More time for children to play freely
Free play and in general in preschool children is very important for the emotional development of the preschool child. In play, children learn to communicate, to cope with their fears, troubles. This is much more important than at age 3 reading Zaitsev’s cubes or knowing the basics of math.
Less paperwork and bureaucracy
If caregivers deal with each child’s daily routines, paper planning, work program, etc., then caregivers are forced to spend their work time with bureaucratic paperwork, not with children.
They work on the computer, and there is no time for interaction with the children.
More time for educators to educate and self-educate
Now kindergarten teachers have no opportunity to take professional courses that they are interested in. No free time, and who will publish from work on a weekday?
If an educator breaks out to study, you have to pay for it out of his own pocket.
After the refresher courses the teacher is not waiting for a raise in salary. The most motivated resources people learn from.
And often such teachers leave kindergarten in favor of private.
There and the salary is higher, and your services are valued more.
More time outdoors
Teachers (not all, of course, but there are enough of them!) if you refer to bad weather, put it ahead of leaving children in the group and not going outdoors.
It would be great if Russian kindergartens were run by our northern neighbors.
In Scandinavian countries, children run outside a few hours after breakfast and after lunch outside. In any weather they go, except during thunderstorms, because adults are convinced that fresh air strengthens children’s health.
In addition, they can dress up and dress warmer.
In case it rains, waterproof overalls have long been invented, in which children can safely splash in puddles and rummage in the snow.
Healthy Food
Nutrition in kindergartens is a headache for parents. Although everything complies with the norms of Sanpin, the children’s diet contains a large amount of baked goods, semolina and other products containing fast carbohydrates.
The second problem is the amount of sugar in kindergartens. When tea – it is with sugar, compote and jelly – with sugar. Even borscht (for flavor) is sweetened.
If you do not give your child sweets at home, make sure that he gets them in kindergarten according to standards.
The third problem is that families with allergies do not order separate meals for their children.
It’s even worse when an allergic child can’t get any food from home. We are left to turn in papers to a specialized kindergarten that has the right food and wait there to go there instead of going to a kindergarten near home, only with their own food container.
There is an ongoing discussion of these problems in the professional and parental communities, but things are not moving forward. Kindergarten teachers are being cut, young people are not planning to go to work – because now they are finding a place with higher wages and lower responsibilities. Food offerings continue to gain ground with sugar lending companies. Paperwork is increasing.
It remains to wish both educators and parents. Strength to collect and change their world themselves, because no one else needs it.
So, you bought a cottage. What to do next?
How to start landscaping your first 6 acres so as not to discourage gardening
First of all, this is not an ail. Shovel out and helicopter. Hide the lawnmower too. Also, don’t run out to buy assortments from all the neighborhood nurseries. Stop, give yourself time to enjoy, feel the moment. Country life likes measuredness – all in good time. The cyclical nature of development teaches us to take our time and experience change consistently. This applies to gardening as well as gardening. And to site development.
The absence of haste and fuss at the initial stage now will save your nerves, time and money in the future. Start with a thorough and careful acquaintance with your new property. Now pay most attention to planning.
Your land development actions vary considerably, depending on what kind of country you bought. It can be a century-old plot in the countryside with buildings and an old garden. Or a new allotment – a flat, cleared area, or a plot of land overgrown with willows and alders. To turn a dream into real estate, you are required to make different events. However, you should start with the same thing – checking and evaluating the available resources and deficiencies that need to be adapted. And with planning – determining what we want to end up with.
1. Reconnaissance Atmosphere, familiarize yourself with local laws and settlement rules. Find out how decisions are made, where the necessary information is requested and what permits need to be followed, what organizational benefits exist. Find information about existing and planned utilities – water, sewage and drainage systems, gas, and electric hook-ups. Examine trash collection regulations and conditions for trash removal.
2. Get acquainted with the neighbors of the village, they can tell you a lot of useful information – both about the local infrastructure, and the properties of the soil, water and the nuances of agricultural technology. In a new settlement, cooperation will help to optimize organizational processes, save machinery, delivery, and purchase of materials. In addition, good relationships with neighbors – the key to a quiet life. You plan to keep a family nest here – so leave him the peace and support.
3. at the first stage, invite surveyors. It is a good idea to conduct a geodetic survey of the area. This will allow you to get an accurate plan of the property, which will indicate the type of topography, slopes, routing of utilities, depth of groundwater. And also – information about the nature of the floors. All of this information is needed for building design and landscape planning.
It is better to invite specialists to carry out geodetic surveys. However, if you still decide to act independently, sketch the original plan, noting on it the existing buildings, large trees on the site, significant changes in topography and changes in their nature (wet, rocky places). If you notice boulders or bogs on the plaster, don’t panic. It’s better to blend them organically into your plans.
4. study the soil, if you have not included this article in the packet of surveying, study the nature of the soil yourself. There are several methods for studying them. With the simplest primary test will cope even kids (and they will definitely like it). It will help determine its mechanical composition. To do this, moisten some soil and roll it into a ball, roll it into a thin “sausage” and try to roll it into a ring.
- Even if the ball goes hard and resists, you have sandy soil.
- The ball rolls but falls apart when you try to turn it into a “sausage” – you have sandy soil.
- If the “sausage” comes out in pieces, we are dealing with light loam.
- “Sausage” falls apart only when folded into a ring – medium clay.
- The ring was obtained, but along with it went the cracks – heavy clay.
- If you managed to get an even ring, then the bottom of the site – clay.
Knowing the acidity of the soil is also important when choosing the range of plants. It is assessed with the help of special tests or devices. Indicators of the acidity of the soil are also plants growing on it.
Immediately pay attention to the initial plan of the existing trees that you want to leave. But do not rush to proceed to removal. You need to make a plan first.
5. Dry fantasize about “How I want to spend my summer.” Or not just summer? Do you go to the cottage all year round – or do you just need a place to spend the summer? This question should be answered before you start designing your home and utilities.
Describe your needs: what do you want to do at the cottage and what areas do you want? Have each family member describe their ideal summer day. Based on the list of activities everyone dreams of, you’ll be able to figure out what functional areas you need and what equipment you need to buy. Don’t rush to throw out your descriptions – they will help you connect the different areas and build traffic routes.
Think through the style, the image you want to see. Research your preferences for different photos of landscapes on Houzz. Look them over with your housemates, create scrapbooks of ideas – they’ll help you figure out what you all like.
- living quarters
- entryway
- garage
- Open or covered parking
- Storage for bikes
- workshop
- septic tank
- outside toilet
- Drovyanik
- cellar, basement
- Summer kitchen, barbecue place
- Outdoor dining, under a pergola or under a canopy
- Spring
- bath
- Hotel
- Swimming pool
- outside shower
- Playground, children’s playhouse
- playground
- alcove
- Rest area with chairs or loungers
- secluded recreation area
- water
- Storage area for gardening equipment and implements
- water reservoir
- Stationary compost heaps
- Garden
- Orangery
- orchard
- Material for chickens or aviary for other animals
- Minimum and desired size of an area
- Its shape (round, rectangular, more complex configuration) or a defined defined defined zone and its preferred orientation in relation to cardinal points
- Preferred paving or covering
- Location requirements (many facilities have statutory or technological restrictions on placement relative to site boundaries and each other)
- Equipment needed – table, sun loungers, stove, etc.
- Comment column – don’t forget to leave it!
Lines of different colors draw connections between areas – which ones can be combined, which ones should be near each other, and which ones are better off farther away.
8. Based on all this information plus the baseline situation, present a site plan, the final site plan. For clarity, you can cut out from cardboard the approximate shape of each zone in scale and transfer it to the plan. Find the best location of plots and buildings, connect them with paths, keeping in mind the difference in their purpose, the possibility and form of intersecting plots. Do not forget about the topography. Think about how much and in what places you will adjust it. Mark the slopes, retaining walls, stairs.
On the finished plan place trees, shrubs and flower beds. Mark here the trees that you already want to grow on the site. Keep in mind their size and shape as adults. When planting, keep the necessary distances. Given these characteristics, you can immediately make an approximate assortment list of trees and shrubs. When planning the irrigation system, immediately note the necessary water outlets.
Do not forget about lighting. But electricity is not the only thing you need. Run the necessary cables to pumps, wells, tools and other equipment.
9. Make a plan of work, when the plan is ready, it will become clear the necessary work. It depends on the type and condition of the acquired nudge. Is it necessary to clear it from the growing trees? Or dismantle old structures? Do you have to make significant changes to the topography? I wouldn’t rush into an old rustic lot at all. Of course, the temptation to quickly tear down everything old and “build a new world” is great. But it may be worth waiting a season to evaluate the pros and cons of the existing layout and development. First, make a list of the most important blocks of developments, considering their phases. Then you can describe them in detail, breaking them down into smaller works.
Planning – Planning but can’t wait to start your current business? Let’s see where to start.
10. Pay attention to immediate needs before you start on other things, and take care of the bathroom for the first time, even if you don’t plan to stay in the house overnight just yet. Install a traditional “cabin,” buy a dry closet or rent one. It will come in handy at work and on “grilling” trips and create initial comfort in an as yet undeveloped area.
11. After buying, do not rush, of course, in a hurry to fence off the site. However, first clearly define the boundaries, so that later you do not have to move the fence. If you bought an undeveloped area, then the installation of a fence can be postponed until the primary clearing and rough earthworks. However, prior to the delivery of materials, the site should already be fenced. Remember that there is still a lot of construction work ahead – the site needs a wide gate for the entry of machinery.
When you install a solid fence on the foundation, immediately lay drainage pipes or open a dam along the French pebble. Think about its susceptibility to water flow.
12. Check the drainage and give an assessment of the condition of the entire drainage system – trenches or large diameter drainage pipes along the tracks. The quality of the work often leaves a lot to be desired, and it depends on the excess moisture depending on your site. You will take your local drainage out to the general system. Make sure that water does not stagnate in it.
13. Do some clearing, remove debris, and remove excess trees and shrubs. This is a tedious process that can take a lot of time and effort. I wouldn’t remove old trees from the property right away. Watch them, assess their condition, and decide in the fall which ones to remove and which ones to rejuvenate. When you dedicate a new, overgrown plot, you are often left with beautiful mature trees that are included in the landscape plan.
This is a very valuable resource – already at the start you don’t have a flat, empty field, but one with a few expressive accents. Freshly salvaged trees are still growing and growing.
Tip: Protect the saved trees with a hull of boards so they won’t get damaged during construction work.
14. Take care of the fountain, otherwise it must be done at the start.
15. Create the relief and make the communications, when all the excess is removed, adjust the relief. This does not mean that it is absolutely necessary to bring the area to an even level. If you use existing irregularities, shape them to your desired shape according to your plan. You will definitely need a ride for this step.
At the same time, lay drainage pipes and other utilities. So you need to start with a plan – you need to understand where you need water outlets and where you need electricity.
16. Improving the quality of the soil At the same time, you can begin to improve the soil and adjust its composition. In future plantings, gardens, flowerbeds and lawns, apply the necessary corrective additives or ready-made soil.
17. Take care of a roof over your head to keep it out of the rain when you come to the cottage first, be useful, a small structure “Templer” or “cottage”. Later you can turn it into a guest house, a workshop or a shed. You can also make an area or decking here for resting and grilling. Place them in places where communications are not taken on your plan and there are no capital structures. Or immediately on the site of your future destination.
18. Don’t rush into planting ahead of the first time you go to a fresh plot, lest you be bought sprouts, seedlings, rhizomes and bulbs. It’s still too early to plant them. Young trees run the risk of heat damage during construction work. Or then it will turn out that they grow instead of the future house, paths, gazebo – and they will be hastily searched for. Do not rush with the lawn as well – in the first year it is better to prepare only space and soil for it and let them “survive”.
If the virgin soil still extends, and you want to enjoy the flowers now, break up a container garden. Buy a few flower corners with petunia, boca, chrysanthemums. Or make a more diverse arrangement. You can still plant bought perennials and even shrubs in boxes. Don’t be afraid that you will waste all those pots. Container gardening is extremely popular now – planters will find their place in an already growing garden. So choose the shapes and colors you like right away.
But with a ready-made location and planting plan, you can dig planting holes for fall planting and create future flower beds during the earthworks. To go without fresh greenery, you can also create a container garden or fill temporary beds. Or simply plant garden plants in vacant spaces.
19. Relax! Most importantly, forget about relaxing for your first summer season. Enjoy the romance of exploring “new countries.” Let it be accompanied by some inconveniences for now. But they must not spoil the joy of creating your own little kingdom!
You… remember how you felt when you first entered your own territory? What mistakes wouldn’t you make now, where did you “make your straws”? Show us a photo of your first summer days.
