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I guess I am luck to have all my dck's under 2 because they all eat pretty much everything! And I don't serve your typical "kid" foods...I just serve normal dinner items and they all eat it. I do empathize with you for having picky 3 year olds! I hope that all my families will stay with me since by the time the kids are three they will be used to my food anyway as are my own kids. I can understand your frustration!Quote:
Originally Posted by Skysue
Daycare is not the same as it was before I started 15 years ago. Parents were more interested in the nurturing quality of care, not so much the educational component. I have always offered a preschool type of program (story time, music & movement, science, and arts and crafts)in the morning, but now it seems that the parents want to have the extra lessons in my home in the afternoon. Centres are starting to do this and I think the parents feel the children need more education and less play time. What a shame, I wish that children could be children and learn through their playtime--not the structured educational system that some parents seem to think that they need. I know a few daycares that get together a couple of times per week at a church room and offer a music or dance lessons to the children.
Just my two cents here, but I am all for letting kids be kids. My kids have a music time, but that consists of making shakers, dancing, and maybe banging on pots. Young kids need love and nurturing more than structured lessons
I 100% agree with you Horsegirl and mamaof4. At my church I spoke with 2 ex teachers that say play time is the most important. One used to do home daycare when her kids were small all they did was play and they are all honour students. today!
My 3 year old knows her ABC's and can spell out basic words but she does't really like doing it we only do things when she wants to and if she finds it fun. The flash cards sit unless she brings them out! I love her story telling and dancing a lot more!
Today we did a talent show and it was hilarious, we act out story books and dance to the 1950's.
I'm getting really discouraged doing interviews and I'm going to ask way more questions over the phone before letting anyone else into my home.
I have a musikgarten teacher come in weekly to provide music lessons. I get a great deal from her and I pay for this myself. I do serve hot lunch daily and send out via email every Sunday a weekly menu planner so parents know what their children are eating. The lunch is based upon our dinner the night before so I am not cooking two meals. I make everything from scratch and I do mean everything right down to the pizza sauce for our pizzas, home made soups, pastries, pasta noodles and chicken nuggets and snacks for junk food fridays.
I send out an activity planner every month that details the songs, crafts, activities, rhymes, special days etc on it. I send out a daily helper schedule which let's parents know which day their child is the special helper and compile a newsletter every month.
We do the special days that you mentioned, have a christmas concert at the end of the year, do birthday parties and field trips. In the winter I bring in different people to aid in the monthly theme we have instead of driving the children for field trips in the snow.