How many hours per day are you 'playing' with the kids?

[playfelt]

I agree with reggio two ways to look at it. If you find your entire day is taken up with things not related to the children then time to redo some of the procedures such as cooking ahead so you can warm quickly or streamlinin the cleanup to be done later such as during naptime.

While I am totally willing to be down on the floor constantly playing with the kids I do not feel that that is an ideal way to conduct my program. Learning and playing is a child's work and they should not constantly be directed by me. My role is to assist not to control. When I am playing they look to me to direct and offer suggestions. When I stay in the background they look to peers and come up with their own solutions more often than asking me for help. I am there to intervene and "help" only when necessary. Now having said that getting down and playing WITH an infant and teaching them new skills is important but be careful that you are not playing FOR the infant instead of letting them discover what a toy can do. Too much adult interference will stifle their future creativity because they will come to think that a toy can only do one thing - what the adult showed me.

It pretty much balances out that when I have a full house I am busier in the background and the kids rely on peers for entertainment. When my numbers are down my workload is less and I have more time to be part of the play.