Starting a home daycare - need tips

[mickyc]

In my daycare I have 2 rooms for napping - spare room and laundry room. The ones that don't nap well sleep in the laundry room and the others in the spare room. I use playpens only for kids under 2.5 (I have cots 2.5yrs and up). I do not rock anyone, just in your bed, lights out and goodnight. I also use the CIO method. If a child cries for 30 minutes I will go back in and lay them back down but usually they are asleep after 10-15. I also have been leaving them in their playpen until naptime is over. If they wake up they for the most part will go back to sleep. If they wake the others, so be it.

I have never had issues with having time to do any meal prep the day of (or right before mealtime). I don't hold child much during the day. You will find this will work best for your own child as well. When we do floor activities I would only let my own child sit on me and I always held her hand when we walked somewhere. It was a hard adjustment to share her Mommy. I also have my daycare separate from our living space so that helps keep her personal belongings separate.

I don't allow children to drop food/throw food etc. they learn quickly that they are not allowed to dump their plates, drop cups etc so the mess is somewhat minimal. I clean each child after they are finished and then they go play while I clean the next. once they are all done I wipe the table.

For little ones under 2 I use high chairs. I have a child sized table and chairs for kids over 2.

Congrats on running your own daycare. Just make sure you have a solid contract. Good luck!