Essentials for new daycare

[kindertime]

I guess I have to agree with everybody. You do what works for your group.

There is a lot of free-play here, I have lots of toys but that also doesn't mean the kids don't get bored too. I always try to look at the daily routine as flexible and change it to suit the needs and styles of the group I have. When I first opened, everything was scheduled, kind of like what Suzie describes. It really worked for that group. But after a couple of years, the group changed, new kids and others got older. And their schedules changed too. So originally, all my kids would be here before 8am. So they had lots of time to play with their friends before snack and going outside. They would tidy while I was making lunch. Then that stopped working, they wouldn't tidy anymore, they just wanted to play, and it took me about a week to realize it was because they were all coming after 830am, some right at 930 for snack. They had no time to play with their friends before snack and going outside. So I changed the schedule to meet them where they were. It happened to be winter so I thought we would go out after lunch instead. That worked. They had time to play after snack in the morning and went back to tidying before lunch because they'd had the chance to play with their friends.

I still plan this way today, when I had 5 toddlers, they needed more structure and more hands-on supervision. Today, my group is so awesome, I can sit and watch them play for 1.5 hours (like today cuz it was raining) and they had the freedom to decide what they want to do. They painted and did puzzles and fed all the dollies too. We were supposed to have our first picnic of the year today but with the thunderstorm, that didn't happen so I set up the play table in the playroom and they ate in there instead.

I don't have a big house either, but the three main rooms are accessible to all the kids, livingrom, kitchen and playroom. They can run around too, that takes up a lot of their time.

[5 Little Monkeys]

Kinder time, that's a very good point!! My schedule changes with my group's needs as well. Right now I have all early drop off's and all within 30 mins of each other. I love it because we can start our day and not be interrupted with parents coming and going

[Suzie_Homemaker]

Kinder time, that's a very good point!! My schedule changes with my group's needs as well. Right now I have all early drop off's and all within 30 mins of each other. I love it because we can start our day and not be interrupted with parents coming and going

Do you not have a cut off point where all children are expected to be in?

[kindertime]

Do you not have a cut off point where all children are expected to be in?

No, I wouldn't have any kids if I did that, very small town and lots of competition. Although, on second thought, yes, they have to be here before lunch.

[5 Little Monkeys]

Do you not have a cut off point where all children are expected to be in?

No, not an official one. For the most part, i don't need one. I'm open at 730 wed-fri and 745 mon-tues but I've had parents who don't start work until 9/930. Right now all my parents work at 730 and 8 (depending on which parent drops off). I had one parent who didn't work and would drop off anywhere from 9-11 and it drove me crazy!! I eventually told her that she needs to be here by 930 so that we could have smoother mornings and for daughter to get the most out of coming as we do the bulk of our stuff in the morning as most kids were gone an hour after nap when she was here. She didn't like that!! She eventually got a job that started at 10 so it was a bit better after that

Had it been a consistent late drop off, I wouldn't mind so much because than I could plan around it. I never knew when she would get here and that is why I didn't like it.

[sandylynn]

I also have a dck that comes anytime between 9-11...just this morning when she came around 10:30...I told the father, "you must notice that she doesn't go home with much arts and crafts"...it's because she comes so late and we are done all that...most of the kids are here by 7:30! He's going to try to come earlier..I move on with my day by 9:00....no waiting

[Suzie_Homemaker]

No, not an official one. For the most part, i don't need one. I'm open at 730 wed-fri and 745 mon-tues but I've had parents who don't start work until 9/930. Right now all my parents work at 730 and 8 (depending on which parent drops off). I had one parent who didn't work and would drop off anywhere from 9-11 and it drove me crazy!! I eventually told her that she needs to be here by 930 so that we could have smoother mornings and for daughter to get the most out of coming as we do the bulk of our stuff in the morning as most kids were gone an hour after nap when she was here. She didn't like that!! She eventually got a job that started at 10 so it was a bit better after that

Had it been a consistent late drop off, I wouldn't mind so much because than I could plan around it. I never knew when she would get here and that is why I didn't like it.

Yes, I had this before when Mom on mat leave so no rush to get here. In end, I said all need to be here for 9am. That is when we go out after morning snack and it stop us waiting around, wondering if someone coming or not.

[33 Daiseys]

The one and only thing I think that you need going into being a home day care provider in a CLEAR understanding of what you will and will not accept/ put up with from both parent and child. So often we start off wanting one thing for ourselves, and over time we can find our selves shifting hours, polices ect.
It when you allow this to happen that you can become unsatisfied with doing this as a career.
As I tell my kids follow the 3 Stands's: Stand tall, Stand your ground, Stand proud in all you do, and others will stand with you

[kindertime]

The one and only thing I think that you need going into being a home day care provider in a CLEAR understanding of what you will and will not accept/ put up with from both parent and child. So often we start off wanting one thing for ourselves, and over time we can find our selves shifting hours, polices ect.
It when you allow this to happen that you can become unsatisfied with doing this as a career.
As I tell my kids follow the 3 Stands's: Stand tall, Stand your ground, Stand proud in all you do, and others will stand with you

Absolutely!! Of course it's hard to know what you will and won't accept when you have never had a business before and you are faced with situations and parents you could never have imagined. But good advice, nonetheless.

[kdubw]

my contract specifically has their drop off and pickup times listed. They are allowed 1 emergency late pickup per month (they don't know that but I do!) if its only 15 minutes. All other late pickups are charged fees. I also have late drop off fees. Same thing, they are allowed 1 free one a month and other than that they will be charged. I did this to prevent someone for registering a child for a full day, then bringing them late everyday and only expecting to pay my half day rate.
As for them not knowing about the freebies, its in my contract that any and all lates will be charged. But I am a realistic person and know that things happen so I decided that they will get 1 free but I don't want it to be taken advantage of.