Errands

[mickyc]

My kids wish we could get out more!! Unfortunately space in my vehicle doesn't allow for it often.

Those of you who are "on" your whole day must be exhausted! I am and I don't do a pile of provider led activities. My kids love their independance and have amazing imaginations.

I too would never take my kids to a doc appt or dentist but that is just me.

I also think kids have years of schooling ahead of them. Parents need to be responsible for things too. Why do we need to focus so much on things being educational! They are kids and under the age of 5! Let's have fun and learn as you go!

We all parent differently and we all run our daycares differently and as long as our spots are full, kids and parents happy then that is all that matters.

[Suzie_Homemaker]

Those of you who are "on" your whole day must be exhausted! I am and I don't do a pile of provider led activities. My kids love their independance and have amazing imaginations.

No more so that employment in past. But I would go into office, put head down, work for duration of day, often have sandwich at desk, and come out at end of day - later if deadline need meet.

During nap time, prep for afternoon and it one task at time, and no multi tasking for 2 hours. So much longer break than used to.

Parents need to be responsible for things too. Why do we need to focus so much on things being educational! They are kids and under the age of 5! Let's have fun and learn as you go!

Agreed. Parent can teach about boredom on lined up bank and grocery shop. Learning through fun incredibly important. Free play with supervision until all here, into yard for more play, sensory activities, snacks, singing ABC's, counting sheep in field, counting eggs in basket, noticing this weeks colour on walk, seeing wildlife around, dance party using colour mats, finding the cars in play foam, "chiselling" action figure from ice block (co-ordination, goal focus), math through measuring ingredient for lunch, set up lemonade stall for toys for math and money skills for paying and change. Real learning through real play.

we all run our daycares differently and as long as our spots are full, kids and parents happy then that is all that matters.

Exactly. My measurement is if parent followed me around all day, would they be getting the service which promised. I just not sure all provider to shop, go bank, wash dog, clean house, prep supper, clean up dander from day care children, would be so comfortable if parent able to see level of personal errands they suggesting they do.



We all parent differently and we all run our daycares differently and as long as our spots are full, kids and parents happy then that is all that matters.[/QUOTE]

[33 Daiseys]

Once again, who says that my dc parents are kept in the dark????? Or that we are not forcoming about what we do. The amount of 20 25 years old that don't know who to cook , or how to budget is insane.
And really whats the difference between teaching children about fruits and veggies and money/math/ budgeting, and taking the child to the store, saying we have 50 dollars this is what we are going to make, what do we need? and having the children take part in planning?

[crayolamom]

ummmmm not to stir the pot but i run errands all the time. as well as take kids to the doctors and yes the dentist. if my kids have a cleaning, im still there to read a book to them color ect. We run to the grocery store when the kids help pick out which fruit and veggies they want for the next week. It is a block from where we go to play group so why not?
We also go to the bank every friday morning. It takes less then five minutes, and it is right beside the library, where we go to story time.
I also cook and do laundry, paper work during nap time. I have some clients that are here at 7 am, and others that can stay as late as 8 pm. On those days, they also come to soccer, Dance classes, ect.
This is a major part of why all of my families come to me. The fact that we are out of the house and in society every day. Just a question, When children in day care get older, will they not have to get up and go to school, work, ect? So why is it viewed as harmful that they start learning these things at an early age.
Could this mentality of shelter everything for children be why the 20 year olds of today don't know how to do anything? Could it be from their daycare providers and parents doing everything with out their children? Not picking a fight but after speaking to a few child shrinks this has come up time and time again.

So why are you even getting paid. Your on the Suzie band wagon but look at what you do. You drag other peoples children around for your own personal errands that you think you are entitled to run on someone elses dollar lol I didn't realize that running personal errands is part of the preschool curriculum. Then you want to add 2 cents in about what we do. Give me a break! What 5 Little Monkeys was talking about I get that. But me personally I would go to bulk barn in the evening and just do it the next day.

I want to know why providers feel entitled to run their errands on someone else's dollar?

Children have their whole lives to work and go to school..we provide a daycare atmosphere for these children and hauling them around to your dentist appointments isn't going to do anything for them. Give me a break!

Also for people complaining how we must be so tired from following a schedule and doing daycare related activities all day blah blah REALLY that's your one and only job and if you can't handle it don't do it!

[superfun]

I really think it's great there are so many different programs for parents to pick from. Some parents want the kids to stay on the property, some parents want their kids out on field trips and excursions. So, we each run our program how we want, and get families that like what we offer. Isn't that one of the reasons we're self employed instead of working in a centre? To provide the experience we want to provide?

[33 Daiseys]

HOW IS IT MY ERRANDS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW?????? With the exception of a five minute appoint once every 3 minutes which the office is located right next to a local park, and a once a year cleaning for my children, how is it personal??? Everything that I do with them is for their benifit, and I guess i'm just lucky to have parents that are able to see that.
And once again how I am dragging anyone around????
And honey, my opinion is worth a lot more then two cents.
And still I ask you, what is it to you what program I follow, when my children love what we do, and are happy and healthy , and do EXACTLY what my parents that employ me, want.
And before you counter on the dentist thing, cuz i know you will, MY parents have no issue with it, and in fact book their children appoints after my children's appointment, due to the fact i have a great dentist that allows the kids to see what they are doing. They get to sit in the chair, see the tools ect.
So you have never taken your dc kids to your local police station, fire station, building of parliament, local school where band a kids go???
My families come to me due to the fact we are out in the community EVERY DAY.
If its not what you choose to do, or what your parents want fine, fair.
If you are just wanting to fight grow up, and move on. As has been said 10000000 times we each run a program that we want/need to run.

[5 Little Monkeys]

Well for me, I don't think it's a big deal to go out in the community if it is related to daycare or if it's something the kids enjoy. I don't see the difference between picking up some groceries and doing things like laundry, dishes, cleaning, supper prep, sewing family members clothes, weeding the garden, going online during the work day, reading a personal book, paying a bill online, making plans/schedules for your own family etc etc etc. I just fail to see why some think it's okay to do some errands but not others??

Aside from Suzie, I don't know any providers who are ON all day long and NEVER use the washroom while the kids are awake.(how many times have I read on here that nap time is sacred for most and some don't even take kids if they don't nap) I am sure there are things that we all do that others wouldn't agree with but that doesn't make it wrong IMO. If you want to say running errands is bad than I'm assuming you don't use naptime to do anything for personal use or gain EVER?? Because even though they are sleeping you are still being paid...so you should only be doing daycare related things right?

I don't take the kids to the doctors with me but I can almost guarantee that if it came down to me closing or taking them with me, most parents would be 100% fine with me taking them! lol (thankfully, I am able to go to appt's during the day as my husband is my back up when needed, this is a huge selling point with parents)

Again, I am just confused as to why doing some unrelated daycare things are okay and others aren't?

And I know some think it's a load of crap but there really is a lot of learning going on during these outings My time in the store is doubled because of it but it's what I'm paid to do (teach the kids) so I'm okay with it. It would be a whole lot easier to do my shopping by myself but I enjoy it just like the kids do. I get that some teach with pretend stuff but why is it so bad to teach them with the real thing from time to time too?

[mickyc]

Totally agree 5LM. If you are being paid to work from the second you open to the second you close then why the paid days off/stats? Why are you online during the day? Do you not answer your phone?

It's all part of the luxury that comes with working from home and running my own business! I am the boss. If I want to take the kids to get groceries then I will.

And if you have to pee - good grief- GO!!! Lol

[dodge__driver11]

Well for me, I don't think it's a big deal to go out in the community if it is related to daycare or if it's something the kids enjoy. I don't see the difference between picking up some groceries and doing things like laundry, dishes, cleaning, supper prep, sewing family members clothes, weeding the garden, going online during the work day, reading a personal book, paying a bill online, making plans/schedules for your own family etc etc etc. I just fail to see why some think it's okay to do some errands but not others??

Aside from Suzie, I don't know any providers who are ON all day long and NEVER use the washroom while the kids are awake.(how many times have I read on here that nap time is sacred for most and some don't even take kids if they don't nap) I am sure there are things that we all do that others wouldn't agree with but that doesn't make it wrong IMO. If you want to say running errands is bad than I'm assuming you don't use naptime to do anything for personal use or gain EVER?? Because even though they are sleeping you are still being paid...so you should only be doing daycare related things right?

I don't take the kids to the doctors with me but I can almost guarantee that if it came down to me closing or taking them with me, most parents would be 100% fine with me taking them!

Ok, I am late to the game, but here is my take on it. When I interview families, I let them know that there is a mix of educational programming, family like activities, and GOD FORBID PERSONAL ERRANDS, AND OR MANAGEMENT OF MY HOME.

I let parents know I am a one man show who needs to wear many hats, and that my own child and husband rely on my to shoulder some of the errands and home management tasks, because if I did not my home would be a disaster. I offer care to shift workers and my hours vary, because I offer hours that are contracted. If I was "on" for all of the hours contracted I would be long dead, and never get anything done that was not daycare related.

If parents want a different type of environment they are free to continue looking, no one is making them choose me. And, if we are honest about how we choose to conduct our programs, what difference does it make?

I actually had one family leave me because they did not want their child setting foot outside the door other than to the local park, and that's fine, her choice, but I quickly found another family that was all to eager to take their space. I was not going to change the way I did and do things in MY HOME.

ETA: For me, it is also about being reliable for the families that chose me, as most of my clients are nurses, etc. If that means having a quiet day in front of the tv with popcorn, and free play because I am sick than so be it.

Here again, I am one person who cannot be "on" all of the time, and if they need a place that never closes then they must wait the average 2 years it takes to obtain a centre space. And, most dayhomes and centre's here have operating hours of 7:30-5pm M-F. So... shift workers are shafted. I fill a much needed niche, and that works for me.

I am pretty sure that if that bulk of us were honest, we all know that we are not 100% "with it" every daycare day, and we all know that we come to forums like this for a break, even Suzie does that. LOL.

ETA again, LOL: Even though I chose to work from home to be with my child, and because I was tired of someone else being the boss... I chose to work from home because of some of the perks that go with it.

Because I am not paid extra for the time it takes me to write ads, email, call current, past and perspective families, develop contract policies, meetings about child progress et all. I figure that doing "My errands" on the daycare clock, are a fair trade off for all the extra time I devote to said tasks.

If another provider is going to lecture me about what I don't do and my lack of professionalism because of that; go nuts, be the coolest keyboard warrior ever. I really don't care, in the end, I sleep well at night knowing that my clients leave happy, and are all to anxious to recommend me, and my "mixed bag" daycare.

No one provider is better than the other, and as long as you are providing safe, honest care, there is no need to put your "I am better than you hat on" just accept that there are different ways. End.

[fivelittleones]

Wow, very interesting to read these posts. People are very passionate about their views. lol.

We are not robots, if everyone in the world did things the same way, it would be a very boring place! Different families prefer different things. I know a family who prefers the dayhome to have pets, because they love animals and want their child to feel comfortable with pets/animals. It's the same for shopping/errands. Although, I don't run errands I do think it COULD be used as a learning experience. And for those single mothers who run daycares, they might not have a choice, I can't say that if I was a single parent running a daycare I wouldn't do the same thing. Just a different point of view. Not sure if there are any single parent providers on here, but that is something that would change my view when it comes to running errands.

Bottom line...if the parents are informed about it during the interview and are comfortable with it and the liability issue has been discussed, that's all that matters. The parents are paying for the care and it's up to them.