What Do You Think Of This And Would You Change Anything

[mtjames]

7:00 -7:30-free play
730-7:45-clean up time
745-815-bathroom and diaper changing
815-845-breakfast time
845-915 music time
915-945circle time
945-1015 bathroom and diaper changing time
1015-1030-snack
1030-1100-activity time
1100-1145-free play/outside time when permitted
1145-1200-wash hands/bathroom time
1200-1230-lunch
1230-230-quiet time /nap time
230-300-diaper changing /bathroom time
300-430-free pay or movies
430-500-music time
500-530-circle time
530-600-bathroom /diaper changing time
600-630-dinner
630-700-activity time
700-900 –quiet time /free play/movie until parents pick up

Home daycare

[dEHmom]

wow you have VERY long days!!!

Me personally, I have found breakfast is best at 730-8am. I found any earlier they weren't interested in eating, and any later they wouldn't eat lunch/snacks. This is sort of what the kids have scheduled for me. Then we have snack at 9:30, 11:30 lunch, 12:30 (1pm) nap, 3:30 snack
I don't schedule bathroom breaks. Older kids go when they need to. Babies get bum checks at 10am, 11:15, 12:15, 3:30 (or whenever they wake up), and again at 5:00 if they are still here. I change if they need it, if not I leave them till the next check, or if they poop they get changed immediately.

[mtjames]

Thank you my day care will be open from 7am until 9 pm

[dEHmom]

Sorry, you may have explained this elsewhere, but I have been MIA for a while on here (quite a while), so I am not "in" with what's going on on here anymore.

Are you a home daycare? Are you working alone or have employees?

Most of us work about 10-11 hour days, and we are often very tired by the end of the day. We limit each family to about 9 hrs a day, and even that is way too long of a day for each child. By that time there are usually issues starting to occur.

Might I ask, why do you offer such long days? I'm ready for bed at 7pm, and usually my earliest kid arrives 7:30 with the odd day or 2 a week they arrive at 7am. My last one leaves at 5:15, and I find I'm rushing to make/eat supper, help kids with homework, and do any running around I need to do in the evenings.

[mtjames]

yes i will have help , i will be scheduled for those hours and i was hoping to have morning and evening hours. some morning clients and also some evening hours . I will also have off days and i have no kids. They are all grown and moved out the house.

[Crystal]

No offense, but I would throw that schedule out the window

I recommend, first, not passing out a daily schedule that is overloaded, as you will find that you are unable to meet the demands of it, yet parents WILL expect it.

You are WAY overscheduling mundane tasks. Those, you will find, can be fit in throughout the day. Potty, diapering, etc. happens when IT happens, IYKWIM. Same with clean up etc., I wouldn't include that in the schedule ( if you must, I'd list it as transition time and put a note about what that means at the bottom of the schedule). I would elimnate the specific music time, as that can and usually does occur throughout the day. I would eliminate a second planned activity in the evening as well and would also eliminate morning snack and have a snack after naptime instead.

Here is what I would write: (and I think what I have written is STILL too much! )

7:00-8:00 Arrivals, Free play, Transition time
8:00-8:45 Hand washing/ Breakfast
8:45-9:15 Free Play/Music
9:15-9:45 Circle time
9:45-10:15 Free play and transition time
10:30-11:45- planned activities,free play indoors/outdoors (weather
permitting)
11:45-12:30- Hand washing/Luncc
12:30-2:30- quiet time /nap time
2:30-3:30 - Transition time and Snack
3:00-5:00- free play indoors/outdoors (weather permitting)
5:00-6:00 - circle time, free play and transitions
6:00-7:00- dinner
7:00-9:00 – quiet time /free play/movie/departures

Note: Transition times are considered times of the day when we move from one planned experience to another. This includes clean-up, using the potty, diaper changing etc. However, this is not "set in stone" as we do individualize these times based on the needs of each child. Also, there will be times that this schedule is not adhered to, simply because we do not follow the schedule for the sake of a schedule, but rather work around the interests of the children. While we do participate in all of the activites and routines listed, they may, at times, occur at different times of the day based on the needs and interests of the children.

[Unregistered]

Thank you so much this is exactly the help i was looking for. The reason i put two activity times because in the the morning and also the evening children will have a chance to do it . Do you think i should or should not do it.

[dEHmom]

Thank you so much this is exactly the help i was looking for. The reason i put two activity times because in the the morning and also the evening children will have a chance to do it . Do you think i should or should not do it.

I am currently doing an ECE course for curriculum. One of the key points they stress for young children is how important free play is. They require a minimum of 45 minutes to decide what they want to play with, let their imagination run wild and play. I allow a lot of free time in my daycare simply because the group I have is so young, and they don't do too well in group activities. They are still big into solitary play. I adjust it slightly every day and do my best to get them into circle time and story time etc, but for the most part i'm reading a book to myself because infants don't want to sit and listen for more than 20 seconds. Most of the day is free play but I bring out and direct certain activities, such as coloring time, music time etc, but the children are welcome to continue what they were doing, or join in.

[Crystal]

Thank you so much this is exactly the help i was looking for. The reason i put two activity times because in the the morning and also the evening children will have a chance to do it . Do you think i should or should not do it.

I would allow them the opportunity to extend the activity later in the day if warranted, however I would not place it on the schedule as it will become an expectation.

[daycare]

YES YES YES...please listen to CRYSTAL..

I had to learn the hard way that if you put it on the schedule, parents will hold you to it. it is IMPOSSIBLE to meet the schedule 100% of the time each day. Of course you may have the best of intentions, but with kids, things don't always go as planned.



DEhmom where have you been?? SLURPEEEESSSSSSS

[melilley]

I like Crystal's schedule better for the most part...no offense, but it is true, it's hard to do all of those things and if you have a specific schedule parents will ask and see if you have followed it. The only thing I don't agree with is skipping morning snack. In MI at least, it is customary to offer a morning snack, plus our licensing requires children to go no longer 4 hours without food. DEHmom's meal and snack times are what I would go with! I have found that if you space it out that way that the children get what they need to get through the day. Children tend to be hungry all the time..

[melilley]

wow you have VERY long days!!!

Me personally, I have found breakfast is best at 730-8am. I found any earlier they weren't interested in eating, and any later they wouldn't eat lunch/snacks. This is sort of what the kids have scheduled for me. Then we have snack at 9:30, 11:30 lunch, 12:30 (1pm) nap, 3:30 snack
I don't schedule bathroom breaks. Older kids go when they need to. Babies get bum checks at 10am, 11:15, 12:15, 3:30 (or whenever they wake up), and again at 5:00 if they are still here. I change if they need it, if not I leave them till the next check, or if they poop they get changed immediately.

I totally agree with you to at T! I have also found that to be true about breakfast, plus children need little snacks throughout the day! Only I would do diaper checks every 2 hours, but also change them if needed before.

[Crystal]

The reasoning for no a.m. snack is, in the posted schedule, there is 1:30 between breakfast and snack, then 1:45 between snack and lunch, but then 6 hours between lunch and dinner, as there is no aftenoon snack

[MrsV]

Here is my schedule, more of a guideline though.

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Drop offs/Educational Videos
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. School drop off
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Outdoor play (Weather permitting)
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Snack
9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Circle Time
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Free Play
11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Art/Sensory/Craft (in the kitchen so I can prep lunch)
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch Time
12:30p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Rest / Quiet Reading
1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Free Play
2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. School pick up
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Snack Time
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Outdoor play (Weather permitting)
4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Art/Sensory/Craft
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Educational Videos/Pick ups

Any thoughts?

[Unregistered]

My day is very different:

8-8:30 ARRIVALS
8:30 BREAKFAST - THEN FREEPLAY
9:15 DIAPER CHANGES AND DRESSING FOR OUTSIDE PLAY
WE WALK OR BUS TO PARKS OR OUR LIBRARY OR TO MEET FRIENDS WITH THEIR DAYCARE GROUPS AT PARKS
11:30-12:00 RETURN HOME FOR LUNCH
12:00-12:30 CIRCLE TIME SONGS AND STORIES AND FINGER PUPPETS
12:45-3:00 NAPTIME
3:00 SNACKTIME
3:20-4:45 PICKUPS - S0 FREEPLAY