What Are 5 Items Couldn't Live (Do Daycare) Without?

[Hunni Bee]

1. This forum!!

2. A kitchen timer. I use it for everything from clean-up to transitions to taking turns to timeout.

3. Sharpies. I lost all of mine sometime in the last two weeks. I scoured the building til I found one.

4. Bleach. Self-explanatory.

5. Super WHY! Watching Super WHY! is my kids' equivalent of morning coffee. We miss it and it's not a good day.

What are yours?

[daycare]

1. Ditto this form

2. Coffee, for me to wake up to start daycare

3. My bell ( guess same thing as a kitchen timer)

4. Our computer classes/games/reading

5. Our dance classes, I'd be fat.....

[laundrymom]

I've really thought about this one. I love the forum and my coffee but the things I truly love that help me for daycare. Hmmm

1. My manners light.
It is a small salt lamp. A huge chunk of salt. 8 in high, 6 in across it looks like a lit up rock. I have it plugged into a radio controlled plug with a remote. ( Christmas tree supplies). If it turns off the kids all know their manners need to improve. The light is magic and comes on and off with their manners.

2. My calendar keeper from redleaf press

3. My child size preschool table that seats 6 plus 3 matching highchairs

4. My picture wall. I took the pictures of the kids I've been saving last 15 yrs or so and made picture panels. I wrotethe name and year on the back and put out about an18 inch length of clear contact paper and laid them face down on the sticky. I got them really close together. LikE a mosaic collage. I put another contact paper over the back. I made as many as I had pictures for. I sticky tack them above my toddler display bookshelf. It is awesome for them to look at. They find themselves, friends. Older siblings as babies. We play a where's Waldo type game. " can you find the person with glasses, wheres the green shirt" etc. It's been a very cheap way to do it.

5. Bowls. Lol. Go to walmart. Get 3-4 sets of identical sturdy stacking bowls. Spend the 15 bucks and set them in the floor. They are baskets, drums helmets, toilets, foodbowls, turtle shells, targets for a sock ball toss, ice skates, sleds, pet rocks. Etc. It's phenomenal how many things they will come up with.

[Michael]

1. This forum!!

and #1 at that!

You're number one on my list today too.

[MommyMuffin]

#1: This Forum for sure!
#2: Calendar Keeper
#3: Food Processor
#4: Kids Table that seats 6
#5: Infant/Toddler..rocker/chair

[godiva83]

1) My husband- he works for the police and does shift work so on his days off he always lends a helping hand and the kids love him
2) this forum- so many helpful tips, advice and support I am glad I found it
3)electric video doorbell and lock- let's me see who is there and with a push of a button I can open the door
4) ikea - cheap(ish) fun toys, and organization
5) my great DCF I have some amazing families that are understanding, appreciative and over all very nice to work with

[wdmmom]

1. This forum

2. TV (although we don't watch it a lot, we do watch Super WHY and movies every 2 weeks.)

3. Strollers (kids love the outside and even if it's a rotten day, taking them outside makes them happy and when theyre happy, I'm happy!)

4. Telephone (keeps me connected to other adults, hense, keeps my sanity!)

5. Short hours on Fridays! I love an 8.5 hour day over an 11 hour day!

[nannyde]

1. This forum

2. TV (although we don't watch it a lot, we do watch Super WHY and movies every 2 weeks.)

3. Strollers (kids love the outside and even if it's a rotten day, taking them outside makes them happy and when theyre happy, I'm happy!)

4. Telephone (keeps me connected to other adults, hense, keeps my sanity!)

5. Short hours on Fridays! I love an 8.5 hour day over an 11 hour day!

Now your the second person to bring up Super Wy... I guess I must be missing something. I've never seen it. What time is it on in Des Moines and what channel?

[nannyde]

1) My beloved JMasons (best invention ever in the history of child care)
2) Lots o space: Dedicated SOUNDRPROOFED nursery, big kids sleeping room, two play rooms.
3) Superyard Play yards
4) Old school fixed toy Graco bouncy seats for babies
5) JMason tripple strollers

oh and my staff assistant Beeks

[MsMe]

1) My beloved JMasons (best invention ever in the history of child care)
2) Lots o space: Dedicated SOUNDRPROOFED nursery, big kids sleeping room, two play rooms.
3) Superyard Play yards
4) Old school fixed toy Graco bouncy seats for babies
5) JMason tripple strollers

oh and my staff assistant Beeks

I googled JMasons.....I didn't find anything.....what is this?

I also don't know what super Wy is.....

[wdmmom]

Now your the second person to bring up Super Wy... I guess I must be missing something. I've never seen it. What time is it on in Des Moines and what channel?

The kids are addicted to it. It's on at 8am and 11am. I usually let the kids watch 1 of the 2 episodes depending on how good they are.

It's a great interactive, learning program!

[SilverSabre25]

nannyde, SuperWHY is on PBS. Here's the website--you can watch a full episode. It's cute, I don't mind it much. Now, Sid the Science kid and Wonder Pets, they can go away kthxbye. <--those are what I get for my super-smart 3 yo learning to operate the Wii Netflix by herself.

[SilverSabre25]

Well, my facetious answer would include "kids, parents, my house, toys, food" but my serious answer is:

1. Caffeine--keeps my brain functioning in a reasonable manner (hi, ADD!)
2. This forum for sanity, advice, and good times
3. secret stash of chocolate for naptime
4. My husband--my rock, my other hand, he gets up with the early kid and lets me sleep in a bit, especially after a rough night with the baby
5. Organization--the main thing I do not really have atm and it's hurting me big time

[Unregistered]

1) My Parent Contract
2) My Parent Handbook
3) My dedicated daycare area (away from family area)
4) Book & Toy collection
5) Chocolate

[nannyde]

I googled JMasons.....I didn't find anything.....what is this?

I also don't know what super Wy is.....

http://www.fantasytoyland.com/elfacplayyar.html

Search Jmason on this forum and you will see a lot of discussions about them. They rock. They don't make them anymore