Amazing centre, I love what your program stands for and I am sure the kids learn and grow a lot in your care. Your classrooms are also beautiful, may I ask where you bought your furniture and supplies
Just so y'all can put a face to a name (my photo is on the website). ::
Dig your blog on space. Can you tell me where you read the fifty square foot for minimum for the least amount of stress? I like that. My state says 35 minimum indoors and 50 outdoors.
I have 150 dedicated per kid and I could use a lot more if I had it. I think the stress on the kids is a fab selling point and also the stress on the caregiver.
I used to run shop with a 1400 square foot house before my son was born. It was almost completely child care. Bumping to 2500 really changed how easy it was for me and the helpers. I had a second house in the country before he was born and then just combined the two after he was born when I bought this house. I was able to have the basement built and included a separate nursery and big kids sleeping room and a separate small single room. This way I have the babies completely on the other side of the floor during nap and a single room for a child if they are more sensitive to noise and/or a chatter box. happyface
Space isn't talked about too much with new parents when they are seeking child care. I always make sure I talk to any potential client about space whether I end up interviewing them or not. Parents need to know how important dedicated space is to the child and the workers.
Dig your blog on space. Can you tell me where you read the fifty square foot for minimum for the least amount of stress? I like that. My state says 35 minimum indoors and 50 outdoors.
I have 150 dedicated per kid and I could use a lot more if I had it. I think the stress on the kids is a fab selling point and also the stress on the caregiver.
I used to run shop with a 1400 square foot house before my son was born. It was almost completely child care. Bumping to 2500 really changed how easy it was for me and the helpers. I had a second house in the country before he was born and then just combined the two after he was born when I bought this house. I was able to have the basement built and included a separate nursery and big kids sleeping room and a separate small single room. This way I have the babies completely on the other side of the floor during nap and a single room for a child if they are more sensitive to noise and/or a chatter box. happyface
Space isn't talked about too much with new parents when they are seeking child care. I always make sure I talk to any potential client about space whether I end up interviewing them or not. Parents need to know how important dedicated space is to the child and the workers.
absolutely! I did the same thing as you....we started our daycare in a 1400 sf. ft home that we also lived in. Every room was multi-purpose between family and daycare and that alone caused a lot of stress on my family and the daycare kids. I really feel for providers that don't have a dedicated play space, bathroom, napping room. I think that is something that should be on the "why providers get burnt out" list.
OP, loved your website. I almost bought that same bus toy (second hand)....how do your kids like it?
absolutely! I did the same thing as you....we started our daycare in a 1400 sf. ft home that we also lived in. Every room was multi-purpose between family and daycare and that alone caused a lot of stress on my family and the daycare kids. I really feel for providers that don't have a dedicated play space, bathroom, napping room. I think that is something that should be on the "why providers get burnt out" list.
OP, loved your website. I almost bought that same bus toy (second hand)....how do your kids like it?
I make sure I bring it up with EVERY parent who inquires here whether I have an opening or not. It's just not in the mindset of the newbie parent and it's not really included in the "what to ask the daycare" questions that are a bible for the new parent.
Once I explain it they GET it immediately. They know how much space their new baby has taken in their house and they usually wish they had MORE.
I lived alone in the 1400 sq foot house and I had a weekend place at that time and I lasted about a year with ds before I was ready to get a bigger place. Once he got mobile I wanted HIM to have a whole floor to cruise. I didn't have enough space to give him a lot of free roaming space so I looked for the biggest house I could in the neighborhood I grew up in. I ended up getting the second biggest one.
It took a few months to get the construction done and that was a total pain but I ended up being able to build a two bedrooms, an office, and a playroom just for the child care. We also have a second playroom upstairs.
He was able to free range the whole house all day every day while I worked until he was about three and then he started going out back. He played alone a lot because he was the only one who could run the house and outdoors without an adult with him. I didn't even HAVE a backyard when I lived at the townhouse.
We've been here ten years and all I can think of is that it's time to get a bigger house.
I make sure I bring it up with EVERY parent who inquires here whether I have an opening or not. It's just not in the mindset of the newbie parent and it's not really included in the "what to ask the daycare" questions that are a bible for the new parent.
Once I explain it they GET it immediately. They know how much space their new baby has taken in their house and they usually wish they had MORE.
I lived alone in the 1400 sq foot house and I had a weekend place at that time and I lasted about a year with ds before I was ready to get a bigger place. Once he got mobile I wanted HIM to have a whole floor to cruise. I didn't have enough space to give him a lot of free roaming space so I looked for the biggest house I could in the neighborhood I grew up in. I ended up getting the second biggest one.
It took a few months to get the construction done and that was a total pain but I ended up being able to build a two bedrooms, an office, and a playroom just for the child care. We also have a second playroom upstairs.
He was able to free range the whole house all day every day while I worked until he was about three and then he started going out back. He played alone a lot because he was the only one who could run the house and outdoors without an adult with him. I didn't even HAVE a backyard when I lived at the townhouse.
We've been here ten years and all I can think of is that it's time to get a bigger house.
we were four people in that house and doing daycare. My husband and I were both hanging on by a thread and had a huge burden lifted when we moved to a bigger place. We would not have been able to continue doing daycare in the old situation.
we were four people in that house and doing daycare. My husband and I were both hanging on by a thread and had a huge burden lifted when we moved to a bigger place. We would not have been able to continue doing daycare in the old situation.
You guys have a few kids so I'm sure it made all the difference in the world. That's one of the things I discuss with new parents... that space and the providers own children's space can really be a big difference in the total happiness of everyone.
I think a lot of providers give up child care a couple of years into it because in large part they find out that the space issue doesn't work with their own kids and their happiness/stress. There are other contributing factors too but I think space/your own kids space is a BIGGIN.
You guys have a few kids so I'm sure it made all the difference in the world. That's one of the things I discuss with new parents... that space and the providers own children's space can really be a big difference in the total happiness of everyone.
I think a lot of providers give up child care a couple of years into it because in large part they find out that the space issue doesn't work with their own kids and their happiness/stress. There are other contributing factors too but I think space/your own kids space is a BIGGIN.
This is why we dedicated our entire downstairs to dc and keep our upstairs just for our family now. I really want to expand to include our oversized 2 car garage so I can give the dck's even MORE space but the hubs thinks they have enough.
Erm, there is NEVER ENOUGH SPACE FOR KIDS!! ::
We also have a full acre for them to explore outside and another 20 acres behind us that is free for us to use. It is great.
Dig your blog on space. Can you tell me where you read the fifty square foot for minimum for the least amount of stress? I like that. My state says 35 minimum indoors and 50 outdoors.
I have 150 dedicated per kid and I could use a lot more if I had it. I think the stress on the kids is a fab selling point and also the stress on the caregiver.
I used to run shop with a 1400 square foot house before my son was born. It was almost completely child care. Bumping to 2500 really changed how easy it was for me and the helpers. I had a second house in the country before he was born and then just combined the two after he was born when I bought this house. I was able to have the basement built and included a separate nursery and big kids sleeping room and a separate small single room. This way I have the babies completely on the other side of the floor during nap and a single room for a child if they are more sensitive to noise and/or a chatter box. happyface
Space isn't talked about too much with new parents when they are seeking child care. I always make sure I talk to any potential client about space whether I end up interviewing them or not. Parents need to know how important dedicated space is to the child and the workers.
Check out the article linked at the bottom of that blog entry! Lots of information! happyface
"More Space, More Quality
Research in recent years has established that it takes more space per child than previously thought to engage children as active learners. According to the Community Investment Collaborative for Kids (CICK) Resource Guide, research shows it takes between 45 and 54 square feet of activity space per child."
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