Lack of Time!

[spud912]

So I had almost an entire changover this summer due to kids going to school and replaced all of the older children with youngsters aged 16 months to 2 1/2. With my last group, we had about an hour and 15 minutes in the morning to do circle time (with stories, books and theme-related discussions), preschool lessons (such as manipulatives, sensory play, educational games, etc....playing and learning), and arts and crafts. We also had about an hour in the afternoon to do some additional activities like manipulatives and sensory play.

Now with this new group, I feel like my time is being completely filled with diaper changing, redirections, and helping them learn their self-help skills (like putting on and removing clothing, putting on and taking off shoes, etc.). In addition, they are very limited on their ability to help me, unlike the older children, who were able to make their own beds for nap time, set the table, clear the table and help wash dishes and meal prep. Instead of having an hour and 15 minutes for activities, I have maybe 30 minutes that I'm trying to cram everything into. Essentially, I usually only have time to do circle time and one quick activity OR a longer activity (like arts and crafts). This group is also picked up earlier so there is no time in the afternoon to do anything.

I feel like the parents expect me to do all the things that I did before (after all that is how I was advertised, plus 2 of my families are the same families). I know you all understand and are on the same page as me. I mean, their needs are met (nutritious meals still, diapers changed as needed, good naps, at least 45 minutes outside everyday, etc), but I feel like everything that makes me stand out is lost on this group. I really look forward to when they grow up more but in the meantime.....

Do you think I should send out a friendly email to the parents letting them know that until the children are older (plus potty trained, better attention span, better language skills), the activities will not be the same as when I had the older group?

[daycare]

So I had almost an entire changover this summer due to kids going to school and replaced all of the older children with youngsters aged 16 months to 2 1/2. With my last group, we had about an hour and 15 minutes in the morning to do circle time (with stories, books and theme-related discussions), preschool lessons (such as manipulatives, sensory play, educational games, etc....playing and learning), and arts and crafts. We also had about an hour in the afternoon to do some additional activities like manipulatives and sensory play.

Now with this new group, I feel like my time is being completely filled with diaper changing, redirections, and helping them learn their self-help skills (like putting on and removing clothing, putting on and taking off shoes, etc.). In addition, they are very limited on their ability to help me, unlike the older children, who were able to make their own beds for nap time, set the table, clear the table and help wash dishes and meal prep. Instead of having an hour and 15 minutes for activities, I have maybe 30 minutes that I'm trying to cram everything into. Essentially, I usually only have time to do circle time and one quick activity OR a longer activity (like arts and crafts). This group is also picked up earlier so there is no time in the afternoon to do anything.

I feel like the parents expect me to do all the things that I did before (after all that is how I was advertised, plus 2 of my families are the same families). I know you all understand and are on the same page as me. I mean, their needs are met (nutritious meals still, diapers changed as needed, good naps, at least 45 minutes outside everyday, etc), but I feel like everything that makes me stand out is lost on this group. I really look forward to when they grow up more but in the meantime.....

Do you think I should send out a friendly email to the parents letting them know that until the children are older (plus potty trained, better attention span, better language skills), the activities will not be the same as when I had the older group?

I can relate.

First off, stop beating yourself up and being so hard on yourself.
I have a similar issue as you do.

With this new age group we both have our lessons shift. So instead of taking home fancy art projects or such, we are teaching them all of the skills they need to get there.

I spend every morning with my littles and we play put on the shoes,coat, pants, etc. Before my group was older and closer in age and I didn't have to do those kind of things with them. We spent it doing other things.

I have 14 kids daily, so what I do is this.

I create a weekly news letter about what we are doing for the week.

3-5 years are my preschoolers. I have one set lesson plan for them
Under 3, we have a completely different lesson plan.

They both are about the similar things, but just taught at a different level.

the 2 and under crowd love learning new things. They are learning how to become more independent daily. We can help them to grow their vocabulary, give them definition to the new words that they learn, teach them how to share, how to play with their friends, how to be a friend and so on.

You are still teaching and you are working even harder than before...

[blandino]

I have also had a similar issue this past year. Lost 4, 4 year olds to school. They had all been together since infancy, were great listeners and LOVED TO LEARN.

Now I have a much younger group, with 5, 2 & 3 year old boys - who are good but lack an attention span (totally normal) and are rambunctious. It has been a big adjustment. Also have 3 toddlers who are just learning to sit through activities, so between the two groups, I felt like I was fighting to get everyone to participate.

I would take it easier on yourself. Figure out what are the hardest parts of your day, and change them. Sometimes I get stuck in thinking that I need to do things the way I have always done them, and it just doesn't work for me at that time. And the only thing holding me to it, is me.

Or I can totally brainstorm with you. Maybe you could do circle time, and allow one activity daily ? That way you don't feel so rushed to fit it all in. It would give you all morning to get it done.

Maybe give each day of the week a certain fundamental to work on.


What I decided, was it was much better for my kids for me not to be a stressed, easily upset, basket case (talking about me, not you ) and take it slow, than trying to fit in all these activities that are supposed to be for their benefit - but I was so stressed that they weren't getting anything out of it at all.

[Cradle2crayons]

So I had almost an entire changover this summer due to kids going to school and replaced all of the older children with youngsters aged 16 months to 2 1/2. With my last group, we had about an hour and 15 minutes in the morning to do circle time (with stories, books and theme-related discussions), preschool lessons (such as manipulatives, sensory play, educational games, etc....playing and learning), and arts and crafts. We also had about an hour in the afternoon to do some additional activities like manipulatives and sensory play.

Now with this new group, I feel like my time is being completely filled with diaper changing, redirections, and helping them learn their self-help skills (like putting on and removing clothing, putting on and taking off shoes, etc.). In addition, they are very limited on their ability to help me, unlike the older children, who were able to make their own beds for nap time, set the table, clear the table and help wash dishes and meal prep. Instead of having an hour and 15 minutes for activities, I have maybe 30 minutes that I'm trying to cram everything into. Essentially, I usually only have time to do circle time and one quick activity OR a longer activity (like arts and crafts). This group is also picked up earlier so there is no time in the afternoon to do anything.

I feel like the parents expect me to do all the things that I did before (after all that is how I was advertised, plus 2 of my families are the same families). I know you all understand and are on the same page as me. I mean, their needs are met (nutritious meals still, diapers changed as needed, good naps, at least 45 minutes outside everyday, etc), but I feel like everything that makes me stand out is lost on this group. I really look forward to when they grow up more but in the meantime.....

Do you think I should send out a friendly email to the parents letting them know that until the children are older (plus potty trained, better attention span, better language skills), the activities will not be the same as when I had the older group?

I agree with the others. YOU are the one dissapointed, I doubt your parents are.

Be patient. Get done what you can do and don't stress the rest!!!!! Give it some time and pretty soon they'll all have he hang of it and you'll have more time in your day. Then they will be like the older group.

[spud912]

Sometimes I feel like all I do is hang out in the bathroom, mixed in with sessions in the kitchen/dining room :confused:. Everyone soils their diapers staggered so I'll take them for the diaper changing time because one will have poop and the others will be dry. Then 30 minutes later another child will be soaked and the others will be dry. 15 minutes later another will be soaked/poopy. 15 minutes later a couple of my potty trained children will have to go and they need supervision. Around spending all the time in the bathrooms, I am either supervising a meal, cleaning up a meal or preparing a meal. This group has to be supervised constantly so they are hanging out in the bathroom talking with me or singing songs or they are playing with toys I set them up with in the kitchen or doing activities at the dining room table.

I think the parents do expect something. One of my kiddos is the younger sibling of one of the kids who went to kindergarten and I always sent him home with cool things (arts and crafts or new songs, etc) and had a bunch of great pictures of their activities. Another child is the only one I still have from before and I'm sure that parent has noticed a significant drop in activities. One of the new parents is friends with parent I just mentioned and I'm sure they talk. The last parent was a hard sell with the activities I provide and I'm sure they are wondering what we are doing all day......

[daycare]

Sometimes I feel like all I do is hang out in the bathroom, mixed in with sessions in the kitchen/dining room :confused:. Everyone soils their diapers staggered so I'll take them for the diaper changing time because one will have poop and the others will be dry. Then 30 minutes later another child will be soaked and the others will be dry. 15 minutes later another will be soaked/poopy. 15 minutes later a couple of my potty trained children will have to go and they need supervision. Around spending all the time in the bathrooms, I am either supervising a meal, cleaning up a meal or preparing a meal. This group has to be supervised constantly so they are hanging out in the bathroom talking with me or singing songs or they are playing with toys I set them up with in the kitchen or doing activities at the dining room table.

I think the parents do expect something. One of my kiddos is the younger sibling of one of the kids who went to kindergarten and I always sent him home with cool things (arts and crafts or new songs, etc) and had a bunch of great pictures of their activities. Another child is the only one I still have from before and I'm sure that parent has noticed a significant drop in activities. One of the new parents is friends with parent I just mentioned and I'm sure they talk. The last parent was a hard sell with the activities I provide and I'm sure they are wondering what we are doing all day......

I have set bathroom times. Unless someone poops. then we don't go but every two hours.

[CrackerJacks]

I too just started a new group of 18mo olds. It definitely is an adjustment, for us all. I make sure to let the parents know that I do, do circle time etc, but not until the children are older, at least 2yo. I don't think any 18mo old can be expected to sit for any length of time. Small steps, once they start approaching 2yo I will start to do a quick calendar time. I also try to sing our circle time songs regularly during the day while we play so it holds their attention once we start doing more.

[Rachel]

I agree with the person above who just said communicate with the parents what you are doing. Also a lot they don't see. Like when we play with the chalk outside, the parents don't get artwork home and don't see it until I send home pictures, but we certainly "did" something that day.

Either write home a weekly letter, or get a whiteboard and title it "what we did today" and write up activities as you do them, that way the parents see what you ARE doing with them.

[blandino]

I agree with the person above who just said communicate with the parents what you are doing. Also a lot they don't see. Like when we play with the chalk outside, the parents don't get artwork home and don't see it until I send home pictures, but we certainly "did" something that day.

Either write home a weekly letter, or get a whiteboard and title it "what we did today" and write up activities as you do them, that way the parents see what you ARE doing with them.

I used to do a white board, and now do daily reports, along with pictures sent home. I think both are excellent ideas.

I would address it head on. Say that with the new group you have, you are having to rearrange your schedule to better fit the needs of the group. Explain your plan, and how that doing things your new way will benefit the children because you will get to have a relaxed, enjoyable experience instead of trying to adhere to a schedule/ curriculum that doesn't seem to be serving you or the children well.

[blandino]

It helped me a lot to give each day a focus.

So, just my personal example. These are the focuses for each day of the week, that way I don't feel pressured to fit things in. I just give every day an overall goal.


Monday: sign language (this is also my weekly planning day, where I prep all art projects and materials for the rest of the week, and the kids free-play and get a movie)

Tuesday: Alphabet recognition

Wednesday: colors & shapes

Thursday: handwriting skills

Friday: Counting & math