Infant - 2 Year Old Program

[blandino]

Does anyone specialize in care for 0-2 ? We will be making the transition this fall, after talking about it for almost a year now. All the stars have lined up, and we are able to do it with minimal terminations.

Right now we have a pretty structured day, partly to harness the energy/activity level of the older children. I definitely can't operate without a schedule, I have to have the day planned out, but I also want it to be looser than it is now.

I was thinking:

breakfast
Free play
Circle time
Music
Art/sensory (switch off days of the week)
outside
lunch
nap
snack
freeplay
pick-up

But I am super interested to see what other strictly younger child programs look like. Just an an FYI we have two adults, and divide the kids up from 0-12/18m and 18m-36m. So this schedule would primarily be for the 18m+ crowd.

[CraftyMom]

I would like this as well, however I can only have 2 under 15 months. I'm finding that I am personally much more geared toward infants and toddlers than older kids, up to 3 years old I think.

Good luck, I'll be following this post


ETA: Correction, I can have 3 under 2 years old, one has to be walking. Where did I get the 15 months from

[SilverSabre25]

I would love to do this. I like either just over three or all under three... mixing the two sides is the hardest of all! But I have to find a good way to sell it so I can charge more than usual since I can only have 3 kids under 2.

[SilverSabre25]

Through the Haze of today's head ache I realized I didn't answer your question. Heh.

I think, given the ages and the "ease" (haha not ) of herding them around and changing gears, I would do something like this:

breakfast
Circle time (music during circle time)
Free play with Art AND a simple sensory activity available as choices
outside
lunch
nap
snack
freeplay
pick-up

That keeps transitions to a minimum, which is key for this age group. Having several choices during free play gives them plenty of variety. During circle time you can Tell them, " for free play today we have some fun spring coloring sheets, a box of beans and dinosaurs, trains, the house corner, and blocks!" Or whatever. You can even add in a bit of montessori and have them "make a plan" by asking them to choose where they will go play first to dismiss from circle time.

[CraftyMom]

Would you term when they get to age 2?

[blandino]

Would you term when they get to age 2?

I am sending out a letter that states we need to start planning for children to leave for preschool around their 3rd birthday. So they will be with us through their twos.

In OK up until two takes an infant opening, so those are limited. If we did all under two, we would have less children. Income wise, having them until 3 allows us to have extra children.