How Much Time Do You Spend Actively Playing...

[laundrymom]

That is awesome!! Butpersonally here, my washer dryer is in my basement and thats a nono,.. I would be freaked about the socks though,.. Im a bit overly anal about my laundry. . I wash so many seperate loads. I have 6 people living here, 5 of them full grown sized. . I have a pink load, a red, a kitchen towel, a bathroom towel, a sock and unders, a rug, a jeans, a work clothes for husband,.. ewww,... and a work clothes for me,.. I have sheets, blankets, then there is camping laundry,.. I am a bit of an overprepared goon.

I know some providers who do it that way. My playrooms are on two floors so the laundry is upstairs next to one play room.

I like to get all the laundry done when the kids are up. The secret to doing three loads of laundry a day is to have the kids do it. We have the kids start folding laundry when they are new two year olds:

First bibs (one fold)
then rags (two fold)
then towels (three fold)

and on and on.

The pack leader (eldest in the group) "gets" to match the socks. We make sure we have a FULL bin of white socks and then let her/him at it.

One of the first complete sentences these guys say is "I fold rags?" ::

[nannyde]

...I wouldn't begin to think that I could do a better job at defending Nan than she can!

It's just that MY personal opinion is that if people really took the time to understand what was written, they wouldn't find it so controversial. If I were to give Nan any advice it all, it would be to dumb it down a little, so that her points weren't lost in the uproar.

What I read is that there is a difference in job responsiblities between a Nanny and a daycare provider. Daycare providers care for a group of children and while they do interact with the children, it is not the level of one on one attention provided by a Nanny. Nanny's cost more than group child care providers do, due to the nature of their work. If someone wanted her to provide Nanny-Care it would be an additional fee as she has other responsibilities and cannot provide that level of care for one child.

Or, in other words, $25 a day doesn't buy you a FULL day of one on one attention. It buys you group care, with a loving and safe provider, or in her case TWO loving and safe providers, plenty of toys and activities, and the optimum level of safety and good nutrition. Sounds like a deal to me.

Oh, and the difference between Nan doing it and the way that SOME of the others are doing it is this... you don't really hear Nan going off the deep end and making random snarky comments at people she disagrees with. She is VERY professional in her responses, which personally I find refreshing.

Thanks Jen

I always try to be really open to the idea that there are SO many ways to do this well. I think where the discord comes is in what people believe children MUST have in order to grow into happy healthy kids. It's really a broad range and we are only a "part" of their daily lives. They have parents, family, friends, and TIME in their own lives. We don't need to take on EVERYTHING the kid needs in the time we have them daily.

I think kids need tight supervision, excellent food, good deep sleep, clean safe environment, age appropriate materials, exercise, and an adult who is happy, healthy and well paid who cares about them and understands the fundamental safety and care of young kids.

I also think there is a HUGE range of services from babysitting to proffessional child care provider/educator. I've never wanted to be a proffessional child care provider. I've always really tried hard to keep my services to babysitting and then offer "special" or extra in the areas that "I" love and that "I" think make the babysitting work. For me that is having a second person here, having a large toy collection (and managing that), lots of space, and having really really good old school grandma's house food.

I'm never going to be a professional childcare provider. I don't have the education. I don't have the interest. I don't have the belief system that supports it. I could never get accreditation even at the lowest level. I know I would never pass something like that. We have QRS here in Iowa and I've never even applied for it. We have the Child Net certification. I took the classes but never even TRIED to get certified.

I try to raise these guys old school. I think we steal their early childhood when we start going against nature. I don't think adults need to be entertaining kids. A little here and there... of course.. but not the staple of their time. I think they need the life experience of boredom. I think they need to learn how to make a lot out of a little. I think they need to be fed the most excellent food the adults can afford. I think they need a lot less of us and a lot more of each other. They have their whole lives to be in school. They have years and years ahead of them when they have adults generating their activities and participating in it.

We stay out of their play and they end up being excellent players. We don't do "developmentally appropriate" but they end up being excellent students and excellent peers when they get out into public school.

There's more than one way to do this. I know that for sure. One doesn't have to negate the other and both can be paid for accordingly.

[nannyde]

Isn't there child labor laws against that?!?! I AM ONLY KIDDING!! That is great! What a neat way to have them be productive and learn something at the same time; matching, teamwork, cooperation and household chores....for boys, their mothers and future wives will appreciate it!!

he he he

I just want the laundry folded for free ::::

[jen]

OK...so this is a bit off topic but on the subject of kiddos folding laundry...

I had a friend whose daycare provider was using her daycare kids like little factory workers! You know when you see work at home putting crafts together ads? She was having her older preschoolers and schoolaged kids do it and then pocketing the money!!!!

YIKES!!!

[marniewon]

OK...so this is a bit off topic but on the subject of kiddos folding laundry...

I had a friend whose daycare provider was using her daycare kids like little factory workers! You know when you see work at home putting crafts together ads? She was having her older preschoolers and schoolaged kids do it and then pocketing the money!!!!

YIKES!!!

OMG - those preschoolers were good enough to put the crafts together and have them look good enough to make money from them?!?

[kendallina]

I personally don't see anything wrong with doing everyday household chores with child care kids around. If your laundry machine is close to where your kiddos are (and especially if they can help), I think it's great.

During snack, I'll load the dishwasher sometimes and I often sweep the floor after we eat. We did the same when I worked in a center. It's just part of what has to get done because the children are in our care.

And I run a preschool not daycare. I really don't see what the big deal is. especially for those that run a daycare not a preschool.

[jen]

OMG - those preschoolers were good enough to put the crafts together and have them look good enough to make money from them?!?

I guess! I have no idea how much they were doing and how much the older kids were doing, but OMG! I can't even imagine telling a dcp that I was using their kid for free labor!

(not including helping with household chores of course, I think it's great if kids have age appropriate chores to do!)

[AfterSchoolMom]

I guess! I have no idea how much they were doing and how much the older kids were doing, but OMG! I can't even imagine telling a dcp that I was using their kid for free labor!

I'm quite sure that the parents didn't know that was going on. OMG!

[jen]

I'm quite sure that the parents didn't know that was going on. OMG!

The provider told my friend, whose child attended daycare there! Apparently, Erin, my friends dd, kept talking about their craft time, but the crafts never came home so my friend asked, and the provider told her...

As for the other parents, well, probably not!

[QualiTcare]

Well daily paperwork takes all of 3 min a day. I don't order food. I cook in only moments as most prep work is done while I prepare my own families food. I guess I think actively playing is just that,... Playing purposely. Actively focusing my attention in a play like fashion and engaging with them to enhance their time here. I play WITH them not AT them. We play together. Maybe the actively playing was interpreted differently in my mind. I can see how you would think "time spent actively playing " would mean "time spent in active play" they are 2 different things though. I actively play with the kids here roughly 3/4 of their day. Our day is structured with time planned to insure this happens. It is part of my curriculum. Part of our daily schedule and truly how our days are as low stressed as possible. I DO consider singing looking at clouds hiking and the other things you mentioned to be actively playing with the children. Actively engaging them. I'm wondering what your definition is of actively playing?

my definition of actively playing is playing and interacting with the children while giving them your undivided attention. like i said, i also don't consider the things you consider playing to be playing - which is why i said i don't think it's possible to spend more than half of the time playing. i consider doing things outside...hiking or cloud watching...to be normal activities, but i wouldn't call that "active play." since you do though, i can see how you would say 70% of your time is spent playing.

i know education talk gets a lot of people going, but i didn't even know you were working on a degree, and i have my bachelor's in early childhood and a teaching license so i def. wouldn't have a problem with it -and i know nannyde has a bachelor's also so i wouldn't think she'd have an issue either. :confused:

[SilverSabre25]

I know some providers who do it that way. My playrooms are on two floors so the laundry is upstairs next to one play room.

I like to get all the laundry done when the kids are up. The secret to doing three loads of laundry a day is to have the kids do it. We have the kids start folding laundry when they are new two year olds:

First bibs (one fold)
then rags (two fold)
then towels (three fold)

and on and on.

The pack leader (eldest in the group) "gets" to match the socks. We make sure we have a FULL bin of white socks and then let her/him at it.

One of the first complete sentences these guys say is "I fold rags?" ::

Ooo! I know how you can get them even more involved!! My DD LOVES to do laundry with me (she's 3)--she gets to pick up the clothes from the sorted pile and put them in the washer, then when they're ready to go in the dryer, I fish them out of the washer and drop them on the dryer door and she shoves them the rest of the way in. She LOVES it and gets so dang excited when I mention we need to work on laundry.

[nikia]

Ooo! I know how you can get them even more involved!! My DD LOVES to do laundry with me (she's 3)--she gets to pick up the clothes from the sorted pile and put them in the washer, then when they're ready to go in the dryer, I fish them out of the washer and drop them on the dryer door and she shoves them the rest of the way in. She LOVES it and gets so dang excited when I mention we need to work on laundry.

Can she come do my laundry :: I hate laundry day and my girls arent that fond of it either

[Blackcat31]

Ooo! I know how you can get them even more involved!! My DD LOVES to do laundry with me (she's 3)--she gets to pick up the clothes from the sorted pile and put them in the washer, then when they're ready to go in the dryer, I fish them out of the washer and drop them on the dryer door and she shoves them the rest of the way in. She LOVES it and gets so dang excited when I mention we need to work on laundry.

That is sooo cute!!! Reminds me of when my DD (22 yrs old now) was 3 or 4 years old and my friend would always invite her over for a play date with her child...after a few play dates I had a conversation with my DD about what they did while they played and she said "Work, work work, you know how it is mom!" turns out my DD was ignoring the other kid and organizing the kids dresser drawers! My friend said my DD wasn't interested in playing she was more concerned with the organization of the other kids drawers...my friend said my DD would dump the contents of each drawer and fold every item and replace them in a very ordered fashion. OMG!!! think OCD at 3 huh? Anyways, my friends would all joke that when their kids' rooms got messy that they would call me and invite my DD over...
To this day, DD keeps her closets and drawers neater and more organized than military people! Each hanger is color coded and all clothing is hung according to size, shape and color etc...her dresser is the same way! I am NOT that way so I have no idea where this madness comes from.....MAYBE MY DAYCARE PROVIDER HAD HER DOING LAUNDRY ALL THOSE YEARS I WAS WORKING!?!?

[Crystal]

!

One of the reasons I started daycare was because in 6 months time, I had put my kids in three different daycares.

My daughter was 13 months old. I arrived to pick her from daycare unnanounced one day and found a little boy changing my daughters diaper. I mentioned it to the provider and she asked if I had a problem with it. I told her yes, that I expect that only SHE change my daughters diaper, not other children. She RUDELY informed me that "I'll have you knoe ALL of theses children have chores here, including YOURS" Yeah....not anymore they didn't. I took my kids and left and never looked back. She didn't DARE try to charge me for leaving without notice either

[marniewon]

!

One of the reasons I started daycare was because in 6 months time, I had put my kids in three different daycares.

My daughter was 13 months old. I arrived to pick her from daycare unnanounced one day and found a little boy changing my daughters diaper. I mentioned it to the provider and she asked if I had a problem with it. I told her yes, that I expect that only SHE change my daughters diaper, not other children. She RUDELY informed me that "I'll have you knoe ALL of theses children have chores here, including YOURS" Yeah....not anymore they didn't. I took my kids and left and never looked back. She didn't DARE try to charge me for leaving without notice either

That's crazy!!! I can see helping fold laundry, or setting the table for their own lunch, or taking care of their dishes, or cleaning up the toys, etc....but doing HER job caring for the children? That was their "chores"?? Out of curiosity, did you report her? There's something not right about a little boy changing any diapers, much less a baby girl's diapers!