Group Care Schedules And Reorganizing Questions

[Cozy_Kids_Childcare]

I'm reorganizing. Black cat got me thinking the other day that there is no reason I can't keep going forward with what I'm doing after my youngest starts school. So far my reorganizing ideas
1. Start a retirement fund.
2. Start looking at this as a true business and not just something I'm doing to pass the time.
3. Start scheduling a half day a month to go to lunch with my own older kids. Parents take off all the time to do stuff why can't I.
4. Get a new schedule to follow. That will allow time for group care not just my older kids.

Speaking of a new schedule how do you ladies work around having babies, toddlers and preschoolers into one schedule?
Seasoned providers please help give me ideas on how to make this a potential long term thing. What do you do to release stress of the day. How do you work things with your family time? When did your backbone finally grow in fully? Do you play with your daycare kids on the floor all day or do you let them just figure it out? Do you wear a uniform so to speak so you if you look professional you'll feel professional and do you find that parents treat you differently?

I'm approaching 4-year mark in February. We are closing in the garage this November to make that my space so that the kids have more room and I will have a different room.

[Blackcat31]

I'm reorganizing. Black cat got me thinking the other day that there is no reason I can't keep going forward with what I'm doing after my youngest starts school. So far my reorganizing ideas
1. Start a retirement fund.
2. Start looking at this as a true business and not just something I'm doing to pass the time.
3. Start scheduling a half day a month to go to lunch with my own older kids. Parents take off all the time to do stuff why can't I.
4. Get a new schedule to follow. That will allow time for group care not just my older kids.

Speaking of a new schedule how do you ladies work around having babies, toddlers and preschoolers into one schedule?

For me, free play for one age group and structured activities for another age group are opposite. For example, my infants/toddlers are doing free play while my preschoolers are doing their lessons. When the preschoolers are having free play or center play, I am busy with one on one with my infants and toddlers.

My environment is set up so that I can see into ALL rooms of my child care facility from the main area.

My DCK's are also ALL very skilled at playing without an adult.

What do you do to release stress of the day. How do you work things with your family time? .

I am an avid reader so I read a lot. Sometimes just being alone helps. Taking a walk or driving home is some good quiet time for me.

Just not being AT daycare is a stress reliever..

My own children are 23 and 26 so I don't have to juggle many family activities other than caring for our new puppy and my two cats.

When did your backbone finally grow in fully? .

I've always been .......searching for the right word...... bossy (?)

I've just never been a follower...I'm the girl in English waving her hand volunteering to do my oral presentation first. I have zero issues with speaking up and stating whats on my mind. In a nice way when necessary of course.

Do you play with your daycare kids on the floor all day or do you let them just figure it out? .

I do not play WITH my DCK's. (Sometimes I do but not as a regular part of our every day routine.)
I provide the environment for THEM to play WITH their friends.
I am only available to facilitate when necessary and supervise.

Do you wear a uniform so to speak so you if you look professional you'll feel professional and do you find that parents treat you differently?.

I wear regular clothes. The kind I would wear if I was going out shopping. Usually jeans and a T or Khaki's and a nice top. I will wear an apron for messy activities but yes, I believe how you present yourself makes a big difference. My DCF's have made mention of it before.

I know people prefer comfort but I don't think I could personally take anyone serious if they were enforcing a business policy wearing Sponge Bob pj pants and a messy, just-got-out-of-bed look kwim? MY personal opinion.

I'm approaching 4-year mark in February. We are closing in the garage this November to make that my space so that the kids have more room and I will have a different room.

Separate space (on the same property or not) makes THE BIGGEST difference in this field. You HAVE to be able to leave work in order to get a break from it.

The only other people I know of that literally stay in one place all day are prisoners or patients and I am neither so being able to "leave work" both physically and mentally makes a huge difference.

HTH

[GabsKids]

Good for you Cozy! It can be a lucrative lifelong career. I also found that once all of MY kids were in school all day, daycare became easier!
Having your own space is awesome. I use my finished basement. I have a bathroom and a small kitchen. I knew a provider in my area who converted her garage and added a half bath, and small kithchen so they could stay in that room all day and not use any part of her home. Something else that is great about that is you can keep your dc food and families food seperate.

If it were me, I would rewrite my handbook and let parents know what your intentions are. Basically, that in order for this to be a career that you love, you need to make some changes that are conducive to running your daycare successfully.

I used to wear scrubs, but I lost some weight, and I felt they looked too big and sloppy. So now I have just been wearing everyday clothing.
I sometimes give kiddos some ideas when it comes to playtime. For example, I help them build a zoo or car garage with blocks and let them take it from there. Or set up a grocery store or restaurant and again, they run with it.
As far as incorporating mixed ages, we all do circle time together which is singing, reading a book, naming colors and shapes with laminated crayons I made. The younger ones sometimes become disinterested so I don't stress if they get up and walk away to play with something else. When I had infants in care they would sit in an infant seat or bumbo right with us, if they were awake, or I would hold them.
Managing family time can be difficult, but as you said, I think that can be with any career.
As far as relieving stress, taking a drive alone, even if it's to pick up my children from sports practice, going to Target (), reading, watching tv after kids are in bed with my hubby, and having an alcoholic beverage once in a while!

Good luck!

[hsdcmama]

Following this post for myself as well. I hear you on not being able to get away from your work; we live in a small house and do not have a place where I can set up a separate space for my daycare. My daycare is my whole house! The only room that is not used is me & my husband's bedroom, & I feel like it's the only sacred space we have. It's tough, because even when the dc kids go home for the day, I am somehow still in "daycare mode". It's really hard to separate myself from that most of the time, so I think I'm going to make certain times on certain evenings to do stuff like paperwork, food program stuff, planning for activities & such. Like 1 hour from 6-7 on Tuesdays & Thursdays, and THAT'S IT. If I don't get it done then, it can wait till the next time.

[DaveA]

What do you do to release stress of the day. ?

Do you have a hobby that produces something? I'm a bladesmith, but really it can be anything from bonsais to baking. I find the mental/physical effort centers me, blows off steam, and really lets me refocus. Plus afterwards you can either keep & use what you make or sell/ give it to share with others.

Good luck- it sounds like you're off to a good start reorganizing.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I'm reorganizing. Black cat got me thinking the other day that there is no reason I can't keep going forward with what I'm doing after my youngest starts school. So far my reorganizing ideas
1. Start a retirement fund.
2. Start looking at this as a true business and not just something I'm doing to pass the time.
3. Start scheduling a half day a month to go to lunch with my own older kids. Parents take off all the time to do stuff why can't I.
4. Get a new schedule to follow. That will allow time for group care not just my older kids.

Speaking of a new schedule how do you ladies work around having babies, toddlers and preschoolers into one schedule?
Seasoned providers please help give me ideas on how to make this a potential long term thing. What do you do to release stress of the day. How do you work things with your family time? When did your backbone finally grow in fully? Do you play with your daycare kids on the floor all day or do you let them just figure it out? Do you wear a uniform so to speak so you if you look professional you'll feel professional and do you find that parents treat you differently?

I'm approaching 4-year mark in February. We are closing in the garage this November to make that my space so that the kids have more room and I will have a different room.

I am not a seasoned provider, but I thought I'd give my input as well since I have a mixed age group.

I have:
1 12-month-old
3/4 2-year-olds (1 is part-time Monday/Wednesday/Friday)
2/3 3-year-olds (1 is part-time Tuesday/Thursday)
3 4-year-olds

We do have a structured schedule and the 3's and 4's participate in the math, writing, and science portion of the day. The 2's (and my 1) do alternate activities to strengthen those skills but in a very different way. Theirs is more play based whereas my older kids get to do small group activities that are sometimes teacher led and sometimes child led. Circle Time is for everyone but my 2's do tend to wander off and come and go. As they approach 3 we work more on staying and participating. It is a time to learn together and explore various concepts related to our theme, plus we don't sit on our bottoms the entire time (there is dancing, singing, etc.) so it isn't impossible for them.

I used to be really cushy, squishy, and gooey because I thought that was how I needed to be. I have Asperger's and it was what I saw modeled and so I imitated it. Man, was I ever pushed around and I didn't know how to transition it to "administrator" when they were trying to cross the line. Now, I am pretty blunt. That is my normal personality. I say things that tend to shock people but I do it with a smile on my face. I also try to make a joke out of things if I can to lighten the mood when I'm having to crack down. I HAVE learned that you cannot please everyone and just because someone is irked at you for enforcing a policy that they AGREED to follow doesn't mean that they hate you nor does it mean they will leave your business. It means they wanted their way now and they didn't get it so they are having a mini-tantrum.

I also follow my created policies. No sense in having policies if you aren't going to enforce them. Every so often, I will OFFER flexibility with certain ones to the families who deserve it. They are always very, very grateful and don't ask for favors. The ones that are always asking for favors tend to get told no and they irritate me just for expecting exceptions to be made for them for no reason at all. I hope that makes sense.

I enjoy my own children after hours. At the very end of the day I will read a book or I might watch a TV show, sit in a bathtub, have a glass of wine, etc. for 30-60 minutes before I go to bed. I feel extremely overworked lately since I really don't get a break from my youngest child and I am often the only one taking care of her for 15+ hours each day so I need to get better at destressing. I get cranky otherwise.

My business is in my house and it takes up the entryway and 3 rooms leading one into another. It consumes pretty much my entire downstairs. I don't know that I could handle it if I didn't have other spaces.

I wear jeans or khakis (in both pant and bermuda short fashion) and a nice shirt. I never wear t-shirts. I DO tend to look a little crazy as I wear inside shoes (not slippers!) that are just solid colored sneakers and they don't always match my outfit but that is just because my feet hurt walking on tile floors all day long. I also always put on make-up. I don't always fix my hair up, so there are days I wear a ponytail but I try to still look "nice" in other ways. I want to be seen as a professional.