The Little Extras Make the Difference

[Cat Herder]

There are alot of threads of things Providers will not do but few of the Extra Services we do offer.

I think we get the reputation of being "hard" or "cold" when parents read here sometimes because we so often vent about the asinine or irritating stuff with our only "Co-Workers".

That being said what Special things do you offer your Families and the children you serve???

We all know there are reasons the kids run through that front door or don't want to leave in the afternoons.

Let's share them.....

[countrymom]

hmm lets see, maybe because we listen to them and give them rules and boundries and feed them healthy meals. I just think that parents don't realize how important consistancey is in the lives of children and maybe thats why children love to come to our houses.

[Meyou]

I buy red grapes because they like them better even though I like the green ones. I make costumes to suit their latest pretend adventures. I play don't let the bed bugs bite at nap every day before I tuck them in. I'm ALWAYS the monster. I call and check on them when they're home sick. I yell goodbye to every child, every day as they get in their car from my door. I could list a million things I do everyday to make every little one here feel loved and happy. LOVE MY JOB!

AI guess these aren't special things but they're important to me.

I've been the on call person for the last 4 babies delivered into my families. I trim bangs on 2 of the girls because they sit still for me. I pretend to go to the pharmacy and get a prescription for one dcb for every ear infection because he only likes my medicine. I do lots of stuff because I love these kids and want them to be happy. But then I'm also paid on time, respected and have very little trouble with my dck's or families so it's easy to go out of my way whenever its needed.

[sahm1225]

I spend the time to cook the night before because I know they love my spanish cooking (which is so time consuming!)

I made them all easter baskets. I had an xmas party and got santa to come and do a special visit. I collected lots of diapers and infant clothes for the mom that just had a baby (mostly hand me downs from me and other families). I spent 2 hours making a scavenger hunt/treasure hunt that the kids did in about 20min but are still talking about today! I brainstorm at night about how I can make the next day even more fun...

I find xtra messy projects to do that I know parents wont want to do at home but that the kids will love..

I love these kids and sit at night worrying about them and how I can help them grow and learn more...

[Lilbutterflie]

I love this thread. A good way to focus on the positive.

I don't participate in the food program b/c I'm only Listed and not Licensed, but I go by their recommendations and serving suggestions for each meal.

I give my current family a 10% discount on all 3 of them for having multiple children.

I send my daycare mom an email every day before she leaves work that has a report for each of her children; telling her what they eat, how they slept, how their behavior was for the day, and any other observations I want to tell her about. She especially loves this benefit!

If I have captured something in a photo just too cute for words, I'll email it same day to her work email. The last time I did it, she told me she made the photo her desktop background at work! I'll also text her things her little ones say that just crack me up.

I tuck each child in at their nap saying "snug as a bug in a rug" and give hugs and cheek kisses.

My dcm asked me to work with her children with the "Your Baby Can Read" system she bought. She brought the whole system over to keep here and use everyday. I don't advertise curriculum or preschool; nor do I think I charge enough to be doing this type of program; but I agreed. I have to admit, her two almost kindergartners have begun to read after doing this system with them. Not just reading the words they've learned, but now understanding how to phonetically sound out simple words! And I have really enjoyed watching all of their progress with it.

[Unregistered]

I cheer when they learn a new letter
I cheer when they go potty
I hug and kiss each child at least 20 times a day
I hold each child and tell them special secrets to make them feel special
I tell each parent the good things their child has done
I tell each parent how special they are to me
I let the children decide on our next toy
I send pictures daily to my parents of their children
I tell each parent each Friday... THANK YOU for paying me
I tell each parent all the time how much I LOVE their child
I tell each parent I am so lucky to have them as GREAT daycare parents
I fix wonderful meals for my children
I could go on and on!!

[daycare]

I offer a free parents night out for each family once a month. I allow for the parents to even bring children that are not part of our DC.. Younger or older siblings. I make sure that my parents have time to be "NOT Parents" Life is not fun for kids when all the parents do is work, parent, and stress...

I also allow for the kids to do things that mom and dad would never let them do. Like walk in paint without shoes

Bake a cake and then smash it with a hammer

Dig in the mud for countless hours and let them paint themself with it.

I let the kids well...be kids....

[JenNJ]

I let them stay up or skip nap if they aren't tired (rare, but it happens). We will cuddle on the couch and watch their favorite show or read their favorite book.

I make their favorite lunches and snacks even if it isn't something I would normally buy. But i make them healthy!

I give a multi child discount. I let my families use vacation time for sick days if they aren't going on vacation.

I get the children's input and ask what they WANT to learn and make my lesson plans around that.

If their child gets messy or has an accident, I change the child into a spare set and I wash the dirty clothes and send them home all folded, fluffy, and clean.

I trim their child's nails A LOT.

[PitterPatter]

Mine aren't really extras because I'm sure most providers do the same but here goes the positive things I provide.

Arts, crafts, and science projects that are beyond the usual construction paper and glue. We make things happen!

Pics and video sent to DCMs through the week

I take pics all year round and at Christmas I print them all out and make a photo album for each parent to see all their child had done and how they grew over the year.

Grandparents get a collage of the photos printed on an 8x10 and framed

Every Christmas I give each child a small gift ($10-$20) and fill a stocking I have painted their names on them.

I crochet hats and scarves for each child every fall to be given for Thanksgiving.

Every Bday the child gets a party and a gift.

Other holidays I give things also, like Easter I made baskets, Halloween I fill buckets.

As for the parents I let them slide MANY times on fees and have even allowed 1 to be a whole month late paying me in the past.

When I get a family that doesn't have much and is running low on food I take supplies from my own pantry and pack groceries for them to take home.

When a family had an emergency and had no one else I took in a child on the weekend at no charge. (I'm not open on weekends) I would do it again if needed because being a single Mom I know how hard it is!

I research and print out local activities for each summer in the area just goes in the newsletter so not special really but it takes my time researching.

I take the kids on fieldtrips like the zoo and kids museums and pay for them myself. (otherwise they wouldnt get to go)

I recently started buying clothing for a couple kids who don't have much. Getting them shoes when I get paid again.

I think that's about it. Unless u want to count all the runny noses I wipe because some DCMs don't want to come get their kids. The tears I wipe when someone gets a broken heart, the rocking and singing, just loving the kids as my own instead of merely watching them come and go.

[PitterPatter]

I offer a free parents night out for each family once a month. I allow for the parents to even bring children that are not part of our DC.. Younger or older siblings. I make sure that my parents have time to be "NOT Parents" Life is not fun for kids when all the parents do is work, parent, and stress...

I also allow for the kids to do things that mom and dad would never let them do. Like walk in paint without shoes
Bake a cake and then smash it with a hammer

Dig in the mud for countless hours and let them paint themself with it.

I let the kids well...be kids....

Mine loved this!! I even had them make a shirt for me. I layed it on the floor and let them each take a few steps across the front and the next day the back. Then I wrote "My daycare kids walk all over me" on the front. The parents loved it! I offered to send the paints home so they could make something similar they quickly declined the offer!

[MarinaVanessa]

I scour craigslist/newspaper ads and hound my friends and family members for free/low cost clothes of every size and let the DC families take what they need.
I take every free training opportunity that I can possibly attend even after a long 12 hour workday so that I am up to date and educated on different child rearing and child care philosophies.
I sign up for several community newsletters, newspapers and flyers and bookmark websites to check each week for free or low-cost community events that would be fun for the parents of my daycare kids to take their families to.
I volunteer each year at a Hot-Air Balloon festival for free hot-air balloon tickets which I give to the DC children.
I kiss EVERY boo-boo no matter how gross or how non-existent.
I let the kids go through toy/material catalogues and make daycare wish-lists which I pick from when I buy toys and supplies.
I make hand molds of each child’s hand for the parents every year as Christmas gifts.
I skip lunch sometimes during nap to research or to plan fun activities.
I made and keep a website where parents can check the calendar to look at special events from home instead of having to wait until coming to daycare.
I make monthly newsletters about what we do, funny things that I’ve seen/heard, triumphs etc. about our group and attach interesting fact sheets about kids, laws, nutrition, recipes, etc. to them.
I encourage parents to sign their kids up for classes (dance, gymnastics, swimming etc.) and will sign and pay for the classes myself and allow them to reimburse me back just so our whole group can get in the same class together.
I invite my friends and family members to the daycare to share about their careers (police man, firefighter, culinary arts, nurse etc) or to teach us about their hobby (my hubby builds birdhouses etc. with them, my mom knitted for them, I teach them Mexican Folkloric dances) .
A photographer friend comes to the daycare and takes photos of the children (brings everything!) and I buy a 5x7 of each child for them.

I respect, value and love their child and willingly welcome families into my home and into a partnership solely for the purpose of benefiting their child.