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Getting the kids into a routine. Did you hang it to remind you? Write it down? What works for you? We are still new at this and my kids want to do what they want and that makes the other one want to do it also. Is routine different when you are outside then inside? We have been outside and today a little chilly they don't want to out. And now we are all off.. ..
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Last edited by Michael; 05-17-2011, 12:36 PM. -
I have a schedule typed up on cute paper and taped EVERYWHERE for me to see, just in case I have an "off" day and forget when something needs to be done. We use the same schedule EVERY SINGLE DAY, and the kids know that they have to follow it, because they'll be all alone if they don't! Even the 18 month old that I have knows the routine. When it's time for lunch, he walks to the bathroom to wash his hands. When the mats are down, he lays down and goes to sleep, no questions asked...That's how they all are because everything is the same every day.
I have seen others who have a strip of velcro down or across one wall, with pictures of what comes next and what time velcroed onto the strip. Does that make sense?
That gives YOU a visual schedule to keep up with, and the kids will be able to see the pictures and know what's next too...So no surprises and no confusion!
My summer schedule is a little different than my other season schedule, just because we are outside as much as we can be. During the summer, I cut out my circle time routine, and we focus on play. We find different colors and shapes throughout the day and chant our days of the week and months of the year, but no formal sit-down time like during the colder months.
I have two different schedules, one for the summer months and one for the colder months. Basically the only thing that I change is indoor free time and outdoor free time. If there's a rainy summer day, we stick to normal schedule, but have indoor free time instead. It's not terribly hard to create a summer schedule, but it definitely takes some getting used to.
I hope this helps, at least a little!!
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What is your schedule like? If you don't mind.Comment
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I am open 7:30-5:30...
Summer Schedule:
7:30-8:30 Breakfast or Free Play inside for those who eat before they come...
8:30-8:45 Potty/Diaper/Wash Hands
8:45-9:50 Outdoor Play
9:50-10:00 Potty/Diaper/Wash Hands
10:00-10:30 Morning Snack, Potty/Wash Hands
10:30-11:15 Outdoor Play (Teacher directed relays and other games) (this is usually when we have our circle time!!)
11:15-11:45 Books, Puzzles to settle down for lunch
11:45-11:55 Potty/Diaper/Wash Hands
12-12:30 Lunch/Potty/Wash Hands
12:30-1:00 Outdoor Free Play/Clean up
1:00-1:20 Story Time/Art
1:20-1:30 Potty/Diaper/Wash Hands
1:30-3:30 Nap
3:30-3:45 Wake Up/Potty/Wash Hands/Diapers Changed
3:45-4:00 Wash Hands for Snack
4:00-4:30 Snack/Potty/Wash Hands
4:30-5:30 Free Play, Outside if Possible/Prepare for Home
They can always have water at any time...We have a whale faucet thing where you close the whale's mouth and the faucet becomes a water fountain.
We also do rice and water play randomly...Usually on Fridays from 12:30-1:20!
Hope this helps!
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does your 18mt old nap at the same time. One of my 15mt olds is ready for a nap at 10:30 and is grumpy until I lay her down. I want to extend it. any advice? We are rushing our mornings.Comment
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Well, when he first started in November he had JUST turned one...So he took morning naps from about 10:30-11:30. I gradually shortened these naps about 15 minutes each week until he wasn't taking a morning nap at all. He sometimes lays down a little earlier than the other kids, but other than that he's on the exact same schedule...
It was frustrating at first because if he DIDN'T take his morning nap he'd fall asleep in his plate at lunch, but he is ALWAYS hungry so I knew he needed to eat too, kwim?? It definitely took at least a month of him falling asleep at least once a week in his plate before he finally got used to the one nap!
He was also in a pack and play until about March, and transferring him to a mat was the best idea EVER. In the pack and play, he would play, cry, scream, laugh, "talk," etc. On the mat, he sees everyone else is doing the same thing and goes right to sleep!Comment
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does he stay asleep? What do you do if they don't sleep the whole time? Where do you have them sleeping? What do you do when they are sleeping, do you stay in the area?Comment
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Okay tell me about relay and other games you play, are they with the young ones? If so tell me your rules. I am always looking for things to do!!I am open 7:30-5:30...
Summer Schedule:
7:30-8:30 Breakfast or Free Play inside for those who eat before they come...
8:30-8:45 Potty/Diaper/Wash Hands
8:45-9:50 Outdoor Play
9:50-10:00 Potty/Diaper/Wash Hands
10:00-10:30 Morning Snack, Potty/Wash Hands
10:30-11:15 Outdoor Play (Teacher directed relays and other games) (this is usually when we have our circle time!!)
11:15-11:45 Books, Puzzles to settle down for lunch
11:45-11:55 Potty/Diaper/Wash Hands
12-12:30 Lunch/Potty/Wash Hands
12:30-1:00 Outdoor Free Play/Clean up
1:00-1:20 Story Time/Art
1:20-1:30 Potty/Diaper/Wash Hands
1:30-3:30 Nap
3:30-3:45 Wake Up/Potty/Wash Hands/Diapers Changed
3:45-4:00 Wash Hands for Snack
4:00-4:30 Snack/Potty/Wash Hands
4:30-5:30 Free Play, Outside if Possible/Prepare for Home
They can always have water at any time...We have a whale faucet thing where you close the whale's mouth and the faucet becomes a water fountain.
We also do rice and water play randomly...Usually on Fridays from 12:30-1:20!
Hope this helps!
We spend a lot and I mean a lot of time outside. I am planning to do our art and circle time outside along with meals. It seems to be the only time they are not fighting with each other.
The rice and water are they mixed, is it in a sand and water table?
What do you do for circle time? does the 18 mt old join? how did you get him to?
What types are art do you do? Thanks for all your helpComment
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Almost always, he stays asleep..Now he DOES talk in his sleep sometimes, and occasionally cries in his sleep, but he usually sleeps the entire naptime, and is usually the last one to even wake up, which is TOTALLY different from when he was in the pack and play!!
I have an assistant, so I have half in our playroom, and half in our circle time room (I have a whole house dedicated to daycare because it's not where I live...).
By law, I have to stay in the room with the kids, as does my assistant. That's when I get on daycare.com!! Our dining room is right off the playroom, so I can clean up from lunch while the kids are sleeping. The kitchen is right off our circle time room so my assistant can clean too. For the most part, we clean as we cook/eat, so there isn't a whole lot to do during naptime.
For relay games, I include anyone who wants to join...Since we are in the fenced in yard, it is okay for the kids to kind of wander off and do their own thing if they don't want to participate. We run, walk backwards, skip, hop, whatever we think of for that day. My 18 month old SOMETIMES tries to join, and when he doesn't he watches and claps for the other kids.
(He can't say anything but "juice" so when he yells and claps he just says "JUICE! JUICE!" over and over again... : My only rule is "DON'T RUN OVER ANYONE!" and they actually really pay attention and are careful to keep to themselves!
They LOVE "baseball" right now..I have a very soft bat, and a ball that they take turns hitting or throwing with me. At least half are on a t-ball team this year so they know what's going on, and the ones that aren't on a team have pretty much figured it out!! Even my 18 month old throws the ball to me, or at least tries. Rule for this one is "Keep the ball and bat between us. Never hit your friends with it!"
I have found that their favorite favorite FAVORITE things have to do with balls. Basketballs, footballs, dodgeballs, tennis balls, etc etc etc...They ALL want to play ball. We have used spoons and plastic Easter eggs for relays, and they really enjoyed that too...hmm...Let me think on it, I know we do more!!
I know EXACTLY what you mean about not fighting when outside...That's how mine are too!! We have a picnic table that is older than I am, and all the kids fit on it. We eat snack on it A LOT when it gets warm, and occasionally lunch too. I am working on an outdoor art center as well.
Our rice and water are separated..I have them in plastic bins with a lid. That way we can just dump the water out, put the water toys inside, and close the top, and with the rice, we just leave it and the toys inside and close the top. It's so much easier than a sand/water table in my opinion...But to each his own
I actually just added a small circle time routine for the younger kids (my 18 month old up to our just turned 2 yr olds). It is in the dining room, and we do circle time immediately after snack. This way, the little kids are already sitting and my assistant does it VERY quickly so they can get up and roam...I take the older kids (mature 2's-5yrs) to the circle time room and close the door so they aren't disturbed, and we have our own extended version. My 18 month old LOVES music, fingerplays, rhymes, etc, so they do a lot of that during circle time!
Our art includes play-doh, foam stickers, painting, fingerpainting, chalk, crayons, markers, cutting and gluing, honestly whatever you can think of, we probably do it. I have squirted shaving cream on the table and just let them spread it...VERY messy, but extremely fun! (Even had a prospective client come in unannounced during this, which was sorta stressful, but they took the spot! haha!)
You're very welcome for any help I can give!! If you want, I can pm you my email address and we can share more ideas!Comment
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That would be great I am still trying figure this forum out. ThanksComment
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