Originally Posted by Play Care:
For your day care? I'm trying to get inspired
Is there a schedule that you've adapted that makes your day run smoothly? A toy that may have been a big investment but pays for itself daily? A policy you implemented that you wonder why you waited so long?
Let's here some positive changes that you've made and how you have benefited.
A few things I've done:
Changed my hours on Friday so that I close at 4:00.
Bought the magnet tot locks for my cabinets. We don't have to have them, but the others didn't last and the kids could easily get around them. No one opens these and I love that I can turn them off on evenings and weekends.
-Stopped taking school aged kids.
-Bought a mirror from the school catalog and put it on my door (not the front door but the door that was in the playroom and went to garage). The kids loved it and my grandkids still do and I could also see around corners.
-Installed a retractable gate on a larger than normal opening. Loved that thing!
-As I got older, I stopped running at full capacity. Our allowable number was 6 but I only took 3. That was a luxury.
-Had a 2 page contract and no handbook. This allowed me to address the really important things and the rest I could just say (as things came up) "I don't allow that for such and such reason, sure you understand." I didn't feel like I needed a policy about every little thing. My provider friend just called it her Guidelines and it was one page. You don't follow the guidelines feel free to leave. I didn't like being bound to a contract except for the most important things like payment, sick policies, etc. It was for my benefit more than for their benefit.
Laurel