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nicolesmom 09:41 AM 08-25-2016
I'm brand new to daycare and will be opening with my first clients on September 6th. My drop off and pick up times are all over the place and I'm having a very tough time trying to figure out a schedule that works to include breakfast, lunch, snacks, naps and outdoor time! I have an 8 month old who is with me from 6-2:30, a 1 year old from 8-5 and a 3 three year old who is with me from 8-12 and then goes to preschool and returns for 4-6. How on earth do I schedule my day?!
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Scout 09:56 AM 08-25-2016
Originally Posted by nicolesmom:
I'm brand new to daycare and will be opening with my first clients on September 6th. My drop off and pick up times are all over the place and I'm having a very tough time trying to figure out a schedule that works to include breakfast, lunch, snacks, naps and outdoor time! I have an 8 month old who is with me from 6-2:30, a 1 year old from 8-5 and a 3 three year old who is with me from 8-12 and then goes to preschool and returns for 4-6. How on earth do I schedule my day?!
I would try to put baby down for a short morning nap before others arrive and then do breakfast at 8:15. You may have to feed him some cereal or something light before others come though. Lunch at 11:15. Nap immediately following lunch until 2:30-3 and then snack for the 1 year old immediately following nap and just do snack for the 3 yo when they return. Or maybe cut 1 yo snack in half so they can eat together too. 1 yo may also need a short morning nap right after breakfast. Just make sure you have the parent picking up baby aware that kids may be napping and they will need to be super quiet at pick up. Good luck to you!!
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Pestle 10:47 AM 08-25-2016
I made a schedule that is sensible, and when the kids are late or leave early, they just get to participate in what happens while they're there.

Here's how I'd do it if I had your kids, assuming the older child needs lunch before leaving for preschool. I'm not sure about how long you want to be outside in the afternoon, but I really like dropoffs/pickups to be outside--the parents leave faster, I don't have to worry about everything being totally spotless inside, and I don't have kids tearing through the off-limit portions of my house/parents declaring that they're going to use my private bathroom.

Baby naps happen whenever baby is sleepy--wear an Ergo or lay down a blanket inside one of those pop-up play cubes when outside.

6:00-8:00: Baby breakfast and quiet time/nap/tummy time as needed that day. No breakfast for kids who arrive at 8.
8:00-8:30: Circle time/guided lessons
8:30-9:30: Outdoor play
9:30-10:00: Snack time
10:00-11:00: Circle time/guided lessons/free play
11:00-11:15: Art
11:15-11:30: Free play/lunch prep
11:30-12:00: Lunch and gather up 3-year-old's things
12:00-12:30: Reading/prep for nap
12:30-3:00: Nap time. MAKE SURE THE INFANT'S PARENTS DON'T RING THE BELL AT PICK UP. I have a sign I put on my door during nap time
3:00-3:30: Snack time
3:30-3:55: Free play/cleanup. Gather up toddler's things and sign-in/out sheet
3:55-5:05: Outdoor play--toddler picked up from outside
5:05-6:00: Free play inside with preschooler
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Scout 01:04 PM 08-25-2016
Sorry, I didn't see the outside time in your post. I do my outside time in the morning after the bus leaves with my kids and before lunch. After nap I can sometimes do it if I have kids here til 5 but, some leave at 4 and it is a rush of getting hands washed, snacks, and checking my kids lunches for anything that needs to be refridgerated. It's them most hectic time of day here, so outside time is easier in the morning.
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Avalon_Mist 02:07 PM 08-25-2016
Thanks Pestle, the schedule you created was really helpful


Originally Posted by Pestle:
I made a schedule that is sensible, and when the kids are late or leave early, they just get to participate in what happens while they're there.

Here's how I'd do it if I had your kids, assuming the older child needs lunch before leaving for preschool. I'm not sure about how long you want to be outside in the afternoon, but I really like dropoffs/pickups to be outside--the parents leave faster, I don't have to worry about everything being totally spotless inside, and I don't have kids tearing through the off-limit portions of my house/parents declaring that they're going to use my private bathroom.

Baby naps happen whenever baby is sleepy--wear an Ergo or lay down a blanket inside one of those pop-up play cubes when outside.

6:00-8:00: Baby breakfast and quiet time/nap/tummy time as needed that day. No breakfast for kids who arrive at 8.
8:00-8:30: Circle time/guided lessons
8:30-9:30: Outdoor play
9:30-10:00: Snack time
10:00-11:00: Circle time/guided lessons/free play
11:00-11:15: Art
11:15-11:30: Free play/lunch prep
11:30-12:00: Lunch and gather up 3-year-old's things
12:00-12:30: Reading/prep for nap
12:30-3:00: Nap time. MAKE SURE THE INFANT'S PARENTS DON'T RING THE BELL AT PICK UP. I have a sign I put on my door during nap time
3:00-3:30: Snack time
3:30-3:55: Free play/cleanup. Gather up toddler's things and sign-in/out sheet
3:55-5:05: Outdoor play--toddler picked up from outside
5:05-6:00: Free play inside with preschooler

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Unregistered 03:48 AM 08-26-2016
My schedule is basically the same whatever children are here.

As far as the child coming I got back at 4:00 I would assume he'd had snack at preschool.

Here's my schedule. I don't enroll infants under one any longer (sometimes a 9 mo. Old) but it's the same as its always beenthe same.


7-8am arrival-table toys available

8:15 breakfast

8:30-9:20 free choice play with creative art as an option

9:20 clean up

9:30. Circle time usually about ten min. At times shorter

9:45 - 10:00 morning snack-we have to offer am & pm snack

10:15-11:15 outside weather permitting or music and movement, second free play if we are not out an entire hour

11:30-noon kids choose from the math shelf while I make lunch - these are mainly homemade manipulative games-sorting, sequencing, matching....not so much numbers, counting, etc.

12:00 lunch

12:30-2:30/3:00 nap

3:15 snack

3:30-4:30/5:00 outside weather permitting
5:30 close
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Lovisa 06:04 AM 08-26-2016
I have a 8 month old, two almost 2 year olds and a 4 year old. They start getting here at like 5:30am and leave at different times starting at 3:45pm. Here is my schedule.

Breakfast: 7:30am
Outside: 9-10:30am (morning snack is within this time, and so are dirty arts and crafts which we do outside)
Free play inside: 10:30-11:15
Lunch: 11:15
Reading time: 11:45-12
Nap from 12-2:30
Afternoon snack: whenever they wake up

The baby takes a morning nap usually from about 9-10am. All kids nap in the afternoon. I have found that if the baby sleeps any later than 10am for his morning nap, he isn't ready for the long one in the afternoon., but luckily he makes this nap a short one all on his own

Some days I stray from this schedule a bit, but nap times and outside times are pretty set in stone. My 4 year old even knows what the clock looks like when it is outside time and nap time lol.
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Jazzii 08:28 AM 08-27-2016
We have families coming In from 6-9 and we participate in the food program so that's a non negotiable.

6:00-7:00 Quiet play/rest time
7:00-8:00 breakfast, last meal is served at 7:45
8:00-9 diapers, busses, free play
9-915 circle
9:15-9:30 Quiet activity/ potty
9:30-9:45 snack
9:45-10:15 center time/ craft time/ fine motor
10:15-11:15 gross motor/outdoor
11:30-12 lunch
12-245 nap
245-3 diapers
3-315 snack/ 4-415 second shift snack (school angers)
315-4:15 gross motor/outdoor
4:30/4:45-5 diapers
530 dinner
730 evening snack
8 bed time
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Tags:nap times, schedule
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