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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Daycare Prep and Stress
kcnjason 09:38 PM 08-10-2013
I have been a provider for over 7 years and I still feel anxiety and stress every weekend when preparing for the upcoming week. I'm lookig for ideas as to how other providers plan their weeks to keep the weekends less stressful? How do you plan your weeks?
blandino 10:00 PM 08-10-2013
On Monday, the kids have a "free play" day. And I do all my planning and prep for each week. I cut out, and Get all supplies out for all art projects, and have baskets for tu-fri.
Play Care 05:24 AM 08-11-2013
Originally Posted by kcnjason:
I have been a provider for over 7 years and I still feel anxiety and stress every weekend when preparing for the upcoming week. I'm lookig for ideas as to how other providers plan their weeks to keep the weekends less stressful? How do you plan your weeks?
I refuse to do any work on the weekends or evenings as I feel a nearly 60 hour work week is quite enough... I do planning when my assistant is here or during quiet time. One of the things I did years ago was to set up a basic curriculum using a combination of free online sources (preschoolpalace.com, childcareland.com DLTK.com to name a few) and my local library. I have tons of craft supplies and refuse to buy anything else in order to make "cookie cutter" crafts, so that's saved me a ton of time and money. I have been a provider for over 7 years and I still feel anxiety and stress every weekend when preparing for the upcoming week. I'm lookig for ideas as to how other providers plan their weeks to keep the weekends less stressful? How do you plan your weeks?
Every month I send home a newsletter detailing what we are going to be doing, any important dates, etc. But since I've been doing it so long I have everything saved and just make some minor changes. As for dc cleaning - I do it while the kids are here and they HELP (I know, GASP! the horror!
) On Friday after nap the children take the sheets and blanket off their mats and bring them to the washing machine. While they do that I spray their mats down and put them away. I have a weekly cleaning schedule for all the toys that I follow (I'm not talking about the daily disinfecting, but the weekly washing) and the kids are given a wet cloth and get to "help." They sort the dress up items for washing (dark colors, light colors and delicates) and help me put them in the wash. They gather the little plastic toys and load them in the dishwasher (under my direct supervision) After meals they take their plates, cups and utensils to the sink, and they clean up any large crumbs under their spots. Older kids can wipe the table and sweep the floor. By Friday at closing time we are usually playing outside and the inside of the house is spotless. 
For dc meals, I have a basic menu and stick to it. I change veggies and fruits as to what's in season and on sale, but it makes shopping and planning so much easier. I also meal plan for my family's dinner so I'm not stressing what to make after I've worked an 11 hour day.
Good Luck!!
gracepatiencelove 05:55 AM 08-11-2013
Originally Posted by kcnjason:
I have been a provider for over 7 years and I still feel anxiety and stress every weekend when preparing for the upcoming week. I'm lookig for ideas as to how other providers plan their weeks to keep the weekends less stressful? How do you plan your weeks?
I'm glad you posted this, I've been curious. I've pretty much committed to not doing more than absolutely necessary on weekends and instead doing it during nap time, free play, etc. I guess we'll see how that works out! I like the idea of mondays being really just free play, too.I have been a provider for over 7 years and I still feel anxiety and stress every weekend when preparing for the upcoming week. I'm lookig for ideas as to how other providers plan their weeks to keep the weekends less stressful? How do you plan your weeks?
Blackcat31 07:49 AM 08-11-2013
Originally Posted by blandino:
On Monday, the kids have a "free play" day. And I do all my planning and prep for each week. I cut out, and Get all supplies out for all art projects, and have baskets for tu-fri.
Same here. I mix it up though depending on my schedule and either do prep for the week on Monday or Friday.On Monday, the kids have a "free play" day. And I do all my planning and prep for each week. I cut out, and Get all supplies out for all art projects, and have baskets for tu-fri.
Tuesday-Thursday are the busy, structured days. BOTH Monday and Friday are paperwork, prep and overview days for me.
The kids have activities and things to do but not nearly as intense as Tu-Th.
I do NOTHING daycare related on the weekends, other than visit the forum and banking (Saturday).
originalkat 11:09 AM 08-13-2013
This is why I choose to purchase a pre-packaged curriculum. I homeschool and have 8 preschoolers so I really do not have time to spend doing prep work. I love the the curriculum I buy has everything planned out (words to songs, visual aids, crafts etc... all ready for me. I pull out the bag for the day and look over the lesson plan and it is all right there. I LOVE IT. SOmetimes I change things a little bit to make it more appropriate for my group but for the most part I dont have to think about it.
The only thing I have to do on the weekends is clean and grocery shop...which gets old but I dont know of any way to avoid that.
The only thing I have to do on the weekends is clean and grocery shop...which gets old but I dont know of any way to avoid that.
melilley 12:14 PM 08-13-2013
I do mostly play based curriculum so we learn as we play. I do however, have a weekly theme and do activities from the theme-made up as we go, and also have circle time where we do a weekly letter, weekly color, sing ABC's, count, read a book on the theme if possible, things of that sort. My kids are all 3 (just turned) and under. Sometimes the 3 year old and 2.5 year old help me choose the theme.
melilley 12:19 PM 08-13-2013
Originally Posted by Play Care:
I refuse to do any work on the weekends or evenings as I feel a nearly 60 hour work week is quite enough... I do planning when my assistant is here or during quiet time. One of the things I did years ago was to set up a basic curriculum using a combination of free online sources (preschoolpalace.com, childcareland.com DLTK.com to name a few) and my local library. I have tons of craft supplies and refuse to buy anything else in order to make "cookie cutter" crafts, so that's saved me a ton of time and money. Every month I send home a newsletter detailing what we are going to be doing, any important dates, etc. But since I've been doing it so long I have everything saved and just make some minor changes.
As for dc cleaning - I do it while the kids are here and they HELP (I know, GASP! the horror!) On Friday after nap the children take the sheets and blanket off their mats and bring them to the washing machine. While they do that I spray their mats down and put them away. I have a weekly cleaning schedule for all the toys that I follow (I'm not talking about the daily disinfecting, but the weekly washing) and the kids are given a wet cloth and get to "help." They sort the dress up items for washing (dark colors, light colors and delicates) and help me put them in the wash. They gather the little plastic toys and load them in the dishwasher (under my direct supervision) After meals they take their plates, cups and utensils to the sink, and they clean up any large crumbs under their spots. Older kids can wipe the table and sweep the floor. By Friday at closing time we are usually playing outside and the inside of the house is spotless.
For dc meals, I have a basic menu and stick to it. I change veggies and fruits as to what's in season and on sale, but it makes shopping and planning so much easier. I also meal plan for my family's dinner so I'm not stressing what to make after I've worked an 11 hour day.
Good Luck!!
Same here! I hate cookie cutter crafts! Thanks for the free curriculum sites! I currently do mostly play based curriculum, my kids are 3 and under and the 3 year old is leaving, but as the kids get older I may do more structured curriculum type things, but am not sure yet so those sites gave me some ideas! I refuse to do any work on the weekends or evenings as I feel a nearly 60 hour work week is quite enough... I do planning when my assistant is here or during quiet time. One of the things I did years ago was to set up a basic curriculum using a combination of free online sources (preschoolpalace.com, childcareland.com DLTK.com to name a few) and my local library. I have tons of craft supplies and refuse to buy anything else in order to make "cookie cutter" crafts, so that's saved me a ton of time and money.
Every month I send home a newsletter detailing what we are going to be doing, any important dates, etc. But since I've been doing it so long I have everything saved and just make some minor changes. As for dc cleaning - I do it while the kids are here and they HELP (I know, GASP! the horror!
) On Friday after nap the children take the sheets and blanket off their mats and bring them to the washing machine. While they do that I spray their mats down and put them away. I have a weekly cleaning schedule for all the toys that I follow (I'm not talking about the daily disinfecting, but the weekly washing) and the kids are given a wet cloth and get to "help." They sort the dress up items for washing (dark colors, light colors and delicates) and help me put them in the wash. They gather the little plastic toys and load them in the dishwasher (under my direct supervision) After meals they take their plates, cups and utensils to the sink, and they clean up any large crumbs under their spots. Older kids can wipe the table and sweep the floor. By Friday at closing time we are usually playing outside and the inside of the house is spotless. For dc meals, I have a basic menu and stick to it. I change veggies and fruits as to what's in season and on sale, but it makes shopping and planning so much easier. I also meal plan for my family's dinner so I'm not stressing what to make after I've worked an 11 hour day.
Good Luck!!