Can you please tell me your schedule and what age children you care for? I am trying to make some changes and was wondering what works for everyone else. Can you please tell me if you like your schedule and age group?
I have anywhere from 12months to 6 years and I am open 6:15am till 5:15pm I would really like to have a shorter day or a day a week off or not have anyone under 2 and potty trained. Not sure which will help but just wanted to see what everyone else does? thanks!

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Open 7 to 5:15 p.m. I have 4 months to age 7 currently. Sometimes I have a few older kids (age 10). I used to be 6 to 6. It sucked. I keep shortening my day, 15 minutes per year. I don't think I'll be able to shorten anymore but I can sure limit kids to 10 hours a day.

The age groups I have really are not working for me. I would love just age 2-5 and no school-agers but until some live or some grow older, I am stuck with these ages. School-agers are whiny/loud, and disruptive. Babies are....well...the same. Of course, I'd take the babies over the schoolagers anyday!

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My ages I have at the moment is 1 year to 4 years then a b/a school care. I am open 6am-5pm. My arrivals before 7am lay back down until I wake them at 8.
We eat at 8am, then they have free time until about 9.

We then do "circle time" where we learn about feelings, weather, days of week, read a book, do a sign language, talk about spanish, talk about our night. This is a very laid back time.
We then go to the "tables" to have seat work as I call it. They do art project, do something that has to do with the spanish word, signed word or letter that we learned in "circle" time.
After that is snack time. They have all their stuff on low shelf and set their own tables, and I serve them, the messy stuff, and they self serve if they can.
Then we do outside time, and go for a walk to end outside time. Come in and have free time until lunch.
Lunch is served, same way as snack, then they lay down, I read them all a book, and they go to sleep for a few hours.
When they get up, they can read, puzzle, blocks, or lacing activities. Once everyone is up and ready we have a small snack. ( water and some sort of cracker) We play until the school agers get here.
We then work on small group projects with the school agers matched up with a younger child. This is some wort of free play TOGETHER, but lately have made a list of "ideas". This goes on until pick ups happen or light dinner is served about 430 if they are to eat here.

So we learn through out the day, we do worksheets, but mostly free art, or an art project that can be made however the child sees fit with same materials, and we talk about things throughout the day and I try to get them to tie it together. Sometimes we will talk about the same thing for a couple weeks! Lately we have been discussing the potty. So we learned it in spanish, sign language, read books, watched a video, and made up silly songs.

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DCB, almost 3yrs old, is here Mon-Fri 530am-330pm
DCB, almost 2yrs old, is here Mon-Fri 830am-530pm
DCG, almost 2yrs old, is here Mon-Thur 800am-515pm
DCG, almost 1yr old, is here Mon-Wed 800am-530pm and Fri 800am-100pm

I work 12hr days. It sucks. I have thought about changing my hours/terming the really early DCB but it's hard cuz I love the little guy.

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I have a 3 yr old, a 2 yr old (mine) and an 18 month old (all girls). I have Mondays OFF and Thursday afternoons OFF. Soon it will only be Thursday afternoons though

I open at 7am but no one shows up until 8:30 - 9am..

8:30am - 9am we play in living room/read books until all kids arrive

9am - Head downstairs for free play (Some days a special activity either here or during afternoon free play)

10am - Head outside for 30-40min

10:40am - Wash hands and Circle time

11:10 (ish) am - Go upstairs to make and eat lunch

12pm - nap/quiet time

2pm - Wakeup time and snack

2:30pm outside for 1 hour

3:30pm inside for free play and wait for pickup between 4 and 5pm. (I will also do a special activity here some days like sensory bin, waterplay, art etc)


I try to do a special activity a few times a week. If the kids are playing well and I don't want to interrupt their play I don't do the special activity on that day. If they are at each others throats I will bring out an activity. Some mornings we don't get a chance to get outside so I'll have an extra long outdoor session on those days (we also go out in the rain!). It's pretty flexible depending on the kids or my mood. Diapering is done on an as needs basis. Lately the kids have been up at 1:30pm from nap so we have extra time in the afternoon. I've been thinking about moving my circle to the afternoon to cut down on so many transitions in the a.m.

I love my age group. It took me a looooong time to get kids over the age of 18 months because most are looking for spots for their 12 month olds. It was discouraging but I didn't want to take care of an infant. 2 naps a day would kill me I think! The 18 month old is very "busy" but it's fun and she's learning the daycare rules pretty well. I have to really prepare for art projects because of her. She chewed the top off one of the markers one day and I realized ok she needs major supervision. My DD was never like this and neither were other 18 month olds I've worked with. I don't think she's had much exposure to art materials!!

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15 mo - 7-4:30
11 mo - 9:30-4:45
6 mo 7-4:15

I love it, but I am planning to care for more children when I can. Due to ratio requirements, I have to wait til they grow a bit. I am new, and I didn't think I would be able to close this early, but now that I know that I can, I won't take any new clients past 4:30.

I really like starting them young, but because of this I have to wait to enroll anymore babies. It will be worth it for me in the long run.

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I am open 7am-5:30pm but I'm seriously considering starting contracting hours with any new clients that come along. I have 9 kiddos that range in age from 12months - 5 years old. They get here starting at 7 and we eat at 8..then we do a circle time for about 15 min...I even include the 12 & 18 month olds in this. I usually do a craft or project with the older kiddos next and let the babies play. They then have free play from 9-10, then it's outside until 11. Lunch at 11:30, nap from 12-2:30 then snack and then free play and outside in the afternoons. there are some afternoons that we are out until pick up if the weather is nice.

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6am to 6pm

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Wow, I'm feeling lucky. I'm really aiming to have shorter afternoon hours so I don't get worn out. I'll open as early as anyone needs, but I'm sure that would be about 5:30 am for the 6 am shift workers.

Next month I will have two siblings start who are 6 and 16 months from 7:30-3:30 M-F and I have an interview next week for a 12 month old for 7:30-4/4:30 M-F. I really want to be closed at 4:00 and will aim for it, but I never want to be open past 5:00.

I would rather have just 3-5 kids here for a shorter day rather than having all my spots filled and having a longer day. At least not yet.

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I am open 6-6, but I only offer contracted hours. Most are here 7:30-5:00. One family was here until 6:00, but mom just changed her hours to try and get here by 5:30.

I have about 12 kids enrolled, but some are part time and share spots. (I can have 6 full time plus 2 SA at a time.) Their ages are 8 months to 9 years old.

I'm a morning person, and I also prefer kids to come earlier....and leave earlier.

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I have: 9 mos., 16 mos, three 2 1/2 yo.'s, and one 3 yo. I only have school-agers (2 of them ages 5-8) on Wednesdays after school and on half days, school vacations etc.
I am open 7-5.
Our schedule is:
7:00-8:30 Arrival and play in the living room (Books, puzzles, and table toys only)
8:30-9:00 Breakfast
9-10: Choice time in the playroom. The babies have their own area and the older ones can choose between dramatic play in the pretend house (dress-ups, dolls, kitchen, etc.), sensory table, art area, easel, math/game table, ABC center, books, and manipulatives.
10-11: Outside and a walk
11-11:30 Video
11:30-12:00 Lunch
12:00-12:30 Storytime: songs, fingerplays, reading stories, flannel stories, poems, discuss our morning activities, etc.
12:30-2:30 Nap
2:30-3:00 Wake-up & books
3:00-3:15 Snack
3:15-5 Outside or afternoon activities (I keep these low key: legos, playdough, floor puzzles, drawing, etc. )
I used to be open 7-6 and I was exhausted. Closing one hour earlier has made a world of difference!

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I am open 6-6 but lately have kids from 630-530. It's pretty awesome not working all the way until 6 every night but sometimes someone will push it. Then there are days that everyone is gone by 5.

I don't do contracted hours but everyone is pretty good about staying on a reasonable schedule.

All of my kiddos are 2-5.

I've decided to keep it that way until I can afford an assistant again.


I'm totally fine with this arrangement. Everyone is here by 730 most days.

Oh, I'm pretty strongly thinking about not taking part timers at all either from here on out.

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One thing that I have found is that when you limit your ages, you really limit your business.

I only take ages 20 months to 5 years, not enrolled in school.

I will only take two children in diapers at a time, no more.

All others must be completely potty trained.

I do a preschool program from 9-1am and I could not do it if I had any more kids in diapers or if they were younger.

I tired younger ages to only find that I am way too frustrated trying to teach and meet everyones needs.

HOwever, it's really hard for me to fill spots. I am in direct competition with the preschools and there is even a free preppy-k program here for 4 yr old children.

Some how I have managed to be at full capacity most of the time, except this past year. But good news is that after the first of the year I will be full again...

My hours are from 7:30-6pm m-f
I do offer part time days and full time. I also am doing half days right now as a first time thing, but its what the economy was asking for.

these children will stay half days, until the need for full timers come.

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So for you all that have an under 2 in your group...do they only take one nap a day with your older kids? if so is it working and how long did it take for them to adjust to this routine?

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I have 2 14mos, a 15mo, a 16mo, and 2 3yos. In the summer I add a 6 and 8yo to the mix.

7:15-7:45 Arrivals and free play.
8am-9am Outdoor walk
9:15-9:30 Snacktime
9:30-10:45 Circle time, music, stories, free play for babies
11:-11:30 Lunchtime (as they finish I change them and put them for nap)
11:30-2pm Naptime
2:15-3:15 Outdoor walk
3:15-3:30 Snacktime
3:30-4:30 Arts & Crafts (nice weather is spent in the backyard tho)
4:00-5:30 Free play and pick-ups

My schedule works awesome for me. I love it and it really clicks for all the children in my care. They get lots of outside time. We do our neighbourhood walks daily, barring temps less than -15*c and bucketing rain (will walk in light rain though).

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Sorry, I misunderstood.
My first child arrives at 7:15am and is also my last child to leave at 5:30. I have three other children who all arrive at 7:45am and leave at 4pm. I do plan to shorten my hours to 5pm in the new year, as I know it would be a hardship for none.

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22 mo, here 8:15 - 5:30, 4 days a week, Tuesdays off
4 yo, flexible schedule, some half days (12-6), some full (8:30 -6), 4 days a week, Thursdays off
4 yo, 9:30-7 M, T, F. Thurs is 9:3, Wed off
6 yo, SA, 2:40-7 M, T, F. Th & F off

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