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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Am I Doing Enough?
Boymom 07:12 AM 09-08-2016
Hi everyone! Some days I just feel like I am not doing enough. I'm always busy, but I feel like there is quite a bit of free play and maybe not enough "structured activities." But I also know that kids learn through playing, so maybe I'm just being hard on myself! Will you take a look at my schedule and let me know if I need to add something to the day? Do I have too much free play? Also, how many things, such as artwork/letter tracing sheets, etc do you send home each day/week? I don't really do a whole lot of "worksheets", but when one of my dcm's made a comment about how she wants her son in more of a classroom environment, it just made me wonder if I'm not doing enough!!

7:30 Arrival/free play

8:15 Cleanup/wash hands for breakfast

8:30 Breakfast

9:00 Cleanup/toileting/wash hands

9:15 Circle time (nap for younger kids)

9:30 Letters, numbers, shapes, colors, etc

10:00 Music and movement

10:30 Outdoor play (indoor in inclement weather)

11:15 Lunch prep

11:30 Lunch

12:00 Cleanup/toileting/wash hands/prep for nap

12:30 – 2:30 Nap time

2:30 Toileting/wash hands

2:45 Snack

3:00 Fine motor skills (art, playdough, etc)

3:30 Outdoor play (indoor in inclement weather)

4:30 Toileting/wash hands

4:45-5:30 Free play
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Nurse Jackie 09:39 AM 09-08-2016
I think you're just being hard on yourself. I took a look at a preschool only schedule, because I was wondering the same thing about my program, and it look similar to yours. I don't do a lot of crafts that I see other programs doing except mothers day, fathers day, halloween, thanksgiving and christmas because I have a young group. Plus honestly I don't see parents keeping every craft done in daycare and I don't believe in throwing money away I rather invest it in my business. My kids learn a lot here and thats what matters
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laundrymom 09:48 AM 09-08-2016
You do you.
Do you feel the kids are happy? Excited about learning? Busy and active most of the time?
If so then allow the mom to want something different. But don't try to be something that feels unnatural to you.
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Josiegirl 03:44 PM 09-08-2016
This will show you that you can find learning in every opportunity. We had graham crackers at snack today and one of the dcgs broke hers into pieces. I arranged them in an M and asked her what it was.

I guess with that short story, I just hope to impress upon you that learning will come, it can't be forced, doesn't need to be scheduled. When I had just my son I remember during bath time, I'd write letters on his back and he'd tell me what they were. I'd bring him to the OB visits when he was 5 1/2 and waiting in the waiting room, we'd take out the pop-up toy with 5 numbers. We'd play add the numbers. It never seemed like work because it was a surprise moment, an opportunity that presented itself. And I read to all my kids. That is THE single most important thing I think any of us should make sure we do include in our days.

Sometimes we all strive to do better, be perfect, search for that perfect combination that will make us excel as providers. Why do we do this to ourselves? I wonder if it's because the states put so much pressure on us to perform? Is it to keep up with the schools incorporating PreK? To please parents??
I'm just yacking here but always find myself wondering if *I'M* doing enough too. I'm always down on myself because I'm not doing this or that or have 10 projects done by the end of the week to send home. Most days I feel so insecure as to my ability to 'teach' these kids because instead of being proud and happy about what we did do, I feel badly about what we didn't do.
But they are learning, they are growing, they laugh and feel safe, they show love and kindness 75% of the time(always a work in progress), they ask questions, and they LOVE books.
I think if we didn't feel such stress to perform and achieve, and could use our days just to *be* with the children in loving thoughtful ways, it'd be so much better.

I just want to be their home away from home. I never signed up to be a school.
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Pestle 04:11 PM 09-08-2016
Environment! Environment, environment, environment. If you change the environment, it will change the way you and the children operate in that environment and the way parents perceive of what you're doing.

Tour a local Montessori school or other alternative school; they have a child-centered, residential feel vs. traditional schools. Find blogs with pictures. Then look at your stuff and your furniture. Furniture should be child-scaled and functional and sparse; remove the brightly-colored plastic. Lots of small storage areas so that everything has a designated place.

Cull through your stuff--toys and educational material--to identify what matches up best with your philosophy of early learning. Put that stuff out in small stations that the children can work at. Stash the rest of it away to cut down on clutter. Change "Free play" on your schedule to read "Free play and guided lessons" and, during that time, just pay attention to how often you sit with a child and observe what she's working on and the skills she's developing.

I did all this, and when I posted an ad on a local social network, this guy went off saying I was clearly a commercial child care center trying to evade zoning law by pretending to be a family day care.

I also provide a daily report that notes the child's favorite activities and skills they're building each day. It makes it all more official-seeming to the parents.

A stricter schedule is NOT HEALTHY. Free play is essential to early child development and I don't see much of it on your current schedule. If you find that the kids aren't learning much, it might be because the schedule is too busy and they're having trouble maintaining the energy to focus.

(I'm a certified interior designer with 6 years experience in commercial design of workplaces. I do a Montessori-style setup at my day care, and in my child's room and the shared spaces of the house.)
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lblanke 08:45 PM 09-08-2016
If you have groups of toys together(kitchen, puzzles, whatever), change the name of some indoor play from "free pla" to "centers" or "center time" and it sounds more like preschool.
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Lil_Diddle 09:39 PM 09-08-2016
I think your schedule looks great, I'd even suggest more free play if your kids seem like they need it. To the mom that wants more preschool activities, including worksheets. You should let her know the value of learning through play. I let my parents know that I am not a preschool. Yes, of course we work on learning activities and I do have a similar schedule and a preschool like setting with centers. However, those of us in a home setting we are in charge of it all. We have multiple age groups, we have to change diapers, help those that are toilet training, make the lunches, take care of the business aspect and everything in between. Just thinking about it is exhausting. So yes, while we work on our counting and abc's, writing, etc... I let parents know they should be working on that at home one-on-one as well. My biggest priority is that they learn to behave in a group setting...sharing, taking turns, respecting others and that they know how to use the tools they will need in kindergarten..scissors, how to hold a pencil and self help skills. I think learning all of the above will benefit them more going in to school and it's something I can teach easier in a group setting than parents can at home.
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Unregistered 01:09 AM 09-09-2016
I think that your schedule is fine,my daycare kids are free play also.That doesn't mean they don't learn I try to explain that to parents. Kids learn in other ways especially when they are to young to write or do work sheets.if daycare kids are playing with like cars .I will ask they to count them or line them up small to big or like blue car, red car, blue car.i also have them spell out loud there name lots of times ,so they no there name but can't write since they are too young.just some examples
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Miss A 06:02 AM 09-09-2016
I am a huge advocate for learning through play. The socio-emotional aspects alone prove to me that it is important to let children be children.

I have a young group right now, all under 18 months, and I often feel like I am not doing enough. I have no talkers, no walkers. But then I see them understanding basic things like minding when I say no, and soon they will point to something that is off limits and shake their head no. I see them playing together, and the 16 month old showing the 8 month old how to crawl, and less than a week later he is pulling himself up to stand next to her. Never underestimate the power of your environment and of developmentally appropriate staging! Those two things will always be the superior teachers, no matter what educational activities we introduce.
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lblanke 07:50 AM 09-09-2016
And yes you are doing enough. I did not mean to imply you need to create centers, just reframe what you call if to the mom who wants more school.
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Controlled Chaos 08:35 AM 09-09-2016
1. If dcm wants worksheets and a preschool envirnment other than what you offer - she is going to leave to go find it. You should NOT change your program to fit her demands.

2. Communicating what you do is important. Do you have your schedule where parents can see it? Do you send out monthly newsletters detailing what and how they little ones are learning? Do you communicate well at pick up and drop off? "I am so excited for you math with fruit loops activity today! I can't wait to taste a blue one, whats your favorite color Sally? Have a great day at work mom!" or "Sally, on the way home you should tell mom what plants need to grow! She did a great job watering the vegetable garden and helping pick tomatoes today!"

Having a great program is great - but you have to show it off a bit sometimes
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