I tell parents at our interviews that I take children on field trips and that they would know well in advance. Today we did story time at the library and it was sooo nice to get out of the house and my dd (the oldest) had so much fun. dck also had fun. We did run into a nap/lunch issue as my dd didn't want to sleep and dck fell asleep on the way home and then woke up to eat and then had problems getting back to sleep. But I think if we leave earlier, go to the library get books and then do story time and come back I can eliminate that problem.

So I am thinking about doing this every week on either Wed or Thurs or possibly both if I don't get burned out. Do I just send a notice home, dcf we are now doing story time every week. Or is that somethign I should be doing here at my house? It just seems like they like being in a larger group, the library has little props and songs and new books each week. I mean, I do new books too but they don't sit well for me as they do when they are there. If that makes sense....

I also signed my daughter up for an activity on mon at 330 because I normally do not have a dck that afternoon. on occasion I have a dcg that will come on mon afternoon but I decided we just wouldn't go that day because on thurs my other dd has an activity and they are picking up early that day at 530... But I am starting a new dcg that also has a rotating schedule and it looks like she will be here every Mon at that time for the next 3 weeks. So do I just tell mom that we are now doing dance and I can take her with me and bring her back? I don't make a habit of running errands while I have dck but it's 30 min right down the street from my house. And they didn't have a set schedule when we interviewed So I wasn't sure when they were coming until yesterday. Wwyd on both accounts?

thanks

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If you want to do storytime, do storytime. For that one I would just notify the parents that you are planning on going to storytime everyweek if it works out. I always say, if the kids are up to it (behaving) and I can get my act together (am organized enough) we will be doing such and such (name event) tomorrow. For something weekly, I would just notify them that we will try to do this every (insert day here). I would start with just one day, do it that way for a few weeks, then add the second if you feel you need it.

Continue to do dance for your daughter. IMHO, this isn't running an errand. Plus, since your dd is in dance, you will have 1:1 time with the daycare child and it will be interesting for dck, too.

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I do storytime and a playgroup each week. I just post a calendar by the front door with our activities and parents that are interested ask about them. I do say in the interview that we do lots of trips and they may not be informed if the trip doesn't affect naptime so my families are used to it.

As for dance class I would tell DCM that you signed your dd up before you had DCG on Monday afternoons so you'll have to take her along for the ride.

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I would do it It is important for the kids to learn to listen to other people. I am lucky we have a library bus that comes to my house 1x a week. We have story time and then pick out books. It has been faboulous for the children and me.

Many kids have never been to a library.

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I would tell parents that your house is not the only class room and that you want to offer different environments for them to expand their learning. I do library every week plus two other filed trips, plus the park every other day and on the days we don't go to the park we do a morning hike.

You have to set up your childcare to be what you want it to be and stand firm on it. Don't let anyone tell you YOU can't.

As long as you are able to safely provide transportation with the right insurance c overages and continue to provide a safe environment no matter where you go, then you should do as you wish.

I have a pretty good field trip hand book and my parents love that I take them places.

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wow. thank you all for the replies. I think I will start incorporating the library each week. it was so nice to get out of the house and to let someone else read the story

And I think they had a lot of fun. So I'm going to plan that. And I love the monthly calendar idea. I will definitely be doing that. If I make something up for October and give it to the parents I think that would be plenty of time for them to decide if this is the program for them, or not....

Thank you for letting me know I don'thave to feel guilty or stuck at home just becvause i'm doing home daycare.

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it does feel good...not only for the kids but for me too

I will tell you this however, my program is not for everyone. as soon as I tell some people about my program and field trips they say that they dont want their kids transported. I tell them I understand that, but then my program is not for you.

I used to have a family try to tell me I could not take their kids anywhere. I said ok no problem, I won't. That just means you need to come pick them up every time we leave the house and I will still charge you for the full day.

I also do a monthly calendar, which I will add things too as the month moves on. Most of my month is planned way ahead of time and the parents always know where we are and what we are doing. I do have in my policy that i will not ever take the kids anywhere without giving the parents notice.

good luck to you and glad you all had a great time

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I used to take the kids to story time at the library but quit. My one SA gets out at 12 on Tues and story time is from 11-12 on T.

The kids loved the story and the craft afterwards.

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I don't want to pay for car insurance and deal with getting car seats from parents and putting them in each time and taking them out to give back to the parents. I will do things if a business can come get us. I'm thinking about doing something this winter for my 3 soon-to-be 3 year olds for gymnastics. If you have 6 kids they transport for free but still need their carseat from home. I think I can team up with another daycare and get 3 of hers and 3 of mine, lol. I wish we could do the library, but it's too far to walk.

I would recommend you do the library 1 x a week because when the kids get to familiar and comfortable there they will not listen as well. I work with someone so I'm lucky if I want to split up age groups or need someone to watch one child while we all do something else I can. I also would let the new family know before you have them sign a contract that your dd has an activity of whichever night that you would need permission to transport their child along as well.

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Everyone who enrolls MUST sign a transportation agreement or I will not accept them into care. I drive my sa dd to and from school every day. So even the ones that are here from 9-2 and aren't normally here when she goes to or from school, I still have them sign in case she is dismissed early or anything like that. I also supply my own car seats except for infants. For infants I ask parents to leave the seat with me. I do this because I pick up my daughter every day AND I am big on car seat safety, so it makes more sense for me to supply the seats. It also means I don't have to mess with installing them and removing them each day.

I also only have 3 dck at one time, so that makes it easier!

I didn't think about additional car insurance. I guess I will contact my insurer and see what they say.

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We LOVE weekly Storytime! My little friends go each and every Monday to Storytime and it's a great way to start off the week. I sneak out and leave the kids with my assistants and head out to exchange our borrowed books for new ones. It's a perfect set-up for us

Transportation is a must in my daycare. I own a mini 18 passenger school bus with 12 carseats installed using the LATCH system. All my kids face backwards until they turn 4 and transition into a 5-point harness booster.

I have a calendar posted on the front door of the daycare room with all of our scheduled field trips. Parents are also notified in the newsletter each month. If you have the opportunity to do this, do it

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I was doing this and did it for a long time. Last year I found that the other kids that attended where so disruptive and were so bad that my kiddies did not enjoy it at all. I had to pry other peoples children off of my littles, I had another child try to rip a hair clip out of my littles, omg the tantrums the tantrums drove me nuts. My kids were so good and would behave. Oh the other parents, they didn't care, they were too busy chatting or playing on the phone.

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I use to go on field trips 2-4 times a week during the morning. Story hours, local farms, childrens museums, etc.
I would tell the parents this at interviews. No one ever complained, they all liked it.
I really liked it too. It made the morning go by fast and the kids had a lot of fun.

Once I got more than 3 kids I found it very difficult and stressful. It would be fine with a group of very well behaved 3-4 year olds, but my group is younger. Three need a stroller. One of those three is old enough to not need a stroller but DOES NOT listen, I don't trust her to stay with me.

So, my advice is to do it. It makes the day more fun for everyone! Enjoy!

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