I've read some posts of some of you talking about how well you run your business so I was wondering... How does your day go? Is it always the same? I try to have a routine set and we basically follow it, but I have to admit that it is difficult to stick to it. Sometimes I don't find time in between cooking, cleaning, diapering etc.. To say OK, let's learn So, for those of you with more experience... What do you do to have such a successful DC? How do you combine all in one day? And for those of you that do Home School, how in this world can you do it? I am still thinking about doing it but afraid to.

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cooking is done ahead so I only reheat. say we are having a casserole, it is all ready to just pop in the oven.

Cleaning is not done during childcare hours. The kids pick up as they go and every so often we all stop and do a quick pick up if we have too much out.

I do not do crafts so I have no precutting to do. We do art and I gather the supplys on a tray to be ready to go. I do this as the first kids get here because I have 20 minutes before the others arrive

We follow a routine but time varies. Stop to make them learn something ??? they learn as they play all day long. Circle is every day after breakfast but that is our only group time. The rest of the time the are deciding what they want to do though They are drawn by any new things I have introduced to the room.

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Home school ? hats off to you ladies that do. I had trouble just getting through their homework until after hours.

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Wow, that's a big question! I do follow a schedule, have perfected it over the 7 years in business. It goes like this: arrivals, group free play, then we split into two groups for an hour (Bigs and Littles do separate age appropriate curriculums, snack, outside time, group free play, lunch,.circle time, story, nap, snack, outside time again, age-separated free play, mixed age group activities (like puzzles, games, building) departures. The times are not set in stone, but the sequence is.

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My schedule is always the same everyday and I could follow it with my eyes closed and no clock in sight and we would still stick to the time frames involved. The only varying times are from 9 am to 10 am (or 10 am to 11:15 am in the summer because it switches seasonally) and from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. I fill up this time with arts and crafts, preschool lessons, sensory play and free play (depending on if I have meals to prepare). I prepare our family dinners (and most of our lunches for the next day) during nap time and in the afternoon during free play. I clean up messes as we go but deep cleaning only happens on the weekend when I'm closed. I do most of the daycare planning during nap time with some spilling over into the weekend (usually during our children's nap times on Saturdays and Sundays).

I don't do homeschooling, though . If I did, I would probably attempt to do that during nap time as well . Geez, I act like my nap time is 10 hours long .

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I started out with a very structured routine with alotted time slots for everything that I wanted to do, but when you have a mixed age group - especially with infants, it becomes very clear that it's not going to work to be that structured. I have set meal times and nap time, but everything else is very generalized and child led. Typically most of our 'learning' is done in the morning. I sit down with the kids and play with them. We learn as they play. We talk about what color that toy is or how many we have, etc. Right before lunch I do have the kids sit at the table for a structured lesson. But it's typically only 10-20 minutes. Then we'll sing songs as I'm plating their food. It keeps the kids interested and occupied while I'm busy in the kitchen. Our afternoons are usually spent outdoors.

Basically, the keys for me have been to let the child lead a little in the learning. Every situation is an opportunity for learning.

Plan your menu, and the basic 'theme' of the day, but then just have fun with them and use those situations to teach.

I don't homeschool. My hat does go off to those who do.

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I agree that carrying for infants really changes the program. Even young toddlers that are needy and still napping twice a day can change the dynamics. Homeschooling can be done while doing daycare. I have one provider friend that does it and I know there are several ladies here that do it. Many programs include online tutors, video lessons or other curriculum options that dont require mom to do the one-on-one attention all day, especially for older kids. Plus you can get a lot more done in a smaller time frame with homeschooling. Sounds like most of the homeschooling moms I know do it in half the time of a regular public school day.

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I have kids ranging in age from 10.5 months - 8 years.

The only things I plan & set up are art & sensory. Everthing else we simply learn while we play. My day goes like this:

Before first arrival: fill water cups, get out all dishes needed for the day, unload dishwasher, make sure everything is set for the day.

6:30am Breakfast-after breakfast baby 1 goes down for nap (hugs, music on, place in pnp, walk away) while the other kids free play. Clean up breakfast (kids put dishes in sink, table wiped down, floor swept) then I go play with the kids (we count blocks while we build, talk about what they're doing, discuss the different feel of toys, find objects of a certain color, etc)

8:30am AM snack-baby 1 is up & we all eat am snack together. After snack I do a quick wipe of the table while the kids are putting their dishes in the sink. Sweep quickly and put baby 2 down for a nap-get the art activity set up as well as the sensory activity. Sometimes the kids play, sometimes they help set up. Change diapers. At 9 We do a short circle time (calendar, a few songs, a book) & then they are free to play in the sensory bin, do art, or free play. The art station & sensory bin are next to each other and I roam/help when needed while the kids do their thing.

10am -Everybody cleans up, uses the bathroom (the ones in underwear), then we get ready to go outside.

11am - Back inside, free play for kids 1.5 & up. Babies sit in high chairs in the kitchen & drink sippy cups of formula while I heat up lunch and throw it on plates. If I had a biter they would be in the kitchen w/me as well.

11:30am - Lunch for everybody. After lunch I do another diaper change.

12pm - Everybody over 1 on their cots-babies sit next to me. Read 2 books. Turn on music, babies go in their respective pnp's (screamer in another room, non-screamer w/other kids in nap room) If 2 SA are here they go watch a movie. Everybody else sleeps

Clean up lunch, tidy up a bit, enjoy some me time.

2pm-kids start waking up, free play, diapers

2:45pm - walk to school to get SA

3:30pm - pm snack

4pm - everybody outside

4:30pm - back inside, free play. Might open the sensory bin again. Diapers.

5:45pm - everybody gone

6pm: Load & run dishwasher, vacuum, prep fruit/veg for next day, pre assemble or cook food for next day, tidy up, sweep/mop.

7pm - dinner, shower, me time.

9pm - bed

As far as homeschooling - I have no idea.

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My days are very organized and pretty much the same everyday as far as planned activities and routine.

My children begin to arrive at 6 am. As they arrive I change diapers, toilet them and wash their hands and do a quick health check. We then have quiet free play until breakfast which is at 7 am.

My 10 year old son and the other 3 school aged kids that are here get ready for the bus at 7 45 and go out just before 8 am.

Last of the children to arrive are all here by 8 am. We then have more free play until 8 30 then it is nap time for those early arrivers who need it. The ones who do not take naps in the morning play with playdoh, paint, do crafts (or whatever) until 9 30 am when nap time is over.

We then have snacks, then toileting, changing diapers washing up, more free play, music, dancing singing and just having a little more noisy fun until about 11 am then story time until approximately 11 30 am.

I have a cleaning lady who comes in everyday from 11 30 until 1 pm so I do not worry about cleaning. The children are very good at picking up and putting away their toys.

We do table toys, color, do puzzles etc while I am preparing lunch. We have lunch at 12. We are finished eating around 12 30 we cleanup, wash hands faces, change diapers, toilet kiddies then afternoon nap time is at at 1 pm.

Children begin getting up between 2 30 and 3 30 and snacks are given as they wake up. They are allowed to watch 1/2 hour of educational videos or television at this time. My children start leaving at 3 15 pm and all are gone by 4 pm.

I really find starting my days at 6 and finishing at 4 my days seem to go much more smoothly and faster. Even though I've always done 10 hour days this is so much better for me. I used to start at 8 and finish at 6 but it was soooo long of a day! 2 years ago when 3 of my kiddies left to go to school I started replacing with kids who could needed care between 6 and 4.

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Well said butterfly. Thats the way I run my dc. When I have babies in my dc I try and prepare the bottles the night before. Wash and poor sippy cups for the next day. Anything you can do ahead helps.
Debbie

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I usually limit my enrollment to 1 infant and 1 toddler.

Here is my schedule: (right now everyone comes at 7:30 or later)

8:00 breakfast
8:20-9:20 Free play with creative art choice available and sensory table
9:20-Clean Up
9:30-9:45-Circle Time
10:15-a.m. snack
10:30-11:30 Outside Play If inclement weather we do another free play and some music and movement.
12:00-Lunch
12:30-nap
3:00 p.m. snack
Outside after that until 4:30 or later spring, summer and fall-winter free play, no sensory table.
5:30 close but everyone is gone by 5:00 right now

Diaper changing around 10:00, 12:15, 3:00, before going home and anytime there is a messy diaper inbetween!

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