Make a statement and get parents’ attention with enjoyable and creative bulletin boards.  Getting children involved in the project adds such a personal touch. Here are some fun bulletin boards for daycare centers and preschools:

Welcome summer: Summer Solstice begins on June 21. Welcome in sunny summer days. Take close-up pictures of each child wearing sunglasses. Using yellow construction paper, trace and cut out suns with sun rays. Trim, and then paste each child’s face in the middle of a sun. Title the bulletin board: “Made in the Shade”, or “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades”.

Flag Day: June 14 commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, otherwise known as Flag Day. Let the children create a flag out of a white sheet using red and blue paint. Use this as the backdrop for the bulletin board titled “It’s a Grand Old Class Flag”. Add a patriotic border.

Father’s Day: Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. Ask children to bring in a picture of them with their father, grandfather, male role model, or any loved one. Mount the pictures on card stock and use them to create a “Thanks Dad” bulletin board. Add a touching poem or song lyrics about fathers. You can change this to “loved ones day” to accommodate the variety of familial structures in your center.

Juneteenth: Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated on June 19^th which commemorates the end of U.S. slavery. Create a Juneteenth quilt as the background for the bulletin board. Give each student a few squares of construction paper. Encourage them to decorate each square with something symbolizing Juneteenth. Then tape the squares together to form a class quilt.

Picnic:  What’s summer without a fun picnic…and ants!? Craft a picnic scene with pictures of cutouts of a picnic basket, watermelon, checkered blanket, etc. Create large black ants from construction paper and write each child’s name in white on an ant. Add them to the picnic scene to form a trail of ants.

Creative, Cheap Bulletin Board Backgrounds:
Plain butcher paper or poster board can be dull and monotonous. Add some splash inexpensively by creating out of everyday materials. Ask parents to donate any of these items that they might have tossed or recycled:

• Wrapping paper
• Wall paper
• Old table cloths
• Old sheets
• Out of season fabric
• Burlap

Any paper or cloth materials that are used for daycare activities can be used to add flair to your bulletin board designs.

Related posts:

• Fall or Autumn Preschool Leaf Mural: Creative Activity for Toddlers Creative activities for the children in your child care center…

Photo: Lara604, Flickr

On Fridays, we list the links we love and point to the hot topics at our favorite sites.

Forget brown bags for school lunches. Go with Fluf bags instead. They are so cute — and organic, and washable, and rinsable, and wipable, and only $17.95 each.

Anna Quinlan tells a great story in “Every Last One,” and if you’re a parent,  this book will ring both heartwarming and scary.

Are you prepared for the kiddie illnesses that might set in this summer? Lil Sugar has a quiz to determine if you’re in the know about summertime sickness.

Kindergarten used to be about playtime and naptime. Divine Caroline asks: has kindergarten gotten too tough for little ones?

Feel like your kids are aging you? Don’t place blame — it could be your bad habits that are making you feel old.

It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, and you know what that means — fun, family travel to exciting destinations. So whether you’re flying to the nearest beach or taking a weekend car trip to grandma’s, check out these tips before you hit the road.

Flying:
Your trip will possibly involve airports… with delayed flights. And long layovers. And [...]

It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, and you know what that means — fun, family travel to exciting destinations. So whether you’re flying to the nearest beach or taking a weekend car trip to grandma’s, check out these tips before you hit the road.

Flying:
Your trip will possibly involve airports… with delayed flights. And long layovers. And [...]

As part of our Interviews with Daycare Business Owners series, we interviewed Angie Koboldt of The Thoughtful Spot Day Care in Lake City, Michigan.

OwnADaycare: Please describe your childcare business. When and why did you start your daycare/childcare business?
Angie Koboldt: I started my childcare business in 2004.  I decided that I wanted to stay at home with my son and make money and a day care would be the perfect way to do that.

OwnADaycare: What is the best bit of advice that you can give a new child care business owner?
Angie Koboldt: The best advice I can give to a new childcare business owner is to have a parent contract and stick to your rules.  Don’t give exceptions, because people WILL take advantage of that.  Taking care of your friends children is an easy way to fill your day care, but it’s also an easy way to be taken advantage of.

OwnADaycare: What was your approach to obtaining insurance for your daycare business?
Angie Koboldt: We just use the insurance agency that insures our home.  We had a hard time finding companies that would insure day care.

OwnADaycare: What steps did you take to childproof your daycare business?
Angie Koboldt: Michigan has a lot of rules, but I also had a young son at the time so we didn’t really have a lot of childproofing to do.  There were already cabinet locks, outlet protectors, and cleaning supplies locked up.

OwnADaycare: Where do you get the inspiration for all of the wonderful theme based curriculum you create?
Angie Koboldt: I love doing projects with kids!  I can see any kind of project/idea and turn it into something age appropriate for children to do.  I pick themes that would interest kids and run with it.

Bio: Angie Koboldt has had an in-home day care for 6 years.  Angie’s hobbies are running, scrapbooking, and card making.  Angie has a son who will be 7 in July.  Her husband works with the Michigan State Police as a State Trooper.  The Koboldts enjoy going to baseball games together and going to the beach!

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Enjoy this preschool lesson plan all about pigs. The activities below will introduce children to pigs through fun facts, activities, books, songs, and crafts. This lesson plan works well in daycare centers in conjunction with a unit with a theme about animals or farms.

Learning about pigs

Basic facts about pigs:

Pigs can be gray, pink, black, brown, or white
Pigs have a snout, 4 toes on each foot, and a tail that may be curly or straight.
Pigs cool themselves in mud because they have no functional sweat glands
Pigs eat animals and plants
A liter of piglets are usually 6-12 piglets
Pigs usually live in the forest or grasslands

Craft
Pigs in the Mud
Materials: Pink construction paper, Brown paint
Instructions:  Cut pig shapes out of pink paper. Allow children to paint the pig with brown finger paint. Encourage them to cover their pig with the brown finger paint “mud.” Alternatively, use shaving cream mixed with a little brown paint.

Song/Finger Play

“Ten Little Pigs”
Sing this song to the tune of “Five Little Ducks Went out to Play”

“Ten little pigs rolled in the mud -
Squishy, squashy, felt so good.
The farmer took one piggy out.
“Oink, Oink, oink,” the pig did shout!

(Continue with nine, eight, etc until there are none)

No little pigs rolled in the mud.
They all looked so clean and good.
The farmer turned his back and then,
Those pigs rolled in the mud again”.

Storytime

Pig (See how they Grow) by DK Publishing [DK Preschool, 2007]
Perfect Piggies by Sandra Boyton [Workman Publishing Company, 2010]
Pig Takes a Bath by Michael Dahl and Orial Vidal [Picture Books Windows, 2010]
All Pigs are Beautiful by Dick-Kingsmith and Anita-Jeram [Candlewick, 1993]
Two Crazy Pigs by Karen Berman Nagel and Brain Schatell [Cartwheel, 1992]

Cooking and Snack
Grain in a Trough
Ingredients: Oat cereal, popcorn, cheese crackers, raisins, dried fruit, nuts (check for allergies first!)
Instructions: combine all ingredients and serve in small boxes that look like small troughs.

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• Earth Day Craft for Preschoolers: Creative Development Lesson Plan for Daycare Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, was created to promote…

Two little boys, ages 8 and 10, were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew all about it.

If any mischief occurred in their town, the two boys were probably involved.

The boys’ mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys.

The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually. So the mother sent the 8 year old first, in the morning, with the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon.

The preacher, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, ‘Do you know where God is, son?’

The boy’s mouth dropped open , but he made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open.

So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, ‘Where is God?’

Again, the boy made no attempt to answer. The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy’s face and bellowed, ‘Where is God?’

The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him.

When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, ‘What happened?’

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied,’We are in BIG trouble this time,’ (I just LOVE reading this next line again and again:)

‘GOD is missing, and they think we did it!’

With summer vacation on the way, most families are looking forward to spending more time together and even taking a trip or two. Ron and I are especially excited about this summer, because it’s the last one before our oldest heads off to college! They really do grow up fast.

While family trips are great for making memories, they can be a huge stress on the vacation planner (known as “Mom” in most households). More than ever, parents are turning to the “staycation” as a fun, budget-friendly way to have family fun and keep the stress levels down.

I asked Pilar Guzmàn, (former editor-in-chief of Cookie and new Care.com contributor!) to share her best idea for summer fun and she came up with a fantastic idea for a backyard camping trip. Here it is!

“I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it.” —William Faulkner: Sartoris

Despite my best efforts, I am not an advance-planner. I invite friends over at 4pm for dinner at 7—and book airplane tickets a couple of weeks before departure so that I can’t even get two seats together for my family of four. The pressure of planning the perfect summer vacation (a fun experience that doesn't break the bank) can be daunting—so much so, in fact, that I have decided not to plan one at all this summer.

My plan? To pitch a tent on my lawn, project movies onto the side of our house, and roast marshmallows over a fire pit.

Sometimes you need not look beyond your own backyard to find all of the adventure you crave.  The key is to make it as fanciful for you as for your kids and that means exporting all necessary (or just plain old fun) creature comforts outdoors:

1.    Set the scene.
Camping doesn’t have to mean Gortex and Arctic-proof technical equipment. Your campsite can be more romantic, think Out of Africa not Into Thin Air. So drape campsites with colorful fabric to get that Jeanie’s bottle feel. In other words, feel free to decorate—and definitely have the kids use their imaginations to help out.

2.    Don’t be a minimalist.
Since you are steps from your home, you can afford to bring out real pieces of furniture like chairs and side tables as well as hurricane lanterns and big throw pillows. Lay out colorful blankets and cushions on the ground to create casual seating areas. Because you don’t have to carry anything on your back up a hill, you can encourage your kids to bring favorite stuffed animals and books so that your setup feels like an outdoor living room. Part of the appeal of this whole idea is taking familiar items out of their normal context.

3.    Make it ceremonious.
Whether it’s a tea party or roasting hot dogs, use real cups and plates (I used old, chipped china but china nonetheless) to elevate the whole setting. This experience is not about practicality, it’s about fantasy.

4.    Sleep tight.
Unless you are dying to slumber on the cold damp ground, I would recommend a blow up mattress, sheets, pillows and lots of heavy blankets over a using a sleeping bag. You’ll get a good night’s sleep and wake up ready to make bacon and eggs on the grill!

What do you think? Is a backyard camping trip up your alley? What are some other fun “staycation” ideas you’d like to try?

With summer vacation on the way, most families are looking forward to spending more time together and even taking a trip or two. Ron and I are especially excited about this summer, because it’s the last one before our oldest heads off to college! They really do grow up fast.

While family trips are great for making memories, they can be a huge stress on the vacation planner (known as “Mom” in most households). More than ever, parents are turning to the “staycation” as a fun, budget-friendly way to have family fun and keep the stress levels down.

I asked Pilar Guzmàn, (former editor-in-chief of Cookie and new Care.com contributor!) to share her best idea for summer fun and she came up with a fantastic idea for a backyard camping trip. Here it is!

“I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it.” —William Faulkner: Sartoris

Despite my best efforts, I am not an advance-planner. I invite friends over at 4pm for dinner at 7—and book airplane tickets a couple of weeks before departure so that I can’t even get two seats together for my family of four. The pressure of planning the perfect summer vacation (a fun experience that doesn't break the bank) can be daunting—so much so, in fact, that I have decided not to plan one at all this summer.

My plan? To pitch a tent on my lawn, project movies onto the side of our house, and roast marshmallows over a fire pit.

Sometimes you need not look beyond your own backyard to find all of the adventure you crave.  The key is to make it as fanciful for you as for your kids and that means exporting all necessary (or just plain old fun) creature comforts outdoors:

1.    Set the scene.
Camping doesn’t have to mean Gortex and Arctic-proof technical equipment. Your campsite can be more romantic, think Out of Africa not Into Thin Air. So drape campsites with colorful fabric to get that Jeanie’s bottle feel. In other words, feel free to decorate—and definitely have the kids use their imaginations to help out.

2.    Don’t be a minimalist.
Since you are steps from your home, you can afford to bring out real pieces of furniture like chairs and side tables as well as hurricane lanterns and big throw pillows. Lay out colorful blankets and cushions on the ground to create casual seating areas. Because you don’t have to carry anything on your back up a hill, you can encourage your kids to bring favorite stuffed animals and books so that your setup feels like an outdoor living room. Part of the appeal of this whole idea is taking familiar items out of their normal context.

3.    Make it ceremonious.
Whether it’s a tea party or roasting hot dogs, use real cups and plates (I used old, chipped china but china nonetheless) to elevate the whole setting. This experience is not about practicality, it’s about fantasy.

4.    Sleep tight.
Unless you are dying to slumber on the cold damp ground, I would recommend a blow up mattress, sheets, pillows and lots of heavy blankets over a using a sleeping bag. You’ll get a good night’s sleep and wake up ready to make bacon and eggs on the grill!

What do you think? Is a backyard camping trip up your alley? What are some other fun “staycation” ideas you’d like to try?

Photo: mcclave, Flickr

Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that all children under age 2 be in a rear-facing car seat? Might not have worked that way for your older kids, but it you have a wee one right now, then this is the rule you should follow. You could be thinking this is a major pain, but guess what? Your kiddo is 75% less likely to die or incur a serious injury if rear-facing when riding in the car. Can’t argue those numbers, can you?

Father’s Day is observed to appreciate father’s and male role models. Father’s Day is celebrated in the most countries on the third Sunday in June.

Teach young children about Father’s Day by promoting lesson plans and activities about fathers. Consider the following reading lists and resources for free Father’s Day related worksheets, coloring pages, and handwriting practice sheets for your child care center:

Reading List

Father’s Day Board and Picture Books, Baby – Age 3
Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer [Random House, 2001]

Little Critter: Happy Father’s Day by Mercer Mayer [HarperFestival, 2007]

Biscuit Loves Father’s Day by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, Pat Schories, Mary O’keefe Young [HarperFestival, 2004]

The Best Father of All by Peter Horn, Cristina Kadmon, and J Alison James [North-South Books, 2005]

A  Wild Father’s Day by Sean Callahan and Daniel Howarth [Albert Whitman & Company, 2009]

Berenstain Bears and the Papa’s Day Surprise by Stan and Jan Berenstain [RandomHouse, 2003]

My Love Will be with You by Laura Krauss Melmed and Henri Sorensen [HarperCollins, 2009]

It’s the Best Day Ever by Brooke Shields and Cori Doerrfeld [HarperCollins, 2009]

A Day with Papa by Kitty Richards, Lori Tyminksi, and Giorgio Vallorani [Disney, 2009]

Man’s Work by Annie Kubler [Child’s Play International, 1999]

Zoe’s Day with Daddy by Sarah Albee, P. J. Shaw, and Tom Brannon [Dalmation Pr, 2008]

Up on Daddy’s Shoulders by Matt Berry [Cartwheel Books, 2006]
Father’s Day Early Readers, Ages 4-8
A Perfect Father’s Day by Eve Bunting and Susan Meddaugh [Sandpiper, 1993]

Celebrating Father’s Day: Father’s Day is for Special People by Donna Marriott and Keiko Motoyama [Creative Teaching Press, 1999]
Father’s Day by Anne Rockwell and Lizzy Rockwell [HarperCollins, 2005]
It’s Father’s Day, Charlie Brown by Judy Katschke, Charles M. Schultz, and Tom Brannon [Little Simon, 2004]
Daddy Did I Ever Say? I Love You, Love You, Every Day by Daryl K. Cobb, and Traci Van Wagoner [10 to 2 Children’s Books, 2007]

The Secret Father’s Day Present by Andrew Clements and Varda Livney [Little Simon, 2000]

Father’s Day by Laura Alden [Childrens Pr, 1995]

What is Father’s Day by Harriet Ziefert and Claire Schumacher [Sterling, 2006]

Father’s Day Worksheets and Printables

There are many resources for free worksheets for daycare providers to use in conjunction with lesson plans and activities. Worksheets for Father’s Day should include coloring pages, handwriting worksheets, and printable craft patterns.

The following websites provide free Father’s Day printables:

DLTK: Father’s Day coloring pages, crafts, and worksheets

ABCTeach:  Free Father’s Day worksheets, calendars, coloring pages, and other printables

A to Z Teacher Stuff: Father’s Day learning activities, finger plays, nursery rhymes, and craft printables

Activity Village: Father’s day activities, printouts, cards, and crafts.

Kinderplans: Printable Father’s day cards and crafts

First-Preschool: Free Father’s Day rhyme themed activities, crafts, lesson plans, and coloring pages

No related posts.

As part of our Interviews with Daycare Business Owners series, we interviewed Shannon Van Rompaey, owner of Shannon’s Home Daycare in London, Ontario Canada.

OwnADaycare: When and why did you start your daycare/childcare business?
Shannon Van Rompaey: I started my home daycare in March 2007

OwnADaycare: What is the best bit of advice that you can give a new child care
business owner?
Shannon Van Rompaey: One piece of advice, in particular home based childcare, I would
recommend never losing touch with the community, even when your program is full. You never know when a family may give their notice, so to have a waiting list, and to continue to interviews to get your
childcare advertised really helps. Word of mouth has been my best form of advertising, but I feel that since having my website, it has saved me on so much TIME answering all of the questions from potential
clients.

OwnADaycare: What is your child care philosophy?
Shannon Van Rompaey: My childcare philosophy is that I believe strongly in promoting learning through play – therefore I am constantly creating new and fun ways for the children to interact and discover through their play. It could be as simple as adding something unique to the dramatic play
center that they would never expect to go there, and see how they use it and then how they incorporate other objects into different areas of play around the classroom. I believe in providing the tools for
children to learn and develop, but by stepping back and having them take control on what they would like to do with those tools is the most important learning I can give them.

OwnADaycare: What is the best thing about owning a daycare business?
Shannon Van Rompaey: I think the best thing about owning my daycare business is the reward at the end of the day knowing that these children are getting quality care and to see them develop and grow into the little people they become is a great feeling.

OwnADaycare: What advice would you give to busy mom entrepreneurs?
Shannon Van Rompaey: Advice that I would give to busy mom entrepreneurs would be always
remember your family comes first. Believe in your illness policies and don’t feel bad sending a child home if they fall into the categories of being too ill for daycare. You need to protect your family and yourself from illness so you can be there for everyone.

Bio: My name is Shannon Van Rompaey and I run a home daycare in London, Ontario Canada. I am lucky to have a dedicated space in my home to care for 5 children at one time, plus my own. I am a graduate of the Early Childhood Education Program, but have never worked in a licensed daycare center. I choose to open my home daycare when I had my son Connor and started looking for childcare for him, and realized there wasn’t really a home “program” in the area that made me feel comfortable going back to work knowing he would be learning and having fun throughout his day. I know offer that service to some amazing families in my area!

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Good Morning! It’s the last week of school. I can’t believe that we have come so far and done so much this year. It’s finally coming to a close, and I have to admit that this is one of the best years we have had. Everyone worked so hard, and we are very grateful to the children, to teachers, and to parents who have given it their all.

This week we will be winding up Geography, Science, Fine Arts, and Foreign Language.

On Friday, we will have our Awards Day program followed by a picnic. The festivities will begin promptly at 3:00 p.m. and the picnic will get underway about 3:30. Please bring your child’s favorite covered dish. Details will be sent home on Monday.

Please remember to dress your child in short clothes. It will be in the mid to high eighties all week, and children suffer in long clothes on the playground. Children arriving in long clothes will be changed or sent home. Please do not send your child in pull ups. We do not allow sandals at school unless it is a swim day. Socks and athletic shoes are the most appropriate foot gear.

Children who throw their medals over the fence will lose them permanently. If they want to throw them away, that is their choice. No new medals will be issued this week.

Please sun screen your own child before he comes to school. We will sun screen in the afternoon if the day warrants it.

Have an enormously great week!

One of the new meals children are enjoying at school is quesadillas. We are making them on chicken days, and the children are eating every single one. It’s always a delight when the serving trays are empty.

When we started serving these, we tried every kind of chicken arrangement we could think of, and what we found was the best one is ground chicken. We’ve been buying fresh chicken breasts and roasting them in the oven with taco seasoning. Then when they are cooked through, we’ve been grinding them in the Cuisinart.

We bought a quesadilla maker which squeezes the whole affair nicely.

When making quesadillas, we stack a flour tortilla, about three ounces of chicken, a couple of ounces of cheese – American melts beautifully, and cheddar tastes wonderful, and Monterrey Jack is delicious and check cheese chart for your favorite – and then another flour tortilla. This can be cooked in a quesadilla maker or on a pancake griddle. When the flour tortilla is crisp, it’s time to serve. We cut our quesadillas into several pie shaped pieces and serve with sour cream and salsa.

For teachers, anything goes. On quesadilla days, we slice tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and sometimes salad.

Children love these little dream pies. They are a big finger food that are swallowed down better than any sandwich.

So you’re starting a daycare business. You’ve found a location for your daycare business and you have a great business name. You have obtained information about your business’ licensing requirements and regulations and you are setting up your business structure and creating a business plan.  Then you come to the subject of funding.  Besides your own resources, where will you come up with initial funding for your daycare business?

There are many funding options available for your daycare businesses. Once you have gathered funds from your own resources, friends, family, and your business partner (if this applies), the next step is to search for grants, loans, and subsidies.

A subsidy is an ongoing payment, usually provided by the government, which covers essentials such as food.  Subsidies are typically based on need. Subsidies are given to the individual in need to give to the center, or given directly to the daycare center on behalf of the individual in need.

A daycare grant is a one-time payment given to a childcare center for a specific need or project that does not need to be repaid. There are several types of grants available: Local grants, federal grants and private grants. Start looking for daycare grants and subsidies through the National Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (NACRRA), Head Start, Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

First look for local and state funding options. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) of your local county should be able to provide information about local grants for your daycare center. Next, contact the United States Small Business Administration.  Many government programs offer grants and subsidies to childcare businesses.

Next, search for private funding. The Foundation Center and Foundation for Early Learning are good resources for private grants.

One word of advice: Before applying for a daycare grant, it is important that you develop a detailed business plan.  The business plan illustrates why your daycare center qualifies for the grant above others. In addition, it may be more difficult to find funding for a non-profit organization than a for-profit.

Resources for Daycare Business Grants:

United States Small Business Administration

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

Grants.gov

Foundation for Early Learning

Head Start

National Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (NACRRA)

The Foundation Center

School Grants.org

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• Sources for Daycare Grants One source of funding for daycare businesses is grants. There…

As part of our Interviews with Daycare Business Owners series, we interviewed Sarah Taylor of Bayside Montessori Home Daycare in Ontario, Canada.

OwnADaycare: Please describe your childcare business. When and why did you start your daycare/childcare business?

Sarah Taylor: I currently run a home daycare called Bayside Montessori Home Daycare.  I had worked in a local Montessori School for 5-6 years and had 2 children of my own (then a 2.5 year old girl and an infant boy).  After having my second I decided it would be best to stay at home and get my Montessori education while running a home daycare.  I have been doing Montessori out of my home for the past 2 years but have expanded my classroom just recently when my family purchased our own home.  I am hoping soon to have enough demand to move the center out of my home and be more formalized and be able to provide care to more families interested in the Montessori philosophy.  I am still a work in progress and need some Montessori materials but what I have now is sufficient enough to teach the amount of children under my care.

OwnADaycare: What is the best bit of advice that you can give a new child care business owner?

Sarah Taylor: My best advice is to know what you are getting into (hours, income, laws/guidelines in your city/province/state), advertise like crazy, and during peak times in the year….1-2 months before summer vacation, 1-2 months before back to school, and right before Christmas break is over.  These are natural transition periods that people look for care.  Have a Parent Handbook that outlines all of your policies and expectations that way parents know what to expect from you and you know what to expect from them and it is all in writing.
Also, use resources that are around you to help you family resource centers, gyms, libraries.  It is a lot of work but it is worth it, these are children that are going to learn from you, love you and be happy!

OwnADaycare: What are the best and worst aspects of owning a daycare business?

Sarah Taylor: Best ~ I am my own boss, my children can come to work with me for no cost, parents talk to me about things not to someone else then me, I get to do what I love doing being a teacher!
Worst ~ Pay depends on amount of children in care and what days they come, it’s in my home so it is sometimes hard to separate work and home, all the responsibility is on me so if something is great YAY for me but if something is not going great then it is all on me!

OwnADaycare: Please explain and comment on the Montessori philosophy.

Sarah Taylor: Dr. Maria Montessori developed the Montessori Method based on her understanding of children’s natural learning tendencies (or planes of development) as they unfold in the classrooms that are prepared environments for multi-age groups (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 and 12-14). In the Montessori classroom the child is encouraged to focus his/her attention on one particular quality, the child works at his/her own optimum level – in an environment where beauty and orderliness are emphasized and appreciated. A spontaneous love of “work” is revealed as the child is given the freedom (within boundaries) to make her own choices. The materials invite children to engage in learning activities of their own individual choice. Under the guidance of a trained teacher, children in a Montessori classroom learn by making discoveries with the materials, cultivating concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. There are 5 main areas in a Montessori classroom they are: Practical Life, Sensorial, Cultural & Science (which include geography, history, botany & zoology), Mathematics, and Language.

I currently teach ages 3-6 but I also have an infant/toddler section in my home daycare. I love that the children chose what they learn and that they actually DO learn and I am not preaching to them to memorize something.

OwnADaycare: Do you have children of your own? If so, how do you feel your business affects them?

Sarah Taylor: I do have children of my own currently ages 5 and 2.5 years old. It affects them greatly both positively and negatively as with any career choice….they have Mommy home but they also have to share her with 5 other children during the day.  I think that it is extremely positive for me to be with my children and to be there for them but I also need to provide an income for my family.  I am so happy that I chose a career path that is now suiting my family perfectly.

Bio: Sarah Taylor grew up in Ontario, Canada and did a high school placement at a local Montessori School and instantly fell in love with the philosophy which led her to take Early Childhood Education and then later her Montessori Diploma. Sarah has 2 children ages 5 and 2.5 years. Sarah started doing childcare in her home when her youngest was 8 months old.  Her goal is to one day have her own center with 24 full time students.

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Photo: greenkozi, Flickr

On Fridays, we list the links we love and point to the hot topics at our favorite sites.

The Pill just turned 50! ParentDish is talking about it, and so is Time magazine.

Tubes tied, but you want more kids? MomLogic shares a story of one mom who had her tubes UNtied.

Worried about medication recalls and what they mean for your family? Try these Lil Sugar natural remedies for reducing fevers.

Beware of bullying! Divine Caroline offers 9 tips for making sure your kids are not bullied.

We recommend you keep your kids reading all summer long, and librarians offer some book recommendations for kids and teens.

Photo: greenkozi, Flickr

On Fridays, we list the links we love and point to the hot topics at our favorite sites.

The Pill just turned 50! ParentDish is talking about it, and so is Time magazine.

Tubes tied, but you want more kids? MomLogic shares a story of one mom who had her tubes UNtied.

Worried about medication recalls and what they mean for your family? Try these Lil Sugar natural remedies for reducing fevers.

Beware of bullying! Divine Caroline offers 9 tips for making sure your kids are not bullied.

We recommend you keep your kids reading all summer long, and librarians offer some book recommendations for kids and teens.

Some funny pics for the day.