Parent Hack #1: Secret to Easier Daycare Drop-offs

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The Dreaded Morning Drop-off. In the toddler room at our daycare, Little B. and her Mom were having a tough time in the mornings. Little B. did not want her Mom to leave, and was crying and clinging on to her. After 15 or 20 minutes, one of the teachers would pry little B. away, holding and comforting her while Mom makes her not-so-clean or happy getaway.

After a few mornings like this, I ran into B's Mom in the parking lot. She looked helpless, pregnant with guilt, little B's tears and cries still weighing on her.

"Tough, huh?" I asked. "Yeah, it's gotten pretty bad lately. I don't know what to do."

I felt compelled to reveal my Secret to a Guilt-free, Tears-free Morning Drop-offs. Actually, it's a technique (or Parent Hack, if you will) that we learned at our last daycare.

"You might have her push you out," I suggested. "What do you mean?"

It works like this: A teacher or parent asks the child, "Do you want to push Mommy (or Daddy) out of the room?" during the good-bye portion of the drop-off. The child agrees. Mommy or Daddy turns, faces the door and the child pushes the parent's butt, like a choo-choo train, out the room.

"Yeah, I'll give it try," said B's Mom.

How did it go? When I ran into B's Mom a week later, she was gushing with thanks. Amazing, she said. And I got to witness it in action the next morning, both of them happy and even having added their little tickling twist to the drop-off ritual. No tears, no banshee cries. No guilt in sight.

As a bonus. "Now she even pushes me out of her room at bed time, " said B's Mom.

The next morning, I saw Little N, another one of the kids who's been having a tough time. After 10 min., her mother spontaneously suggested to little N, "Do you want to push me out?" Little N. agreed.

"It's nice to leave her not screaming her head off in the morning," I overheard N's Mom telling B's Mom.

Why it works. It empowers the child. It gives them some control. They decide (sort of) when you leave. They are pushing you out; you're not leaving/abandoning them.

And it's fun. Like playing choo-choo trains.

The Downside.

1. It may not always work. Although I have yet to see it not work.
2. It's a little manipulative.

Yes, but. My instinct says a little manipulation is better than all the tears, cries and the guilt.

Give it a try and let me how it went for you.

J. Lee writes for http://mysearchformeaning-money.blogspot.com/ and http://daddymadeit.blogspot.com/

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Copywriting Tips for Daycare Business Owners

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Copywriting can seem overwhelming for some. Some do not even know how to begin. Here are a few tips to make it a little easier.

Before you begin your copywriting, here’s what you should do.

First, take a piece of paper and list down what you think are the needs and wants of the parents are. It’ll probably be somewhere along the lines of a trustworthy caregiver to care for their child or a daycare centre that is near their house, a clean and hygienic daycare centre or even a daycare centre that is affordable. We’ll call this List A

With that in mind, list down the things / services that you possess which you think will be able to meet those needs and wants. For example, a good track record or it is a new centre or you offer the lowest rates in the neighborhood. That will provide you with the foundation to start your draft. We’ll call this List B.

Traditionally, advertisers use the AIDA (stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action) model as a guide to generate highly successful advertisement copy. It is fairly simple, once you get the hang of it.

“A” stand for Attention. There should be an element in the copy whose job is to capture the audience’s attention. It usually is the headline or a photo/graphic. It should be arresting and should entice the potential parent to want to read more. The headline can be anything which you think will capture the attention of the reader. It can be in the form of a statement or a question. For example, you can use “The cheapest daycare charges in Town A” as a headline or “Are you looking for a cheap and reliable daycare centre?

"On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy. It follows that, unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your money." David Oglivy

Therefore a headline is extremely important.

“I” stands for Interest. The copy of the advertisement should aim to generate the audience’s interest. It should address their concerns / needs or provide them with a solution to a problem, using the information gathered from List A as well as List B.

“D” is for Desire. The next step is to get them to “buy” into your idea / product and really want the product. There should be a hook / bait such as testimonials, free gift, or even a time based discount etc.

The final and most important step - Action. Many advertisements miss this out. After telling your audience how your company is going to solve their problems, you need to tell them what to do next. Do you want them to call a hotline to make an appointment or come down to see your open house or bring this advertisement for a free gift. Don’t leave them hanging. Close the copy by telling them what to do.

For more information or resources on starting a daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

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Is Your Child Too Sick to Go To Daycare?

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On February 8th, 2007 the Wall Street Journal published an article on “sick days-when to keep your child home from daycare”. To summarize the article it basically discussed the fact that many parent’s have problems when children become ill and they still have to go to work.

This is very true, many parent’s do have problems when finding back-up childcare mainly because we are a busy society and just about everyone has something planned today, tomorrow and next week. So when a child does all of the sudden become ill it’s a huge issue.

Part of the problem also lies in the child care facility and their clear explanation of what their policies are. The article in the Wall Street Journal stated that many parents were not sure as to what the sick policy was of their childcare center. So, at 2A.M. does the parent have a clear understanding of whether that child should stay home? Maybe, maybe not.

Everyone realizes that the best place for a sick child is at home- it's in the best interest of the child to advocate this in our daycare centers and to our parents.

As a reminder, when new parent enrolls in your childcare be sure to discuss with them your policies. What are the specific restrictions you have when a child is ill? And be exact, what is the exact temperature that a child should be not allowed into childcare. Make sure that you take a special time to discuss your policies on illness and what illnesses are not allowed in daycare.

Policies are so very important you definitely want to keep your daycare smooth and running.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

The “Daycare Diva”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit http://www.startingadaycaretips.com/

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Daycare Supplies & Equipment - 7 Must Have's

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Daycare supplies and equipment generally include toys, books, and other items, but these are only part of what you need to really create an organized learning environment for your students. Below is a list of seven “must haves” you need for your classroom.

1. Art storage for kids – Part of the daycare supplies and equipment you need to get ready for your students are art supplies because children love to be creative and to make art. However, keeping track of all those supplies and the children you’re watching can be a nightmare. You need to have some type of storage unit that will keep all of these supplies organized and accessible to your students.

2. Art easels – Setting up art stations where everything students need to start creating is available is a nice way of letting the students have a little more independence and self-expression. Plus, if you use art easels with underneath storage you’ll also have art storage for kids.

3. Appropriately sized tables and chairs – Your daycare supplies and equipment may not normally include classroom furniture, but it’s worth considering. While it may be easier to use desks and other items designed for older students, you should always try to provide your students with tables and chairs they can work at comfortably.

4. Safe steps or stools – One problem in many daycares and elementary classrooms is that existing items may not be easily accessible by your students. For example, drinking fountains are sometimes too high off the ground to be useful to students. Lowering the fountains is not a cost effective option, but you could buy special child-friendly stools or steps to make the fountains – or other taller parts of your classroom – easy and safe to reach for your students.

5. Media storage – A few decades ago, the only media storage you would need in your classroom is a place for books and maybe a place to listen to records or cassettes. Today, you might have a sizable arsenal of media at your disposal, including CD’s and DVD’s. That means you need a place to store all of those items. Remember if you want your students to be able to select the items or to return them when they are finished, you’ll want to choose media storage furniture that is closer to the ground and is visually appealing.

6. Cubbie storage – Part of the daycare supplies and equipment you need should include a way of your students to safely store their own items. Cubbie storage is a good way to do this because each child can have their own pre-assigned spot and because the cubbies make it easy to keep their items organized. Having the items stored far away from the actual classroom learning environment is a good idea so students won’t be easily distracted.

7. Toy storage – Toys, especially building blocks and similar “loose” toys, can be hard to keep organized. However, there are options available to make it easier. Consider using clear tote boxes to keep together certain types of toys, such as blocks, doll clothes, plastic food, etc. Your students will be able to easily see what’s inside each box and can pick the one he or she wants to play with. When finished, they can put everything neatly back in the box for the next students to enjoy. When you’re trying to get together all of the daycare supplies and equipment you need, don’t forget the importance of organization in your classroom environment.

Patricia Giadone is the owner of http://www.childrensorganizers.com/ an online provider of discount classroom and home furniture for parents, daycares, preschools, and churches. Her writing focuses on early childhood and the benefits of organization in the classroom and at home.

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Opening a Home Daycare Business

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Opening your own home daycare center can be a wonderful way to spend more time with your family and enjoy a career working with children. Before setting off on this adventure, however, you need to determine what your motives are. If you are looking for a way to get rich it isn't going to happen. If you are looking for an easy job and a day lounging around the house you are in for a shocking surprise. Running a daycare is not an easy job and there is no place in this field for those who do not love children and have the patience and endurance that is needed to work with them on a daily basis. Taking care of other people's children is an entirely different job than caring for your own. You need the ability to love unconditionally and to accept the children in your care into your home and family. If, after thinking long and hard about this career choice, you decide that daycare is right for you than there are several steps you must take.

First, you must find out what your state regulations regarding home daycares are. Most states require a food handler's permit, first aid, C.P.R., and a business license. These are easily obtained with some time and small fees. There are organizations out there that will provide grant money as a reimbursement for your start up costs after you have remained licensed for a set period of time. After you have done that you need to find out what your city regulations are. The state and local regulations are not always the same. In order to do business in the city that you live in you must follow their ordinances. They will generally want to do a fire inspection of your home and will take a written plan for the amount of traffic you will receive during business hours. None of these things are hard. They simply require time to process.

Once you have fulfilled all of the legal requirements of running your home business you need to determine what your business model will be. Hours of operation will have to be decided, keeping in mind that you will need to work longer hours than the parents you serve in order to give them time to travel to and from work. A daily schedule will make your day go much smoother and give the children a routine to count on. This will relieve many of the behavior issues you may run into. A contract and parent handbook is necessary to maintain good relationships with the parents and to assure that your own needs are met. The contract should cover weekly fees, when payment is due, consequences for late payment, and the type of notice on monetary compensation that must be given when the contract is terminated. The parent handbook should cover the rules of your business at home. This is the place to tell parents what you expect of them. Some things you may want to include here are your sick policy, whether or not you allow children to bring things from home, what your stand is regarding vacations and sick days etc. There are many home daycares that have posted their contracts and parent handbooks online that you can look at for ideas. Be sure to be as thorough as possible because these are the things that will primarily determine your satisfaction with your business. It allows you to be in control and avoid many of the typical complains of daycare providers. Once you have a contract be sure that you follow it. This sounds simple but it is easy to become lax in rules trying to please the parents. You need to remember that they have not employed you. You are running your own business and you set the rules. They are a client and agreed to the terms that you set for them. Start strict so the parents know where you stand. It is easier to be more lenient over time as you develop relationships with the parents than it is to go the other direction. The last thing you want is to hate your job because parents are constantly late picking up or paying their fees.

Many daycares choose to provide full preschool programs. If you are not comfortable developing your own curriculum there are many companies such as Mother Goose Time and Funshine Express that will send you boxes of materials every month with each day planned for you. This is not a requirement for running a home daycare. Children can learn quite a lot through play as long as they are actively engaged in activities and interactions throughout the day.

Advertising can be fairly easy. Signs can be printed for under $20 at vinyl shops with your business name and phone number. These can be placed in your yard if your neighborhood allows it or on streets nearby. Flyers can be posted on bulletin boards at many local businesses, including grocery stores. Word of mouth is the best advertising. Talk to everyone you know and let them know what you are doing. Parents are desperate to find quality daycare and once you build your reputation you will never need to advertise. Local Resource and Referral agencies offer fantastic childcare placement services. They link parents searching for daycare with a list of daycare providers in each city. Be sure and sign up with them once you have received your license. It can take up to 6 months to fill all the openings you have but once you develop a name for yourself your business should be pretty steady.

Daycare can be a wonderful profession with the right attitude and passion. It requires patience and love and a lot of work but the time it gives you with your own children and the freedom to control your employment is well worth the work.

Rachel Lister is a 26 year old mother of two young children. She teaches preschool and runs a home daycare. Rachel is the teen editor for Bellaonline.com (http://www.teen.bellaonline.com/) and writes for various other online markets.

http://www.rachelptg.blogspot.com/

http://www.kaleidoscope-childhood.blogspot.com/

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