Ways to Organize Your Daycare Toys and Supplies

I know what you’re thinking, how hard is it to store toys and supplies? Well it isn’t, the tricky part is keeping them organized. Parents want to see a clean environment with organization.

I am not talking about just having storage bins used as one big toy box. What i am talking about is, have the right size storage bins for everything to have its place. Store toy cars in one bin, dolls in another, Lego in yet another bin. Well you get the idea.

Label all your bins. Use pictures to label each bin as this will help your daycare children to understand where everything goes when it is clean up time. Parents will see that their children are expected to clean up and know that cleanup is organized in a way that their child will understand.

Use smaller storage bins for crafts and keep them up high. Have each storage bin labelled and organized. Keep stickers in one storage bin. Scissors, staplers, glue and pens in another, Play doe in another bin and paint in yet another bin. Well you get the idea.

Use yet smaller bins inside of a larger bin to store googly eyes feathers, pom poms etc. See through bins work the best. With seeing what is in the storage bin makes it easier to be ready for craft time. Add the labels and it makes it easier clean up for your daycare children.

Sometimes these storage bins will get unorganized with more than one bin out at a time. Therefore make it a monthly point to reorganize your bins. By doing this parents will see that you have a safe and fun environment for their child/ren.

You really need to be organized because when you run a home daycare, you are living in a daycare literally. It can get overwhelming if you have toys from one end of the house to the other 24 hours a day. Not to mention a accident waiting to happen. Parents want to know there children are safe in every way possible.

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What is an Example of Your Daily Meal Plan?

This is a very important part in running your own home daycare. Parents want healthier eating habits for their children.

What is an example of your daily meal plan? I was asked this question in my first interview with a parent looking for childcare. I was so nervous about it being my first interview that i drew a blank.
I figured kids will eat food and that was the end of it. Nope, I was wrong. Let’s just say i didn’t get the job of a full time child.

This is when i realized how important it is to have a healthy meal plan and one that can be printed out for the parents.

Your meal plan should include:
Breakfast
Snack
Lunch
Snack

If you have daycare children after hours you would want to include:
Supper
Snack

Without a meal plan your daycare children will eat you out of house and home. Having a meal plan you will find you are not spending most of your time in the kitchen making each child something of their choice. They will not want to snack on everything in the house because when you provide children with healthy foods, they are full longer Also healthy foods don’t make children sluggish and moody. In fact they are healthier mentally and physically.

Parents don’t want their child hyper on junk foods, not to mention their dentist bill.

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What to Ask a Parent During an Interview

A parent wants their child in a clean and fun environment but more than anything they like to know their child is safe. You can ask questions to answer the questions that they are surely to have in the back of their minds.

Does their child have any allergies and are they life threatening? If they are life threatening do they require an epi-pen? Ask how to use one if you already don’t know.

Ask if their child has a favourite food, blanket, stuffed animal, book or game that they enjoy. This will help you will to plan weekly meals. You will also be able to help a child feel comfortable in your home when you know their favourite toys or activities.

Tell the parent your daily routine, meal plans and your child care activities that you have in your schedule .

Ask if the child has a nap time routine. Find out if it will fit into your schedule you have for your other daycare children.

Let the parent know your daily routine with the children. Talk about the different programs you take them to. Play groups etc.

Explain the way you deal with misbehavior and you will let the parent know about anytime outs that was needed at the end of the day.

Let the parent know that you would need the child’s health card number and emergency contact phone numbers and of course their work place of employment with contact phone number if they so choose your home daycare to place their child/ren.

Also you want to let them know about fees. If you charge for days of an absence, late or holidays.

Make sure you ask the parent if they have any questions for you.