Business Plan/New Year

 I like to say I'm prepared for tax season. But it takes me a few months to gather all my receipts and put everything in a spreadsheet.  I spent time last year designing a spreadsheet to make things easier to put into categories and separate my purchases.  Taxes are intimating for a lot of people, I don't like to do paperwork but it is a huge part of my business.  

My best advice is to hire a very good tax accountant.  Someone that is knowledgeable in your business and knows what the laws are in your state.  I provide all my information in the spreadsheet I use and my tax lady appreciated that it is very itemized.  That being said I am planning on making the tax prep sheet that you can purchase through my website; beacons.ai/todayiminspired

I have spent many years trying to create my check in/check out spreadsheet for my daily use of family information.  The one I created has family name, date, times and keeps track of payments.  I literally have 12 sheets to total at the end of the year and this has become so easy to do monthly or yearly tax totals for my daycare families.  Everything is on one sheet per month and I'm not having to flip back and forth through a calendar.  I wasted so much time over the years trying other ways and this has been working for me for the last 10 years.  I am going to make the family total sheet available for purchase on my website; beacons.ai/todayiminspired

This year I have decided to make a list of toys, equipment and supplies I want to add or replace.  I plan to make a monthly budget and see if I can stay on budget in 2025.  My other goal is to have birthday presents for each age group and child ready the month before, this will help with overspending or buying unnecessary items.  

Grocery and supply list are must to help remember items that need to be reordered.  I printed the list out and laminated it, I put it on my refrigerator and circle the items when they need to be repurchased.  I order my groceries and supplies online once a month for daycare.  It keeps my receipts separate and then I don't have to sort through items to know if they are for my family or daycare.  This takes the guess work out of your daily, weekly and monthly planning.  

Bookkeeping is my least favorite thing about my job!  I need to learn to budget monthly for equipment, toys and large purchases.  I should have that figured out after all these years but honestly I have always just bought things and not saved which I don't suggest doing.  

I'm going to start giving myself a payroll check in 2025.  This is something I have tried in the past but it just seems easier to put my money in a separate account and pay for the expenses out of there.  

Keeping good financial records is key to your business success.  

I have created several worksheets that help keep you organized and the new year is a great time to start your new business practices. This is an investment and can be used for years to come.  Everything is printable and editable.  

I hope the new year finds you healthy and happy doing what you love.  

Excited to see what 2025 has instore for us all.

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

                            This verse encourages gratitude for each new day as a gift from God,

                           inviting you to embrace it with joy.         

        beacons.ai/todayiminspired 

Winter Indoor Activities

 South Dakota is known for it's very long winters.  So with that being said, mid-October is when we start having to stay inside.  This doesn't fair well with my daycare kids. Planning ideas to keep them active and burn off their energy is key to our happiness.  I have to get pretty creative with ideas or boredom with set in quickly. 

I pick from a variety of age-appropriate activities, several are game based. I love to allow kids to have choices. I also incorporate music channels and dancing as part of our daily routine. TV is my absolute last resort.

Here are a few activities I often use: hulu hoops, musical numbers & shapes, balloons, dance parties.  toss game with bean bags, popcorn kernel/shakers, bowling using coffee creamer containers filled with rice.  Felt boards, animal matching and board games to name a few more of my ideas.  

The 3 and up kids, play sensory bin activities. There are also a lot of ABC and numbers. I will often include holiday items or themed activities.  We sometimes have a movie days when the kids need rest or a quieter environment.    We read books to help them calm down prior to everyone going home for the day.

Some months I pick craft projects based books we have read.  It's a great way to get your kids interested in story time and learn about what the characters or book is all about.   

The indoor play yard area for the 9 mo.-20 mo. Kids.  It has a crib mattress that they jump on, rocking horse, cars, stacking blocks and several age-appropriate toys.  This area provides a safe place for younger kids when the older age group is dancing and playing games. 

Most of the songs are interactive and the kids love it!  For the song " 5 Green & Speckled Frogs", we use a blanket as the pool and have the kids jump off the log into it; so much fun! The songs "What time is it Mr. Shark?" and "Red Light Green Light" can be very loud and wild, but when you have been inside all winter you need to welcome wild sometimes. 

We have a scheduled holiday crafts which is another way to match the activities with a theme.  Birthday parties also help pass the long winter days.

I know several daycares that do a toy rotation and that seems to help. Introducing new toys or finding thrifted toys to add to your selection is a good way to keep the kids interested.  I separate my kids by age after snack.  The older kids, 3 and up, stay at the table and pick from fun and learning activities. The 1 year and 2 year old toddlers play with barn and zoo animal or color & number games.  I have shape sorters, letter/music hand held toys, pop its and tons of board books.  My husband made a ball sorter that they love. 

If you have the space available you could add a climber, tunnel or playhouse for inside.  I have also made a castle and tunnels out of refrigerator or upright freezer boxes. I cut doors and windows so the kids could walk around inside and look out the windows I left to it up for a month.

You can keep things simple or be super creative.  The main goal is to keep them excited to learn and play.  

If you have other ideas, I would love for you to share them with me.  

I will say of the Lord, " He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Psalm 91: 1-2

It's All In The Planning!

Crafts

Planning is key! I use my calendar and mark down birthdays and holidays. This helps with picking themes and finding ideas for each month. 

My favorite place to find ideas is Pinterest.  I pin ideas all year long and am able to pick from several of the ideas.    I usually recreate the idea to make it age appropriate for my daycare kids. My main goal is to have a craft they can do themselves.  

I plan 12 months at a time and use lists to help me organize, prepare and plan.  Supply list can be made from the monthly craft ideas. Prepping and cutting the craft ahead of time helps me stay organized and not feel rushed when it's time for the activity which is key when your working with these age groups.

Making sure you choose age-appropriate crafts is another way to ensure the activities go smoothly. I make a example of the craft ahead of time for kids that are 3 and under, which also serves as a visual to help the older children see what their craft is going to look like.  It is a great guide for them and they are able to see the finished project.  

When I choose holiday crafts, I make sure I have 2 different choices because of difficulty/skill level or the ages of my children in daycare. 

Birthdays

Birthdays are a "big deal" at my house and everyone gets their own party.  Even if there is more than one birthday in that month, each child still gets their own party.   The child gets to choose the color and that helps me choose the theme or decorations for that party.  I shop at the $ Tree, I can find balloons, decorations, party supplies, and supplies for game to make the celebration fun.  

I use plastic table clothes to make back drop and the birthday banner make it fun for my kids to feel special on their day.  The backdrops are great for photos with their friends.  I include games and create fun activities for the birthday parties.  

These are a few of my go-to birthday games:

sticky ball toss                            music shakers                        freeze dance            

fishing game                               turtle matching game   

Danny Go is our new favorite dance show to make our day fun!

Holiday Parties

Here is a list of the holidays we celebrate and the activities I incorporate at the parties.

Valentine's Day/We decorate treat bags, play games and exchange candy.

Easter/Make easter baskets, decorate eggs and have a easter egg hunt.

4th of July/Red, white and blue craft and outside water table to help us cool off.

Halloween/Decorate treat bags, trick or treat in the house and play fun games in our costumes.

I love to create a fun experience throughout the year, no matter what the day. My daycare kids learn to celebrate their friends as well as themselves and get excited for the monthly crafts.  

All of these ideas can work with any budget and the remember the ideas is to create an experience for the kids in your care.  The smallest gesture can create and incredible impact on the kids in your care, leaving them memories to hold forever.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  

Behavior

 I want to talk about a topic that sometimes can be very misunderstood or become a blame game.  Before I get started, I want to stress that I'm not complaining or blaming anyone.  We all have room for improvement and need to continue to learn in order for the children in our care to benefit. 

Behavior has become a big issue for the last seven years in my daycare.   I have had several children with learning disabilities and behavioral issues that are very difficult to navigate.  You may be unsure of the behaviors, which may lead you to wonder about the cause or how they behave outside of your daycare.  You will likely question what you can do to best meet the child’s needs.  Do not be afraid to ask the parents or other qualified professionals to help you so that you are ensuring the best care for the child.

These types of conversation have been very hard for me to have with the parents of the child.   I believe I can handle a lot, but there have been times I have been exhausted emotionally at the end of the day.  There have been times I have ended my day feeling down right defeated.  There has been a huge shift over the years in what I have seen children display. 

I'm not sure if parents aren't aware there is an issue or that they find it difficult to admit to themselves that their child needs help.  I have always been a huge advocate for the children in my care.  My top priority remains providing a safe environment for all the children in my care.  There have been times I have to explain to a parent that the behavior their child displays affects the safety of the other children and that we need to work together to find a solution.   

The behaviors I am referring to go beyond the normal hitting, pushing, and not getting along.  Screaming, pounding on the floor, hitting furniture or other kids are a few examples. When a child becomes so aggressive that removing that child from that situation or room is the only option in order to ensure the other children are safe it is time to have a hard talk with the parents.  Sometimes when the child is removed to a safe space they are still unable to calm them down.  Being removed has only escalated the child, but leaving them with the other children wasn’t an option either.  I do not have all the answers and I continue to learn new techniques.  I constantly search for new tools and strategies to help the children who have extreme difficulties regulating their emotions. 

There is a huge rise in children with ADHD and emotional dysregulation.  I have found a variety of ways I can better meet the needs of these types of children.  For example,  I have changed food choices and eliminating all cereal as well as most snacks that contain food dyes.  I also acknowledge that the child is having difficulty by communicating with them about  how they are feeling in order to understand the situation from their point of view.  This has been hard for me because typically I am able to redirect a child and help them make a better decisions.  However,  in these moments with children struggling in these ways this isn't an option or something they are capable of in the moment

Most of the time the child is exhausted by nap time from being overstimulated which makes it hard for them to rest causing the cycle to continue throughout the rest of the day.  There is no clear cut answer or solution because every child and situation is different.   Due to the age group of children in my care I believe medication should be carefully considered.   

I have discussed options with parents such as having their child tested in the Birth to 3 program which provides parent with more options; the information also helps me.  

It is one thing to start watching a child in your daycare that you know has special needs, requires more attention, or needs extra help.  However, when a child develops these needs or behaviors while in your care you realize the need to get more information in order to help them. 

The hardest decision to make is to no longer provide daycare for a  child.  It is heartbreaking and a difficult decision to come to.  You have to prioritize the safety and well being of all the children in your care, and if one child is impacting your ability to properly provide for the other children then you must do what is best for the majority.    

Parents also need to realize that this can ultimately be the best for their child as well because that child is not having a good experience at your daycare either.  I know it's hard to find childcare and starting over may seem to be difficult, but this is the best solution for all the children and families you provide for.  

Please reach out to your pediatrician if you think your child is having learning, emotional outbursts, or have a hard time regulating their emotions.  The more information the better, helping your child should always be your main concern.   Parenting is stressful enough and having a child with difficulties can make it even harder. 

            Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.

                                                             Psalm 127:3

Please reach out to me if you have any suggestions or resources on this topic. Thank you