For the most positive daycare experience for your child, partner with your childcare center and make a personal investment beyond the monthly tuition. You can build your partnership with your daycare by volunteering your time, contributing goods or services, or donating money.
If your child is in daycare full-time, he is spending 40 ? 60 hours at your daycare facility with his childcare providers. You owe it to your child to help make the center the best it can be for him.
Beautification Day. Schedule a few hours on a Saturday morning for a group of parents to come into the center and give it a really thorough spring cleaning where you tackle involved chores like painting walls, repairing bookcases, decorating classrooms, scrubbing cubbies.
Fundraising. You can support your center's fundraising efforts by asking for goods, services or monetary donations. Ask friends and family to partake in fundraising auction events with you ? spirited bidding in a live auction is a lively way to spend a Saturday evening with friends while benefiting a good cause.
Participation. Spending an hour or two in the classroom a week reading stories, engaging in dramatic play or just lending a helping hand are all time well spent and greatly appreciated by the daycare center.
If your schedule is too tight to accommodate volunteering at school, think creatively about other ways you can contribute ? do you have a skill, talent or connection that can potential benefit the school in some way. It may be an activity that seems inconsequential in your normal course of business but would be invaluable to your daycare center.
Here are some examples to get you started:
Investment Banking. Most centers have an emergency fund they must keep for unexpected facility maintenance or other unplanned expenses. Suggest the best short term investment vehicles for them.
Tax Accountant. Offer to review their current tax preparation forms or evaluate their tax planning process.
Medical Expertise. Conduct a 30 minute seminar or write a column in the newsletter about common childhood ailments, healthy eating or sleeping practices.
Educational Background. Suggest weekend learning activities or offer to conduct a 30 minute special event for one of the older classrooms.
Music. Entertain the kids with an impromptu concert or offer to entertain at the center's annual fundraising event.
Legal. Offer to review contracts or agreements the school is considering. Offer to review the current application portfolio and identify policies or additional waivers or agreements that should be included.
Sales. Create a bonus plan for the teaching staff that takes into account length of employment and special recognitions.
Marketing. Review the centers brochures, ads and marketing plans. Make recommendations for how to best sell the centers services, help develop creative materials and negotiate print rates with vendors.
Facilities. Offer to inspect the daycare facilities and make maintenance repairs or negotiate with preferred vendors for discounted rates.
About the Author
For more great information about expecting and parenting, visit momrecommended.com, a site for moms by moms. Annie Valle is a freelance writer, web designer and a mom. You'll find product reviews, recipes, baby names, free projects and more, when you visit momrecommended.com.
Ah, potty training! Go to a local bookseller and you... Read More
Article based on a friend's experienceI just wanted to share... Read More
Research has shown that the present generation of children worldwide... Read More
Being in a competitive world, the lowest qualification to secure... Read More
Last night Tom's daughter, Sue, came out of her room... Read More
Parents, when you help your children learn to read, you... Read More
Imagine you were the principal of the school that your... Read More
What is in a name?The answer is everything!Jo J. of... Read More
Parents looking for a quick fix usually choose troubled teen... Read More
Well first off, please to don't institute the ? hour... Read More
Many parents struggle to know which foods are healthy for... Read More
Working with adults (as well as children and teens) for... Read More
ADHD comes in differenty forms, or types. What... Read More
While on a recent trip to the grocery store, I... Read More
I have been a single mom for almost 20 years.... Read More
Frankly, as a single parent of young children, I struggled.... Read More
Drivers 16 years of age have little driving experience, putting... Read More
It can be difficult on all family members to have... Read More
We all know that using cloth nappies is best for... Read More
Young people generally want to fit in to their various... Read More
Bearers of life, wipers of noses, givers of unconditional love... Read More
When David was nine and Laura was twelve, the battles... Read More
If your parenting methods include abuse of any kind; physical,... Read More
Every now and then I'll get a story sent to... Read More
A common problem many times facing parents is Colic. Estimates... Read More
on demand house cleaning Lake Forest ..Summertime means insect bites and stings. Ouch! Take a leaf... Read More
For troubled teens who are struggling with drug abuse, depression... Read More
Q. What is the best way to teach safety awareness... Read More
I'll never forget my first lesson in a glider.I'd been... Read More
``Mom, can I go to the mall with my friend... Read More
What is hard for parentsLetting them learn from their mistakes.Trying... Read More
One of the most prevalent myths of our modern culture... Read More
We need a grass roots campaign targeted towards parents to... Read More
There's a new trend for party entertainment. It seems as... Read More
Do you have a consistent problem with your child lying... Read More
1 - Forgive even if you will never be able... Read More
Teachers know that children thrive in an environment with routines,... Read More
We know that ancient cultures and Indians and the like... Read More
I will never forget the day that my daughter's sixth... Read More
Although it's hard to say when the first stuffed dogs... Read More
Puberty can be a difficult time for children. Not quite... Read More
Most parents at some stage are driven to distraction by... Read More
Many children are jittery on the first day of school.... Read More
Diapers..Changing a dirty diaper is not the best part of... Read More
The 'phone conversation had nothing at all to do with... Read More
There are many parenting styles. Yours may be very different... Read More
Here is a list of ways to convey the message... Read More
Finding answers to a child's underachievement is often a difficult... Read More
Is there a difference between lazy and unmotivated? Why do... Read More
Parental Alienation Syndrome was probably first identified and codified by... Read More
Parenting |