When it comes to running your own in home daycare, you want schedule or routine. Kids thrive off a routine or schedule. It is important that you come up with one to give to your parents day 1. If you don’t have a routine, than you will have chaos in your home. You also might have a schedule written day 1 and find out that by month two its not working. So, you re-write it and come up with a new schedule. Parents are okay with a change as long as you communicate with them.

I know as a parent I don’t want to drop my child off to their daycare with chaos going on. Not only does that make it hard to communicate and let them know how their child how they did. It also makes it look like you have no control. It will make them wonder, “Is it like this all day?” One thing that I had to fix in my schedule/routine was after we picked the school age kids up from school. It would be complete chaos and loud at this time. It was also the busy pick up time for most of my kids. So, we have made this the snack time and then we play a card game or board game. If that is to much still, it can be an art time for free coloring.

Try different things and just find what works for you and your daycare. No one is perfect and parents understand that. They just don’t want to see negative, chaos, and craziness everyday at pick up or drop off. It is always good to do research and see what other providers do for their schedules and routines too. Don’t just base it off talking to or reading about one person or provider. Honestly, what may work for them may not work for you.

Attached is a copy of what my schedule and routine is like at my in home daycare. I have had to tweak it a couple of times to make it make sense for me and my families. I am sure I will change it again. Again, that is okay as long as you communicate that to your families. You also have to make sure that you update your parent board to when you make changes for licensing visits. If you don’t update it and they come at 10 am for a surprise visit and your doing Arts and Crafts, but you have it scheduled as Circle Time. Just keep everyday and everyone up to date!

6:30 AM – 7:30 AM: Arrival & Free Choice

7:30 AM – 8:15 AM: Hand Washing, Breakfast, get ready for transportation

8:15 AM- 8:30 AM: Drop off School-age Kids (Local Elementary)

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM: Diaper Checks, Toileting

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM: Theme Related Arts & Crafts

9:45 AM – 10:30 AM: Math & Manipulative Activity 

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Take it Outdoors (Weather permitted)

11:00 AM- 11:30 AM: Lunch 

11:30 AM-12:00 PM: Free Play/Set up for Naptime/Diaper Change

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Naptime/Quiet time/Reading

2:00 PM – 2:20 PM: Snack Time

2:20 PM – 2:50 PM: Diaper Changing/Get ready to leave to get kids

2:50 PM – 3:30 PM: Pick-Up School-age kids (local Elementary)

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Science & Sensory 

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: Take it Outdoors (Weather permitted)

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Dismissal/Free Play