Latisha's Home Daycare

9 Ways to Advertise Your Home Daycare for FREE!

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:42:00 +0000

~ Google Maps

~ Bing

~ Yahoo

~ Craigslist

~ A simple signature at the bottom of your e-mail

~ Blogger

~ Mention your home daycare business on your voice mail

~ Yellow pages

~ List your business anywhere that's FREE!

BONUS: drum roll please (lol)....

~ Yelp

Child Care Assistance

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:34:00 +0000

I have spoken with parents that may not be able to afford some of the rates in the Northern Virginia area. So, I decided to post about Childcare Assistance. If you live in Alexandria, you should check out their website. If you live in Fairfax County area here is there link. I hope that these links help!

Happy Healers

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:12:00 +0000

I went to my mailbox (yesterday), and received this cute and adorable gel pack. Not only is the pack cute, but you can use it, hot or cold. I put it in the freezer to test it out, and it worked like a charm. I haven't put it in the microwave or boiled water yet. You can order the packs with different characters, and colors. They come as a penguin like the picture I have attached, a elephant, bear, frog, or tooth. You have your choice of white, blue, green, or pink gel. Its really cute.

I took a picture of the pack so you could see what it looks like. I didn't expect to receive this and nor did I order it yet. So, to open up the mail, and it have my name and phone number on it was pretty cool. I'm thinking about ordering more. This would be a perfect marketing tool. Not only that, I am always looking for cool things to give my daycare kids for Christmas.

Thanks Accurate Manufacturing Inc.!
For more information check out there site. I also looked them up on Amazon just to see, if they sell there packs on there. And, sure enough they do!

Average Cost for Childcare in Northern Va Area

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Sat, 19 May 2012 07:20:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what the average rates are for Northern Virginia??? Well, me too. The list is pretty cool because it not only gives you the average of home daycare's, but centers too. I was interested because I always want to make sure that my rates aren't too high, and let me be honest, NOT too low either. I want to stay competitive without feeling like I am taking advantage. Anyway, I thought you might find this interesting. And, since I just got my laptop back from Sony, I'm digging around the web finding all kinds of interesting things.

Here's the list: Thanks to Fairfax County.

Dad’s Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:01:00 +0000

A Dad’s Perspective On Why You Should Own A Baby Monitor

Almost 3 years ago, my wife and I were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Two years later, our amazing son entered our world as well. What a life changing event! But one of the biggest changes I noticed was in regards to my wife’s “parenting instincts”. She’s a total natural at being a mom. Caring, compassionate, patient, everything I’m notJ. However, one thing I can do well is stay calm, and not panic. My wife has a hard time with this, and worries about the kids constantly. So you can imagine how worried she was when we moved each kid into their own bedroom.

Having a baby video monitor made a huge difference for many reasons. In case you’re not aware, a baby video monitor gives you a clear image of your child (even in the dark) so you can ensure that they’re sleeping soundly.

At first, we would be up all night because both of us would check the monitor constantly (I’ll admit, I was nervous too). After a while, I was able to leave the monitor alone and trust in its effectiveness. My wife was able to do the same a short while later. Essentially, you have a clear image of your child, as well as audio so it’s just like being in the room with them. I loved the fact that I didn’t have to tiptoe through our room to get ready for work each morning, and my wife loved the fact that I wasn’t waking our kids up early as well.

Additionally, you quickly find that there are a lot of precious moments you capture with a baby video monitor. When my daughter goes to sleep at night, she holds up her bunny and pretends to let it drink out of her water up. My son likes to roll to the bottom of the crib and play with a toy attached to the crib until he falls asleep. It’s kind of cool to see how your kids act when you’re not around, and it saves you a lot of sleep when you know you don’t have to check on them every time you hear a noise! Many video monitors also come with a camera feature, so you can snap a picture anytime from the receiver to capture a cute moment.

And I wouldn’t be a true dad if I didn’t mention this last perk…..they’re affordable! It used to be quite expensive to purchase a baby monitor with a video feature. You can now get one for around $100, which is easily worth the cost.

So from the sleep I’ve gained back, to the freedom to roam around my room in the morning, to all the moments my wife and I have witnessed watching our kids on the video monitor, I can assure you from a dad’s perspective owning a baby video monitor is the way to go!

Matt Millensifer is the owner of safebabyvideomonitor.com, a website that sells baby video monitors and accessories. If you would like to reach him, send him an email at msiferllc@gmail.com.

Tax Time

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Its that time of the year again, that I hate! I have a ton of receipts and after all this time you would think that I would be great at organizing them. But, I still have no clue. I am in the process of using this neat receipts thing.

It supposed to digitally organize my receipts. The only thing I really don't like is that I have to put each of my receipt's in one by one, and when you have over a thousand receipt's, you are NOT going to be happy to do this. I would start putting them in monthly but I already know, I will start but, by month three, I'll be like the hell with it! As you can see I have done about a good hundred but still have 2,000 more to go lol... If you have any ideas I would love them!

Product Giveaway: Mymemories.com

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:59:00 +0000

I was sent this cool software from Mymemories, that I got to play with and will continue to use. You can use it to make all types of cool things like: Scrapbook layouts, photo books, cards, videos, calenders, and much more. It was extremely easy to use. I was able to create my sheet above in less than five minutes. They have templates that are ready to be used or some that you can pay for, that aren't expensive. If you have time you can look up videos on youtube so you can learn how people use the software.

For more information check out Mymemories suite :

Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Just enter in this code to get $10 off :

STMMMS84198

Munchkin Deluxe Bottle Warmer

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:46:00 +0000

I went to Walmart to purchase a bottle warmer, since I couldn't get it from Kmart. I picked up the munchkin deluxe bottle warmer, which I absolutely LOVE! I love it more than the first years bottle warmer.

Its pretty cool, it not only will warms up your babies bottle, but it will sanitize pacifiers or small baby accessories. It also sets off an alarm to let you know when your babies bottle is heated up and ready to go. I've used this bottle warmer over 20 times, and none of the babies bottles have ever been overheated. Which save time. If I had to choose between the first years or the munchkin bottle warmer, I would choose the munchkin every-time!

Potty Hook

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:10:00 +0000

Check out this nifty little hook that I found at K-mart. You hook it to the inside of your toilet and it just hangs there. Unfortunately, I don't have a sink with cabinets yet, so I have to find little ways so the bathroom doesn't look so cluttered. I thought this was cute so I decided to post it.

Nap Time

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:31:00 +0000

We normally have lunch between 12-1 pm. After lunch, the ~~(providers)~~ kiddies are ready to lay it down. Just Joking. The cribs that we have are portable. So we place them based on how the kids are behaving that day. Because, we have a mixed-age group, days are rarely the same. For instance, if its a Monday, or a long weekend, the kids seem to be really want to give us a hard time. But, its days like today that makes me want to have another baby. LOL...

Today, we have three cribs lined up like I have in the pictures. And, a full house, and ALL the kids are sleeping, yes even the infants. We have five infants today. God, is GOOD! :) Now, for the kids, that don't really like a lot of noise, we put them up stairs with the monitors. When your dealing with a mixed-aged group your schedule changes daily. In most cases, we will have a infant or two, that will be up and want to eat. So, we feed them in the high chairs, and it normally goes well. In most cases, if you have had a toddler from the time they were an infant, they are able to adjust, and still be able to sleep even when the kids are playing or screaming around them.

Recently, I decided to try one of our two year old's, on a cot, and that didn't workout to well. We noticed that he wouldn't sleep, so we put him back in the crib and he slept like a baby lol...

Thank you, Jan for asking me to post about "nap time" please feel free to contact me anytime! :)

Summer Infant - Day & Night Baby Video Monitor

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:41:00 +0000

I ended up purchasing two monitors, because I use my upstairs for a couple of the kids in my care to sleep during nap time. The monitors serve there purpose, I just wish that it wasn't in black and white. Oh well. The main thing is that I am able to see what the kids are up to before they doze off. There really isn't anything to setup. You literally just prop it, plug it in, and your done! I got it sometime last year so I don't remember what I paid for it, but it was definitely worth the money.

Saftey 1st Snack & Scibble Booster Seat

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:57:00 +0000

I LOVE these little seats, and so do the toddlers. I picked my up from BJ's Wholesale. The only problem now is that the older kids want to sit in these seats. While I'm getting lunch together the kids can draw or use the stamps. The best thing about this booster is that its easy to clean, and once you lift the play tray, their feeding tray is underneath.

The legs and the back rest fold, so if you are lacking space like we are its perfect. I also love my high chairs but, since we got the booster seats we have barely touched them. So, if your looking for seats for you home daycare, and have limited space this is a good option.

Baby Chef - Double-Duty Bottle Warmer

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:28:00 +0000

I purchased the Baby Chef bottle warmer, that is the WORST! I liked the idea that I could heat up two bottles at one time, especially, because we have soooo many infants! The fact that you could turn the dial to select a temperature you may need at the time would of been a plus, if it indeed, WORKED.
Anyways, we put the bottles in the warmer and it literally took so long, that I ended up putting the bottles one by one, into our old bottle warmer (First Years). I will be returning this warmer asap. Anyone, that has an infant knows that they don't care about being patient when they are ready to eat! Let alone 5-6 infants at a time. If your looking for a bottle warmer get this one:

Make Your Own Baby Food

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:22:00 +0000

I'm interested in learning how to make baby food. I don't think its rocket science, so I started looking into it. I wasn't sure if you have to add certain preservatives, if you aren't going to be giving to your child right away. And, also I want to find ingredients that the infants would actually like. Now that I am thinking about it, babies aren't that picky. (A least not the ones I have at my home daycare anyway) :)
It's pretty much whatever you get them used to. Its not until they get a little older that they might spit the food, and refuse it. They always make these cute little funny faces. I did see a great article at Parents, so if you are thinking about making your own baby food checkout the article. It doesn't seem that hard to just put random food together. They also have some recipes.

Missing MY Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:49:00 +0000

Okay, so I'm doing something that I never do. Which is write something about me. My kids are at their dads, and there isn't a damn thing to watch on TV. There isn't any arguing, and no kids for me to fuss at. I am totally bored, and missing my kids lol. While I am ecstatic that they are spending time with my ex, I am still missing the hell out of my brats.

Its funny because, when they are here, I'm ready to pull my little hair out! And, the attitudes (lord have mercy), did I mention that they are now 14 and 11. With all of that I just don't know what I would do if I didn't have my kids though! Anyways, I'm keeping this short and sweet.

Goodnight :)

Christmas Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:50:00 +0000

I checked out a bunch of places online. I have to say that Kmart has been the best. Especially, because I was looking for toys, and to get in and out of the store as quickly as possible! I hate the crowds of people, but I have to do what I have to. People claim that Walmart is the cheapest place to shop but every year for the past three years, Kmart has been on point. The same toy or toys at Walmart will end up being cheaper at Kmart. This is my new favorite place for the end of the year. :)

Debra Tillman: America's Supernanny

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:24:00 +0000

I will never forget, when I first heard about Debra Tillman. If you haven't heard she has centers in the DMV area. Anywhoo, she is the new "America's Supernanny." I was given a newspaper clipping, from one of the realtors, I used to work for at Long and Foster, sometime ago. I still have it. I am so proud of this woman. You would think that I actually know her lol...

Anyway, I tuned in to the first taping on Lifetime, and I have to say it was pretty good. I will continue to watch to see if I can use any of her techniques.

All the best to Debra!!!

Full-time vs Part-time Fees

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:05:00 +0000

Some providers, including myself, charge a higher fee for part-time care, because we only have an allotted capacity. Every providers, limit is different, depending on whether they have a certificate, or license. The space of the providers home, and if she has children under a certain age, help to determine the amount of children she will be allowed to care for in her/his home.

So, if you have parents, that are only interested in part-time, most likely the provider is going to charge a fee, that will compensate, for the full-time payment. Or, have it where the parents, will decide to use the provider full-time.

I was reading about a parent in forum that decided to go PT, but was still paying for FT care, but when she wanted to use her providers services, she was told that she didn't have the space. Now, that to me is unfair. If the parent is paying you for FT care, then, whether she brings her child in or not, she has already PAID for that week. The provider should just count that family as one of how many children she is allowed to care for.

Why not ask the county or licensing if you can take on more kids or what you would need to do to make it happen???

Daily Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:16:00 +0000

I am often asked what the children are working on throughout the day. The older kids work on writing and reciting their letters, numbers, and their names. I also pick up work books from the dollar store as well.

Here's a list of other things we work on:

-Alphabet (Capital and lower case letters)
-Numbers
-Beginning Words
-Colors
-Singing
-Nursery Rhymes
-Opposites
-Shapes
-Puzzles
-Reading
-Days of the Week
-Months

Daycare Meetings

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I love to hear from new perspective parents, that may be interested in starting their children in our care. The best time to meet is when an appointment is setup, ahead of time! Please don't just come by without proper notice. I want to always be safe especially when I have other people's children in my care.

Updated (Current) Drop-Off and Pick-Up List

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:15:00 +0000

~Samuel Tucker Elementary
~Weyanoake Elementary
~Columbia Elementary
~Glasglow Middle School

*If you don't see the school that your child or children attend please call me to see if we can work something out.

Thanks, Tisha

New Assistant!!! YAY...

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:58:00 +0000

We have a new person on board!!!! Thank God! We have been looking for a while, and meeting with people, but for some reason or another things wouldn't work out. Either there was a problem with having all their paperwork in order or just something. Finally, we have met someone that we like, and she has all her ducks in a row. The most important thing (besides her paperwork) was the kiddies also like her.

Freebies for Good Grades

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:47:00 +0000

Now that school is out for the summer, why not reward your kids for their hard work all year? Many places are offering freebies or discounts when you bring in your report card with good grades!

These offers may vary by location, so be sure to call the business first to check if they are participating.

Baskin-Robbins — Free scoop of ice cream for good grades on your report card.

Blockbuster — Free movie rental for A’s or B’s on your report card if you bring it in within 30 days of issuance. Kid’s grades K – 12 are eligible and multiple students from each family are eligible.

Cheryl & Co — Free cookie for every A on your report card!

Chick-fil-A – Free 8 pack of nuggets for your all A’s and B’s report card.

Chuck E. Cheese – Have your child bring in their most recent report card and they will receive Free tokens for good grades, up to 15 tokens maximum per child. (Food purchase required.)

Family Video – Free movie rental for each A on your report card. Students K – College are eligible.

Krispy Kreme – Receive a free donut for each A on your report card (up to 6 A’s).
Limited Too – Report cards may be taken in to any Limited Too retail store within 30 days of issuance and receive $5 off their purchase that day.

Noah’s Bagels – Kids in grades 1 – 8 will receive a free bagel for each A on their report card.

McDonald’s – Free Happy Meal if you have a straight “A” report card.

Peter Piper Pizza – Free 7 inch, 1 topping pizza with good grades on report card.

Pizza Hut – Free Personal Pan Pizza and a small soft drink or carton of milk with 3 A’s on your report card. Dine in only.

Sbarro Pizza – Student with A’s and B’s on his or her report card gets a free slice of cheese or peperoni pizza and a small soda plus one for the accompanying adult.

Topps – Free gift when you bring in your report card.

Homeschoolers don’t feel left out! You can bring in your report cards too, and there are even some free printables HERE that you can use.

Thanks For the Mommas and Hip 2 Save!

Family Child Care Basics (Book Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:23:00 +0000

*Given to me by: Gryphon House (www.gryphonhouse.com)

*Written by: Jennifer Karnopp

I had the opportunity to read a great book, about what to expect, when starting a childcare business. It was a very easy read, with tons of ideas to do with children during the day. I think that MOST providers are always looking for new things to do with children throughout the day, and if you are you should definitely pick up this book! The best part is it would be a write-off for your business. :)

The book covers how to setup your daycare, printable forms (ex. emergency contact), daily schedules/curriculum's, setups for indoor/outdoor areas, and has a child growth and development chart. The book tells you step by step how to play different learning games with children, and what questions you may want to ask during the games. It also has a list of materials that you would need, for each activity, and mostly likely you will probably already have in your kitchen.

If you are a new provider, or have been doing this for a long time, I bet you still could find something new.

For more information on Family Child Care Basics, check out www.gryphonhouse.com

Bye Bye Buggy Cover Review

noreply@blogger.com (Home Daycare) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:40:00 +0000

I love my buggies, but these covers are a TOTAL waste of money! They claim that the covers are water resistant, but when it rains there is water in all of the seats, for all of that I could of just sat the buggies out in the middle of my patio, without the covers on them.

Did I mention that the Bye Bye Buggy Covers are approximately $80-$100 a piece.

GOODNESS... Can I get my money back??