Do You Feel Pulled?

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Do you feel pulled in a million different directions? I am feeling like there is just too much I want/need to do...

I currently send home e-daily reports each day, report cards 3x a year, plan curriculum, pull out everything for the week, menu plan, launder the billions of washcloths and towels, tag hundreds of photos of kids so I can upload to each child's snapfish album, take care of my infant in the midst of this, etc. I feel like I have to in order to compete around here . Nothing can really be "let go" ALTHOUGH we are now having relaxed fridays where we just do fun things (show and tell, no writing practice, a science experiment, etc.).

I would LOVE to spend big $$$ on a new addition to our curriculum, plan better meals (have time to cook them?!), cook more for my own family, have a cleaner house, exercise, have SOME alone time, etc.

I feel like a turkey with its head cut off. I know we have discussed time management on here before but does anyone have tips for picking what is MOST important for business/family/self?

[Play Care]

I stopped doing it.

I was sounding a lot like you do now. One day I was lamenting to a dcp that we hadn't had time to do the craft that went with our theme. She said to me "oh, I don't mind that he doesn't do that stuff here. That's why I send him to preschool"

But it was really my eye opening moment. I gave myself permission to stop planning so much and not feel every second had to be an Educational Moment.

[melilley]

Yes! Today alone I: did 3 loads of personal and dc laundry, vacuumed, washed all my walls where the kids touched, wiped down base boards, dusted, made b-fast and lunch, cleaned 1 and a half bathrooms. Plus I'm trying to get things together for taxes.
Then this coming week, Tues is dd's music concert, Wed. is dd's conferences, Thurs. taxes, and then Friday dd's school carnival.

I don't do anything online for the dc families right now, I would have no time!

I know how you feel!

[CraftyMom]

I stopped doing it.

I was sounding a lot like you do now. One day I was lamenting to a dcp that we hadn't had time to do the craft that went with our theme. She said to me "oh, I don't mind that he doesn't do that stuff here. That's why I send him to preschool"

But it was really my eye opening moment. I gave myself permission to stop planning so much and not feel every second had to be an Educational Moment.

I scaled way back too! I was feeling so overwhelmed and had the same epiphany, that kids went to preschool for all the preschool things I was doing.

I find it double sided though...some parents don't expect a whole lot, while others you just can't please...the more you do the more they expect

[KidGrind]

I feel some type of way. I can’t put my finger on it right now. I feel numb.

It looks like it’s going to be another snow day tomorrow.

for my DCFs…..

::happy face:D for me.

[melilley]

I stopped doing it.

I was sounding a lot like you do now. One day I was lamenting to a dcp that we hadn't had time to do the craft that went with our theme. She said to me "oh, I don't mind that he doesn't do that stuff here. That's why I send him to preschool"

But it was really my eye opening moment. I gave myself permission to stop planning so much and not feel every second had to be an Educational Moment.

I have one set of parents like this. Everything dcb does here is either folded up right in front of me or they would mention it being left in the car or they would just look at it and not mention anything positive about it to dcb. I also used to do newsletters but only one dcp would actually pay attention to it so I stopped writing them.

[melilley]

Yes! Today alone I: did 3 loads of personal and dc laundry, vacuumed, washed all my walls where the kids touched, wiped down base boards, dusted, made b-fast and lunch, cleaned 1 and a half bathrooms. Plus I'm trying to get things together for taxes.
Then this coming week, Tues is dd's music concert, Wed. is dd's conferences, Thurs. taxes, and then Friday dd's school carnival.

I don't do anything online for the dc families right now, I would have no time!

I know how you feel!

I guess I'm thinking more of at home rather than for dc.

[sahm1225]

Yes. It feels like there's not enough time in the day, then I start not being able to sleep because I'm stressed, then I'm tired the next day and accomplish even less.

What works for me is reminding myself that I'm not superwoman and that it's okay to not get everything done. You run a very successful preschool (you are successfully self employed. That's a HUGE accomplishment!). Your kids won't remember how spotless your house was growing up, but they will remember the time you spent with them.

Stop putting so much on yourself. It's okay to Sometimes sit back and relax. You NEED that sometimes. Your dck will survive if you don't make new meals (some might even like it better that your lunches are the same favorite ones).

I get overwhelmed when I write a to do list, but it felts to refocus me. Pick 2 things off your list to accomplish every day, that's it.

How about exercising with your dcks?

[BumbleBee]

Yes, I feel the same way. Though unlike many of you ladies here-when I feel overwhelmed with everything to do I end up doing nothing. The daycare area is clean & put together. Everywhere else in the house is the exact opposite. I'm embarrased to even admit that. It's disgusting.

[Meyou]

I totally feel that way about home life. I'm currently on strike from cooking for one week other than dinner. Noone helps me clean without begging so I'm not doing anything extra this week to make extra work for myself. My teens had their rooms cleaned while they were at their dad's (eye opening!) since they took off without cleaning them AGAIN. I even bought paper plates to use for the DC kids for the next week.

My goal is that they will be hungry and want to do dishes more by the end of the week. Ambitious? Yes. Am I bitter? Double Yes! :: WIll it work? Probably not but at least I won't be chained to the kitchen.

[Meyou]

Yes, I feel the same way. Though unlike many of you ladies here-when I feel overwhelmed with everything to do I end up doing nothing. The daycare area is clean & put together. Everywhere else in the house is the exact opposite. I'm embarrased to even admit that. It's disgusting.

I've been there. Set a 15 minute timer, grab a basket and put things where they go for 15 minutes and see how much better it looks. It helps alot, I promise. I used to be a terribly overwhelmed housekeeper but the 15 minute thing helps me out daily. You can do anything for 15 minutes, right? happyface

[Cat Herder]

"tips for picking what is MOST important for business/family/self?"

Write down each goal on notebook paper,double spaced. (like family dinner, dck's photo album, your kids photos albums, report cards, laundry, creating childhood memories with your own kids )

In the border rate them on a 1-10 scale of importance to:

* your FAMILY in red.
* your DCK's in blue.
* your DCP's in green.

That will make it all a bit clearer.

After you have done that decide what stays, goes, can be done more efficiently and what can be done less often, write that under each goal. There is your starting point. :hug:

[cheerfuldom]

I cut back a lot on daycare a couple years ago. I don't offer preschool curriculum but surprisingly (or not ) all of my kids have gone off to preschool or kinder and done well. I am happy to be a babysitter only. No preschool curriculum, no forced crafts. I keep the kids clean, happy, and safe, thats it. No reports home unless the parents provide the sheets or apps....only one parent took me up on that. No regular photos, no website, no facebook group......just take a break from whatever you need to do. I dont even take enough photos of my own kids, definitely not going to use my family time tagging hundreds of daycare photos.

Its up to you what you want to provide and if the sacrifice is worth it. All I am saying is that it is OKAY to cut back. You know what? I am still almost always full, still have happy families and good references, recently raised my rates.

[Scribbles]

Do you feel pulled in a million different directions? I am feeling like there is just too much I want/need to do...

I currently send home e-daily reports each day, report cards 3x a year, plan curriculum, pull out everything for the week, menu plan, launder the billions of washcloths and towels, tag hundreds of photos of kids so I can upload to each child's snapfish album, take care of my infant in the midst of this, etc. I feel like I have to in order to compete around here . Nothing can really be "let go" ALTHOUGH we are now having relaxed fridays where we just do fun things (show and tell, no writing practice, a science experiment, etc.).

I would LOVE to spend big $$$ on a new addition to our curriculum, plan better meals (have time to cook them?!), cook more for my own family, have a cleaner house, exercise, have SOME alone time, etc.

I feel like a turkey with its head cut off. I know we have discussed time management on here before but does anyone have tips for picking what is MOST important for business/family/self?

I haven't been a frequent poster but I have been a frequent reader and I notice that you have some of the same issues as other providers....keeping kinds enrolled, finding new kids to be enrolled, pain in the butt clients, parents dropping sick kids off, families pulling their children for preschool attendance etc so I guess the way I look at it is why are you giving up so much of your personal and family time for parents that don't give even half that to you?

From your posts, you seem like a really great provider and one that runs an excellent program so if I were you, I would really take a long hard look at what things you can let go of. I'm sure the parents will hardly even notice some of it. And the stuff they do notice, you can just tell them with all the follow up you've had to do for families who haven't been following your rules and policies, you just don't have the time anymore to go so far above and beyond.

I read a post by someone on this board that said she required parents that wanted documentation or daily reports to print off their own and bring them to her daily and the parents of course didn't do it...so it just goes to show you that they want you to do the work but they don't care about it if they have to do it.

[Laurel]

I stopped doing it.

I was sounding a lot like you do now. One day I was lamenting to a dcp that we hadn't had time to do the craft that went with our theme. She said to me "oh, I don't mind that he doesn't do that stuff here. That's why I send him to preschool"

But it was really my eye opening moment. I gave myself permission to stop planning so much and not feel every second had to be an Educational Moment.