All too often families have their children in a daycare center that feels like such a disconnect from their home environment. You drop your child off and several hours later come pick them up hoping they had a good and fun day. So many child care programs offer such little feedback and detail to a child's day because usually there are just so many children. That's why a lot of families are turning to home child care because they know their child will be receiving quality care and one-on-one attention - at least this is what parents hope for. TOP 10 THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A HOME DAYCARE PROVIDER AND PROGRAM: If you're considering a home daycare program, make sure to look for the following: 1. Does the provider's home look nice and kept up well - safe and clean 2. Are there a lot or not so many other children who attend the program? If there are a lot of children, make sure your provider is abiding by state law and only having so many children within allotted number per age group. 3. Does your provider offer an initial interview so everyone can meet up front before anything is signed - so both sides feel comfortable working together. 4. What is your providers annual calendar? Do they have one? How do they handle illnesses and program closures? 5. Does your child seem happy and want to interact with the provider and the environment? 6. What is the background of the provider with child care experience? Many amazing home daycare providers don't have a degree in early childhood education, but they have extensive hands-on experience - such as being a parent themselves and or being a teacher for several years. 7. What all is included in the tuition cost and how much is tuition. This is your child we are talking about here, so choosing the daycares that advertise them as the cheapest in town often are not the best in town. Are meals, diapers, art supplies, etc included in the tuition? How is tuition paid? Make sure payment obligation expectations are clearly defined up front, either in a parent handbook and contract. 8. What kinds of activities does the provider do with the children? Is the program organized? Is there a schedule? Children need structure as to know what's coming next and to feel secure in their environment. 9. Does the provider offer references? It's always good idea to see how other families feel about their experience with the provider you're considering for your own child. 10. Does your provider have a support system of any kind or overseeing body? Such as, do they participate in state programs? Are they a part of a larger company that oversees their quality and program? Knowing that your provider isn't the sole person overseeing things grants great reassurance for families because they know that the home child care program has checks and balances, quality control, and safety measures in place that cannot slip through the cracks. For more helpful information on home daycare programs, whether you're a parent or home daycare provider, visit www.bungalowbranch.com for more information and support! ...read more

Primrose Schools, the Leader in Educational Childcare, is planning on opening a new 12,000 sqft, 11 classroom preschool later this year.  Primrose School of Reynoldsburg will be located near Mt. Carmel East just off East Broad Street and Brice Road.  The Preschool and Childcare center will nurture and educate children 6 weeks to 12 years of age.  Primrose Schools is known for it’s accredited, Balanced Learning Curriculum, caring teachers, and high quality childcare experience. The private preschool will also offer Private Kindergarten and after school care for school agers attending Blacklick/Gahanna, Reynoldsburg, Southwest Licking and Licking heights school districts.  There will also be a full time summer camp program with field trips and in house activities to provide the perfect balance of learning and fun.The school offers secure access entry, gated and alarmed playgrounds with 4 separate age appropriate playgrounds.  Everything about the preschool is designed to accommodate each stage of a child’s early development.  Beyond the educational readiness, Primrose School of Reynoldsburg will offer computer technology, physical fitness, character development, and a music program by the Music Class.  While under construction, tours of the Primrose School at Pinnacle in Grove City are offered every Wednesday from 4:00-6:00pm.  Stop in to learn about our wonderful new school coming to Reynoldsburg and ask about pre-opening tuition for the first 50 families that enroll prior to their grand opening later this year. ...read more

We've just published a new edition of our newsletter! You can check it out on our website and get the latest information from Family Traditions Child Care, Ltd.. Let us know what you think! Read It Now Here ...read more

Happiness isn't an event like graduation, getting a job, or buying a house.  Happiness is created in the daily practice of choosing to see the positive.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM2vBwDPBoQ ...read more

When we tell ourselves we “have to” do anything, what is the result?How often does “I shouldn’t eat that” turn into eating it?How often does “I should study or complete this work” turn into procrastination?So, what if we said, “I don’t want that?”How often would we then eat it?If I say, I want to clean my living room, what is likely to happen? When we shift our language from “have to” and “should” to “want to” and “choose to,” what happens? We discover the power of choice.And so, if the power of choice is a conduit to motivation, when we know the purpose of something, it provides a rationale or a reason to motivate, then the goal or task takes on a new level of priority for us.Suddenly, we care.And, when we truly care about something, we move. So, what would you WANT TO change from a HAVE TO to a WANT TO? What might that mean for you today? ...read more

For you, what is the value of a degree? Does it guarantee an educated person? ensure meaningful employment? What about success, growth, or even happiness? And, crucially, when is the reward or success of a degree? What do you think? Often we see graduation as the ultimate goal and marker of success in school. Students cling to graduation as a hope and a mantra, saying “all I want to do is graduate” or “just tell me what to do to graduate.” Students also often say we “have to” complete the degree so we can get on with their lives. We work from the standpoint that education is something we must “get through” and the reward is at the end with the degree. Happiness and fulfillment in this model is deferred. Yet, when the reward seems so very far away, the assignments we work on now feel disconnected and meaningless. So, often we feel unmotivated and as many experience, even when we do get to graduation, it is often less meaningful, less transformational, and less satisfying than anticipated. So, in contrast, when is the reward of education? When does education happen? So, what if education happens every time we learn? What is the difference then between a degree and education? So, how could it be helpful to shift the focus from degree to education? How could this shift in perspective make the practice of education far more purposeful and passionate? What would be the benefit of being someone who practiced passionately? What if we were focused on enjoying the experience? What if we purposefully moved to absorb the knowledge of now into the foundation of what we already know and could project forward with that perspective a possible future? When we hold the focus of success in education as completing a degree, the reward is far away, success seems intangible, and motivation is in short supply. So, what happens when we shift our focus to see education as a growth process? If education were not a final destination, but a daily process, what would that mean? How might that perspective change our engagement in learning? How could we celebrate success every day in that model? What if we celebrated not only what was successful, but also what we could do even better next time? What sorts of things might we celebrate? What if we could celebrate each small step in education? What would be the benefit of noticing these moments and connected them to other moments? What would be the benefit of tracking our successes and building on our strengths? Forming connections between each day, each month, and each year enables us to more clearly see our successes, track our growth, and thereby witness ourselves dynamically learning. Learning and growing are intricately connected to feeling successful; so it can greatly benefit us to track our successes because it not only empowers us to grow, but also to recognize our growth potential. And, crucially, when we notice each growth opportunity within the context of our potential, we also tap motivation. The ability to tap motivation on demand is truly fundamental to long term success. Consider the long term benefits of students who are able to tap their own motivations, who move because we want to, not because we have to. Consider that happens when we clearly understand what we personally value, how those values are connected to our own potential, and move forward each day tracking our own learning successes. How can shifting focus from degree to education shift energy from deferred happiness to daily celebration of growth, learning, and motivation? What do you think? What would you celebrate today? Evelyn Van Til 2008 © Lyrical Purpose ...read more