Monday, December 05, 2005
The Annual Christmas Party...
Saturday, we had our annual Christmas party for all the families in my child care. This is a tradition that has been going on for quite a few years and is an event that, I believe, all the parents look forward to as much as the children. Though many of them know each other and speak in passing, it is not often that they can get together for an afternoon and visit while the children play.
We always rent a nearby facility and decorate it up and provide lots of fun activities for the children to do. My husband (a retired chef) makes an elaborate buffet of hot and cold appetizers plus some things that the kids also enjoy. We play games, do a piñata, and even Santa comes to visit and hand out gifts. The children also exchange gifts (we draw names a couple of weeks prior to the party). Everyone has a great time.
I think that providers should provide one or two of these types of opportunities throughout the year for the families to network, discuss their children, and just have some time to relax as a family. (We also try to do a midsummer outdoor bar-b-que). It helps to build provider to parent and parent to parent communications and relationships. Some of these parent to parent relationships last all through the school years as their children grow up.
Though there are expenses involved with providing a party, I feel that it is a small token compared to what the families pay me throughout the year. However, you can cut down on expenses by having it in your home, making it a potluck dinner, or any number of other ideas.
This year’s Christmas party… it was great! To quote one of the little girls that I care for “It was FU-U-U-U-N-N-N-N…. When can we have another ‘birthday’ party?”
Hmmm… from the mouths of children come wisdom…
Saturday, we had our annual Christmas party for all the families in my child care. This is a tradition that has been going on for quite a few years and is an event that, I believe, all the parents look forward to as much as the children. Though many of them know each other and speak in passing, it is not often that they can get together for an afternoon and visit while the children play.
We always rent a nearby facility and decorate it up and provide lots of fun activities for the children to do. My husband (a retired chef) makes an elaborate buffet of hot and cold appetizers plus some things that the kids also enjoy. We play games, do a piñata, and even Santa comes to visit and hand out gifts. The children also exchange gifts (we draw names a couple of weeks prior to the party). Everyone has a great time.
I think that providers should provide one or two of these types of opportunities throughout the year for the families to network, discuss their children, and just have some time to relax as a family. (We also try to do a midsummer outdoor bar-b-que). It helps to build provider to parent and parent to parent communications and relationships. Some of these parent to parent relationships last all through the school years as their children grow up.
Though there are expenses involved with providing a party, I feel that it is a small token compared to what the families pay me throughout the year. However, you can cut down on expenses by having it in your home, making it a potluck dinner, or any number of other ideas.
This year’s Christmas party… it was great! To quote one of the little girls that I care for “It was FU-U-U-U-N-N-N-N…. When can we have another ‘birthday’ party?”
Hmmm… from the mouths of children come wisdom…
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 5:50 PM 
