It Isn't Just About the Toys ... It Is About the Future

I have been investing in my daycare's future lately. A few weekends ago, I bought a few 'trunk-loads' of toys from Value Village to add a new educational and imaginative dimension to our daycare world. Last weekend, I bought a Little Tykes kitchen and a LeapPad2 for my daycare family business.

 I didn't realize it until after the fact, but the first time I ran my daycare business I was pretty much at the same point (six months in), when I took the plunge and purchased the playground equipment for the back yard. That may have been a larger investment (dollar-wise), but the significance in my mind is the same. I am IN. I am ALL in.

The first six months of Daycare - The Sequel didn't go exactly as I had thought it would. I thought that the phone would keep ringing until we had filled the house with kids of all ages. That wasn't the way it happened ... but I am beginning to think that this way is better.

I love the fact that my two, 1-year-olds are the same age. They will reach that magical age of 2 1/2 at the same time, which will allow me to take in two more children that are one year old. And if I am lucky ... very, very lucky ... maybe I will find another one-year-old duo that can grow up together like my two little one-year-old girls. Then? If everyone else continues to come here, we will have a perfect little 'family' of five preschoolers.

My two-year-old, being the kind of personality he is, simply makes a friend of anyone and everyone. I think that we needed his special brand of personality here, to make all of this come together in one cohesive unit.

I have started to recreate the parts of my Daycare - Part One that worked, while moving into Daycare - The Sequel with many lessons learned inside and outside of my previous daycare experience.

I have a renewed appreciation for the little things. We created a 'snow maze' out of the massive amount of virgin snow in the front yard. I found an old computer game for toddlers, that will teach my two-year-old how to use the computer mouse which will open up all kinds of doors for him.

 I sit and marvel at how My Youngest enjoys this young daycare family. Time and time again he tells me of the many memories that resurface as he explores the new/old toys that we bring into play here.

As it was with my Daycare - Part One, just as I was truly questioning the financial viability of running my daycare with half of the children that I had hoped to have, I was approached with the opportunity to take advantage of other income earning options during this dry spell.

The universe is allowing me to continue with my venture. Things are unfolding differently than I had hoped but better than I could have ever expected.