Ready to Try These Fun Lessons at Home?

If you’ve been reading about our sparkly “I” creations and hands-on arctic animal adventures, you might be wondering how to do activities like these yourself—especially if you don’t have a background in early education. That’s where PreKWithMe.com steps in. They offer monthly subscription kits packed with engaging, easy-to-use lessons and manipulatives for exploring letters, numbers, shapes, and more.

These kits are designed for real parents and education partners who want to guide their child’s early learning experience but aren’t quite sure where to start. No need to spend hours searching for ideas or cutting out complicated craft templates.

You and your child or students can jump right into learning and playing together. Think of it as having a friendly teacher behind the scenes—planning the lessons, gathering the suggestions, and giving you the know-how to make learning fun.

Whether it’s discovering the letter I, counting from 1–12, or matching shapes like trapezoids (yes, your preschooler can learn trapezoids!), these subscription kits ensure you’re covering all the important steps to build a solid preschool foundation. Best of all, each kit is curated with playful, hands-on lesson plans and educational puzzles that help children stay engaged while developing essential skills.

Check out PreKWithMe.com to see how these monthly kits can bring the joy of preschool learning right to your kitchen table or preschool center. You’ve got this—and we’re here to help!

Unlocking the Power of Hands-On Learning: Monthly Subscription Boxes for Early Childhood Education
Early childhood is a time filled with endless curiosity, boundless energy, and a thirst for exploration. As childcare providers, preschool teachers, and homeschool parents, it’s both exciting and challenging to keep young learners engaged in meaningful, developmentally appropriate activities. Curated, hands-on learning resources can simplify our planning while ensuring children receive high-quality educational experiences. One practical way to achieve this balance is through monthly subscription learning boxes—an innovative approach that makes planning and teaching a breeze.
Below, we’ll explore how monthly subscription boxes can support early childhood education goals, spark creativity, and streamline lesson planning and preparation. You might find that such a resource, like the monthly boxes from PreK with Me, addresses many of the common hurdles we face in both classroom and home settings.

1. Engaging Multiple Learning Styles

It’s no secret that young children learn best through hands-on, multi-sensory experiences. The subscription boxes from www.prekwithme.com are designed for preschool-age children and typically include activities that engage tactile, visual, and auditory learners. When you give a child the opportunity to feel different textures, manipulate objects, and hear playful instructions or stories, their interest naturally piques, and they become more invested in the learning process.

Why it matters: Multisensory engagement solidifies new concepts and helps children retain information. The materials in these boxes are intentionally curated to create playful learning opportunities that build foundational skills in early literacy, math, science, and more.

2. Saving Time with Ready-to-Use Materials

For many educators and parents, one of the biggest obstacles to implementing new, hands-on activities is the prep work involved. Cutting out shapes, gathering art supplies, and ensuring every child has enough materials can become a juggling act.

Solution: Monthly subscription boxes like the ones from PreK with Me arrive with most (if not all) of the necessary materials already sorted and labeled. This helps you:

• Reduce time spent shopping or gathering random supplies.
• Stay consistent with your lesson plans, without scrambling for resources.
• Spend more time focusing on instruction and relationship-building rather than prep work.

3. Building Foundational Skills Across Subjects

Early childhood curricula should emphasize a wide range of skills, from fine motor development to early numeracy, language acquisition, and social-emotional growth. Subscription learning boxes typically incorporate these domains in a holistic manner. For instance, a single box could include:

• Pre-reading or phonics activities (picture-matching games, mini-readers, or letter puzzles).
• Math games to strengthen number recognition, counting, or sorting skills.
• STEM-inspired experiments that spark scientific inquiry (simple investigations, pattern building, or basic coding exercises).
• Art and craft projects to encourage creativity and self-expression.
• Social-emotional prompts or activities that address empathy, sharing, and cooperation.

Because these monthly activities are linked by a theme, children get repeated exposure to key skills in a fun and varied way, reinforcing their understanding in each domain.

4. Nurturing Independence and Confidence

When children are given age-appropriate, self-contained projects, they’re empowered to explore more independently. Subscription boxes often include child-friendly instructions or visuals, allowing little ones to test out new concepts with minimal prompting.
Benefits:

• Boosted confidence: Children feel a sense of accomplishment as they complete an activity with minimal adult help.
• Enhanced focus: Clear instructions and clearly organized materials help children stay on task.
• Greater sense of ownership: Kids feel proud when they can say, “I did it all by myself!”

5. Flexibility for Different Educational Settings

Monthly boxes aren’t just for the home. They can seamlessly fit into various educational environments:

• Childcare centers: Use the resources for small-group activities, circle time, or individual exploration.
• Preschool classrooms: Integrate hands-on materials into learning centers, free-choice areas, or teacher-guided sessions.
• Homeschool settings: Treat each set of materials as a mini “unit study,” supplementing your curriculum and making sure you cover all major learning domains.

This versatility is key for educators who juggle multiple roles or who might need to pivot between in-person and at-home teaching methods.

6. Built-In Progression and Routine

One of the hidden benefits of subscribing to a monthly box service is the built-in routine. Children thrive on consistency, and knowing that each month (or week) they’ll have a new set of activities creates a sense of anticipation and excitement. Over time, you can observe a natural progression of skills—boxes gradually build upon previous themes, offering new challenges just as children are ready for them.

7. Encouraging Family Engagement

For those in childcare or preschool settings, the materials can be sent home or integrated into family-oriented assignments. In homeschool environments, these activities organically involve parents or older siblings in playful, hands-on learning. Having a clear structure and thoughtfully chosen resources can motivate families to continue the educational journey outside the formal setting.

Bringing It All Together

In the ever-evolving landscape of early childhood education, finding high-quality, developmentally appropriate resources is both essential and time-consuming. Monthly subscription boxes are a simple, effective solution to help children learn and grow through engaging, hands-on activities that appeal to their natural curiosity. Whether you’re an educator looking to enhance your curriculum or a parent aiming to foster a love of learning at home, subscription boxes like those from PreK with Me can provide a valuable and versatile toolkit.
​
Their monthly themes, ready-to-use activities, and balanced approach to skill development make this type of resource a good fit for a wide range of learning environments. By embracing the convenience and educational rigor of these curated boxes, you’ll be able to spend less time planning and more time guiding your young learners as they discover, create, and grow.

  Childcare providers are some of the most amazing, hardworking and did I say, "AMAZING" group of entrepreneur's I have ever had the privilege to call friends.  I am one of you.  I understand how many hours we spend (60+) on our feet caring for, feeding, teaching, and loving the families in our care.  

Finding the time to fit social media marketing into our packed schedules seems overwhelming.  We are often, as a group, resistant to adding anything to our day that doesn't get a HUGE return due to a simple lack of time.  It's real, not just lip-service to say that we lack time.  Many professions claim that, but I have yet to know ONE person trade place with me for a day that didn't walk away and say, "I don't know HOW you do that EVERY DAY!"

Love...passion...calling...it's my heart and soul.  That's how.

In my efforts to help other providers I often research information asked of me by fellow providers via our Childcare Marketing and Mastermind's group.  Please join us if you are a coach, marketer, fellow childcare owner/provider/teacher and want to provide your help for FREE.  This is a group of like-minded professionals sharing free information for the good of one another.  Should you disagree with an opinion, simply state what you have found that works and remember that the ladies and fella's in this group have built their businesses from nothing with blood, sweat, heart and soul.  We are a highly positive group of professionals supporting one another, JOIN US!!!  

Click the big red button below and join our group NOW!!!

This question was posed on our group this week, "What is the best time, day to advertise my business on Facebook?"

Great question!!!

Here is some awesome information that I found on SocialTimes.com

Your mileage may, of course, vary, but this infographic from Quick Sprout contains a lot of useful best time to post social media data."

You did it!  You FINALLY received your license to operate your center or family childcare home.  You are ready to LAUNCH full speed ahead.  You are ACTIVELY marketing, taking advantage of EVERY trick, tip, and tidbit.  The calls start to trickle in, followed by the questions and you find that you struggle to turn those calls into ACTUAL appointments to tour your facility.  

n Having the answers to these questions prepared, memorized, and ready to provide to whomever may come your way will go a LONG way toward taking a quick interview to the next step of a tour, and then securing the confidence of signing up your newest client.

One question I would personally add to this list would be one I hear more and more often, "What curriculum do you use?"  

Families are increasingly concerned about the quality of the Early Childhood Education their child will be receiving while in care.  They want their child to have the best start to his/her Kindergarten experience as possible and very often, childcare providers that provide preschool services are being chosen over those that do not.

There, of course, are many options for teaching preschool.  Some providers hire in preschool teachers to their programs several days each week.  Others create their own curriculum utilizing various resources with the ages of their children and abilities in mind.

Many, however, recognizing that their work week is quite busy opt to purchase an "out of the box" curriculum.  Should you choose this route, my advice is to see the following reviews when I was searching for a solution to add time back to my schedule after years of "diy" preschool.  I chose to go with Mother Goose Time for its emphasis on Kindergarten readiness in Literacy, Math, Science, Social/Emotional, Music and Movement, Language and Creative Arts.

You can read those reviews here, here, and here!  

As always, I wish you well and I hope you get to play today! - L

The following marketing advice comes from Connie Jones Orman, a respected childcare provider in Kansas, my friend, and great marketer, as it originally appeared on our Childcare Marketing Masterminds closed group on Facebook.  If you would like to join our group, and are in the profession of childcare, please join us!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/childcaremarketing/

Pinterest is set up like pin boards. Each pin is a picture from a blog post or website that the person would like to retain for future reference. The boards are like file folders. When setting up a Pinterest account, never scrimp on folders. Dumping everything into one and then trying to sort it out later into more manageable labels is very frustrating and time consuming. Start out with a good idea of what categories you will want to reference.

The best advice I can give is to have a great first picture in every blog post and on every webpage you have. The picture is what gets pinned and is what grabs the attention of others.

Pinterest is like a pyramid scheme, in that if you pin something, then all your followers will see it. If you pin it into a folder that you have tagged with a category, such as EDUCATION, then it will be displayed on that board for anyone to see who is searching within that specific category. It can help focus your pins to a target audience. Your pin can then be found and pinned by others, for all of their followers to see and possibly pin. And on and on. If you are lucky enough, you'll get pinned by one of the masters, like Teach Preschool, Red Ted Art, etc. and get in front of all their followers. I recently posted my "Our 25 Activities of Circle Time" to a child care group, and it went pretty viral, for a modest blog.

What to pin:

Pinning is all about making information available to others, that others want to see, if you aren't just creating boards for yourself. If only your clients or family would be interested in your blog post, then don't waste yours or other people's time by pinning something most will find irrelevant. However, most of us have found things that do and don't work for us, that others would find valuable through pinning that blog post. Right now I have something I'm interested in, but don't have any idea about it, so I've invited someone in the know to do a guest post that I think will be a great one to pin, that will generate a lot of traffic to my blog.

If there are many pins regarding the craft you are blogging, then don't pin it. However, if you take a well-known craft and make it your own, provide better directions, provide a printable, discuss the educational aspects of it, etc. then it's often more pinnable and helpful than a unique craft that others aren't that interested in doing.

Key Words

As with a blog post, key words in a pin will increase your SEO presence. Think about the many ways people may search for your pin and try to include as many key words as possible in the description, without making a tag word line, which is annoying on Pinterest. Keep the description to a few relevant lines.

If you have a following, often having a recognizable pin layout can increase traffic, as they instantly recognize the pin as from your blog.

Pinterest has easy tools to include in your HTML blog coding to automatically make your pictures easy to pin for anyone searching outside of Pinterest. If you aren't familiar with HTML changes, this takes about 2 minutes to add, and is very worth it to find some kid to plop it into your blog code.

People are drawn to different pictures. When creating a blog post, pin YOUR favorite or title picture, but have others within the post that are also relevant to the post. I've been surprised by the pictures other's have chosen to pin from my posts. All pinned pictures within a post will link to that post.


Remember that pins are forever.

So, even if a pinned post doesn't get much traffic immediately, I've found that even a year or two later it will suddenly become relevant and traffic will increase for an old post.

In addition to pinning your own blog posts, which will gain some traffic, the most traffic will be generated by having a good Pinterest presence. If people think that you are going to be sending them valuable web links through your Pinterest boards, then they will follow you and suggest you to others. Followers see everything you post, or if they follow only certain boards, then what you post to those.

Pinterest etiquette: don't pin multiple pictures for the same post at the same time, or to the same board. If you want to keep your post in front of your followers, pin it again in another week. The same people will initially see it, and if you post a ton of the same link, they will most likely stop following you for hijacking their feed.

If you aim your Pinterest boards towards your target blog or web audience and pin accordingly, then you can really broaden your audience. I keep a separate Pinterest board now for my non-child care related pins.

Questions?

Hope this makes sense. Please feel free to ask questions. I was one of those people with dozens of binders full of magazine clippings before Pinterest came along, so it melded wonderfully with what I was already doing in gathering ideas and resources. For others, they have needed a push to see the value of it, but most do.

The majority of my blog traffic now comes from Pinterest. This is easy to track on your blog statistics page.

www.pinterest.com/littlestarlearn/

This is what the folks from  Buffer Social have to say about it, "If you’re interested in the second half of the infographic...

SumAll is one of our favorite social media tools. They do social media tracking better than anyone we’ve found—all your data, all in one place, for free. It’s been awesome to collaborate with them on this project as well as others.

Best practices for when to post on social mediaTo recap what you see in the infographic here at Buffer and over at SumAll, I’ve placed each of the best practices for social media posting frequency below.

Twitter – 3 times per day, or moreEngagement decreases slightly after the third tweet.

Facebook – 2 times per day, at most2x per day is the level before likes & comments begin to drop off dramatically.

LinkedIn – 1 time per day20 posts per month (1x per weekday) allows you to reach 60 percent of your audience

Google+ – 3 times per day, at mostThe more often you post, the more activity you’ll get. Users have found a positive correlation between frequency and engagement. When posting frequency wanes, some have experienced drops in traffic up to 50%.

Pinterest – 5x per day, or moreThe top brands on Pinterest have experienced steady growth – and in some cases rapid or sensational growth! – by adopting a multiple-times-per-day posting strategy.

Instagram – 1.5 times per day, or moreMajor brands post an average of 1.5 times per day to Instagram. There’s no drop-off in engagement for posting more, provided you can keep up the rate of posting.

Blog – 2x per weekCompanies that increase blogging from 3-5X/month to 6-8X/month almost double their leads.

Key research for how often to post to social mediaThe above best practices are super clear and simple if you’re interested in getting started with a frequency framework for your social sharing. As with all research-backed best practices, I’d encourage you to use these as a starting point for your own tests to see what’s best. Your individual scenario may call for more or less than what’s recommended.

Also, I know many are interested in where these recommendations come from (we dig this type of stuff, too!). Here’s a bit more about the research and resources that have helped to establish the baselines for how often to share to social media.

Twitter – 3 times per day, or more“Engagement decreases slightly after the third tweet”

During the summer of 2013, Social Bakers took a random sample of 11,000 tweets from top brands and found that a frequency of three tweets per day was the point where brands saw their highest engagement.

In the chart below, Total ER (total engagement rate, in blue) and Average Tweet ER (average engagement rate per tweet, in purple) meet in the sweet spot right around the third tweet.



A 2012 Track Social study found that the per-tweet engagement peaks at around five tweets per day.

Does three to five tweets per day seem a bit … low?

Perhaps.

Interestingly, in the same Track Social study mentioned above, per-day engagement—the total number of interactions that occur throughout the day, regardless of how many times you post—showed a steady rise all the way to 30 tweets per day. In other words, you could post up to 30 times and still continue to see positive effects on engagement—effects that might not top the maximum per-tweet levels at five tweets per day, but still worth exploring.



Facebook – 2 times per day, at most2x per day is the level before likes & comments begin to drop off dramatically.

A lot has changed for the Facebook News Feed in the past couple years, so it’s worth noting that the best research on Facebook frequency comes from a Track Social study from 2012 and a Social Bakers study from 2011.

These studies conclude that it’s best to post to Facebook 5 to 10 times per week, or 1 to 2 times per weekday.

From the Track Social findings:

When a brand posts twice a day, those posts only receive 57% of the likes and 78% of the comments per post. The drop-off continues as more posts are made in the day.

LinkedIn – 1 time per day20 posts per month (1x per weekday) allows you to reach 60 percent of your audience

As part of the LinkedIn small business guide, the network shared an interesting stat that relates to how often you should be sharing to LinkedIn. Share 20 times per month to reach 60 percent of your audience.

Twenty times per month divided by four weeks per month equals five times per week. Five times per week fits perfectly with a once-per-weekday posting schedule, ideally suited to reach the audience on LinkedIn, which is full of professionals who figure to spend their most time on LinkedIn during business days.

Google+ – 3 times per day, at mostStone Temple Consulting’s Mark Traphagen and Socialmouths’ Daniel Sharkoveach shared graphs from their own sharing on Google+. Their takeaway:

The more often you post, the more activity you’ll get. Users have found a positive correlation between frequency and engagement. When posting frequency wanes, some have experienced drops in traffic up to 50%.

The 50 percent drop in particular was mentioned by Sharkov. He noticed a large portion of traffic coming from Google+ when he was sharing more to the network; when the sharing stopped, so did the traffic.



Pinterest – 5x per day, or moreThe top brands on Pinterest have experienced steady growth – and in some cases rapid or sensational growth! – by adopting a multiple-times-per-day posting strategy.

In 2013, visual marketing service Piqora interviewed big-time brands like Whole Foods, Lowes, LL Bean, and more to see what they had experienced on Pinterest. The brands shared the correlation they’d noticed between frequency of pinning and traffic growth, with spikes in growth occurring most between “a few pins a week” and “3 to 10 pins per day.”



Instagram – 1.5 times per day, or moreMajor brands post an average of 1.5 times per day to Instagram. There’s no drop-off in engagement for posting more, provided you can keep up the rate of posting.

Social media analytics site Union Metrics spent time analyzing 55 of the most popular, active Instagram brands to learn the best practices for timing, frequency, and more.

They found that most brands share once or twice per day to Instagram. 

Some shared as much as 10 times per day and did not notice an appreciable loss in per-post engagement. This hints that it may be possible to post more often—waaay more often—to Instagram than it seems, provided the quality of the post is still present.

Blog – 2x per weekSome of the best research into the effect of frequency on blogging comes from a 2012 HubSpot study of over 7,000 businesses. Among the many interesting benchmarks and takeaways from the study, there was this fascinating note:

Companies that increase blogging from 3-5X/month to 6-8X/month almost double their leads.

Six to eight times per month would equate to 1 to 2 times per week.

SummaryHow often should you post to social media?

We’re grateful for all the amazing research out there that gives us some answers to the question of frequency. These answers are great opportunities to start discovering what’s  ideal for your unique situation.

Use these guidelines as a jumping off point for your own tests. And feel free to share the results! We’d love to know what works and what doesn’t. "

GREAT read.  If you are growing your childcare business and follow this guide you WILL get calls coming in.  Advertising has gone mobile and you must as well in order to remain competitive with centers, schools, and other providers that already understand that this trend isn't going away.  It's no longer just a "trend" but a societal shift in information gathering.  

Now get posting!!  

I wish you well and I hope you get to play today! - L

Ever felt like this???

Naaahhhhh.....me either!!!

There are days filled with amazing moments, skills developed and celebrated, lessons packed with wonder; miraculous incredible, worthy moments that take my breath away and confirm that I was meant to be doing what I do.

And then there are the moments when everyone had a late night and I swear ice tea and M&M's on their way to me.  You know those times.  If you are being honest with yourself and everyone else....just...like...me.  

One day....I quit.   I just quit.  I quit on the inside and on the outside.  I quit.

But thankfully, not in the way you might think.  

You see...after several days of feeling like this picture on the inside, I realized that I was trying to do to much ALL BY MYSELF. 

I recognized I was headed for burnout.  

As you can see if you have visited my site very often or read any of my blogs, I love my job.  I love my business.  I love the children that I spend my days with.  I love their families!!!

I couldn't allow burnout to be the end result of all my hard work.  I had to take a step back and reassess what was working and what wasn't.  

These are the 3 things I learned in my search to reignite my passion, regain my energy, and remind myself of how important it was to be an Early Childhood Educator in the lives of the little ones in my care.

I had a dream.






I was working with my preschool children in my home and suddenly I was playing with them in the yard.  (Nothing unique)

The scene quickly shifted and I was standing in the middle of a soccer field with children of all ages rushing at me onto the field carrying all sorts of gifts.  Their families were following closely behind, all smiles, compliments and hugs of gratitude.  The gifts kept piling up and the scene shifted again.  I was now a very old woman and being called on stage to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award for my work with children.  

The auditorium was filled and though I was happy to be accepting an award, I was so humbled that God allowed me to be the one that touched so many little lives, ones whom were now parents and grandparents themselves.  The love in that room was undeniable....palatable...something I doubt many will ever experience in their lifetime.  But I do, everyday...
 
The day I quit; I quit believing I was just a babysitter.  I caught the God given vision of what it is to be in a child's life.    The days of not feeling appreciated may still come, days when someone doesn't fully realize how much of myself I POUR into these little beings.  I quit allowing those days to haunt my thoughts and choose to reflect on the truth....that children hold the "very face of God." (Matthew 18:10) and if I am caring for them with love and kindness where do you think that puts me???  I bet pretty darn close... Which is why I know He gave me that specific dream.  To remind me....and you that what you do each and everyday holds great value.

"Every child you encounter is a divine appointment." 
  — Wess Stafford, President Emeritus of Compassion International

I became highly intentional and laser focused on my goal and priorities and stripped away everything that didn't align with those..   

Which are...in order...

My God, my family, my littles (children in my care.)...

You know the saying, "Me third?"  Mine is, "Me fourth."  It works for me...

I used to have a saying, "I'm done!"  

I would say it every time I would be at the end of my patience with my little girl.  When I would announce that phrase, she knew the conversation was DONE and mamma' wasn't going to give it any further attention.  

I though this was working quite well.  I mean the argument would end, albeit in her frustrated and in tears, but it would end.  

Then one day I realized just how this was affecting her  when I again proclaimed, "I'm DONE!" and she said, "Done loving me, Mommy?" It still brings me to my knees.  

I got down low and looked her straight in her big brown, tear-filled eyes and said, "I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER quit loving you."  "Mommy is so sorry."  "I love you."  

I have never again repeated those words.  That night I quit quitting on the people and things that mean the most to me no matter how hard it might get.  No matter how tired I am.  Regardless, I am not quitting.  I will press on.  I will hug more, laugh more, slow down, and be present.  I will quit quitting on them just to fill my own need to be "done."

The best advice I have ever read it this...
                                                                                             and you can quote me on that.............

Words are empty without action.  Quit faking it.  Once I recognized my need, I didn't quit there.  I took action!  

I have, in the past, pacified my own needs with inspirational books, quotes, surrounding myself with positivity and reducing the amount of negative influences by carefully choosing what I say and think and those I am surrounded by.  And though all these things are good, and the typical advice of "self-help" gurus and guides, even the Bible says, "hearing and doing." the emotional pump from daily memes will quickly fade in the day to day of life.  Real change takes action, not just 'inspiration'ese.'.  

What did this look like for me?  

First, I began my search for a curriculum that was research based, covered all the basis of Kindergarten readiness, social/emotional skills, play-based, affordable, had state aligned standards, and measurable assessments, that was "out of the box" literally and figuratively to give my evenings and weekends back to my family.  I did a study and decided on Mother Goose Time.  The other curriculum I researched were fantastic and I have nothing against any of them.  Mother Goose Time just fit me best.

Second, I hired help...

Second, I hired MORE help.  One might think that having less money would cause more stress, but no....not when it allows for an even better program.  We are now a 1/5 Teacher/Child ratio, instead of the standard 1/10 for licensed programs in Missouri.  This allows me to do more individually with each child.  (again...highly intentional)

Third, I purchased a record keeping software to simplify my daily book work.

Third, after researching record keeping softwares for some time, I made the plunge and picked one.  I decided on Minute Menu for its ease of use, affordability, and direct connection with childcare providers.  

Finally, I set out to finish what I started...

Lastly, and not at all least, I decided to go back to school to finish what I started many years ago to complete my degree in Early Childhood Education.  It won't take long, it's just been sitting there on the shelf waiting for me to "finish."  

I approached burnout with a common held belief that I simply needed to work less.  

I was wrong.  

What I needed was a new approach at living my life, work included.  Through prayer and faith I realized that what I lacked was focus.  With a fresh vision of what God had planned for me I was able to realign my life and ignite a new passion for completing the work He had laid out for me.  And if you are a child care provider, a preschool teacher, a nanny, a babysitter, a custodial grandparent, a SAHM.... it's your path too.
  
"I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me..." - Acts 20:24

I wish you well and I hope you get to play today.

Have you always wanted to work with children and have a job that changes lives for the better?  Have you dreamed of opening your own daycare, but lacked the knowledge, training, or confidence?  

As a paid intern with Woolsey Academy For Young Learners (a home based childcare and preschool) in Willard, MO you will gain the training, knowledge, skills, and confidence to be able to step out on your own and open a childcare/preschool in your area.

I am currently taking applications for one/two/or three day, morning/afternoon interns to assist in all aspects of childcare and preschool.  This will include website development, blog writing, marketing, curriculum development, interaction (supervised) with children, daily routines, state and local document maintenance, grant writing, field trip (in house) scheduling, meal and budget planning, etc.  

I will personally work side by side with you training and teaching you, to ready you to open your own childcare/preschool and make your dream a reality.  I have trained dozens and dozens of women and helped thousands through correspondence via website, webinars, and hands-on trainings.

Two to four hour shifts available, flexible scheduling.  You must be prepared to commit to no less than three months of training, be at least 18, CPR/First Aid certified, medical exam and tb test, and background screening at your cost (usually only $50-60), and I can help you obtain the rest of your trainings.  

Pay is above minimum wage, but the training you will receive will save you thousands of dollars in time and costly mistakes.  

Conducting interviews beginning April 6, 2015.  For consideration, submit a cover letter, resume, qualifications, letter of reference, and why you think you are the perfect fit to www.woolseyacademy.com , "contact us."

The children in my care are of the upmost importance, references will be checked.  Only 4 spots available.

Visit www.woolseyacademy.com for information about our philosophy and program.

Hello!  My name is LaDonna Woolsey, owner and operator of Woolsey Academy for Young Learners, http://www.woolseyacademy.com/.  I am an in-home childcare provider just like you.  My clients pay top dollar to have their children in my care.  That is not bragging, it is simply true.  They are wonderful people that I have in the past and currently become close friends with. 

They trust me, listen to me, appreciate my efforts with their children, respect and recognize my expertise and skill.  I seldom have an opening and have operated with a waiting list for many years.  How?  How does a little home daycare gal achieve this?  This sounds like something only top rated centers achieve!

I have learned many truths in my years operating a licensed in-home childcare/preschool and the number ONE unchanging fact is that communication is king!  However, how we communicate has changed TREMENDOUSLEY over the years.  I have consistently achieved the above claims of respect and appreciate THROUGH communication.   Without effective communication delivered efficiently in today's image dominated, instant access society, you may have the BEST childcare system in the market, but NOONE will ever know it and therefore you risk becoming obsolete. 

It is estimated that up to 86% of people searching for a product or a service first do so with a handheld internet device and that up to 63% of buying decisions occur PRIOR to anyone ever picking up a phone and calling YOU!  What that says to you is be online or be left behind!  In my webinar I will be discussing blogging, websites, seo's, interviewing, etc.  But this post is dedicated to one of the easiest things you can and must start doing right now if you own/operate a childcare business and that is to begin your social networking marketing campaign.

For years I have utilized my personal Facebook page for my business and only recently have I began my WoolseyAcademy page.  If you send me a "friend request" I will respond and allow you to see how I have built, through image and content, a strong reputation with families and my community.  Please...take a moment RIGHT NOW and click the BIG "like" button.  It will take you to my WoolseyAcademy Facebook page.  "LIKE" my page, leave me a link to your page and I will "like" you too!  This is a wonderful way to get the word out about amazing people in the ECE world like you!

Setting up your business Facebook page is 1.1 of starting your social networking marketing campaign. This is what I call "soft" marketing.  It is VERY easy to do and if you have not already done so, stop right now and go to these links

Create A Facebook Page
Create a LinkedIn Profile

For Facebook: From here you will want to choose "Local Business," then select if you would like to be listed as "Education," or "Local Business."  Follow the prompts.  If you think you have messed something up, it's o.k.  Facebook settings can get you back to where you started and you can make changes as you go.  You may choose to link your personal page to your Facebook page to allow you more ease in moving back and forth in managing both accounts.  Let's not get stuck in the weeds here.  It doesn't have to be perfect to be done.  The important part is that you begin posting pictures TODAY of your little ones and their activities.to Facebook and you connect to the families of the children in your care.  Once you have done that, "tag" the photo's of the families so that they will be alerted each time your have posted a picture that includes their babe.  This will also alert the people in their circle as well and you will begin building a raport with others in your community. 

There isn't anything that eases a parent's mind, warms their heart, concrete's your reputation for excellence in their mind, or connects a parent better to their child's day than seeing their little one engaged in building blocks, painting, eating a fun lunch, playing in the sand box, sleeping peacefully, reading books, pretending, or simply just "at play!"  This connectivity to their child also allows families to have talking points with their children at day's end.  Your C.D.A. also required that you provide for connection with families and their children through newsletters, activities, parties, etc.  This is an EXCELLENT avenue to complete all of these requirements all with the click of your smartphone.

We all work VERY hard wiping boo-boo's and bottoms, providing activities and education, and it is a service to all working families out there to allow them a glimpse into their children's lives each and everyday.  This can be done either with, or without the inclusion of little faces.  Personally, I am very up front with families that I utilize all methods of social media in effort to keep them informed of meals, activities, curriculum, upcoming parties, etc. and I have yet to have a family ask me NOT to do so.  I also send out emails asking families to respond with exclusion if they do not wish for themselves or their children to be included in this effort. 

So...I have discussed how to "retain" clients.  But, what about ATTRACTING clients??  The magic of this type of "soft marketing" is that it is always ON!  Every "like," every "share," every "comment" connects you with the circles of friends of everyone in your circle, your friends circles, your current families circles and their friends.  This allows you to be presenting your services, your business, your curriculum, your fun times, your environments, warmth, skills, trainings, and Early Childhood Education philosophies to your current AND future clients with the "likes" (reputation building) of those currently in your care.  There is NOTHING more powerful than having those that do not know you, "getting to know you" through social media.  This makes those NOT doing this look as though they are either behind the times or possibly not doing as good of a job as those presenting their program each and everyday online and in the hands of eagerly seeking families.  Another powerful force this imagery presents is the ability to extinguish the dreaded "mommy guilt!"  I can't tell you how many times I have had momma's and daddies tell me how much they appreciate the efforts I take to keep their children's days at front and center, so that they can get a "real-time" view of their little one's throughout the day.  It truly is worth "A Thousand Words" of love, trust, respect, and warmth for a family to be able to log into their Facebook and see the amazing things their children are doing with YOU!

And center owner's and directors...this applies to EVERY teacher in your facility.  You CAN do this...they CAN do this.  With parameters in place like taking photos of children's hands while building blocks, painting, coloring with chalk,  or the back of their heads instead of faces while reading books, interacting with their peers, or pretending in the play-yard.  These are still POWERFUL images of their little ones fully engaged in every moment of learning presented throughout their day.

Take a moment and "like" my Facebook page now, connect with me on LinkedIn, and you will see examples of our moments together.  This is not for me to gain more "likes" or "links."  It is for you to see, first hand, how another in your field is harnassing the power of a thousand words...ONE...PICTURE...AT...A...TIME...

Once you have your profile set up, drop me a line and I would LOVE to "like" and "connect" with you too.  Let's build up one another together!

The amazing part about this type of marketing is that you are using what you already do, who you already are, and the learning adventures you and your little ones go on together each day to reach an EAGERLY waiting audience AND it doesn't take ANY extra time.  BUT, you must have the proper tools in your tool box to make that happen. 

The picture to the left appeared in a blog post of mine, after appearing in my Facebook.  I get to utilize these moments to communicate the fun and learning we are immersed in each day.  I don't have special equipment.  I am not a professional and I too do not have the time to edit photos, upload anything or stage a process.  I just look, click and send.  It is that simple. 

MOST likely you already own a smartphone and are aware of how you can take and upload pictures to your Facebook.  You can also tag your photos so they will have a more personal and broader reach.  If you do not have one.  Please do yourself a HUGE favor and make the purchase sooner rather than later.  This is a tool for you no different than your pots and pans.  You have to have them to cook up all kinds of fantastic dishes to share with those around you.  Make certain you get one that has a good quality picture taking ability.  Yes, this is an investment.  It is an investment in your success, your marketing, your future and existing clients being able to see you and ALL the dedicated, heart-felt work you pour into the little lives in your presence each day.

In my free webinar (listed below) I will also be teaching you how to post to your website and how to blog ON THE GO using your smartphone and a free app.  This is an incredible communication device that keeps you and your business front and center in the minds and lives of other educators, families, your community, future and existing clients.  This does NOT have to take extra time.  You can and must be doing this to maintain your existing client base and attract new business, as well as, being able to add a waiting list.  When you consistently create meaningful content that is directed at a target audience earnestly waiting for it's arrival, it is the MOST effective marketing that you deliver efficiently.  Nothing is more efficient than reaching people with the same devices they are literally plugged into each and every day...their handheld device. Challenge me on this...try, for one day to NOT look at your handheld device.  I bet you can't.  Now try to tell me that you don't remember anything your read or saw posted....again...I bet you can't.  Now, try to tell me why you don't need to be doing the same???  You must be reaching your current clients daily to reach your future clients, AND create a meaningful waiting list.

There are MANY places you can purchase these.  I soon will have a link to a great organization I would hope everyone will support to aid you in receiving the best prices AND supporting a wonderful cause...our veterans.

                                 
Please register for Five Transforming Steps To Marketing Your
Childcare/Preschool Business on Oct 22, 2013 1:00 PM CDT at:                

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1787420331783776513
 
            Five Transforming Steps To Marketing Your Business will tell you: 

Deliver Effective Communications Efficiently

1. How To Utilize
Social Media Marketing
2. SEO (What It Is and How To Do It For FREE!)
3.  Rocking The Interview (On The phone and In Person!)
4. How To Build Your  Website For Free (that looks like a MILLION!)
5. How To Build Your Childcare Blog For FREE (free app included!)  Also why it is VITAL to your continued successful operations.

                After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the  webinar.

        

I am often asked, "How do you do it?"  My response is usually, "Which part!?"  As the preschool teacher/caregiver/friend/cook/and all around daytime momma to several different personalities it can be a challenge at times to maintain a my frame of focus when I walk upon a HUGE unexpected mess.  Sure...I expect messes...it goes with the territory, but sometimes I get a "surprise!"  HA!!! 

I wanted to share this little tid-bit because it is a "View You Can Use" and definitely a part of "What You Focus On You Get More Of!"  This phrase was originally coined by Dr. Becky Bailey and is truth to the core.  What you focus on you get more of.  When my focus is on the mess I wasn't expecting and the interruption it brings to the day, I am focusing on a negative emotion and a result I cannot control.  Kids WILL be messy...that's all a part of learning and is developmentally appropriate.  It is EXPECTED. The key is to focus on what you want more of.  Do I want them to not make messes?  No...it's an expected part of learning.  It means they are exploring, creating, and discovering their skills.  Do I want them to help with the clean-up? Maybe, sometimes that is the goal.  What do I want?  I want LEARNING!  I want EXPLORATION!  I want CREATIVITY!  I want DISCOVERY! I want meaningful connections each and everyday.

So...If our focus is on our children exploring their creativity, discovering and growing their skills, and being unafraid to try, and meaningful connection we must take each moment as it presents itself,  we MUST welcome the messes and determine to celebrate them.

In this "View You Can Use," I have walked upon a bit of a unexpected mess.  I was around the corner at the bathroom changing a diaper and when I walked back in (to inspect the source of the quiet! ;)) I discovered that a new game had been invented..."scatter the hundred bags!"  I had a choice in that moment.  I could have said, "Who did this?" "You know you aren't allowed to drag things out of the cabinets!" or "Time-out!" "You know you shouldn't have done this!"  But...that would not be an appropriate response for a toddler.  Actually, if I didn't want them dragging stuff out of the cabinets it is up to me to make certain that the cabinets are not a choice.  Discovering, dumping, scattering, and enjoying the exhilaration of a "new" game IS appropriate.  So...my response must also be.

I chose to create another "new" game with the bags.  The "count and clean" game.  I utilize this method to help the children have fun AND learn concrete counting while cleaning up.  Yes, the little one doing the help is my little one and she had just departed the breakfast table with a full yogurt face.  But, in an effort to make it as real time as possible, I just walked in, saw the mess, and hit "record."  I hope you enjoy!!

-L

Thank you for taking your precious time to join me.  Grab a cup of coffee (you've earned it and if you're ANYTHING like me, you've been working for 8 hours already today and still have another 8 to go!) and get ready to GROW! 

I have been in operation as a top rated daycare/preschool/childcare professional for many years.  I have started and restarted with NOTHING and grown my business in different cities and states.  Each time I restarted I literally had a low to ZERO dollar ad budget. 

Restarting in a new state was the biggest challenge I faced and it brought me to several truths that I may not have fully realized the importance of otherwise. 

Like I mentioned before, I too am an owner/operator of a licensed home childcare business.  I do it ALL myself.  I wear ALL the hats...just like you.  I have learned many lessons in my time and want to HELP providers just like you grow so LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS!!

In this blog post you will learn my top five list of the most important practices for building your enrollment and maintaining an operating waiting list.  I am going to state these and in the weeks to follow will expound on each one of them.   Communication via these five topics will guarantee improvement in the number of people searching for, reaching, and enrolling with YOU.  

In my attempt to provide everyone with what I have learned I am going to host a
FREE One Hour WEBINAR  covering these topics on Tuesday, October 22nd at 1p.m. Central Time (naptime :))  Since the response on LinkedIn has been tremendous, please sign up today.  It sounds so cliché to say, but it's true...space is limited.  AND when you sign up, please realize that you are securing a spot that someone else may have also needed...put it on your calendar and make sure you attend.  (You want to know all this anyway:))

My Free Webinar Will Cover These Topics:

1.    Learn how to utilize Social Media Marketing to 
        1. Attract new clients,
        2. Retain existing clients, 
        3. Build a top rated reputation in  your community. 
            (This one is HUGE and FREE for you to do yourself!)

2.   SEO (Search Engine Optimization) 
        1. What it is,
        2. How YOU can do it YOURSELF!
        3. Local Google and Yahoo search how to get listed,
        4. How to get your families to write referrals you can USE!

 3.  The Interview! On the phone and in person...(what to say, how to say it.)
        1. On the phone:
                a.    The ten questions to ask that will cause their answer to naturally choose YOU! 
                b.    Top 20 Power words and poison words that invoke "enroll" or "stroll" in a 
                       parent's mind.
        2.    In Person
                 a.    Setting the Stage for the in person interview.
                 b.    The Walk Through and Talk Through, and closing the sale.

4.   How to build a website for FREE!
         1.    How to find and use stock images (and what that is).
         2.    How to present your strengths.
         3.    Must have tabs for your site.
         4.    Branding your image.
         5.    The logo.
         6.    Full color business cards for CHEAP that match your Branded Image.
         7.    Full color banners for WAY less than you may think that match your Branded Image.

 5.   How to build a blog for FREE!
        Regardless if you have a center or a home based childcare, ALL the teachers in your facility, and YOU need to be blogging regularly about what you are doing, how you are doing and why it's important!  This portion is a MUST SEE for ALL ECE professionals! THIS IS VITAL to YOUR continued success!

        1.    Free smart phone app that enables you to capture the precious moments and blog on the
               go as you go (made especially for all of us that "Don't have the time!")
        2.    The importance of a functioning blog to keep your families feeling connected to you and 
               their children.
        3.    Power words and poison words for evoking emotion
        4.    Using your smart phone to capture curriculum, learning, fun, and milestones that keep 
               parents feeling like they are a part of their child's day, EVERYDAY!

If you are reading this and own a home or a center, these ALL apply to YOU, the families you service, the people you hire and the reputation you are building.  This needs to be a MANDATORY webinar for everyone on your staff, especially the sections regarding Blogging!

                                 
Please register for Five Transforming Steps To Marketing Your Childcare/Preschool Business on Oct
22, 2013 1:00 PM CDT at:               

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1787420331783776513  Click the link :)

    Five Transforming Steps To Marketing Your Childcare/Preschool Business will tell you: 

Deliver Effective Visual Communications Efficiently

1. How To Utilize Social Media Marketing
2. SEO (What It Is and How To Do It For FREE!)
3.  Rocking The Interview (On The phone and In Person!)
4. How To Build Your Website For Free (that looks like a MILLION!)
5. How To Build Your Childcare Blog For FREE (free app included!)  Also why it is VITAL to your continued successful operations.

                After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

                Brought to you by GoToWebinar® Webinars Made Easy®           

Over the coming weeks...I am going to CHANGE THE WAY YOU VIEW EACH DAY!  I will be blogging about each one of these topics at the rate of one per week over the next several weeks.  You can keep reading these posts at the rate of one per week, OR, register for my FREE One Hour
WEBINAR and I will cover all of them for your there in digestible, workable bit-sized pieces.  Really...each ONE of these could take several weeks each to cover.  Unfortunately, I only have time for one/week due to my jammed packed schedule as a fellow childcare owner/preschool teacher/
homeschool momma/ and blogger, that doesn't even include my guest blog spots!  We are all in this together and it's my goal to elevate our profession, our professionals (yes, that includes YOU :)), and the amazing service we perform in the lives of little ones each and everyday.