My New Blog

Today I created a new blog called "Rachel Perry Pellegrini" because I'm loving writing so much one blog just wasn't enough. :)

The thing is, now that I've been able to define what my new writing business will be all about and I know where my life path will be going I know that what I really need is a site with my name on it where I can write for the love of writing...instead of for the love of blogging.

So, for now I have two blogs: The one you are on and the new one at http://www.rachelperrypellegrini.blogspot.com/.

Please make click on that link to bring you easily to that new site and continue to follow me over there.

See you there!

I'm published on e-zine.com!!

I received great news today! My first batch of articles were accepted at ezine! And that means I get to write more! Hooray!!!

I'm so excited about this break through. Especially since this morning my application was declined from suite 101.

So it just goes to show that persistence pays off.

Here is the article that will be posted later today on the e-zine site:

Home Daycare Policy Tips – 4 Ways to Improve Communication With Parents

There are three stages of communication. The speaker says something “the message” and then the receiver hears “the message” and then the receiver “interprets the message.” Daycare providers have the responsibility of communicating with the parents of their children regarding their child’s well-being. That means that the childcare provider must have practices skills at receiving and interpreting the message from the parent.

There are five things a child care provider can do to better communicate with parents.
1) Listen to the Parent
To be able to ask a question clearly is two-thirds of the way to getting it answered. ~John Ruskin
Hearing what the parent has to say about their child’s diet, sleeping patterns, and behavior will teach you a lot about their child. Listen carefully to what the parent has to say. Ask questions when you need more detail and confirm that you understood with phrases such as “So what you’re saying is….” “Did I understand you correctly that…..”

2) Registration Interview
The first time a child care provider has to truly meet the family is at the registration interview. Create a welcoming atmosphere by offering coffee and cookies. Tell them about you and your program then actively listen to them as they tell you about themselves, their children and their needs.
Discuss every aspect of your care – where the child will sleep, what they will eat, what activities they will provide. Put everything on paper and have them sign. Provide a contract that outlines the hours of care and rate per day.

3) Monthly newsletter
Create a sense of belonging for the parents with a monthly newsletter that welcomes new children to your care and says good bye to old ones. Tell parents what the children did that month. Post little reminders to parents and have a little inspirational quote. A newsletter can be emailed to them or given in hard copy. Parents love newsletters!

4) Weekly or daily reports
These are used in larger daycare centers and can be a great way to let parents know about their children’s strengths and what activities they enjoyed daily. This will also allow you the chance to indicate if there is a problem. Be careful what you write though and always be sure to use your words gently when there has been a problem with their child that day.

5) Website
A domain name and website can be bought online for $10. Try service providers such as http://www.godaddy.com/ or http://www.mustangmarketingdomains.com/ You can update your website regularly with photos, quotes and stories about your children in the care (make sure you have signed documents stating it is okay to take their pictures and post them)
Always keep the lines of communication open with the parents to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

Behaviour Management Tips from the Virtues Project

Behavior Management Tips: Using The Virtues Project™ to Bring out the Best in Your Children

Founded by Linda Kavelin Popov in 1997, The Virtues Project™ has caught the attention of daycare providers, teachers, organizations and workplaces around the world. Popov was a guest on Oprah, who said that this book could be the parenting guide that parents have been looking for. The Virtues Project™ has been embraced by countless parents who aim to bring out the best in themselves and their children.

Virtues are different from values. A value is something held in high regard and can vary from family to family, country to country. A virtue is a universal quality of character that exists in all human beings. To illustrate the difference consider this story: For North American and Japanese soldiers service is highly valued. When a North American soldier has been prisoner of war, he holds in high regard the value of enduring his imprisonment and shows great courage in withstanding the treatment from his captors. For Japanese soldiers, on the other hand, when a soldier is taken as a prisoner of war, he holds in high regard the values of his country which express that it is better to be dead than to be held captive by an enemy. Therefore, a Japanese soldier will exercise his courage to take his own life rather than remain imprisoned. The values are different but the underlying virtue of courage is the same. This is the way virtues are universal and why they are different from values.
The following list names the five strategies in The Virtues Project that parents can use to see the virtues their child easily demonstrates and to encourage those the child struggles with to be more developed.
Recognize Teachable Moments
A Tlingit elder said, “Life is for learning our lessons.” Recognizing teachable moments is a way to notice the opportunities for growing and learning that are found in our experiences everyday. In regards to raising children, Popov writes that “a teachable moment is one which calls for a virtue.” When an opportunity occurs in which a parent can acknowledge a virtue the child is practicing or exhibiting.
Speak the Language of the Virtues
Language has a power to empower or discourage. Instead of using labels for children such as a “good kid” or a “problem child” the daycare provider can use the language of the virtues to remind the child about the virtue that they have forgotten. In this way a child will come to view themselves in light of the qualities of character they poses. From Popov’s book the example is given that a child in this environment may be found saying something such as, “Today I had trouble with patience, but I was helpful when I set the table.”
Set Clear Boundaries
Many parents struggle with the question “How do I raise my children with authority without damaging their self-esteem?” In fear of doing it wrong but not sure how to do it right, many parents have become ambivalent. Setting clear boundaries is a way to become an educative parent rather than permissive, dominant or wavering between the two. An educative parenting style is based on the idea that the authority of a parent is in the service of a child’s learning. Popov writes that “The goal of effective parental authority is to enable children to develop their own inner authority, a sense of personal responsibility, and an ability to make conscious moral choices.”

Honour the Spirit
A parent honors their children’s spirit when they give their children the freedom to explore their talents and abilities. Letting a child stand beside you on a stool is a great way to guide them to develop their own skills. Acknowledging their efforts by saying, “Ann, I noticed your determination today when you were learning to crack an egg. It wasn’t easy at first, but you didn’t give up and you succeeded.” Other ways to honour the spirit can include honoring family members daily when sharing and listening to each other’s stories of the day. Some families include prayer or meditation in their day as a way to express their thanksgiving and the blessings in their lives.
Offer the Art of Spiritual Companioning
“Counseling is a big part of a parent’s job description,” writes Popov, “the best way to serve as a child’s spiritual companion is to be present to the child, especially when strong feelings come.” She says it best in her own words. Whatever the child is feeling, “it always helps to have a parent there as a respectful, loving genuinely present witness… True comfort comes with simple acknowledgment statements such as “Ooh, that really hurt,” “That was a nasty fall,” or “Your knee really got banged,” instead of deflections or rescues such as “We’ll put ice on it and then it will be all better, or minimizing “Don’t cry. It’s just a little scrape.” Get the ice, but as you do so, you can honour the truth of their experience.”
Which strategy is the most appealing for you at this moment?
What steps can you take today to put this strategy into place?
What can you do today to acknowledge a virtue you see in your child?

Why do we need a google account to leave a comment?

Many people are not familiar with blogspot.com, nor was I a month ago.

But when friend created her site I became excited for her and became a follower.

When I went to leave a post on her site I discovered that I needed an account with google. Fortunately, I already had a google email account so I didn't think anything of it.

But now I have my own website and perhaps there are those of you who would like to leave a comment but do not have a google account.

Google is the sponsor of blogspot.com and allows thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of us, to create sites for free and post our blogs to all our friends and families and visitors. In return for this service, it appears they want people viewing the sites to register with them.

I assure you that if you create an account with google you do not ever have to use an email account through them, you do not receive spam mail, they will not sell your information and you do not have to use the name you registered when you post a blog, as there is an option to do so anonymously.

So I encourage all my visitors to please feel comfortable registering and know that I would not ask you to do something that I have not already done myself.

Thanks

Encouragement for Stay at home Moms: Why staying at home with your chidren is so important

“The task of bringing up a…child…is the chief responsibility of the mother, whose unique privilege is indeed to create in her home such conditions as would be most conducive to both his material and spiritual welfare and advancement. The training which the child first receives through his mother constitutes the strongest foundation for his future development.” (From the Baha’i Writings)

Mothers often feel torn between their desire to be at home to raise their children and their desire to be in the work force. The career options available to women in this generation far exceed the options of women in previous generations tempting many women into exciting careers. For some women and families this is a suitable path. But for other women and their families, the mother has sacrificed her career path temporarily while raising her children.

Could it be that a mother’s “unique privilege” is to create a loving and nurturing home environment for her children is so that the child will have the surest foundation for success in his or her future? The sacrifice to stay at home is great for a woman. She may sacrifice income and career prestige or advancement. It is not an easy decision to make. However, when the rewards or achievements are considered in light of these sacrifices it is clear there is much to gain from working in the home as well.

The family is the nucleus of a community. If a family is happy, healthy and strong, the members will go out into the community and provide services, make improvements, and bring enlightenment to the community. When a community is strong it will have a positive effect on a region, a region affects a province, a province affects a country etc. At the heart of a healthy and vibrant society is a collective of healthy and vibrant families.

A family is so important to the well-being of society. It is the mother alone who has the “unique privilege” of creating in her home the conditions that the family dwells in. It makes sense then, that every act that a mother makes with the intention of the wellness of her family in mind is a monumental act that is bringing about a better world one little act at a time.

Laundry, dishes, meals, dusting, vacuuming, all that…is mundane, but it is a part of the sacrifice a mother makes. An intelligent and powerful woman can do these mundane tasks and then spend time with her children and share the wealth of her knowledge and wisdom. She can guide them, speak with them, explore with them. In those first precious few years of a child’s life, the child whose mother is available to them every day receives a great and precious gift. The bounties received by this child will help to shape him or her into a noble being. The hope is that they will become an adult who is selfless, kind, and devoted to a life of service for the betterment of humanity. What greater reward is there for a mother?

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More can be found about the Baha'i Faith at www.bahai.org

Daycare Services and Products I Provide

My current project involves establishing and promoting a new business.

This business is expanding from my daycare. Daystar Daycare services will now include training to other mothers who would like to open or have already opened their own home daycare.

These services and products include (but are not limited to):

- an e-course on using the 5 strategies of The Virtues Project to bring out the best in your children

- an e-course on Opening a Profitable Daycare

- Daycare Coaching, by email or by phone

- Daycare Start-Up booklet

If you are in the daycare business or know of anyone that is and you would like more information please email me at www.rachel.pellegrini@gmail.com.

Also, please check out my website at http://www.daystardaycare.com/

No More Panic Attacks

Sometimes I become so exhausted from the work involved with taking care of a home and tending to all the children's needs that I find myself easily triggered into panic attacks. I didn't know what was happening at first. My breathing would become short, my heart would race and I could feel my blood pressure increase. Sometimes I even felt dizzy and faint.

Once I identified that it was anxiety and panic that I was feeling I started to try several things to help relieve the anxiety.

Three things that work for me are:

1) Becoming familiar with my local health food store: I take multi-vitamins regularly and have found other calming blends. I also taking St. John's Wort and use a few drops of Homeopathic Rescue Remedy when I feel a panic attacking coming on.

2) Reduce stress immediately: When I feel anxiety, I find a quiet spot to sit down away from all distractions and count down from 10-1. Often times I say a prayer or an affirmation afterwards.

3) Talking to a qualified life coach and/or therapist: Finding a good support system can help you with anxiety issues and help you make decisions to bring more happiness to your life.

4) There are many programs out there to help people with anxiety. Click Here! for more information.

If you also battle with feelings of anxiety what is one thing you can do before you lay your head on your pillow tonight to help relieve your anxiety?

What is something you can do by the end of the week?

What obstacles to you expect might get in your way of reducing your anxiety?

What plan can you have in place to overcome these obstacles when and if they appear?

A Simple Step to "Green"

David Suzuki was on the late night show "The Hour" yesterday. He and George, the host, were talking about "One Million Acts of Green"...a project campaigned by The Hour that encourages everyone to do some act of green every day.



So I checked out the website today and it is really cool. It has graphic buttons listed along the bottom of the page for the categories for all the types of acts of green someone might feel inclined to participate in. At the office, at home, in the car, in the yard, etc.



There's a little button that you click on to record the act of green you did today or will soon do.



I clicked on "washed my laundry in cold water"...it said that "If you wash four out of every five loads of laundry in cold water each month, you’ll save about 35 kilograms of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere. If you wash 80 per cent of your laundry on the cold/cold cycle every year, you’ll save up to $100 or more on your energy bill...." Very cool, don't you think?



What is one act of green that you can do today?



Please leave a comment about your act of green.

The Secret to Sucess With Your Home Daycare

The Secret to Success for your Home Daycare

When I opened my home daycare there was not a lot of support out there. If you are considering opening your home daycare there are some things you should know.
Has anyone ever told you it is better to open privately? Following that advice could cost you to loose $8,400 or more annually. Is it worth it?

The reality is that you will make more money and have less stress if you go with the region. Here’s why.

1) You Will Make More Money Per Child

When you have a contract through the region they will pay you $36.75 per child. If you have 4 children in your care you will earn $147 daily. That’s $2940 monthly.

When you operate privately parents will pay you directly. Double Income families are likely not willing to pay more than about $28 a day. That’s $112 daily and $2240 monthly.

The difference between these two numbers is $8,400 annually. For a stay-at-home Mom this makes a big difference.

2) Your Regional Support Worker Will Refer Parents to You

The key to your daycare’s success is being able to have enough income to cover your operating expenses and have a surplus at the end of the month. Your goal is to to have the legal limit of four children under your care at all times. But this is harder said than done.

When you are contracted through the region they will refer parents to you. This is invaluable since having a constant flow of new parents will grow your waiting list and prevent you from having openings.

When you operate privately you must do all the advertising and marketing yourself. This will lead to openings and decreased income.

3) You Will be Provided With a Package

The region provides a binder that includes many forms and documents for the parents to sign. These are useful to ensure the children’s safety and to create a binding contract between you and the parents. Not only does this save the caregiver time and money, this is a helpful way to open communication with the parents about their children and to come to mutal agreements about the terms of their care.

Without this package, private care givers must design their own registration package. Not only might they forget important pieces of information there might be issues that come up later that could have been avoided if a more thorough registration had been done.

4) Your Daycare will be safer

The regional support worker for your community will visit you once a month. During these visits s/he will look through your home to ensure that all the child safety percousions are in place. She will ask about the children and offer any suggestions she can to any questions you may have. This regular check in keeps caregivers accountable and ensures the environment is safer for children. Many accidents are avoided by keeping the area clean and child friendly.

When you operate privately you will do your best to keep your home and daycare clean and safe, but without an extra set of eyes there are bound to be mistakes. Accidents that could have been easily prevented may happen that may cause harm to a child in your care and affect your reputation in the community.

5) Educational Workshops are Provided

The region hosts a number of free workshops for caregivers on topics such as nutrition, crafts, and behaviour management. These workshops will enhance your knowledge and understanding of the children in your care and will provide you with the opportunity to meet other parents who are also operating home daycares. This group can become a support network for you. This on-going professional development and training will make you a better caregiver and will increase your chances of keeping your daycare full.

When you operate privately you are not privy to the workshops hosted through the region and must seek out your own training opportunities. This can be more time consuming and be quite costly.

Overall, the benefits of running a daycare through the region will save you time and money and give you a more enjoyable and stress-free experience.

A Poem for Mothers

At the library yesterday, my daughter and I found this poem in a children's book called

"About Face."

Face to face
eye to eye
heart to heart
as the days go by.

You see me,
I see you---
that's how we learn
just what to do:
to love and to listen
day after day,
just you and me
in our own special way.

Hear to heart,
eye to eye,
face to face,
as the years go by.

This simple poems stirs up such a strong emotion of gratitude that I feel for being a mother. Reading it yesterday reminded me of how fast time goes by and how important it is to make the most of it every day. I sat with my daughter on my lap the library and read with her for about 15 mintues. She snuggled right in to me and I saw it was just what she and I needed to show in our own special way our appreciation for each other.

What special moments have you had with your children that you would like to share?

Please post a comment and share a story.

The S.I.M.P.L.E. Self-Improvement Project

I'm so excited about The SIMPLE Project that I am embarking on today.

Here's my project:

As a stay at home Mom I am seeking out ways to make money writing articles and other e-text items, so that I can do what I love doing and get paid for it. I will keep you all updated regularly on what has worked for me and hasn't worked for me and we'll see where it leads to. My goal is to leave my day job in 6 months time.

Today I'm thinking about Perseverence...and peanuts come to mind...I'll tell you why.

One morning, when I was about 6, my mom showed me this little jam-sized jar with a handle on the top that you could push down. Inside there was a long prong attached to a cookie-cutter type thing that had 4 pronges. My mom told me that peanut butter came from peanuts and you could use this little hand-operated grinder to smush the peanuts. Well, what my mom didn't tell me is that you also need oil and a lot of peanuts (and a number of other things too). So I collected that little grinder and about 10 peanuts and with my perseverance I set about to make peanut butter. I crushed those little peanuts determinedly all morning, probably a good 3 hours, only to find that they were not turning into peanut butter.

I got them as small as they would go (I now know we call what I made "chopped peanuts" and they go very nicely on sundaes) and then kept chopping and chopping for another hour. I couldn't have been more persistent. Alas those little peanuts became chopped peanuts and they would not become peanut butter. I stared down at that little jar in my hands and the stubborn little nuts in there and I accepted that they would not ever become peanut butter. And I knew that I gave it everything I had in me trying.

What I learned from that little incident is that we can only do so much with what we have. I didn't have the ingredients or tools to make peanut butter and I accepted that. I wanted these little legumes to smoosh and change form and they wouldn't. Sometimes there are people or situations in our life that we would like to change but at some point must accept that they will not. If we practice perseverance and believe in ourselves we will be able to get through any situation and come out the other side with more knowledge and with more skills. Later in life, I learned all about how to make peanut butter and I could put my curious mind to ease. (Curious about how to make it yourself? Check out http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Make_Peanut_Butter -- you'll notice they use a BLENDER instead of a jar with 4 metal cutters)

I think Ghandi said it best when he said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."