I am not a teacher, but my experience in leading my daughters Daisy Troop has taught me a thing or two about leading a group of kids and their parents. I want everyone to get something out of this experience. Fun, knowledge or even 2 hours of quiet for a mommy. So I can't feel overwhelmed by this group or I'll get cranky, and that is no fun for anyone.
1. So I am not overwhelmed by this group, I am asking parents to bring a snack. I will provide water and kool-aide to drink and the cups, plates and paper towels for clean-up.
2. I am planning the projects with the kids input of course. I then let the parents know what to expect so the can dress the kids appropriately and know what the costs are ahead of time.
3. I am purchasing the supplies. I can get a better deal than most parents. Plus I have the time and I know what we need.
4. Parents are paying me on a weekly basis and we are splitting the cost evenly.
5. At the end of the group, kids and parents are helping with clean-up.
6. I have art books set out for the kids to look through. This seems to have really spiked their interest in various projects.
7. As for the group size, I have about 10 kids + my 2 of various ages. As families take vacations, that group size will vary. If we have a big project, I will do those on weeks where all of the kids can be here.
8. I plan each project to be personalized by age, ability and interest. This does add time in planning and sometimes cost for supplies, but once again, frustrated kids and mama can ruin the day for everyone. Let's keep this fun!
