New Info Blog

A home daycare can be a rewarding profession for moms who want to stay at home with their own children. Yet, there may not be any other job that is more stressful. Be aware of the 7 biggest stresses and turn them into blessings instead.

STRESSOR #1 – Operating Costs are High
Solution: Apply to have your daycare contracted through the region
Contact someone in Children Services in your region or county regarding becoming a child care provider. A child service worker will come to meet you and discuss the region’s policies. If you like what they have to say you sign a few documents and are well on your way to an increase in pay. The region may pay substantially more than parents will.

STRESSOR #2 – Not Enough Children in Your Care to Off-Set Costs
Solution: Build A Waiting List
A waiting list will be your most valuable asset. Turn over rate is high for home daycares so do not take it personally or become discouraged. Be prepared. Keep your daycare in the public eye by having a website, running a continuous small ad in the local paper and have a sign outside your home. Tell everyone you know what you are doing and ask them to tell a friend.

STRESSOR #3 – Too Much Work, Not Enough “Down Time”
Solution: Schedule regular breaks for yourself
There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them. ~Sylvia Plath,

Finding ways to de-stress is very important. In order to find balance and moderation there must be things in your life that you enjoy doing that are calming and restorative. Do not try to do it all. Read a book or knit while the children are watching TV. Do something you enjoy. Arrange to have grandparents or friends watch your own children for an evening once a week so you can relax. Do what is relaxing for you and rejuvenate your spirit.

STRESSOR #4 – Cook, Serve, Clean…Cook, Serve, Clean…Over and Over Again
Solution: Create a monthly menu plan to follow and keep it simple.
Again, do not try to do it all. Keep your snacks and meals simple and child-friendly. Use a calendar or spreadsheet to list snacks and lunches for a month. Usually one week will fit on one page. Use this chart when you go shopping and it will allow you to buy in bulk and to catch things when they are on sale. It will also prevent the added frustration of having to think each day about what you want to feed the children only to find out you have run out of a necessary ingredient.

STRESSOR #5 – The Place is a Mess!
Solution – Hire an affordable cleaning service
As soon as your budget allows hire someone to clean your daycare area every one or two weeks. This will be in addition to the daily cleaning you will be doing of course. But it will give you a break and help reduce the spread of germs. You are already doing so much work, let someone else do the deep cleaning.

STRESSOR # 6 – An Accident Happens on Your Property
Solution: Create an Emergency Plan and Kit
Emergencies can happen at any time and any place. Be prepared by having a plan in place. Ask yourself: How would I bring a child to the hospital? Who would stay with the other children while I left? Find helpful information online or attend a course that offers an emergency plan for businesses. Be prepared for anything.

STRESSOR # 7 – Parents Do Not Do What They Say They Will Do.
Solution: Begin a pattern of open communication with parents from day one
Parents may be one of the most unpredictable elements of your business. Start on a good note by having them sign all the necessary documents and talk in detail about the arrangements you will have for their children. Then stay in constant contact with them as issues arise. Try having little notes to send home with their child. Use a newsletter to keep all parents updated and to send out reminders.

Now all you need to do it put this into action. What is your biggest stressor right now? What is one thing you can do today to eliminate your biggest stressor today? What are 5 steps you can take this week to eliminate your stressors and bring more blessings into your life?

Rachel Perry Pellegrini is a certified elementary school teacher. She has been running a home daycare for the past year and writes about her experiences with the intention of helping other mothers overcome obstacles in their own home business. She has a background in Journalism-Print. Her daycare website is http://www.daystardaycare.com and her blog can be found at http://www.thesimpleself-improvementproject.blogspot.com

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We are currently going through a period of change in many levels. There is a change in the world climate with intense phenomena which were not expected to happen so soon. Our homes are wasting so much energy that they make the problem worse. At the same time there is a change in the world economy increasing the cost of buying and maintaining a property. Sustainable homes may benefit home owners as well as the environment.

In order to understand better what we mean with the term ’sustainable’ we will refer to the Code for Sustainable Homes as defined in Wikipedia. The Code was officially launched on December 13, 2006, and was introduced as a voluntary standard in England in 2007. The Code complements the system of Energy Performance Certificate for new homes introduced in April 2008 under the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

The code works by awarding new homes a star rating from 1 to 6, based on their performance against 9 sustainability criteria which are combined to assess the overall environmental impact. One star is entry level above building regulations, and six stars are the highest, reflecting exemplary developments in terms of sustainability.

The sustainability criteria by which new homes are measured are:

• Energy and CO2 Emissions – Operational Energy and resulting emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
• Water – The consumption of potable water from the public supply systems or other ground water resources
• Materials – The environmental impact of construction materials for key construction elements
• Surface Water Run-off – The change in surface water run-off patterns as a result of the development
• Waste – Waste generated as a result of the construction process and facilities encouraging recycling of domestic waste in the home
• Pollution – Pollution resulting from the operation of the dwelling
• Health and Well-Being – The effects that the dwelling’s design and indoor environment has on its occupants
• Management – Steps that have been taken to allow good management of the environmental impacts of the construction and operation of the home
• Ecology – The impact of the dwelling on the local ecosystem, bio-diversity and land use

So the above sound great about the environment but what about the benefit of the home owner or residents? Research has shown that 75% of the temperature of a property is lost through its walls and roof. This means that maintaining the temperature we want costs us a lot of money either by using heating mechanisms or air conditioning. Especially in countries like Greece where heating oil is used widely for most properties, which at the moment has reached an all time high price due to the oil crisis. At the same time, any artificial type of temperature maintenance has an impact on our human organism. Extensive usage of air conditioning tends to dry off the air or recycle some types of germs. Heating can increase humidity and create breathing problems to an extent.

Having a sustainable home or bio climatic or energy efficient home makes a difference. For example, a study is conducted before constructing the property so that the insulation of the house is done with specialized material; according to the micro climate of the area the house is going to be located. It may cost a little bit more to buy a sustainable home but over time the energy savings will repay the owner. Some analysts have defined this time frame to 10 years. At the end of the day this type of property is better for the world that we will leave to our children, while at the same time it benefits all of us as home owners in terms of savings and quality of life.

Andreas Batakis has lived in Greece, Ireland and Cyprus, acquiring a Business Administration Degree in Greece, an International Marketing Diploma and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management in Ireland. He is also a member of the UK based Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Andreas has extensive experience in helping people from all over the world to locate a home in Crete and is a founding member of the independent consultancy Talos Properties.

Talos properties was created in order to guide and protect all of you who wish to acquire a property in Crete, the island that has been loved by Gods and humans alike throughout the centuries. When you choose Talos Properties for the search of your property in Crete we can offer you a wide range of choices as well as professional advice in all property related matters. For more information please access the Talos Properties website at: http://www.talosproperties.com

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