How Should I Prepare For School?

The most important thing that you could do as a parent is create a consistent and reliable routine that your child can get used to. We all like routine, and we function better when that routine is the same every day. Your child is no different. By creating a predictable and regular routine for your child they will be more at ease and happy to come to Mia’s Sprouts.

We do the same thing with our daily schedule. We read at the same time every day, we go outside at the same time, we eat at the same time, and we nap at the same time. This helps your child’s “internal clock” get adjusted and allows them to know what to expect when they show up everyday.

We also ask that all parents bring the basic essentials that your child will need on a regular basis: diapers, wipes, blanket, stuffed animal, and sunscreen. We do provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks at the usual times according to our schedule. If your child requires a special diet we would ask that you coordinate with us to determine what items you will bring and what items we will be able to pick up on our regular trips to the store.

Lastly, we get dirty. We know that fresh air and the outdoors helps facilitate the growth and development of your child’s mind and body. So we try to go outside every day (weather permitting). Don’t be surprised if your son or daughter has a little bit of dirt on their knees when you pick them up. Because of this, we also ask that you bring a change of clothes for them in the scenario that we need to change their outfit. In this event, we will have the soiled clothes in a bag ready for you to take home and wash at the end of the day.

Learning Can Be Fun

All children love learning. It is exciting, it is new, and fun. It is all about how the information is presented to them, and more importantly how they are able to participate in the learning.

We make what we learn about fun by incorporating games, dancing, and music into everything that we do and teach. Every Child has a personality and a lot of energy, it is crucial that we allow them to express their personality and be active in their participation. We make sure that they are able to use all of their senses when we are learning.

For example, when we do library time we have the children pick out which story they want to read. Even if the child isn't able to read yet, we ask them questions about what the characters are doing in the story, and then we talk about that with each other, and pretend that we are doing the same thing as the characters.

Learn From Your Little People

Teaching and learning happen a lot when you are working with little children. However, most people don't take time to appreciate the genius that children already have inside of them. We actually learn a lot from the children.

Children are amazing. They are curious. They don't hold grudges. They live in the moment. They don't hold their feelings in. These are all things that the rest of us adults could learn from. We feel blessed to learn so much from our students every day.

If you allow the child to express themselves, you will be surprised at how much children are able to expand your own worldview. 

Picking The Right Daycare

Every daycare is different. This is because they are all run by different people. We think that it is very important that you find the right daycare for your child and your family. We pride ourselves in being the best daycare in Central Oregon, but we know that doesn't mean we will be the right daycare for every family.

The most important thing you can do is tour as many daycares as you can. Often times you will get a "feeling" about whether or not you are in the right place. Most of our parents have shared how comfortable their child seemed when they were playing while on the tour of our daycare. It is important that the daycare works for your schedule, but it's equally important that you feel confident and comfortable with who is watching your child.

We give tours almost every day, and we are happy to schedule one with you and your child. You can also give us a call if you have a quick question or would like additional information on how we structure our daycare.