Best Child Care Provider:
An Easy Recipe For a Tough Job

By Heidi Demers ( E-mail : kidsplay@cyberzone.net )
Director of Sunflower Kids Home ChildCare
Member of Quiet Corner Child Care Association (Connecticut)


The role of a professional day care provider is difficult; much more so, I feel, than that of teachers because we are the whole school system wrapped up in one special package—US! The many aprons we wear are that of principal, cafeteria lady, teacher, nurse, music teacher, physical education instructor, school secretary, librarian and stand-in mom. Teachers cannot claim all these jobs—they are ours.

We do them, plus tend our own families and our own special interests. After all that, I believe we should still be SUPER moms, and we are. We are special because we have a love for our job while and some days are touchy, we make a difference in the children's lives and that is what counts.

I have come up with a recipe for the "Best Child Care Provider," and if you follow the recipe well you can also whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies to share with those special children in your life. Enjoy! If anyone would like the recipe printed on special paper to be framed and hung in their kitchen or daycare room, let me know and I will be happy to do this for anyone (phone: (860) 928-5459).

Parents should know we are active with other child care providers and that we care. I hope you all enjoy using this recipe as much as I enjoyed concocting it.

Best Child Care Provider

  • 2 1/4 cups unconditional love--flour
  • 1 tsp. networking--salt
  • 1 tsp. encouragement--baking soda
  • 3/4 cup understanding--firmly packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup compassion--granulated sugar
  • 1 cup inviting enviroment--softened butter
  • 1 tsp. creativity--vanilla
  • 2 loving warm arms--eggs
  • 12 oz. of good old-fashioned kid fun--chocolate chips
  • Nine 8-oz. glasses of proper nourishment--milk

Preheat house to 70° in winter and oven to 375°F. Combine love, networking and encouragement in bowl #1 and set aside. Combine understanding, compassion, enviroment and creativity and beat till creamy in bowl #2. Add warm touch. Then combine bowl #1 and bowl #2, mix well, and then throw in kid fun and bake for 8-10 min. Makes 6+3 feel loved and makes a difference in their lives (and also feeds them 100 two-inch cookies). Serve with proper nourishment and enjoy.

Best book to enjoy with this wonderful snack is If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Sing-Along Craft: "Chocolate Cookies"

Materials:

  • Brown construction paper
  • Scissors
  • Real chocolate chips
  • Glue
  • Cotton swabs

Instructions:

Cut out several cookie forms per child and have children apply glue to chocolate chips. Apply chips to cookie and when all done, sing "Who Stole the Cookies From the Cookie Jar?"

[BACK]