Being a better Coach - Keep it Fun

If you are a coach of a youth team, getting them all to work together and cooperate with their skills to get a win can be a very difficult task. This is something that any experienced coach can tell you, even professional ones. What is important to note however, is that you should not become so focused on winning games that you forget what the whole point of playing the game is in the first place, having a good time! 

While it is always better to get the win, make sure you are not sacrificing the sanctity and heart of the game in order to do so. The real role of a coach for any youth athletics team is to teach them values and show them how teamwork and fighting for a common goal can help you to accomplish anything. Above all, you want to provide a memorable and positive experience for these children that they will think back on with a smile for the rest of their lives. Do not become so obsessed with being the best team that no one on that team is having a good time anymore.

While it is good to train and hone the skills of your players, providing discipline and structure, many coaches make the mistake of using too much discipline. Some figure that the most fun part of the game is winning, and the more discipline their team has, the better chance they have of winning and having fun. This is actually not true, as some of the best teams out there are just ones who go out and play their game, not caring whether they win or lose.

Wayne Preno is proud to own both the Bright and Early Daycare and Bright and Early Preschool. He has also done some youth sports coaching, and has always emphasized the importance of having fun.

At The Daycare - Problem-Solving

When you have your child enrolled in a daycare, no matter how good that center is, you are likely to come across an issue that you do not agree with the staff about. Problems are a natural part and occurrence of everyday life, and the world of daycare and child development is not immune to this fact. 

What is important is not finding a daycare center that you never have problems with (they don’t exist) but finding one that works with you to resolve these conflicts quickly. This is important because the faster that you can address and handle an issue, the easier it is to resolve it. Often ignoring an issue or problem, or not addressing it can make it rapidly grow out of hand, requiring you to dump massive amounts of time and energy into fixing something that could have been prevented almost entirely. So the important thing is not to avoid conflict, but to go about handling it in a civilized and decisive manner.

If you have an issue that you want to discuss with your daycare, never hesitate to speak up, but also be sure to do so in a courteous and undisruptive manner. Remember that other people’s children are there as well, and you should be mindful to set a good example for all children. You are a parent, and daycare centers know that you have the ultimate decision-making power when it comes to your child, so long as it is within reason. That is why you should always address an issue as soon as possible.

Wayne Preno is adaycare owner (Bright and Early Daycare) who always encourages the parents to let him know of any issues or concerns they may have.

How to Find a Good Daycare Center - Interactions

When parents start looking for a good daycare center for their children, it can often be a very daunting task. There are usually many choices and no clear way to make them. It can be especially hard when you consider that your child or children will be spending a considerable amount of time wherever you choose to put them. 

Because of all of these factors, many parents freeze up when it comes time to finally decide which daycare center is right for them. Lucky for them, there are a few tips and pointers that can tell you whether or not a daycare center is a good pick. And one of the most important things you should look for is how the staff interacts with the children.

The staff play an important role in any daycare center, as they will be the adult supervision as well as the example set for the kids. As kids can be very impressionable, it is important that the staff is aligned with the same beliefs as the parents. When visiting a daycare center, pay close attention to how the staff interacts with the kids. Do they look comfortable? Do they look happy? Are they playing with the children or keeping their distance? You should also check and see that the staff is paying attention to each individual child, as it is important for kids in developmental stages to get lots of one-on-one time with an adult.

Wayne Preno is a professional businessman and entrepreneur who owns Bright and Early Daycare, Philadelphia and Bright and Early Preschool, Cheltenham, PA, for 12 years.