Convention - childcare, etc.

[Guest guest]

Dayna - I forwarded your email to s, since it was so

specific. MAGIC is really struggling with how to handle the

dramatic increase in attendance of children (thanks to the RSS

division). Childcare is very difficult to manage in a HOTEL, in a

ballroom that is not set up for childcare. Having a professional

company come in is hard enough, but they can't bring in their own

setup (can bring toys, etc) but things like labeled cubbies, etc. --

impossible. This year the registration, etc. seemed to go much

better. But daycare costs us BIG time. And the field trip has

gotten to be very difficult to manage, with children of such a

variety of ages (ages 6 to 15+) and the kids that are older act in

ways that may not be appropriate for the 6 yr olds, etc.

MAGIC will be sitting and thinking very hard about all this, before

we plan for next year. I am a firm believe that we NEED childcare --

we simply can NOT have children in the presentations. And both

parents really need to be in the sessions. But I will be honest

that depending on the complaints we get about the childcare, if we

can't make the parents happy with the childcare (considering that it

costs us a MASSIVE amount of money on top of the $15 per child you

pay), MAGIC may have to consider cancelling the field trip and the

childcare.

Katy and I would truly appreciate it if you could take the time to

fill out her convention feedback survey with complete honesty, and

make sure to add in information about whether you thought the

childcare was essential to you, adequate, not adequate, etc

(keeping in mind that it is only temporary 1-day childcare not

childcare that your child will be in long-term at home). What

suggestions might you give? My suggestion for the future is an

assigned " leader " for each group of children, and then those

children's belongings are together, and there is a chart on the wall

for those kids. Parents can write notes for their child on that

posterboard (Must Eat every hour).

Another Hint that I still use with , even though she is 8

years old. I put the blank name badge labels on her shirt when she

goes to a camp, that says " Must Have Snack at 9am, 10am, 11am " . The

camps have multiple counselors and I know that they can't remember

the specifics for every child. This helps them remember. So maybe

labels might be a suggestion as well? Anything else, make sure to

write it down when Katy sends out the survey.

Thank you for your help, so we can make the convention better.

Salem

> > > Hey, not that it really matters, but I have noticed a lot of

> > > sickness on the list lately. I am thinking Emma picked up

> > something

> > > at the daycare at convention? She was there both days and now

has

> > > fever, runny nose etc....

> > >

> > >

> > > Anyone else wondering?

> > >

> > > Beth

> >

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