In this post, we’ll look at 9 ways to make reading child care regulations easier. It is important to read (and understand) the regulations that govern your work in early learning, these regulations are your work’s rule book. You should know the rules.

That said, reading these documents can be a boring, tedious, painful task. Government regulations are rarely fast-paced and exciting reads that have you sitting on the edge of your seat.

An example from the KANSAS LAWS AND REGULATIONS FOR LICENSING DAY CARE HOMES AND GROUP DAY CARE HOMES FOR CHILDREN:

“The secretary of health and environment shall have the power to grant a license to a person to maintain a maternity center or child care facility for children under 16 years of age. A license granted to maintain a maternity center or child care facility shall state the name of the licensee, describe the particular premises in or at which the business shall be carried on, whether it shall receive and care for women or children, and the number of women or children that may be treated, maintained, boarded or cared for at any one time. No greater number of women or children than is authorized in the license shall be kept on those premises and the business shall not be carried on in a building or place not designated in the license. The license shall be kept posted in a conspicuous place on the premises where the business is conducted.”¹

Reading these documents can be as painful as letting an angry cat remove your wisdom teeth. Obviously, reading child care regulations isn’t something most of us do for pleasure. There are always exceptions–people who enjoy reading such stuff–but most of us would rather be doing something else.

(FYI: In another post, I shared 4 reasons early learning professionals should read and understand the government regulations related to their work.)

The 9 Ways To Make Reading Child Care Regulations Easier

I’m a helper and problem solver and want to make things easier for you. With that in mind, here are 9 ways to make reading child care regulations easier.

Fortune Cookies

Who doesn’t like cracking open a fortune cookie to read their fortune? Well, you can make reading early learning regulations just as fun. Print out the regulations, slice them into individual sentences, and make a bunch of homemade fortune cookies–one for each sliver of paper. Then, sit back and enjoy.

Word Switch

Substituting words may make the process a little more fun. For example, read the above Kansas quote again, but this time, replace the word children with fuzzy bunnies every time you see it. The more words you substitute, the more fun you’ll have. Warning: this could make it difficult to understand what you’re reading.

Colored Highlighters

Lots of them. All the colors. Chisel tip and fine point. They’ll not only make the read less boring, they’ll allow you to express yourself creatively–and you might even accidentally highlight something you want to remember.

Read Aloud

Reading in your head without moving your lips is so boring! Read the regulations out loud. Read them aloud in the voice of your favorite cartoon character. Heck, you could even act them out with coworkers. “Did you see Katie’s performance of section 37.95.214 Food Preparation and Handling from the STATE OF MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES LICENSING REQUIREMENTS
FOR CHILD DAY CARE CENTERS last night? It was amazing! She really brought the words to life–and she sounded just like Jessica Rabbit!”

On Location

People have destination weddings, why not a destination regulation-read? Book a cruise, go to the beach, or flop into a comfy hammock in your backyard. Settle in at a cozy coffee shop, visit a park, read in the lobby of a super fancy hotel where you’re pretending to stay. Just avoid reading by a roaring fire. It sounds cozy, but trust me, you’ll be tempted to toss the regulations in the fire. Been there, done that.

Story Time

Put on your pajamas, grab your snuggle-bunny, and demand that a friend, coworker, or significant other start reading. If they say no, throw a fit. If they start reading, ask for a drink of water every few minutes. Pro Tip: don’t fall asleep or you’ll have to do it again.

Team Up

Misery is more enjoyable when shared with friends–kind of a regulation reading book group. Team up with a small group of early learning peers and slog through the regulations together. Break the document into sections and meet once a week to discuss the reading assignment. Wine is optional.

Drinking Game

I’ve got no advice to offer on what to drink or what the rules should be. Drink responsibly.

Audio Book

Why not hire a famous and distinctive voice to create an audiobook version of your regulations? Me, I’d love to hear the Iowa regulations read by Julie Kavner in her Marge Simpson voice. My wife, Tasha, would probably opt for Sir Patrick Stewart doing his best Jean Luc Picard. Sure, it’d be expensive, but maybe the local United Way would provide some funding.

Conclusion

If you give one of these 9 ways to make reading child care regulations easier a try and still find reading the regulations tedious, try combining them. Maybe a drinking game played on the beach with friends while listening to Sir Patrick Stewart read your regulations in his best Sponge Bob voice?

Have other ideas to make reading early learning regulations more exciting? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Brought to you by Explorations Early Learning
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1. http://www.kdheks.gov/bcclr/regs/lic_group_daycare/Day_Care_homes_and_Group_Day_Care_all_sections.pdf