Those Of You Licensed with Young Children

[Breezy]

I was just on the phone with the head of the Family Childcare office on the base we are moving to in a few months. She was amazingly informative and answered a lot of my questions! Made me even more excited about moving.

One thing that is kind of bugging me though is, she said my DS has to be treated like a DCK during DC hours. I know that a lot of you have the same rule through licensing- must sleep in sight with DCKs at naptime, not allowed in his own room, etc.

Right now I am legally unlicensed and I let DS sleep in his own room when he is ready as he usually sleeps until around 8-9am. So he Isnt tired when the kids that were up at 6 are. So how does this work? I put him on a schedule starting now where he's up at the same time as the DC kids so he can get used to being one of them? Napping earlier, etc? When we move and he sleeps in he may not be ready for a nap when its naptime so then he just forgo his nap?

Need some advice on how you make it work!

Thanks! And happy Friday!!!

[skittles]

First of all I am amazed that someone it her position would make a comment like that to you. She must be dealing with another provider who is doing something with their own children and daycare. She has no right to tell you how you should parent! In my state the only rule for our children is we have to include them in the ratio for the amount of children we are licensed for. For example; if we are licensed for 6 we have to include all our own chidren under the age of 5 as part of the 6. There are no other rules about them. It should depend on your son's age. If your son is to old to nap then by all means let him stay up, have him read or watch tv. If he wants to go to his bedroom then it is not the States concern! If he is old enough to go play by himself it should be his right.. You have the daycare not your son. She had a lot of nerve!! What does she want you to do if he is sick send him home like the other children.. Wow she was lucky not to talk to me. haha

[Unregistered]

That's kind of a crazy rule. Obviously we have different rules, but my kids are 2 & 4 and my licensing consultant actually encouraged me not to have their rooms approved as child care space because it would be nice for them to have their own space away from the daycare kids when they needed it. I had them approved anyway in case they wanted to play with their friends in there or we needed the space for napping, but so far that has been rare. I definitely wouldn't like having my kids not being allowed to nap in their own beds, that's just crazy.

[Breezy]

What I mean is that all children in care have to sleep in the same room within sight and can not be down sleeping In his own room. He is 17 months old so will need to be with me at all times anyhow just naptime is when I usually let him nap in his room. But she said that's not allowed on the military base.

[familyschoolcare]

What I mean is that all children in care have to sleep in the same room within sight and can not be down sleeping In his own room. He is 17 months old so will need to be with me at all times anyhow just naptime is when I usually let him nap in his room. But she said that's not allowed on the military base.

That is what I was going to clarify. So it is a base rule an not a state rule. I have hear of this before. SOme bases also have their own rules about number

of chilren you can care for. you might fin it helpfull to make sure that is the only rule that will effect the way you run things.

[Kiki]

What I mean is that all children in care have to sleep in the same room within sight and can not be down sleeping In his own room. He is 17 months old so will need to be with me at all times anyhow just naptime is when I usually let him nap in his room. But she said that's not allowed on the military base.

He can't nap out of site with a monitor, and you doing visual checks? Maybe double check that just in case. (If you didn't already!) If you can't do that, then he might just have to go on the same schedule as everyone else. It might be kind of ****y, but then again, he might like getting to take a nap with his friends. (Not sure how much he loves the other children in care, my youngest DD, and the DCG I have had the longest are best friends and follow each other everywhere, and she loves to take naps with her.) Someone else hopefully has other suggestions for you about that.
I agree about checking to see if there are any other rules that will hinder how you run now.

This thread and another has made me curious about Utah's rules, I honestly haven't even checked them, or thought about asking someone in licensing. I should probably do that, for all I know I'm breaking rules my own children have free roam of our home during day care hours, and nap in their own bedrooms 75% of the time.

[Nickel]

It is a base rule. Children cannot be in their own room out of site. This is true even for the school agers. So when my ten year old comes home from school she has to stay in the common areas with me and the rest of the dck. And I know here I can't put the kids in a separate area alone for nap. I have to be within sight of them at all times.

Personally i would try to get him at least on the wake up schedule. If he's an infant, I always did on demand. But I know I'm starting dc soon and I'm going to start getting my two year old to sleep on her cot, so I don't have issues when I do have dck. So I'm going to start waking her up around 6:30 and putting her down by 12 and back up at three to be in bed by 8. For me it will be easier if I don't have to work with her while I'm trying to get the other children used to my schedule too.

But for infants, I always let me daughter eat and sleep on demand except for wake up times... I would wake up my school ager at 6:30 and would get the baby up by 7. and shed be in bed by 830. Everything else was subject to change....

just my two cents. But from what I hear that rule is very common for fcc on base. the rules of the dc are the same for all children.

[Breezy]

Thanks!! My husband is not too pleased about this rule but I mean I understand it. Just stinks for DS.


Nickel: what about if your DH is off work for the day? Can your kids do what they please then and not be part of DC? still counting in the ratio of course but be downstairs with DH or wherever?

[Nickel]

I imagine if he was with dad it wouldnt be an issue as you are not providing care for him at that time. But im not 100% sure. My husband is a recruiter right now so he is almost never home. Eo i never thought to ask about that! Lol... Maybe you could send a quick email to the fcc director you spoke to? It wouldnt get answered till monday. I imagine if your daycare and your home are separate and dh is caring for your ds in the home portion it wouldnt be an issue. My home and dc overlap so it would be impossible for us to be in one area and him to be in another. Except a sep room, like master bedroom. But its all so close together i wouldnt consider that apart. If that makes sense.

After all that i dont think i really answered your question. Lol. Sorry, im tired and starting to ramble. Short answer, im not really sure but i think the above but you should ask to be sure

[Buxterboo]

Breezy- that is NOT just a base rule, that is an Air Force FCC rule. Meaning that is the rule in EVERY AF base It really ****s. Your baby wont even be allowed to go upstairs (If 2 stories), or in the back yard with out the WHOLE group going during DC hours. Even if your husband takes him.The kids have to stay as a group. I was told once they are 8 (or 9, cant remember) then they can do whatever, and WONT count in your ratio.

I HATE this rule more then any of the others. Its been 2 weeks and my son STILL thinks its playtime during naptime because he has to be downstairs where all the toys are for nap. Usually he is in his room for sleep. His room is set up "boring" on purpose because that is where we sleep, not play. AND all the blinds have to be completely open during ALL DC hours. So they want me to have my 19month old sleep in a play room in full sunlight.... Yeah, its that dumb... My plan is to try and get around the window rule by putting up that faux stained glass they have at walmart to stop some of the light (can send a ling if your interested). And Putting up curtains that will be opened all time except nap (or inspections! )

The waking up and food rules arent really that bad. my son was on kinda the same schedule as yours but he adjusted to the new schedule within a week. Now its just naps we are working on.

ETA: your husband can "sign" him out, but they have to leave the house. I just let my husband do whatever with my son. i only have a 7mo right now so its not that big of a deal.

[pappyny]

I was just on the phone with the head of the Family Childcare office on the base we are moving to in a few months. She was amazingly informative and answered a lot of my questions! Made me even more excited about moving.

One thing that is kind of bugging me though is, she said my DS has to be treated like a DCK during DC hours. I know that a lot of you have the same rule through licensing- must sleep in sight with DCKs at naptime, not allowed in his own room, etc.

Right now I am legally unlicensed and I let DS sleep in his own room when he is ready as he usually sleeps until around 8-9am. So he Isnt tired when the kids that were up at 6 are. So how does this work? I put him on a schedule starting now where he's up at the same time as the DC kids so he can get used to being one of them? Napping earlier, etc? When we move and he sleeps in he may not be ready for a nap when its naptime so then he just forgo his nap?

Need some advice on how you make it work!

Thanks! And happy Friday!!!

I am also an AF FCC provider. As someone lese mentioned, it's an AF rule, but just the base. We have a checklist called the bi-monthly self assesment, that is pretty much the AFI for FCC providers, that we have to follow. This is one of the regulations on it. ALL children must rest within your sight.
Now as far as him having to be awake when the children arrive, if your husband would still be home, then he could be responsible for your son, but if he had already left for work, then your son would need to be with you at that time. I have 4 children of my own ages 6, 8, 10, 12. I started daycare when my youngest was 18 months old. The hardest adjustment she had was nap time. I ended up putting her in a pack-n-play in my hallway so she could not see the other children, but they were all within my sight.
As children get older there are different regulations about them needing to be within your sight or just hearing distance. I'm not sure at what age it starts, but they can play in a different area of the house of outside as long as your check on them every so often. It think it might be every 15 minutes. My children wouldn't surivive me doing daycare without that rule.
I have been able to allow my children to be with my husband while he is home, meaning they could be in a different part of the house with him, but would still count in my ratio in case he needed to leave.

I have been a AF FCC provider for 5 years. I also just went through the observation visit for NAFCC at the end of May. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, pm, whatever. I know the process seems very overwhleming at first, but once you get started and are used to all the regulations it's really not bad at all. I really enjoy it!

[Meeko]

He can't nap out of site with a monitor, and you doing visual checks? Maybe double check that just in case. (If you didn't already!) If you can't do that, then he might just have to go on the same schedule as everyone else. It might be kind of ****y, but then again, he might like getting to take a nap with his friends. (Not sure how much he loves the other children in care, my youngest DD, and the DCG I have had the longest are best friends and follow each other everywhere, and she loves to take naps with her.) Someone else hopefully has other suggestions for you about that.
I agree about checking to see if there are any other rules that will hinder how you run now.

This thread and another has made me curious about Utah's rules, I honestly haven't even checked them, or thought about asking someone in licensing. I should probably do that, for all I know I'm breaking rules my own children have free roam of our home during day care hours, and nap in their own bedrooms 75% of the time.

Kiki...you're fine You have to count your own kids in your ratios, but you are just fine to have them nap in their own rooms and to have them go wherever they want in their own home at any time.