Family/Childcare

[Country Kids]

What has been the hardest thing for your family to get used to with you doing childcare?

1. No pool/slip n slide/trampoline
2. Can't pickup/drop off at events
3.No extra friends over
4.Having to have everything in the house picked up
5.Feeling like the daycare is 100% of our lives

[Crazy8]

What has been the hardest thing for your family to get used to with you doing childcare?

1. No pool/slip n slide/trampoline
2. Can't pickup/drop off at events
3.No extra friends over
4.Having to have everything in the house picked up
5.Feeling like the daycare is 100% of our lives

not being able to pick up/drop off at things AND not being able to attend school events are our biggest "cons" to my job. The no pool thing has become an issue this year - its not even in our regs not to have one but it isn't a desirable aspect to parents and my yard isn't big enough to have a nice secluded pool area away from the daycare/play area.

[Country Kids]

not being able to pick up/drop off at things AND not being able to attend school events are our biggest "cons" to my job. The no pool thing has become an issue this year - its not even in our regs not to have one but it isn't a desirable aspect to parents and my yard isn't big enough to have a nice secluded pool area away from the daycare/play area.

Do your children become upset that you cant even go to a public pool because of the daycare children?

I know the whole school event things. This year I hauled everyone to every single party and then the school screwed some things up and I almost did miss a couple events even though I had taken the afternoon off. It all worked out but the stress was unreasonable.

[pootmcgoot]

Being up at 5 am is the hardest thing for me.

For my daughter, it's having things snatched out of her hands or being pushed/sat on/pulled on by other kids who are rough. She's sensitive and a push over compared to most kids. This is hard on me too and I have to stand up for her. My new kid is a rough bully the more I get to know him.

[Blackcat31]

What has been the hardest thing for your family to get used to with you doing childcare?

1. No pool/slip n slide/trampoline
2. Can't pickup/drop off at events
3.No extra friends over
4.Having to have everything in the house picked up
5.Feeling like the daycare is 100% of our lives

Nothing. I work my child care job as I would any other job.

1) I can have a slip and slide (and do) or a pool (and don't) and/or a trampoline (and won't ever even if I weren't in the business).

2) My own kids are grown and gone but when they were young, my DH did pick up and drop offs for their activities.

3) We don't have laws/rules about them having friends over so that was never an issue.

4) I don't need to have everything in the house picked up.....organization and accessibility are my main concerns. I clean as I go and deep clean on Fridays and Mondays.

5) Child care is not and has never been 100% my life as I have always had a clear line between business and personal life.

Deciding to provide child care and quitting my job at Head Start was the best decision I have ever made. I know I have the perks of having a separate home for my business and I know it does solve alot of the common issues some providers have but on the other side of the coin, I have a whole set of issues that most providers don't so it isn't necessarily better....just different.

[Country Kids]

Actually, I wasn't thinking of everyone posting from my personal list but making their own list up of how childcare has an effect on their family life. That was just my own list, was curious of what others would post.

[Blackcat31]

Actually, I wasn't thinking of everyone posting from my personal list but making their own list up of how childcare has an effect on their family life. That was just my own list, was curious of what others would post.

oops, sorry .... I think your list though is probably what most providers have issues with.

I guess that I am an odd duck as I have never ever been regretful or sad that I do child care. I love my job today as much as I loved it the day I opened and probably even a little bit more since I now feel 100X's more comfortable doing this.

Sorry, I get the point you are trying to make but I am an optimist by nature and can't help having a positive outlook all the time.

[Country Kids]

No prob! I've just been really weepy and frustrated lately and then when Dave posted his thread, it got me thinking of different things.

I just remember how fun I had as a kid in the summers and my kids are getting none of that an I feel really bad-

[Blackcat31]

No prob! I've just been really weepy and frustrated lately and then when Dave posted his thread, it got me thinking of different things.

I just remember how fun I had as a kid in the summers and my kids are getting none of that an I feel really bad-

Well, your kids get you every day. Your kids get their parent at bed time, nap time, bath time, story time. Your kids get playmates and not a non-related lady (or man) who provides care for them when their parent works. They get healthy nutritious meals and snacks, fun activities and be comfortable in their own home whild happy, sick, sad or bored.

Some kids would give anything for that. You could choose a child care for your kids but instead YOU are providing what they need most....MOM! All day, every day!

Your children can come hug you and tell you they love you and vice versa at any time during the day because you are accessible to them.

Your kids get to be in their own home when not in school, they get to be near someone one they love dearly on a daily basis. They get a parent who is completely available for them and not missing one single day of being with you. They never have to worry that mom will come from her cubicle and be angry or stressed or tired from dealing with horrible co-workers and nasty bosses. Your kids get so much more than you probably realize so don't be so tough on yourself......

Like I posted to Dave......count your blessings, NOT your sorrows.

That is a good lesson to teach your kids too!

[cheerfuldom]

My kids having to share mom from day one. I am usually back to daycare within two weeks of their births. They dont have a lot of "mom and me" time, especially now that I have 3 kids of my own plus another on the way.

The other thing is adjusting our home to work around the daycare. My dog goes out in the backyard when the kids come in. We always tidy up the front yard knowing that things have to look nice pretty much all the time and that sort of thing. We dont go crazy being perfectionists all the time but it is something you have to consider when people are in and out of your house all the time.

[cheerfuldom]

No prob! I've just been really weepy and frustrated lately and then when Dave posted his thread, it got me thinking of different things.

I just remember how fun I had as a kid in the summers and my kids are getting none of that an I feel really bad-

We really should count our blessings....but I understand that we all have made sacrifices for the job and need a little time to vent and gain support. We are not unemotional robots with no regrets or doubts. You can only do what you can do though so the best thing is to feel however you need to feel and then figure out a way to keep going. Hang in there!

[Country Kids]

Well, your kids get you every day. Your kids get their parent at bed time, nap time, bath time, story time. Your kids get playmates and not a non-related lady (or man) who provides care for them when their parent works. They get healthy nutritious meals and snacks, fun activities and be comfortable in their own home whild happy, sick, sad or bored.

Some kids would give anything for that. You could choose a child care for your kids but instead YOU are providing what they need most....MOM! All day, every day!

Your children can come hug you and tell you they love you and vice versa at any time during the day because you are accessible to them.

Your kids get to be in their own home when not in school, they get to be near someone one they love dearly on a daily basis. They get a parent who is completely available for them and not missing one single day of being with you. They never have to worry that mom will come from her cubicle and be angry or stressed or tired from dealing with horrible co-workers and nasty bosses. Your kids get so much more than you probably realize so don't be so tough on yourself......

Like I posted to Dave......count your blessings, NOT your sorrows.

That is a good lesson to teach your kids too!

Thanks for the words Blackcat-

One thing though, my kids do see me stressed,angry, upset,tired from dealing with work related issues-.

My kids are also getting to the age where it would be nice to have a little more freedom from the childcare.

Once again though-thanks for the words!

lovethis back to you!

[renodeb]

I would say not being able to get out for all of my kids events. I have had to go to alot of already half over football and softball games.
Debbie

[daycarediva]

Sharing Mom, their home, their things. My kids are very generous but it only goes so far. Ds (4) got upset and yelled today bc he brought toys front his room into the hallway/off of the daycare room and dcb (3 1/2) tattled that he wouldn't share. Sorry, some things do need to be just theirs! That same dcb has a very hard time sharing toys on share days.

Another dcb is crazy clingy. Always has to be hugged, in my lap, holding my hand, etc. It drives Ds nuts. Dcb said he loved me and my son told him to go find his own mom.

[Crazy8]

I know what you are saying Country Kids.... and while there are definitely many perks/pros to having a home daycare the 2 things I mentioned before from your list are my biggest cons. Definitely not saying I regret running a daycare or any such thing - just that those things bother me more often than anything else.

A lot has to do with the age of my kids right now - When my kids were younger I LOVED every aspect of this job, even missing out on things like being class mom, etc. didn't bother me too much, but now that they are older elementary/middle school age they are more active and this summer has been a hard one on them/me. I can't even send them to camp because I can't get them there and back, its not worth it to join the town's pool club because I can't get there often enough, so because I am stuck home M-F 7-5 THEY are pretty much stuck home too. I am lucky that my DH has a pretty flexible schedule and has days off during the week sometimes (when he works weekends) so he can take them to things but sometimes I wish I had the freedom to do some of those things!!