WWYD? Neighborhood Daycare

[jojosmommy]

This is long, sorry

I have done daycare for 3 years and live at the end of a street. Over a year ago I got a call from an interested person, responded to my ad, who I later interviewed and found out they live 2 houses away. They are a great family and I love them. I can see their house from my house but since I am at the end of the block I can only see their house, their mailbox, their front yard. Not their whole driveway, or most of their house. Unless I really look out the windows at them at all hours I can't say I notice their comings and goings. This has never been weird for either of us.

This Fall I took a pt family for an old provider friend of mine who also lives across the street. Directly across from this other family. She said since we had been daycare provider buddies for so long she would want nobody else to watch her infant . Again, we part ways at pick up and never has it been an issue. I don't notice what they are up to and they have never mentioned anything of the like to me.

Got an email from ANOTHER neighbor Thursday. Talked to and interviewed the family this weekend as if I didnt know they lived 3 houses away . They need care pretty quickly and I am ok with the situation and ages of kiddos.

My hubs and I could use the income although we didn't have an ad out seeking more kids.

I joked to my husband about it saying that if I was ever to close these three would gang up on us and bury us in the backyard or something ::. I guess I am a little concerned about taking ANOTHER neighbor. The first client came to me not knowing we were neighbors. We did know the situation by the time they interviewed but we had never met or seen each other prior to the daycare interview. The second one was obvisouly a friend who had done daycare in the past, been in my home many times with her own dck and we had a longer realtionship. This third family makes me think I am taking on too much. Like neighborhood gossip might start if any one thing happens.

I know some of you would never take a neighbor OR friend but I am obviously past that stage. And really these two families are my best clients, both know the daycare, respect me and my family and have been awesome to work with. So is a third neighbor just asking for trouble?

[cheerfuldom]

Have you already committed to this third family?

As long as you are comfortable with any consequences that may come from taking so many neighbors, then I dont see a problem. Like you said, the other two families are long standing families so that certainly says something about how well you run your business

[momofsix]

Almost all of my families are either neighbors, friends or people I know from our church. I know I'm in the minority here by doing it that way-but I love doing it that way.
Unless I saw some red flags at the interview I wouldn't have a problem with it!

[originalkat]

I agree with momofsix.

[lovemykidstoo]

I also have had 3 families that were neighbors as daycare clients. Two out of the 3 I could see their house from my house. The other one is around the corner. Not any problem at all.

[jojosmommy]

I think it is going to work itself out without me needing to do/say much. I am pretty comfortable taking neighbors and have obviously done so in the past with no issue. I was just nervous I was getting to many neighbors, too much gossip, to much chaos. And I think that has been answered and will resolve itself without me ::