Today Is The Last Day With Daycare Babies...Ever!

[DayCareDiva30]

I am the same way.

NO babies.

Except for current families & I will be phasing this out too. Found my program and runs so much better.

I also don't care for SA.

Same here!

Beginning this year I will only be accepting children 18 months and older except for current families. My main reason is that babies are time consuming but also here there is a lot of extra daily paperwork that has to be done when you keep infants.

I also don't accept new SA kids (only kids currently enrolled that start school). The last SA boy I enrolled came in and cause total havoc. (I was so happy when his state assistant was termed)

[Blackcat31]

i see how you would feel this way about starting with a baby from the beginning. i think that is a good plan for many kids. the continuity is important. however, i have had good experiences with starting older kids, over 12 months old. that is still hard work but nothing compared to the majority of babies that cry from 4 months to 12 months or so it would seem. plus now three of my four kids are preschool age (2 to 5) and i hate holding the household back due to babies and napping. we like to go for a walk every day, get outside a lot and recently, i have the room now to do short trips to the library as well as school pick ups. generally first time parents of infants do not want their babies transported and many dont even want them out of the house. my provider friend said that she has had several parents specifically request that their baby not even go in the providers backyard. they want them in the play room at all times! anyway, babies just dont mesh well with me and what i can provide and i am sick of the crying (which seems to be an issue with most babies in daycare?) so it was a happy day on friday when i let that kid go. she SCREAMED right before pickup but i didnt mind.....last time i have to hear that ever!!

That is probably the BIGGEST obstacle when having infants in care.

I am pretty picky too about the infants I have (all based on experiences in the past).

The baby must be from a current family (eliminates any 'first time mom' issues)
The baby must be a fairly happy-go-lucky babe. (I will NOT devote time/energy into caring for a high needs or super unhappy baby...BTDT)
The baby must love being outdoors....because I do take them out with us every time.

I understand that not all babies are easy and I know I am discriminating against those ones that aren't easy...but I need to do what is best for my own sanity and so far, it works for me and I haven't had to term any "tough" babies in a while so...so far so good.

Ask me again in a couple years and I might have a different answer for you.

[cheerfuldom]

That is probably the BIGGEST obstacle when having infants in care.

I am pretty picky too about the infants I have (all based on experiences in the past).

The baby must be from a current family (eliminates any 'first time mom' issues)
The baby must be a fairly happy-go-lucky babe. (I will NOT devote time/energy into caring for a high needs or super unhappy baby...BTDT)
The baby must love being outdoors....because I do take them out with us every time.

I understand that not all babies are easy and I know I am discriminating against those ones that aren't easy...but I need to do what is best for my own sanity and so far, it works for me and I haven't had to term any "tough" babies in a while so...so far so good.

Ask me again in a couple years and I might have a different answer for you.

these are good guidelines. I would LOVE for any of my daycare families to have a second baby but only one has in the past almost 6 years! the only family that had a second was that family that gave notice because they did not want their child told "no". They also did not want us to use that word for any of the other kids for fear their daughter would over hear it and be upset (mind you, she is like 8 months!) so yeah, they did not stay and from my understanding, mom started staying home with both kids down the road. but yes, the personality of the child makes a big difference! my own youngest is almost 3 months and he is very happy to go along with the program....very little crying, loves being outdoors, just fine to hold off on a nap or even go down early. my other experience with a couple of these kids is that they were very easy going babies and the more time went on, the more their parents ruined them....trying crazy methods and parenting techniques and doing exactly the opposite of what should be done for kids in group care. you know, co sleeping/nursing to sleep and then leaving their kid with no self soothing at daycare, pushing their kid to meet milestones, cutting out naps WAY too soon and there is only so much you can do with a child when the parents will not work together.

[Loveyoustinkyface]

Funny, I LOVE babies! I prefer babies! But, maybe I have just been lucky and had great babies......

[mbullette]

Funny, I LOVE babies! I prefer babies! But, maybe I have just been lucky and had great babies......

I would be glad to send you the 2 babies I have and you would change your mind REALLY REALLY fast. I have never had such needy and fussy babies but the parents think its normal. I am sorry but its not normal for a 6 month old to not nap for 9 straight hours. It's not normal for your child to scream the bloody murder scream because he is not being held. The joys of spoiled babies!!!

[Loveyoustinkyface]

Yes, I really feel for the caregivers that have high-needs babies. I had one of my own!! I would never have even considered a daycare for him, he needed one-on-one constant attention, so much as to even wear his mother out.

So glad you will start out a new week with one less stress ::