When Did YOU Know You Could Do This Job?

[preschoolteacher]

My daycare has been open for 2 months now, and I provided unlicensed care before that... so I've been doing daycare for 4 months in total. Recently I have felt like I can really handle it... I remember when I first opened, I was worried about taking care of one other toddler in addition to my son. Could I possibly do it??! Now, I only have three kids (all under 2) some days. Recently, I told a parent that those days were my "quiet days", and they looked at me like I was crazy. Honestly, I have been getting a little bored with just 3 kids here. Other days, I have 5, and that is also totally do-able... although with more challenges, of course.

When did YOU know that you could really do this--take care of multiple little kids at once by yourself? Was there an ah-ha moment?

I recently advertised for kids 2+ and am adding one or two more kids to the group... so I'll have 4-5 kids each day.

[sharlan]

I started "babysitting" when I was 12/13. I haven't stopped. I always say that I've had a baby on my hip for 57 years now.

[littlemissmuffet]

I'm very organized, can multitask easily and I manage time, stress and finances quite well... I've known all along I could balance the actual work part of this job (dealing with multiple kids) and the actual ownership side of the job (running a business, paperwork, budgeting, etc).

[Blackcat31]

I'm very organized, can multitask easily and I manage time, stress and finances quite well... I've known all along I could balance the actual work part of this job (dealing with multiple kids) and the actual ownership side of the job (running a business, paperwork, budgeting, etc).

This is me too.

As a matter of fact, I've come to realize over the years how much I did that wasn't MY job to do.... making up for forgetful parents, dealing with behaviors I thought were simply "part of the job", dealing with non-payment, sleep and eating issues..... etc etc...

I think about 10 years in, I stopped and said..."Why am I the ONLY one doing this?" Now I am VERY clear about what MY responsibilities are and what belongs to the parents.

Can NOT believe what a difference it makes.

I could do it all before, I just realized that I don't HAVE to.

[TwinKristi]

I started "babysitting" when I was 12/13. I haven't stopped. I always say that I've had a baby on my hip for 57 years now.

I'm very organized, can multitask easily and I manage time, stress and finances quite well... I've known all along I could balance the actual work part of this job (dealing with multiple kids) and the actual ownership side of the job (running a business, paperwork, budgeting, etc).

Both of these! Then I was asked by friends to watch their kids and more friends and more kids and I realized I should just go legit and get my license. But now all the friends' kids are gone and I have 1 extra kid. It's soooo boring! I need to get more kids and that is my problem. I have 6 of my own (16, 16, 12, 10, 8 & 2) so a couple extra has never been an issue for me. Before I was licensed (and don't flame me, it was only 1 day for a couple hours) I had ALL the kids I watched here and it was 13 kids! Only 2 were infants and 2 were preschool aged and the rest school aged. That was probably the hairiest of days but I managed to feed them all and we had a fun day! I would love to have a full crew and develop more structure and activity but with 2 two yr old boys it's just play eat play eat nap play and eat before going home with some diapers in there too!

[Maria2013]

I'm very organized, can multitask easily and I manage time, stress and finances quite well... I've known all along I could balance the actual work part of this job (dealing with multiple kids) and the actual ownership side of the job (running a business, paperwork, budgeting, etc).

I'm that way too, I just don't know how long I can handle the never ending regulations, it is really starting to get to me

[thetoddlerwhisper]

I started "babysitting" when I was 12/13. I haven't stopped. I always say that I've had a baby on my hip for 57 years now.

Even younger for me . i was the oldest of 7and the big mommy figure

[melilley]

Before I opened my fcc, I worked in 3 centers for a total of 14 years and before that I was kind of a nanny and before that I babysat. I remember the first time I walked into a center and did an observational interview, I remember thinking" I want to do this for the rest of my life" I even had tears in my eyes and remember what one of the little girls that I talked to looked like.

Well, here I am. Now I have my own fcc-15 or so years later so I guess I kind of knew on that first interview.

[preschoolteacher]

You all seem more confident than I have been. I started out when my son was just 1 year old (first kid). So I am learning how to raise my kid alongside learning how to do daycare!

I worked in a preschool before, but I was 1 teacher out of 3... and in a lot of ways, you have so much less responsibility in a center because the school is in charge of dealing with payment, policies, and so on.

I always have been really organized, though. I think you're right--that helps!

[Soccermom]

I have always really loved kids and enjoy planning crafts and activities for them. I have a lot of patience for them and I always wanted tons of kids (Didn't enjoy being pregnant though )

But after 10 years I still ask myself daily if I am really cut out for this LOL

[Familycare71]

I'm that way too, I just don't know how long I can handle the never ending regulations, it is really starting to get to me

THIS is EXACTLY what I struggle with! The rest of it (well most of it...) I love'

[sarah33]

I feel a lot of anxiety over the regulations. We are in Maryland, and they are pretty strict. I am always worried that my paperwork isn't in order (shot records, health inventory, etc.) or that my surprise inspection will happen when one or two of them are having a meltdown over sharing. The worst case scenario, if you will.

I got my ah-ha moment when I took care of a 3-month-old at the same time as my two kids (then 2 and 4). I got the best of both worlds - my baby fix and sleep that night!

I did feel pretty burned out over the summer when I kept taking drop-in care and was working 50 hours a week. I think what gets to me is the same routine every day of cleaning the main floor and getting ready to open. It never seems like I have time to enjoy my family because the weekends are now all of the errands I didn't have a chance to get accomplished during the week. My every day baby is moving, so I am now interviewing only for 3-4 days a week so I can have a lot more flexibility and less anxiety.

[Annalee]

I have learned and grown as a provider, but still don't know if I could answer when I "knew" I could do this job! :: Organization with an OCD personality for all things does help but, like BC said, it creates wayyyy toooo much work. Even after getting some of those things corrected I still question my abilities at times. On a brighter note, I began babysitting in clients homes at the age of 16, worked in a center for 3 years and have owned my own FCC home for 22 years....Child Care has always been my passion! As mentioned by other posters, the rules/regs take a toll on me but "it is what it is" and I am here for the long haul.....have started my second generation of child care kids and expect to make it to my third generation....... happyface

[Annalee]

I did feel pretty burned out over the summer when I kept taking drop-in care and was working 50 hours a week. I think what gets to me is the same routine every day of cleaning the main floor and getting ready to open. It never seems like I have time to enjoy my family because the weekends are now all of the errands I didn't have a chance to get accomplished during the week. My every day baby is moving, so I am now interviewing only for 3-4 days a week so I can have a lot more flexibility and less anxiety.

Balancing my family with daycare has ALWAYS been my downfall. Not that I can't do it, my OCD personality makes me think every THING has to be perfect and every ONE has to be happy. It was driving me insane....First I fixed my contract to benefit me....closing earlier, 52 weeks pay with holidays/vacations/personal days, etc....I felt that certain things were not being accomplished at daycare nor with my family so therefore I felt I was failing...But my wonderful mentor told me to take a step back and look at my child care environment...she said if I didn't talk to my dcks all day (which I do talk to them) that my environment was a teacher for them and the same for the other part my family lives in....that my own kids and family are loved by more than what I say/do....I try to think about those words at the end of every day and cut myself some slack! Just passing some of this forward in hopes it benefits someone else.

[CraftyMom]

I started babysitting young and always had brothers, sisters, cousins to watch. I've always been a kid person (up to preschool I guess, not so much SA).

As far as my actual daycare it was when I was talking to a friend and said "I only had 5 kids today, so it was an easy day" she couldn't believe I would call 5 kids easy ::

That was probably 6 months into daycare