Pregnant When Running Preschool?

[spud912]

I have a question that I am concerned about. I started daycare with the intent of raising my own children at home and in hopes that we would have more children down the road. Over the years, I found I do much better with older children and have shifted my focus from a daycare environment to a preschool environment, only taking children aged 1-5 years old. My daughters are also older now, 3 and 5. Well now my husband really wants a third, which I am thrilled about happyfacehappyface!

The main thing that concerns me is that current and future prospective families will find it contradictory that I will not take babies because of my "preschool focus," yet I have one of my own. I know personally it's a completely different scenario when it's someone else's baby in my care versus my own because I can adjust the sleeping arrangements of my baby to suit the child care needs, I am ok with letting my baby cry if I need to get something done for the other children, I breast feed which helps ME save time, etc. I am just worried my current families will leave when and if I become pregnant.

Does anyone run a preschool-type of child care and then had a baby of your own? Did the parents handle it ok? It's not like I will be able to "hide" my pregnancy for long. With the first, I looked pregnant at about 4 months; the second I looked obviously pregnant at about 8 weeks already . I have a very short torso so I get huge . I'm not pregnant yet (well I could be), but just wondering.

[Cradle2crayons]

I have a question that I am concerned about. I started daycare with the intent of raising my own children at home and in hopes that we would have more children down the road. Over the years, I found I do much better with older children and have shifted my focus from a daycare environment to a preschool environment, only taking children aged 1-5 years old. My daughters are also older now, 3 and 5. Well now my husband really wants a third, which I am thrilled about happyfacehappyface!

The main thing that concerns me is that current and future prospective families will find it contradictory that I will not take babies because of my "preschool focus," yet I have one of my own. I know personally it's a completely different scenario when it's someone else's baby in my care versus my own because I can adjust the sleeping arrangements of my baby to suit the child care needs, I am ok with letting my baby cry if I need to get something done for the other children, I breast feed which helps ME save time, etc. I am just worried my current families will leave when and if I become pregnant.

Does anyone run a preschool-type of child care and then had a baby of your own? Did the parents handle it ok? It's not like I will be able to "hide" my pregnancy for long. With the first, I looked pregnant at about 4 months; the second I looked obviously pregnant at about 8 weeks already . I have a very short torso so I get huge . I'm not pregnant yet (well I could be), but just wondering.

I wouldn't worry not one bit what yur parents think. Your family is yrs and not their concern. I know a lot of providers who do certain age groups for certain reasons. The age you choose is YOUR choice.

I wouldn't bat an eyelash and if they question it simply say "at this time I'm focusing on x age group"

[preschoolteacher]

I also only take kids 1-5. And we plan to start trying for our second child this spring! So I'm kind of in the same boat as you.

I don't think any of my current families will have a problem with it, though. To be honest, they don't see my program as "preschool" but more like a "preschool-like daycare" or educational daycare.

No matter what, my program and your program won't be "real preschool" as long as we are enrolling kids who are 1 and 2. Kids this young wouldn't be found in a traditional preschool environment. Parents know this. If they wanted a "real preschool," they'd be elsewhere. So what's one more baby!

You can just send out a letter before you have the baby explaining that you feel confident that the new addition won't interfere with your preschool curriculum, and then go into more detail about what you have planned for the kids (activities, goals, and so on).

[mema]

You should talk to ECS. I think she is preschool age only. I would think (hope) that if you told everyone your plans, they should be fine. If not, then you probably wouldn't want them. I hope it all works out how you want it!