Why Are School Agers A No No?

[debbiedoeszip]

If you don't live right across from the school, then you are faced with having to drag the younger kids out in all weather to walk/drive to the school, or to accompany to the bus stop, twice a day. Where I live, even if buses are cancelled (which happens only during the most extreme weather) the schools are still open so if your dck is a "walker" then you would still need to get them to school (in freezing rain, or -30C cold, or a blizzard, etc). Afternoons would be a challenge if naps for the younger kids aren't over when you need to be walking/driving to the school, or walking to the bus stop.

[MarinaVanessa]

For me ....

Parents usually expect to pay less, want their child picked up from school, and want homework help. Correct me if I'm wrong but both of those suggest to me that more payment is required, not less.

SAers also eat more yet are more picky eaters. They make comments about food that is served which can affect the other younger children in the group. My own 9yo DD's distaste for broccoli, green beans and corn and the comments and faces she makes when I serve them throughout the day has recently become an issue and now some of the other kids will make disgusted faces or say "yuck" when I serve them.

They use more supplies. A collage for a preschool age child may consist of a few torn pieces of tissue, 2-3 buttons and maybe 3 or 4 stickers ... a SA collage may consist of the entire paper covered in tissue paper, 17 buttons, 7 googly eyes, some yarn, glitter and 10 stickers.

They're harder on the toys/supplies. My DD has her own markers because I can't tell you the number of times that she has ruined an entire box of markers by pounding the tips down hard onto the paper. Toys also get launched harder, toy cars get rammed into each other harder, balls get kicked over the fence more often or deflated, toys on the floor get stepped on by heavier children, chairs get stood on, plastic toy bins get dumped and flipped over and used to stand on etc.

SAers typically don't nap and don't know how to stay quiet. I don't have the space to let them play outside because even if they play in my back area it's close enough to my napping children that it wakes them.

They're more energetic, active and bigger. This can result in babies being stepped on and toddlers/preschoolers being bowled over by a bigger child.

Most of my clientele are infants, toddlers and preschool age children and typically the toys throughout the entire age range can stay relatively the same without me having to worry about having to have designated toys or spaces for different age children. Babies can play with the Duplos, blocks and wood puzzles without me having to be overly cautious. The older kids don't like playing with slobbered on toys anyway so it's easier for me to just pick up an unwanted slobbery toy and put it in the "to be cleaned" bin. With SAers I have to get toys/games with 1,876,765 microscopic pieces and I have to continuously be on the lookout for parts that fall or are left on the ground.

..............

Typically the above is around 1st grade age and beyond. I advertise for 6 weeks through 5 years (until they leave for kinder) but I have kept children beyond that age because they were current clients. This is different, these kids know my rules, know my expectations, know the environment, know the toys and they are used to all of this. Also when I keep them beyond age 5 they don't typically stay beyond 1st grade. By that time they can usually get into an after school program.

Around here we don't get many calls for SA children, it's mostly for infant/toddler care and the occasional 2-3yo.

Ratios are another big part of why I don't focus on taking SAers. In CA with my I can have:
- 4 total = 4 infants age 2 and younger
- 6 total = 3 infants age 2 and younger and 3 children 2 and older
- 8 total = 2 infants age 2 and younger, 4 children 2-5 years, 1 six year old and 1 other elementary school child

Because of the ratios it makes more sense that I can find more FT clients that are infants/toddlers and preschool age children. I charge my regular rate to clients of preschool children because they are only gone 3 hours of the day and I base my rates on the time they leave at the end of the day. Parents of SAers want to pay much less for care and typically need 3-3.5 hours of care a day (15-17.5 hours a week) and cringe at $100/week rates for after school care which is typical for this area. Parents of infants/toddlers however expect to pay more for their child so I'd rather have more of those than give a space up to SA child.

[Annalee]

I have seen it posted in various threads that school age kids are harder and some do not take them anymore. I am just honestly curious as to why. I will open in August and we live ditrctly accross the street from an elementary school, so I would like to be informed before I go down that road

Not sure about others, but I just don't want the hassle....no money is enough...haven't had schoolagers in over 5 years.....the way I got rid of my schoolagers was to begin charging what I charged for a daycare spot period....they quickly left :: It seemed school-agers just destroy physically and emotionally everything we worked on all day.... I have a 10 and 12 year old myself and I really didn't want to fight with other school-agers so I would have a better attitude when my own come home...I let my own come in the daycare only if they want and that helps their attitude....they actually want to help and be there because the do not HAVE to be there.

[sharlan]

I had SA for the first 20 years I did daycare. I enjoyed them for the most part. I shut down for about 5 years and the few SA's that I've had since I reopened were more trouble than they were worth.

*They lie. I am obsessive/compulsive about lying. DO NOT LIE!
*They're rude, have no manners or personal hygiene (ie wash hands).
*They are difficult to entertain without an electronic in their hands.
*VERY PICKY eaters. I've never dealt with that before.
*Manipulate the younger kids into doing things they know are wrong.
*Destroy things, then hide it.
*Expect someone to sit and hold their hand while they do homework.
*Nothing fazes them because they know you can't do anything about their behavior.
*Parents excuse EVERY behavior - rough day at school, tired, hungry (but they won't eat), not feeling well - so they don't have to deal with it.

I am done with SA's except for my grandkids and some days I'd like to sit them out on the curbside for pick-up.

[KatieG]

*Parents excuse EVERY behavior - rough day at school, tired, hungry (but they won't eat), not feeling well - so they don't have to deal with it.

I had a 10yo dcb when I first started (my own boys were 10 & 7, so I thought it would be a good fit). I can't even begin to tell you all of the trouble that I had with him. I attempted to discipline him by restricting his TV privileges one day (I made him sit in another room while the other children watched TV). His parents felt so sorry for him that they took him out and bought him a new video game that evening! He was so proud that he couldn't wait to tell me all about it the next day after dropoff! So, at pickup that day, I told the parents not to bring him back. I watched him for a grand total of 9 days - that was 11 years ago and my boys still talk about how awful he was!

[gracepatiencelove]

*manipulate the younger kids into doing things they know are wrong.

this this this this this

[Laurel]

If you take SA then your program should only be geared towards SA. They need constant activities, stimulation, education and guidance that is very different than what you give little ones. Mixing the two age groups usually results in chaos.....it is very difficult to supervise both age groups and one ends up suffering. The little ones can get hurt or the older ones become bored and misbehave.

Laurel

[Second Home]

The school accross the street has a before and after school program so I doubt I would even get calls about that
You would be surprised . I know many people who will never use the before & after care at (many different) schools.

I currently have 3 sa kids . Right now it is just before and after school . Sometimes it is all day if school is closed for some reason . I do not have them during the whole summer just here and there . I would go crazy if I had all 3 full time along with the little ones .

I agree to all that is posted above and sa kids have a whole different set of needs/wants .

There are some things that I just do not tolerate mainly lying , disrespect and intentionally hurting others . If a sa kid says they want a drink I will not get them one until they ask politely and use manners , it does not takes them too long to figure it out . Well at least not for my current sa kids.
They lie to me they go and sit .

[sharlan]

I had a 10yo dcb when I first started (my own boys were 10 & 7, so I thought it would be a good fit). I can't even begin to tell you all of the trouble that I had with him. I attempted to discipline him by restricting his TV privileges one day (I made him sit in another room while the other children watched TV). His parents felt so sorry for him that they took him out and bought him a new video game that evening! He was so proud that he couldn't wait to tell me all about it the next day after dropoff! So, at pickup that day, I told the parents not to bring him back. I watched him for a grand total of 9 days - that was 11 years ago and my boys still talk about how awful he was!

I had a SA boy (10, 11) for two years. We went out to dinner to celebrate the day he left.

[LadyK8]

For me, the answer is simple.

I just do much better with infants and toddlers/pre-schoolers. I always have.

It's just personal preference.

[butterfly]

I have seen it posted in various threads that school age kids are harder and some do not take them anymore. I am just honestly curious as to why. I will open in August and we live ditrctly accross the street from an elementary school, so I would like to be informed before I go down that road

Have you ever been around SA kids? :: Just kidding. (but not really)

In my area, there are lots of other programs available to SA children at a much lower price than I could offer. Doing SA care in home just really isn't marketable here, unless you could live on just a few bucks a day and offered lots and lots of extra curricular activities for the kids to do - with transportation.

[TigerLily]

Everything that they said. The one SA I have, other than my son, can NOT play by herself. Or amuse herself in any way. If I am not directing her or another child is not interacting with her she will lay on the ground and listlessly roll back and forth. Even if she's involved with something and the other person needs to go blow their nose. She's so used to being amused she has zero idea what to do on her own. Drives me batty!

[cheerfuldom]

I think the big thing is that by the time they are done with school, they are so over the structured activities and sitting still and anything cooperative. School is hard work for kids and the last thing they need after school is two or three more hours of a school environment. Yes some of it is just plain out disobedience and disrespect but I think a lot of it is that they NEED some physical outlets at that time of day and they aren't going to get it cooped up with babies. Even my own kindergartener is just completely done by the time she gets dropped off (330ish). They only get one short 20 min. recess a day! When I was in kindergarten, we had half day if I remember right. 1st grade had an hour lunch and two short recesses......the schools these days have very little to offer for physical play. The only way to keep SAgers is if you have the setup to do so.....bikes to ride outside, a big yard to play in, comfy TV/electronic area, big table for homework/snack/games. And it is nearly impossible to offer that when parents, at least around here, want to pay $10 or less per day for before and after care, breakfast, transportation and homework help. Transportation is a PAIN with a mixed age group but there is liability with kids walking to and from your house. Breakfast and after school snack gets really costly and few can provide good, focused homework help.....so many of us are caring for little ones and probably dont have the education to be helping with homework these days, not with Common Core and other complicated standards plus special needs kids and stuff. I consider myself a babysitter only. I will make sure your child is safe till you get here. If I was transporting, providing meals, tutoring, I would expect to be paid a lot more! and of course there is the general societal issue of kids not being able to handle unstructured time....no creativity to invent their own games, form their own friendships, and be responsible without someone watching all the time.....forget about trying to get the majority of them to help at all even with a simple task. It is too much to handle! I occasionally watch school agers but only kids I already know and parents that accept that I will tell their kids what to do, will not tolerate sass and misbehavior and more than likely, put their kids to work in some way.

[Lucy]

I'm the opposite of most of you. I have SA, but won't take infants anymore. (used to). The youngest I'll go now is about 20 months.

I currently have all SA, but not by choice, necessarily, that's just the way it has evolved. And all mine have grown up with me. THAT's the key!!

I've done DC 20 yrs, and have always had mixed ages. Mine mostly stay long-term, so right now I have six SA'ers. Two of them are PM Kinders (for another couple weeks!) I'll have all six the whole summer, but they've been with me from 4-11 years! Three of them since birth, and the other three from ages 1 or 2.

When they grow up with you, you've "trained" them to your ways. For me, it's like having a group of nieces and nephews over. The 11 yr old boy does get on my nerves sometimes with his sarcasm and slight laziness, but it's his age. And I know I'll only have him through this next school year (6th grade), then he'll age out.

For me, I would never take any NEW kids over the age of about 4 or 5.

[mom2many]

I'm the opposite of most of you. I have SA, but won't take infants anymore. (used to). The youngest I'll go now is about 20 months.

I currently have all SA, but not by choice, necessarily, that's just the way it has evolved. And all mine have grown up with me. THAT's the key!!

I've done DC 20 yrs, and have always had mixed ages. Mine mostly stay long-term, so right now I have six SA'ers. Two of them are PM Kinders (for another couple weeks!) I'll have all six the whole summer, but they've been with me from 4-11 years! Three of them since birth, and the other three from ages 1 or 2.

When they grow up with you, you've "trained" them to your ways. For me, it's like having a group of nieces and nephews over. The 11 yr old boy does get on my nerves sometimes with his sarcasm and slight laziness, but it's his age. And I know I'll only have him through this next school year (6th grade), then he'll age out.

For me, I would never take any NEW kids over the age of about 4 or 5.

Absolutely! My 10yo dcg has been with me since she was 3 and my 7 yo dcg has been with me since was 1 & her older sister aged out last week, when she turned 13. Having them grow up with you does make a world of difference!

I have had other new kids start once they are in school, but have always had the best success, when they've started as infants or preschoolers & not when they are older.