Personal Outings On DC Time

[hope]

I have hired two subs so that I can go to doctors appointments and attend school functions. During the winter I have them come twice a day so that I can take Dd to and from school without having to put all the dcks in my car.
I do have a car that seats 8 and I either walk with all the kids to bring Dd to school when weather is nice or they pile up in the car during warmer months. I pay the subs $15 so it does become very expensive to use them so I use only when necessary or after I have saved up for a special day with my own children.
Today Dd is having an event at school that families are invited to. The class is singing some songs and it will last 20 minutes. I only have 2 kids today so I asked the parents if I can bring along. I only asked because the two kids will really enjoy it so I would hate to have them stay home and miss out. If the parents said no I would hire a sub for the hour.
I think finding a good sub is difficult and most of us work this job bc we want to put our family first. I feel sad for those who are tied down to the daycare bc of parents or circumstances.

[DaisyMamma]

My own kids attend what is considered a year round school so while most are on summer break, they are still in school. Their school is having an awards ceremony next week and usually my mother stays here with the dcks while I attend ceremonies like this. Well this time we decided it was time that grandma not have to miss out so we are both going and have decided to take the dcks with us. We are walking since our car is not big enough to hold everyone properly. I used to own a van and we used to take the kids on field trips to the library, park, and zoo but the van died over a year ago. This is the first time we have taken a group out for something that was for us and not for the dcks. Have any of you done personal outings like this?

absolutely! i do have permissions forms from all the parents.
however if there are a lot of daycare kids then you might find it distracting and would enjoy yourself more if you closed for the day

[KidGrind]

Childcare is a profession.
It is quite alright if someone who takes care of children doesn’t deem it as their profession.

To transport or not to transport is up to each individual childcare provider. Go with a provider who transports or does not is up to parents.

Doing something different is not a critique or insult.

[Blackcat31]

Childcare is a profession.
It is quite alright if someone who takes care of children doesn’t deem it as their profession.

To transport or not to transport is up to each individual childcare provider. Go with a provider who transports or does not is up to parents.

Doing something different is not a critique or insult.

I don't think it's so much about transporting as it is about WHERE you are transporting them to. Atleast that is where MY comments came in.

I do not feel it is unprofessional to transport kids.
I do feel it's unprofessional to take them on personal outings.

But same thoughts apply. It's a difference of opinion not an insult or critique.

[MCC]

For me personally, I would not feel professional taking a kid to a personal outing. I started my home daycare as a nanny share, and at that point, absolutely I would take the 2 dcks with me on personal outings. However, I am a business now, I expect parents to treat me the same way they would treat KinderCare, or any other center. Therefore I need to make sure I am acting like a center (as far as professionalism and policies).

I do go on field trips to the zoo, library, grocery store (to buy ingredients to bake something usually), park etc. We have even gone to local play groups and of course to pool. All of these activities are for the kids.

I think it's a to each their own kind of thing, however, I think that it does take away from the professionalism, and "career" aspect of home daycare. This is my career, I do personal things outside my work hours, take a day off, or hire a sub.

[Play Care]

For me personally, I would not feel professional taking a kid to a personal outing. I started my home daycare as a nanny share, and at that point, absolutely I would take the 2 dcks with me on personal outings. However, I am a business now, I expect parents to treat me the same way they would treat KinderCare, or any other center. Therefore I need to make sure I am acting like a center (as far as professionalism and policies).

I do go on field trips to the zoo, library, grocery store (to buy ingredients to bake something usually), park etc. We have even gone to local play groups and of course to pool. All of these activities are for the kids.

I think it's a to each their own kind of thing, however, I think that it does take away from the professionalism, and "career" aspect of home daycare. This is my career, I do personal things outside my work hours, take a day off, or hire a sub.

[drseuss]

I do not transport my daycare children because of the huge cost of insurance on that liability. That said, I think that occasional trips to the store, the post office, the pharmacy, or the veterinarian are perfectly fine for family child care. After all, it IS family child care. Children learn about what the world is like and how to function in it when they are participating in those things. That doesn't mean that the provider should have carte blanch to run all the errands with the dcks. But taking them to the store or something once in a while is a good thing IMO. When I was transporting children, it was always fun to take them into the grocery store for a few things and have all five or six of them pushing their little carts and 'helping' with the shopping.

So. Taking them on real world outings? Yes, once in a while. Dragging them all over town to get your errands banged out? No.