Talk Me Down ...

[KidGrind]

….. from the insanity I am thinking about:

A before & after school program (500 ft away from me) is closing, I am thinking about taking on SA.

The opportunity to make more money is muting my logic. Greed is real.

[Heidi]

DOWN GIRL!

Seriously, now way-no how; not enough money in the WORLD!::

[Leigh]

I have ONE 8 year old here today and tomorrow as a favor to a friend (I don't do SA). I am ready to stick screwdrivers in my ears in an effort to make sure I can't hear anymore. I'm bored. I'm hungry. I want.... and in between that, blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah, (BREATH) blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah.

I can not take anymore of this! She's a good kid, but never, ever shuts her mouth. E.V.E.R. (sigh).

If you want every day to be like this, take before/after kids. For me, there is not enough money in the world.

[NightOwl]

STOOOOOOOOOOPPPP! You will kick yourself (or worse) if you do this. If you have a single nerve left in your body, they will be all over it. When I had school age kids, I found that my mood was way worse at the end of the day compared to not having them.

STEP BACK FROM THE LEDGE!!

[Blackcat31]

Don't do it!!!!!!

[Play Care]

I am ENDING my SA program.

Even if you just start only after school, eventually they will wear you down to full days when school is closed (and it's closed a lot) And SA kids do not nap, so...

The day will feel like its starting all over again at 3:00 or whatever time they come in... sort of like Groundhog Day only worse because at least Bill Murray is funny.

The LIABILITY from having older kids who TELL STORIES is unreal - and unlike a 3 or 4 yo where you can tell mom and dad "I'll only believe half of what they tell me..." older kids tend to LIE in a BELIEVABLE fashion.

When you take SA kids you then have to have the awkward conversations when they do outgrow your care - when kids left my program when they went to K it was easy. We knew they were leaving, had a little party and away they went. Last year I had two brothers who were so big that in the course of normal play, kids got hurt. It was past time for them to go, but mom wasn't happy...

Parents wanting tutors - because they are "too tired" to deal with homework and studying when they get done with work. I'll get right on that as I'm supervising several other children...

The money I did make was just not enough...

[Play Care]

Oh, and my SA kids were never happy unless we were going, going, going. Not possible when you also have toddlers and preschoolers (or really even just other SA kids)

[Blackcat31]

Oh, and my SA kids were never happy unless we were going, going, going. Not possible when you also have toddlers and preschoolers (or really even just other SA kids)

...and they are sooooooo loud!

[nannyde]

Don't do it

[BrooklynM]

I had 1 for 2 weeks as a favor. They have called me 4 times since them to see if I could watch them but I said I was full and couldn't take him (I could have legally but to me it wasn't a lie because I was full of what I could handle and I couldn't handle him).

Don't do it! You can make money doing a lot of things but you cannot put a price on your sanity!

[TwinKristi]

I did SA care at first but it really wears on you. I stopped in March and it made a huge difference. No more broken toys, windows, non-stop eating...

[hope]

I had SA and it does not work in a multi aged grouped setting. You will be tired and miserable. No amount of money is worth it. And parents will not pay a lot for it bc they think SA is easy.

[Second Home]

When school begins on Monday I will have 4 or 5 before / after kids . 1 hour before and 1 less than 1 hour after school . I do not hold a spot for snow days or days off , I treat it like drop in care, I choose who will come on those days , that way my days are not extremely stressful.

[Laurel]

Aaacckk!!! No thanks!

I did know one provider who did school age ONLY. So she had from after they got on the bus in the morning till they got off from school free. I suppose if your days are free it 'might' be worth it. She liked it. I wouldn't do SA again with the littles though.

Laurel

[MOM OF 4]

I used to LOVE it.....until they passed the age of 6. LOL Then it is that they are ALWAYS bored and you'll ALWAYS be "no fun" and "BABIES are sooooo annoying!" and " I don't like babies" and there are NO NAPS...NO MORE NAPS. NAPS ARE GONE! You will have said children up your behind!

SCARY SOUNDING, it is, and yet SO VERY TRUE! Don't do it!