For Those Mom's Who Started Their Daycare To Be Home With Their Own Children...

[DCMomOf3]

Angelwings...I thought you were having a conversation with my DS! We make him tell us 5 things that happened at school that day. We try to make him come up with at least 2 without us giving him any prompts (what was your favorite/least favorite, lunch, recess, special classes, etc). Then out of the blue he'll tell us something that happened like a month ago! My favorite is when he gets the lovely 6yr old DUH-how-could-you-ask-such-a-stupid-question-attitude. I hate to think what the teens years wills be like

I don't do 5 things, but do ask what their favorite thing was and least favorite thing was. I may try adding 3 more things to that list, jog their brains a bit more.

I get papers in their backpacks for the money and permission things.

[dEHmom]

Sorry, I tried my best to read most of the posts on here.

Apparently everyone in my house now has pinkeye including me! UGH, and it happened after swimming lessons!!!!!!!! So it really hurts to look at the monitor.


Truth is, no matter what, someone is always upset at something. If you worked outside the home, you would miss out on ALOT more. Think about it, you do laundry, dishes, cooking etc during the day. But if you worked outside the home, you would be gone all day, and have to do that stuff in the evenings, and on weekends.

There's no way to avoid that. And kids, although I hate to say this for lack of better words, are usually pretty ungrateful. They don't understand the meaning of being grateful (alot of them, maybe not all of them), and so to them, nothing seems fair.

[countrymom]

anglewings--that is the typical conversation of a boy. My ds is 8 and he tells me he does nothing all day. Now his sisters on the other hand tell me everything and more. I do the "tell me 3 things that you did at school and recess and lunch don't count"

[countrymom]

Yep, that is pretty much how it goes. When my dd gets home from school, I am usually in the process of getting kids up from nap, changing diapers and getting snack. I have to remind her that I am working because I don't have time to stop and chat with her about her day. My son who is 11 wanted to show me something on the computer that he had done for school; I had to tell him to wait until after daycare was over.

My oldest HATES daycare. He hates being woken up by kids screaming on non-school days, hates that our house is filled with baby stuff, hates that our home is filled with other peoples kids 11 hours a day.

see, I always stop and chat with my kids, they may have to follow me in the daycare room but we always chat, heck I make them help me and we talk about the day.

[littlemissmuffet]

Yep, that is pretty much how it goes. When my dd gets home from school, I am usually in the process of getting kids up from nap, changing diapers and getting snack. I have to remind her that I am working because I don't have time to stop and chat with her about her day. My son who is 11 wanted to show me something on the computer that he had done for school; I had to tell him to wait until after daycare was over.

My oldest HATES daycare. He hates being woken up by kids screaming on non-school days, hates that our house is filled with baby stuff, hates that our home is filled with other peoples kids 11 hours a day.

I bet he LOVES the food you put in his belly, the clothes you put on his back, the hot water he bathes in and the roof over his head... all paid for by YOUR JOB

You can always have the kids help out with the daycare and chat while doing it!

[DBug]

I have two school-agers of my own, and when they get home I'm always busy with either snack or outdoor play or with pick-up time. They can't stand it either, and it drives me nuts when I have to tend to a crying baby when my 10-year-old is trying to tell me about his day.

I do one thing that they REALLY appreciate though (as do their friends that occasionally tag along). I bake 3 cookies for each of them during naptime and leave them on the baking sheet on top of the stove. By the time they get home, the cookies (and the stove) have cooled down. And they're the slice-and-bake kind (no name version of Pillsbury), so it takes about two minutes to do. My kids love it, and if they think I'm not listening, I'll hear them telling their friends about how their mom makes cookies for them everyday .

I think THE most important thing is that my kids have a parent to come home to. They have one friend in particular that hangs around here, commenting on how good the food I'm making for dinner smells and how he wonders what his mom is going to make when she gets home from work -- he and his brother are home alone after school til about 5:30/6:00. I know my oldest realizes how lucky he is that his mom is at home (even though he wouldn't say it), but I'm not sure if it's sunk in for my younger son. It will one day, though.

I have a slightly different take on the quality vs. quantity time thing -- I believe that the more hours you are around your child (even if you're not directly interacting with them), the better it is for them. After all, they know that you're always available if they really do need you. They know that they'll never be locked out of the house because you're not home from work yet (like the other kids that come here when THEY'RE locked out). And, I can keep an eye on their what they're doing after school. When they get into the dating scene, that'll come in very handy .

I think for all of us, we wouldn't work if we didn't need to. If you can afford to quit, I'd be all for it. But if you can't, I think daycare is one of the best things you can do to pay the bills AND be there for your kids.

[MommyMuffin]

I can see how that would get rough. My girl is 2 and I am pregnant so I dont know about school agers.

I love being here for her everyday, even though I do not get to play with her all the time, I am here to make her snacks and kiss her boo boos.

When she goes to school, I will be here to say hi, how was your day. Even if they dont say much...when they do have something bad/good happen they always have someone to tell. I think this means a lot.

I grew up going to daycare or latch key after school..nobody to ask how my day was, no hug or kiss, mom always got off work and picked me up and by the time we got home she was always crabby and running around trying to make dinner.

I dont want that for my kids. I only take 4 - 5 dcks and I am having basement done so there is seperate living space.

Maybe when my kids are in school I may go back to work. I havent decided, there is a career path I am really interested in and I want to work on my retirement funds so maybe when I am 33 I will go back to work and grandma can be with kids after school. I am only 25 so I have a while.

[jen]

see, I always stop and chat with my kids, they may have to follow me in the daycare room but we always chat, heck I make them help me and we talk about the day.

Hmmm...I may have phrased that wrong...we chat as I am working, but what she really wants is for me to give her my undivided attention when she gets home from school. She doesn't like to have snack with the daycare kids (and I don't make her) and there really aren't any kids here her age to play with. If I wasn't doing daycare she'd be at kids play (after school program) with her friends and then I'd pick her up and she'd have ALL my attention.

[jen]

I bet he LOVES the food you put in his belly, the clothes you put on his back, the hot water he bathes in and the roof over his head... all paid for by YOUR JOB

True! He does love his stuff...He is 16 so I don't have him do much by way of daycare, but he does accompany me to the park with the kids in the summer and drive dd and ds to their summer activities.

[daycare]

I decided to stay home for many reasons, not just so I could be home with my children, and I don't regret if for one moment.

1. I have two teenagers that come home to a house with a mom in it. Imagine if I worked a regular job? Teenagers home alone = disaster waiting to happen.

2. My older children get to see what it is like to work with toddlers and therfore have a better understanding of their 3yr old sibling.

3. When i really need to go some where I arrange my schedule to get it off, not a boss telling me NO or we will see.

4. I do feel sad that I don't always get to go to their school events, but dad does take the camcorder and I dont miss out on the very important onces, like honor roll awards and so forth.

5. My 3yr old may not always get mommy time and attention during DC, but there is nothing better than getting to pick him up kiss him, hug him and know that he is always going to be ok.

6. Nothing makes my heart melt more than the smile of a child

I know in my heart of hearts this is the right choice for my family.

[dEHmom]

I agree.

Plus.......

When you have teenagers, or children who grew up in a house with other children, it's like free birth control

[daycare]

I agree.

Plus.......

When you have teenagers, or children who grew up in a house with other children, it's like free birth control

lmao we share thoughts I sware..... again u wrote what I was thinking...

[dEHmom]

lmap we share thoughts I sware..... agin u wrote what I thought...

Great minds think alike.

Maybe we are long lost twins? .

Are you roasting a chicken right now too?

[daycare]

Great minds think alike.

Maybe we are long lost twins? .

Are you roasting a chicken right now too?

actually no I am eating garlic bread................

i cant cook.... thats my husband dept. lmao

[AnythingsPossible]

I can't tell you how refreshing it is to hear that their are other providers whose children say the same things mine do!

They all tell me occasionally that they wish I didn't do daycare, but I have also watched them play with the littles, get huge hugs and smile when some of them walk in. So like me, I think there are things about it that they love and things that they don't.

What I have decided to do for myself and family is drastically cut back on the amount of kids that I watch. Today I have 9 kids here. I am licensed for 10. Next year, I want to have my main group at 5, with an occasional part time if needed. It's not going to solve everything, but i will definitely have more time to give my kids attention if i only have 5 here instead of 10 when school gets out.

I have asked my 9 year old if she would rather come home to an empty house and she seems to think that would be great. I think the novelty of that would soon wear off! She does the same thing after school, walks in the door gets a snack then goes upstairs. I usually don't see her till everyone is gone! My 12 year old usually hangs out for awhile and my 14 year old always has after school activities so he gets home when they are gone!