Who are "We"

[mac60]

I thought it would be nice to share a little about each of us, especially those of us who come here regularly.

I am a home daycare provider of 10 1/2 years. Prior to this career I worked with a company for over 21 years. There has never been a time in my dc career that I was not "full". I offer a preschool curriculum and accept all ages. We have a fenced in yard with a mini playground (climber, castle, slides, teeter toter) and have school bus pickup here. I do not transport children ever.

I have been married for 24 years. My son is in college pursuing his RN degree, and my daughter is in college, pursuing her LPN, then is going to continue to RN. I am in college also, working towards my associates in Legal Support. I am 1/2 way done, as I completed a 1 yr certificate in Office Administration in 2005 that I can apply to my associates. I rarely have free time.

My husband was just laid off after working 40 years for the same company. The company in the past 2 years has been notorious for targeting employees that are older....he is 57. So, we are struggling with this right now, and things don't look too good. So much for the law for "age discrimination".

We also have 2 dogs that are just like kids. Ok, that is me and my life such as it is.

[jen]

I've been providing daycare for about 8 years...I am very lucky to have very little turn-over and good solid families. I have three kids, ages 15, almost 10 and 6. They are all very active in sports so we are running every night of the week! My husband went back to school and will be graduating from St. Cloud State in next month! Hopefully, this time next year he will be settling in somewhere as a High School social studies teacher. I also attend St. Cloud state online and am working towards my BS in Community Psychology.

We have 4 dogs (two live outside!) and two horses...well, one is my kids pony and Buttercup is a tiny thing, so maybe 1.5 horses!!! They live at my girlfriends farm a couple miles from me!

[momma2girls]

Hi!
Great idea!!!
I have lived in Iowa all my life. I have 3 daughters, 21,7, and 1.
I am a nurse, and quit my job to stay at home with my middle child over 5 yrs. ago. My neighbor originally asked me to fillin for them, when their babysitter was off. My daycare all started from that!!
My husband has worked at the same job for over 11 yrs. now, so he finally convinced me to move where we are now, after 8 yrs. of commuting an hr. each way. I have done that as well for about 7 yrs. before deciding to stay at home.
I absolutely love children, and wish I could have more of my own!
I have a small daycare here in Iowa.
Our favorite place to visit is FLorida. We try to escape our Iowa winters for 2 weeks every other yr. in Orlando, and totally love it there! We all can't wait to go again!!
It sure is nice to have a website on here, to discuss everything under the sun, or just do a little venting. It sure is funny to read some of these ventings, stories on here. You can sure place yourself in prior or currently situations. It is nice to see what others have done in that instance. I know I have done it for over 5 yrs. and it seems like things are going good for a long time, then some parent tries to get away with something, or parents that think there child deserves everything, even though you have to split everything between 4 children!! Most generally I have had wonderful parents, but every once in a while you get the one that thinks they deserve everything free, take advantage of you, wants to change the rules just for them, the list goes on and on. Just when you thought you have encountered everything, you laugh something new comes up!!! LOL!!!! I think I have literally had to change, spell out, etc. my contract about 10 -15 times over the yrs. LOL!!!
Hope everyone has a great rest of your day and week!! Happy Holidays everyone!

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

Im Laundryduchess, in Central Indiana. I have 4 kids, 8-18 youngest 3 are girls. I have a very spoiled dog. I have been in daycare for 20 years, Im in school now for my CDA although Im grandfathered into the system in Indiana of not needing it. Im a Path's to Quality provider and am having my rater visit for my level 2 status this month. We love to camp, all over the state of Indiana. My husband and I have been married for 12 years and feel like we are still learning things about each other daily. We are stll "honeymoony". . Much to the kids dismay,... Our house is the 'hangout' house. It seems like Ive either got a housefull of daycare or a houseful of teenagers. My facebook has as many of their friends as it does mine!

[momofsix]

Hi everyone, what a great idea to get to know each other!
I've been doing daycare on and off, and in different settings for about 20 years. Way back when I went to college i got a BS in psychology with an emphasis in early childhool developement/education. I worked in a center for a while, did home day care, took a break to homeschool our daughters,then home day care again--not b/c I planned to, but when people know you're available and that you love kids they sometimes just come a knockin' sometimes! I just got my license this spring though for the first time.
My husband and I have six daughters,two came to our family through adoption. Let me tell you, it's easier to get approved to adopt than it is to do child care! Our oldest is in Iraq right now--doing air traffic control for the USAF. I miss her the next one is my assistant, the next is in her first year of college, the next is a senior filling out college apps, and the next two are 13 and 12. Lots of hormones raging in our house!
My husband is a pastor at our church--left a great paying union job and took a huge pay/benefit cut to work there, but God has blessed and taken care of us.
We live in west Michigan, and have been married 19 years!
I've really enjoyed this sight, getting to know what others are going through, learning from all of you...thank you all for sharing!

[Vicky]

Vicky from Portland Oregon

Hello Everyone!!! What a great idea to introduce ourselves!

My name is Vicky and I am from Portland, Oregon. Since I was a little girl, i wanted to be a teacher.

I am married for 2.65 years, with a 1.5 year old boy

My all time dream is to have a child care center here in Portland.

I really want to start BIG. Find a sponsor and get a nice place right away. I just don't know how realistic that is.

I think I need to gain traffic first. Watch a kid or two at my place first maybe?

I have worked at a daycare center in the past and know all the state rules and regulations, I also have a degree in Business Management, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I am doing some searching on how much would a fairly new, building, for a child care center cost here in Portland? I'm looking for 2 - 3 rooms, that will hold 5 -10 kids, with an office and a playground?

It's really great to meet all of you!!! I am ready to feed of of everyone's knowledge and wisdom in the Child Care industry and hopefully, pitch in with some of my own.

I'm so glad I'm starting off living my dream!!!

God bless everyone!

[Former Teacher]

Wow, what a great idea! I live in TX. I am a former preschool teacher/Assistant Director of a licensed child care center. I worked there all my adult life. I started at 17 years old and I just left Feb 2009. Yes I am now 36. I use to tell the parents that I grew up with the kids that I helped raised! After all these years it is amazing how much they have grown. I once cried in the grocery store because of a little girl I had as a 2 year old came up to me and I didn't know who she was! She was about 16 at the time. There I was looking at the yougurt and she said Hello Ms. H and I said I looked up and said Hi How are you? and went back to my yougurt haha. Then I heard "I don't think she knows who you are"...I turned and looked again and I was like who is this person, then I saw her mother and I knew her mother right away. Then came the tears

Anyway, back to the thread! I left the dc for many reasons. To many to list. I worked at a nanny for a divorced father of 2. Due to the economy back then I was let go. Actually it was a relief to be honest because the children I had I really couldn't get close to them. I tried but they wanted to do their own thing and it was difficult.

I am now a private nanny to a 22 month old. He is SO funny. I am blessed to work for a wonderful family.

On a personal note: I have been married to my HS sweetheart now for a little over 2 years. We found each other again in late 2005, even though we kept in contact on and off over the years. He came to TX 3 times in 2006 and finally moved here in Feb 2007. We then were married in Sept of that year. We have no children yet. I medically can not get pregnant so we are looking into way of adopting. That is why it makes me so FURIOUS at these parents who treat their children like garbage while there are women like me who would give their souls to have a child.

Well I think I have taken up enough time *smile* I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

[Michael]

Let us know if anyone wants to include a picture or image for their Who are We post.