Anyone do Child Care in addition to homeschooling?

[Closeacademy]

How does being a child care provider balance with homeschooling? I am looking at taking in a baby and two preschoolers. I thought that I could do preschool work with the older ones right alongside my 1st and 3rd grader. The baby can either be in the sling or napping while we work.

 

I've decided against toddlers because they are too much work. We have had them visit and they just tear everything apart.

 

So how do you balance? And what about taking kids before and/or after school?

 

Thanks for any advice or encouragement. P.S. I have to do this or put the kids in PS and get a day job.:001_smile:

[Joanne]

I have to do this or put the kids in PS and get a day job.

 

 

I have. For the reason listed above. My choices were daycare, work overnight or put the kids in school. I chose daycare. Today, I'd choose work overnight.

 

Keep in mind that I ran the daycare during the ending years of a very bad, no good, absolutely dysfunctional marriage. I had no help and no support.

 

Running a daycare is difficult on your your resources. Emotional, property, relationships with your kids and possibly even your spouse.

 

It's not pure profit, either, as it accelerates depreciation on toys, furniture, etc. Daycare kids, no matter how wonderful (I have a few here at the moment that I consider like siblings to my own, and with whose parents I am close) do not respect daycare home property at the same level they do their own home or as guests in another home. Paper, food, cleaning and other costs go up.

 

You never have sanctuary and you are always immersed in work (cleaning, planning, etc). Your home is now a business and that, in an of itself is difficult.

 

That said, here are my suggestions for making it work:'

 

1) Have a policy manual and contract. Absolutely decide on and enforce issues of payment, late pick ups, food (I chose no outside food), etc.

 

2) Seek other moms who have BTDT *happily*. Talk to them; converse with them.

 

3) Designate parts of your home - particularly intimate parts for you and your kids - off limits.

 

4) Don't expect to provide care like you parent. Remember you are paid to provide care; not parent.

 

5) Routine and ritual are your friends. Make sure you develop a routine for your days, your kids, your daycare kids.

 

6) Decide in advance and insist upon days off, breaks, holidays.

 

7) Think about how much training for public behavior you want to do for other people's kids.

 

I may have more later; that is it for now.

 

At one point, I ended up ordering A/O Lifepacs for my oldest, thinking at least "he'd be doing something" but they were so anathema to my approach to school that I let that go. I did read to everyone, a lot. We ended up having 2 piles of school for each kid. One pile they were to do "on their own" and one that required me that we'd do in rare moments when I could.

[Athena]

Joanne is right. Make sure you read the points she made. They are accurate. Right now I have a 10yo for partial care during summer & his 3yo sis. She has been with me since May. I will most likely add 1 more in the 3yo range.

 

Perks: $$$$. I don't have to leave my kids with anyone else. Or depend on DH for childcare (he's a doll/wonderful dh but....) I also make sure to be allowed to take the kids on field trips (not to the grocery store but to the park, hs meetings, zoo, etc)

 

Ughs: long hours. annoying children that aren't mine. Different standards. Guilt over not 'parenting' other kids but still parenting mine. Lost time hsing my kids.

 

That's all I can think of right now. But I might come back later and too this! It's not a bad job if you go in with your eyes open. But it's also not for everyone!

 

HTH,

Christy

[Closeacademy]

Thanks. I've been checking out the DayCarefourms.com and found a lot of good ideas about the manual and contract.

 

I had planned on shutting off our bedrooms and making that area off limits so my dds can have a place to go if they are feeling a little overwhelmed and need to be alone and so that their special toys can be off limits to others.

 

I was going to get permission to be able to take the kids to our Friday playdates so my children can still get to see their friends each week.

 

We do 3 r's for school with lapbook projects for other subjects. I thought with the preschoolers I would be taking in that we could work on readiness skills. I have tons of resources for this and can make binders for the children to work out of while we are doing school.

 

So it sounds like we are on the right track. I watched a family members dc in the past and we had problems with pick up and drop off and such so I've decided that I want to make sure we are starting off on the right foot with a pure business relationships so that I am not taken advantage of.

 

I also have a daily routine mapped out so that we can alternate between activities and such.

 

And I have a dh who supports this.

 

Thanks so much for the replies so far. It means a lot to me as I start on this new phase in my life.