Home daycare for homeschoolers?

[Wabi Sabi]

I work full-time now in addition to homeschooling, and frankly, it's slowing killing me. Something has got to change.

 

When dh and I first got married I ran a home daycare. I did this for several years until slowly all the kids I watched got older and went off to school. I was ready for a break anyhow, so that's when I transitioned over into my current job where I've been for the past 7 years. However, it's time for a change again.

 

I'm pondering whether it would be feasible to open a home daycare that caters to elementary school aged homeschooled children. My town has a rather large homeschooling population, and I know that there are other homeschooling families with working parents who might need childcare here and there.

 

My thought is that I could offer part-time childcare for homeschoolers. I'd make it clear that I wouldn't be responsible for teaching their child, but that they're welcome to send reading material, audio books, some independent work, etc. As it happens, we're finishing off a part of the basement and I envision it to be a space with comfy places to sit, shelves for puzzles, games and books, a reading nook, art supplies, etc. My thought is that it could work well as a place for several children to hang-out during the day with ample access to educational material. We also have a good sized yard with a playset, lots of animals, areas to garden and woods to roam.

 

Has anyone else ever done anything similar and if so, how did it work?

[NotSoObvious]

I think you'd regret it. Doing childcare "here and there" means disrupting your homeschool schedule and routines. I'm not sure how it could replace a full time job, money-wise.

 

If you can afford to quit your job, just quit. If you can work part time, do it.

 

If you are set on childcare, make regular hours you can live with, stick to them, and don't plan on doing any schoolwork during that time.

[Wabi Sabi]

I think you'd regret it. Doing childcare "here and there" means disrupting your homeschool schedule and routines. I'm not sure how it could replace a full time job, money-wise.

 

If you can afford to quit your job, just quit. If you can work part time, do it.

 

If you are set on childcare, make regular hours you can live with, stick to them, and don't plan on doing any schoolwork during that time.

 

Sigh. I can't afford to quit. The thought was I could cut back on my work hours if I could find a way to earn a little money doing something else on the side. It doesn't have to be a full-time income, just something supplementary.

[Remudamom]

I watched kids on and off. Once for a family member and once for some good friends whose child was miserable at the local daycare. My kids enjoyed it and it didn't slow us down.

[PentecostalMom]

I actually think it would be easier just to offer full-time care. Then the schedule would be the same every day. I, too, was watching a boy for a young lady at church whose sitter quit unexpectedly. The schedule was unpredictable and I felt somewhat obligated to work around her schedule. It quickly became tiresome and disruptive. If you had one child full time, it would be a consistent schedule which would be less disruptive and would garner more income. Can you work that around your current job? If I understand correctly, you plan to still work there part time.

 

Another idea. Maybe babysitting overnight for someone that works that shift? Nurse, paramedic, police officer?? Just a thought.

[happypamama]

I think offering fulltime care (or consistent part-time care, like for a mom who worked M-F 8-1 or something) would be easier on you. But offering occasional care for homeschoolers could be helpful to them; I just don't think you could count on it for ongoing income.

 

What about offering preschool or toddler care for moms who have several children and would like to have someone care for their 1-5yo's so they can do school with their older kids? Since you have a 5yo, you could add 4-5yo's along with your 5yo -- that could be a double blessing for a mom with several kids, in that you could provide both quiet time for her to work with her older kids AND schooling for the 4-5yo's.

[Wheres Toto]

I've actually thought of doing something like that but not as drop-off care.

 

One option was to bring their kids for regularly scheduled full or part time care. They would do the same hours every week, or at least notify ahead of time as to any changes. That way I could plan our field trips, etc. around when I would have other kids here.

 

I was also thinking of offering a 1/2 day preschool option, where they could bring their kids for a few hours in the morning or a few hours in the afternoon 3 days a week.

[Wabi Sabi]

I've actually thought of doing something like that but not as drop-off care.

 

One option was to bring their kids for regularly scheduled full or part time care. They would do the same hours every week, or at least notify ahead of time as to any changes. That way I could plan our field trips, etc. around when I would have other kids here.

 

I was also thinking of offering a 1/2 day preschool option, where they could bring their kids for a few hours in the morning or a few hours in the afternoon 3 days a week.

 

Yes, that's more of what I had in mind; I just wasn't particularly clear in my original post. I don't want to do it full-time because I'd like there to be at least a couple days a week when I just have my own kids.

[Cera]

I would have loved this when we were homeschooling. I would have happily signed my kids up for a half day once or twice a week just to have some "me" time to run errands, go to the doctor or dentist, etc.

[lmrich]

What about after school care? I would think offering a club or a class with before or after care would work today. Your class could be simple- mythology stories, math games, etc. offer it three times a week to see how it goes.

[Tita Gidge]

I do part-time babysitting for a flight attendant. Someone upthread suggested doing overnight sitting for shift jobs, and I think that could work well given the right people. I'm pretty laidback and flexible about scheduling, so if she gets back late (she's been up to a day late before) or if has some other unforeseen change (she is on-call for a few days each month) it's no bother for me. We just fold her kid into our semi-chaotic mix and it's all good. I didn't go looking for this gig, it found me LOL, but it's been pretty great for all of us. Her son looks to us as part of his extended family, and we adore the snot out of him.

 

But other than that, if it had been available to me when all of my students were younger ... I'd have definitely been interested in a mom's day out sort of thing. I would have loved to send the kids to a fellow homeschooler's home for 2-3 hours a day, a few times each week. With that time I could run some errands or focus on my (other) students without distraction. The sticky part would have been affording it on a single income (which, I was not and am not but I feel like I'm in the minority amongst homeschoolers I know IRL. You'd know best your own local climate as to the feasability of your idea.)

 

Another idea might be "camps" -- you can do homeschoolers anytime (weeklong camps, educational or fun) and/or other-schooled kids over holiday weeks, long weekends, and other times that dual-income families may struggle with finding childcare. It could be a one-day camp over a school holiday or inservice day, or a weeklong camp during the holiday seasons. It might not be a ton of money, at least initially, but it has great potential. You could run it yourself or look into doing it through the city. My city offers homeschool courses as well as regular citizen classes.

 

I work outside of the home, too, and sympathize. I really like my job, and even then it can be challenging to "do it all" and do it all reasonably well ((hugs)).