momtolgd Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I had a home daycare a few years ago before we moved and before our youngest was born. I watched kids from June 2002 until we moved in August 2006. We just bought a house, and we really need for me to have some income coming in again. I am thinking about offering either before/after school care or 2nd shift care. Both of these will allow time for homeschooling with my own kids. When I stopped doing daycare our oldest was just turning 6, so it will be a bit different now since I have 2 doing school stuff. How has this worked out for you if you are doing it or have done it in the past? I believe this is my best option for making money and continuing to be home with the kids and homeschool them. I would really like to hear from someone who has done this. Thanks. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I do not now but will soon. I ran a home daycare for a spell before #3 was born, otherwise I have worked in daycare centers themselves. I know several homeschoolers who do this, but they tend to do unit studies or unschool I am not sure how it will work to homeschool following the classical model and have dayhome kids around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Michelle, I used to do it and it was fine for the most part. You definitely CAN do it. However, when my last kiddo moved a couple years ago, I started working at home doing phone work. Currently, I have two such jobs. One is taking calls from infomercials and the other is doing customer service for a big well-known company (contracted with another company). The money is CONSIDERABLY better than childcare and allows me better flexibility (both jobs have 24/7 schedules to choose 30 min shifts as I please). The other thing is that though I loved the kids and was able to successfully homeschool and take good care of littles, dealing with parents, illness, etc is another thing I don't particularly like. A phone call lasts approximately 5 minutes and I do my best to help the person but I don't have to deal with their personality, poor habits, getting my kids sick, etc. Anyway, just a thought. I don't get anything for referring you to either of these companies or a number of other companies like them. I just think they are a better fit for homeschooling and family in general....at least for me :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 But I do not feel that I am doing either of them as well as I'd like. I am trying to homeschool my 4 (ages 12, 10, 8, and 5) and watch a sibling pair (boy, age 3, and girl, age 9 months), and I write 20-30 hours per week in the evenings. They are very sweet kids, and we have become pretty good friends with the parents, but we have just enough differing philosophies of parenting that it makes it very difficult for me to deal with having these other two for so many hours. (Of course, I could just be a wimp. :glare: Totally possible.) The money is very good, and since I started doing "preschool" with the little ones (the 3 and 5 year olds), it has gotten better, but my older ones keep asking when we are going to get our family back. They understand that we need the money right now, so they have begun helping me more and working together and independently better, but we are looking for other ways to earn money next year. (This family will probably be moving away over the summer.) I think that if you sit down and make up a list of house rules that you will stick to and that potential client families can examine before you start watching their children, that would be a big help. Our daily, very predictable, routine has been a life-saver on many days. it is definitely do-able, and since you have done it before and know what to expect you should have an easier time than I have had. Also, offering before/ after care or 2nd shift care should help with potential scheduling issues with schooling. It is hard, but it can be done. (This has been a hard day, and I am getting sick, so I hope I don't sound too negative. Just take it as extremely vulnerable and honest. :D ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Michelle, I used to do it and it was fine for the most part. You definitely CAN do it. However, when my last kiddo moved a couple years ago, I started working at home doing phone work. Currently, I have two such jobs. One is taking calls from infomercials and the other is doing customer service for a big well-known company (contracted with another company). The money is CONSIDERABLY better than childcare and allows me better flexibility (both jobs have 24/7 schedules to choose 30 min shifts as I please). The other thing is that though I loved the kids and was able to successfully homeschool and take good care of littles, dealing with parents, illness, etc is another thing I don't particularly like. A phone call lasts approximately 5 minutes and I do my best to help the person but I don't have to deal with their personality, poor habits, getting my kids sick, etc. Anyway, just a thought. I don't get anything for referring you to either of these companies or a number of other companies like them. I just think they are a better fit for homeschooling and family in general....at least for me :) Wow those jobs sound ideal, too bad I can't find something like that here in Canada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 VIPdesk (I think it's .com) is a good company according to many LiveOppers. They do hire Canandians (though I know it's a big country so location may play a part. This online book has Canada mentioned in it a few times: http://www.scribd.com/doc/925255/Work-from-Home-for-a-Virtual-Call-Center There were some other things that came up in a search. I didn't explore them much, but you might. I just put virtual call center Canada. Other searches may work also. I do think LiveOps should open to Canandians just because Canadians call in on informercials also! If they can buy, they should be able to work. Maybe in time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I watched a friend's kiddo who was unhappy in the local daycare. It worked out wonderfully, she just fit right in with my own, and I taught her how to read. Another time I babysat and finished off kindergarten for another little fella who was too bright and getting into trouble at school. It went fine, he fought doing schoolwork for me the first week, so I just let his parents handle that, and that was that. I didn't mind doing it when mine were in elem. I wouldn't do it now for anything. We're so flexible now that I'd go nuts if I had to be on someone else's schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtolgd Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 Thank you all. Has anyone else managed to make this work? I am expecting paperwork from our local Resource & Referral agency to come in the mail tomorrow. If it looks good, I think we are going to prepare our home and start advertising. 2 full time kids or 1 full time kid and a few after school kids would help us so much and since I've done it before I know what I'm getting myself into! :lol: It's just going to be different since I've been just with my kids all day for 2 1/2 years. They are very excited about having a few kids here...the oldest especially remembers when I had a daycare before and he liked it. So we are going to give it a go and see what happens. We may have to give up our weekly homeschool group. That may cause some heartache, but maybe there is a way to keep doing that or to do it again in the future. Bottom line is that I need to bring in some money so that we can continue to Homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I asked on the LO forum and got this link for Canadian resources. I can't vouch for any of them, but.... http://groups.yahoo.com/phrase/work-at-home-call-center-agents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I asked on the LO forum and got this link for Canadian resources. I can't vouch for any of them, but.... http://groups.yahoo.com/phrase/work-at-home-call-center-agents Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferB Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I have 1 extra boy right now, age 2. My own kids are 10, 5, 4, and 1 - he fits right inbetween there. I'm in 4th grade with my 10 yo, and doing SWR and Rightstart with my 5 & 4yos. I let the 2yo boy and my 1yo boy run around and do what they want. They are on the same nap schedule to make things easier. It is difficult, and M-F I feel like I'm "going to work", even though it's only 1 extra boy I'm watching. But, like another poster stated, the differing parenting philosophies makes it most difficult, and that he's not my boy, so I don't have the same affection for him. He also doesn't like to listen to stories or do phonics or any of the other things that even my 1 yo likes to do. That makes it difficult. He often just plays alone and snacks a lot. I am able to still do a rigorous school with my 10yo, and a pretty good amount with my 5 & 4yos, so I'm happy about that. I'm also happy about contributing to the family debt reduction plan. Another thing I do to earn money in the home is host international college students from our local community college. We currently have 2 students in our home, who take up 2 bedrooms and eat meals with us. We get $550 per month per student, and they usually only take up about 1/5 th of that in food & shared living expense. I use this money for debt reduction too. With these responsibilities, I don't have any outside home activities, except church on Sunday. It would be impossible to be outside the home and do everything I want to do here to contribute. I hope you find the solution your family needs, and still stay in the home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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