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View Poll Results: What Did You Start a Family Daycare
Economy 2 8.33%
Love Children 4 16.67%
Have Children 10 41.67%
School Degree 1 4.17%
Our Area Needed One 1 4.17%
Other 6 25.00%
Voters: 24. You may not vote on this poll
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>What Made You Decide to Home Daycare?
jillian01520 07:06 AM 10-07-2010
Exactly what the title says! And also how long did it take once you decided, to get it up and running?

I have 2 boys ages 6 (and in 1st grade) and an 19 month old. I just feel like my kids would benefit more from me being home then being out of the house until almost 6 at night. My husband is home by 2 and picks the little one up from daycare and gets the older one off the bus, but I just feel like I am missing out on so much.

I have always loved kids and worked at a Center when in high school, but chose a different path after college.
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Crystal 07:22 AM 10-07-2010
I decided to open my program because I could not find quality care. I moved my children from 3 programs within 6 months because the providers simply were not providing the level of care I expected for my children.

It took me about 2-3 months to fill all of my spaces, though I know many take 6 months or more to fill up.

If you love children, and your goal is to be home with your own, I say go for it!
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MommyMuffin 07:35 AM 10-07-2010
I had a dream one night that I had a daycare. After that for the next few days I kept thinking about it. I started to research online and I bought a few books about it. After a few weeks of praying about it I decided that this was something that I really needed to do. I took some classes and got licensed. It took me 7 months to get ready and I think I made the best decision. I know it will be very hard but I think the rewards are so great.
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DCMom 07:44 AM 10-07-2010
Because I wanted to be a sahm but couldn't afford it

Seriously, I started unlicensed doing 'a favor' for cash for two neighborhood families in 1989. It earned me some pocket money and I was able to stay home with my two boys who were two and an infant. After three years, my husband switched jobs and was making more money and I was pregnant with my daughter. Daycare was something I really enjoyed and with my daughter on the way I decided to become serious about it. So we built a bigger house, specifically designed for daycare and I jumped in with both feet.

That was 1993 and my newest daycare baby was just born today so I guess I am not retiring anytime soon, lol!
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DanceMom 07:46 AM 10-07-2010
I knew that I did not have children to send THEM to daycare. I HAD to stay home with my kids - I worked outside of the home for over 20 yrs but when I had my daughter and had to send her to daycare the first day - it was the worst day of my life. I knew then that someday somehow I had to work from home. My mother in law has done inhome daycare for over 30 yrs - so I decided after I was pregnant with my second child that I would too.
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mac60 08:44 AM 10-07-2010
If I had to do it over again, I pry wouldn't of done it. It has been 11 years now. I gave up 4 weeks vacation pay. I gave up health insurance benefits and my 401K. I gave up my home to caos, I was not able to attend all my kids school functions/sports activities due to being tied down to my daycare. My other job allowed me to be done at 3:30 and be active in the sports. DC caused me to miss many of their functions because with daycare I don't get done till 5:15. When I went into it, I had no idea my days would be so long and that my house would become more daycare than my home. Why I went into it? I guess because I was no longer happy with my other job, we lost our provider because she treated my kids horribly and it is very hard in our town to find school age care that will let you drop off at 6a.m. Since I was unable to find care for my own young school age kids, I started my business. I have been very very successful at it, and am always full, but after 11 years, I feel it is time to eventually move on.
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SilverSabre25 09:05 AM 10-07-2010
It was last year. We were looking at buying a house. I was about to graduate college and was supposed to be heading into the Master's of Education Program to be an elementary school teacher. I realized that if I wasn't working, we wouldn't be able to afford a house. I wanted a house, and I honestly didn't want to spend 5 more quarters (over a year) involved in a high-intensity, full-time (or more) college program, working more than 40 hours a week for no pay, and adding more and more student loan debt. So I changed my mind. We bought the house, I started advertising on Craigslist, and within two months I had my first two daycare clients and it's just gone on from there. I love where I'm at and what I'm doing. I love my job and although I don't want to do this for the rest of eternity, I'm making as much as my husband does, we're to the point where we are living comfortably and paying down debt. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
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kendallina 09:06 AM 10-07-2010
I worked as a preschool director before having my first (and only) daughter. Once she was born I stayed home for almost 2 years and then we really needed me to start working again financially. So, after looking for a job for over 6 months and turning down jobs that just didn't pay enough to justify working, I decided to start my preschool. I've only been open for a couple of months, but I absolutely LOVE it and am so grateful that I made this decision.
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laundryduchess@yahoo.com 09:10 AM 10-07-2010
8th grade, I took child development classes, 8th and 9th,.. in 9th I was part of a pilot program at our school, we opened a daycare in school for 15 kids. I also provided care after school from 4 pm to 10 for a family in my neighborhood. After graduation I got a job at a daycare while going to college,... 21 years later here I am.
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mrs.meg 09:23 AM 10-07-2010
My reasoning is the same as Crystal. I had 2 not so great daycare providers. The first on was WAY too strict, to the point that it was scheduled when they went potty and got a drink of water. The next one was so lenient that there were rabbits and guinea pigs running around the daycare room and the dog would follow them and eat their droppings!!!!! YUCK! Needless to say after seeing this I decided I was kind of in the middle and could babysit myself. I really miss working and being with adults, and am working toward going to nursing school taking classes. I couldn't do this forever! Some people are made for this, and they are special people. The only thing that gets me through the day is knowing it is temporary.
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boysx5 09:34 AM 10-07-2010
I decided to do after I had my second child I went to school for early childhood and for what they pay I couldn't afford childcare for two children who were only a year apart. I also planned on a large family and I have five sons so me being able to stay home with them and make some money was a no brainer. I do enjoy doing daycare so much more now that all my boys are in school and I can still get my baby fill. Most days I love it but sometimes I miss leaving the house and getting out but I love the money I make.
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newtodaycare22 09:37 AM 10-07-2010
I taught kindergarten for 2 years. Loved the working with kids and actual TEACHING part....but I was so done with all of the "extras". Constant observations from a principal who had 0 early childhood experience. If he walked into a classroom with ANY noise, he said the teacher had no control. Ridiculous. I went to my mom's after a frustrating day (based on an observation where the kids were working in groups...and I got in trouble because the were talking). My brother said "You know, my friend's mom runs a daycare out of their house" It was like a lightbulb went off in my head. My degrees are in psychology and early childhood education. I love kids...so I decided to start an educational daycare for preschoolers (leave the diapers at home please...) A lot of people told me in this economy I'd be struggling...babies are where the money are bla blah.

Well, I hoped on August 16th and I currently have 3 full time kids and 2 part time kids. All 3 or 4 years old...and I'm having a great time teaching them their abcs and 123s
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BentleysBands 09:55 AM 10-07-2010
i started caring for children at 11yrs and never stopped...had my first DS at 17yrs old (married as well and still am to the same man ) ..since then i've had 3 other children...its just all i've ever known to be honest. i have no interest in working outside the home. tho i will admit that after 24+yrs i'm tired, but i keep trucking..the $ is great for me.
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AfterSchoolMom 10:22 AM 10-07-2010
I was a stay at home Mom. When my children were finally all in school, I started applying for jobs, mostly at DC Centers and Preschools. After interviewing at several places, it occurred to me that I could make more money for less hours if I did childcare on my own, and as an added bonus, I could run things the way I wanted without someone else telling me how to do everything. I've tried different age groups, but since my own are school aged, SA's are the best fit for us right now. I LOVE what I do (even when they're driving me crazy) and can't imagine doing anything else.

Oh, and once I settled on SA's, I put out my first Craigslist ad - I've been full ever since.
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melskids 10:24 AM 10-07-2010
i actually have a few reasons.

i've been babysitting since i was 12, and just love kids. we lived in an apartment complex where there were about 50 kids, from infant through highschool, and we all kinda grew up like family. at 12, i would be responsible (in the summer) for about 6-8 kids at any one time. we used to apartment hop...lol lunch would be at one house, we'd go play at another, and then watch tv and raid the fridge at another. my mom was a SAHM, so she was always around if i needed her. now i look back and think those parents must have been crazy leaving their kids with a 12 yr old all day, my older son still cant handle watching his little brother...lol but i had one family who were pretty disfunctional, and i tried my hardest to make their days with me the best i could. my mom actually ran into those girls a few years ago, and they told her if it wasnt for me, their childhood would have no happy memories. thats one of the main reasons i do daycare still...i feel there are kids out there who need me. cheesy, i know, but i've had ALOT of those types of families cross my path, and sometimes i think these families are sent to me on purpose.

then at 18, i became pregnant. thank God i had my mom to care for the baby while i worked. but in order to support the baby, i worked ALOT!! i missed alot of his infancy, and alot of it is a blur. i spent the first two years of his life overworked and overtired. when i met my now husband, i told him like it was. no way was i gonna do that to another baby ever. so thats how i started in home daycare. i wasnt licensed, it was more of watching kids here and there to make ends meet.

three years ago we moved to a new town, and my youngest started kindergarden. so i thought maybe it would be time to go back to work. i got a job at a daycare center, and although i loved the kids, the job stunk. the program, the teachers, the director, the whole nine yards. and i hated having to get up and actually go somewhere. there is a provider a few miles down the road, and i would pass her house every morning on my way to work. i would see families getting out of their car on super cold mornings and think how lucky she was to be cozy at home and have the kids come to her. so, i quit my job, and went to get licensed.

ive been licensed for two years now. it was rough at first, because i live on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, about 10 miles from town. but i got my name out there, and now am full. i have two pregnant moms fighting over the only spot i have left...lol i love being able to still be home, even though my kids are both in school. they get to come home to me, not a babysitter or have to be latchkey kids. i love sitting in my pj's having a coffee before the kiddos arrive. there are days i get sick of looking at the plastic crap fest that has taken over my home, and listening to srceaching babies has me pulling my hair out, but i wouldnt trade it for the world.

OMG...i just wrote a novel...lol
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laundryduchess@yahoo.com 10:47 AM 10-07-2010
for the record,.. I loved the novel. =-)
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kidkair 11:49 AM 10-07-2010
I started because I was running out of nanny jobs and was sick of bending to others' rules. I wanted to care for children in my own house. My family and boyfriend(now husband) were very supportive and helped out a lot. I have no children of my own and my husband and I agree that we probably never will. The daycare kids are our kids.
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Blackcat31 12:35 PM 10-07-2010
Hi! I started doing family childcare because I was working at Head Start as an Assistant Teacher/Home Visitor and was really not happy with the way things were being done. I also had a 3 year old son who was really a momma's boy and on top of that the Head Start center I worked in was 30 minutes plus from my home. Iam the oldest of 6 kids and am a natural caregiver. My husband is 4th of 5 boys and his mom ran a 24 hr 7 day a week daycare.
One day, I decided I wanted to run a child care center in my own way and told my husband. His first response was "NOT in our house!" We decided to buy a separate house and run a child care there. We purchesed a small home in town near an elementary school and I have been in business for 16 years now. It was the best decision I ever made!
My kids grew up in my own dayccare and when they didn't want to come to daycare they went home. (my husband works from home). My daughter, now 22 was a great help and my son, now 19 did great. It was a nice way for my kids to socialize and play and yet still maintain their own private spaces at home. If I had to do it over again, I would have done it sooner!
I currently have a full boat of kids and recently went back to college to finish my Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood. I do it all on-line and it doesn't interfere with my work at all.
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broncomom1973 05:18 PM 10-07-2010
I started daycare because while on maternity leave after having my 3rd child, our daycare provider increased her rates 50%, yes 50%. I had been working part-time (3 days/week) as a lab nurse at a family practice clinic. I tried to find alternate care for my children but couldnt find part-time daycare for 3 kids. At the time they were 3 mos., 17 mos and 4 years old. My dh and I tried to find someone to come in to our home to watch them but really had some scary people respond to our ad. One of the more "normal" applicants listed a reference whom I called and the reference did not speak very highly of her and her childcare skills. While talking to her she suggested I start my own daycare and from then on I started considering it. I returned to work after my 12 weeks of maternity leave was up and gave my 2 week notice. I have only been doing this 1-1/2 years now. I do love being home with my own children, but it can definitely be trying taking care of the other kids. It is getting easier, but initially I about went insane. My 1st dcb was 12 mos old and had never been away from his mom. He was still nursing, slept with her and his dad and was basically a mess (of course I didnt learn about his napping issues until I had to deal with them, mom never mentioned it during our interview). I literally couldnt step more than 1 foot away from him for over 2 months or he would sob uncontrollably. He did not know how to sleep in a pack-n-play cause he was used to nursing himself to sleep with his mom for naps. He screamed bloody murder at nap time for 8 weeks. Keep in mind that I had a 6 month old myself and this dcb's mom wanted me to do all kinds of baby massage and rocking him and every other thing you can think of during naptime when I had my own infant who was still nursing and I was barely able to find the time to care for him because I was trying to take care of this high maintenance dcb. So, I started off with a not so pleasant experience, lol. Ironically, he now is my best napper. I have over the course of the year "dismissed" 2 dcb, one was an infant who screamed constantly the other yelled out randomly (I think he had tourettes) and I seriously was getting heart palpitations from the screaming and the happy yelling boy so I dismissed them both and became a much less stressed out person. Things are good now. I do miss the benefits that I had while working as a nurse. The PTO, retirement, health insurance, life insurance, and all the other little benefits of working for a large employer. But, you cant beat being home with your own kids during these first years. I know that when the two younger ones get old enough to start school, I will have some decisions to make as to whether I want to stay on as a daycare provider or go back to the medical field. I really do enjoy the relationships you build with these little people. It really is amazing to watch them grow and learn. I look back at pictures of my daycare from last year and all of these kids have changed so much, it's amazing. Also, as someone else mentioned, I love just being at my home, and not having to get out in the cold mornings. I like not being stressed over "getting ready" in the morning because my a.m. routine has been drastically reduced since being home. I can shower, throw my hair in a clip, throw on some comfy clothes and start my day. I also can adjust my day as to how Im feeling if necessary which couldnt be done at my former job, lol. When the kids are good, it's all good, when they're naughty, it can sure be bad, lol. I do know this, I am definitely one of those providers that can only take care of 5 or 6 kids at a time. I dont know how those of you who care for 6,7,8,9,10+ kiddos do it. You most certainly have my respect.
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MMk9987 06:50 AM 11-19-2010
The reason that I want to open up my own child care facility is because I would like to become a stay at home mom and be there for my son 24/7 I did work at a daycare from 2008 2009 then in feb 2010 i had my son. but then i noticed something I loved being a mommy so much I did not want to miss out on any of his first. so i noticed that I sort of gave up on looking for a job. and I live with my mom and she said to me you have to look for a job we can not afford for you not to work. so then i just told her ill open up my own daycare she said fine.
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DCMomOf3 09:18 AM 11-19-2010
I started because I was a SAHM and a pg friend of mine convinced me to watch her baby. I still have DCG too.
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nikia 10:04 AM 11-19-2010
Hi all. I had a really bad experience in a home daycare one that could have ended in my child being taken or hurt extremely bad. I pulled my kids immediately and had some high school girls watch my kids (it was summer two years ago). A month after I did this I lost my job because of the economy. I was very nervous about finding a new daycare after what happened and I figured losing my job was Gods way of telling me to start the daycare I thought about opening. I was extremely lucky and the day I lost my job and mentioned to a friend my thoughts on doing a daycare I had 3 kids. My friends kid and she found two more that knew me and were unhappy with their daycare. Its a lot of hard work and like someone said your house is always chaos. There are also many great things about this job too though.
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KEG123 11:45 AM 11-19-2010
99% being that I am a mom and I stayed home with him for 18 months but then could not afford to not work anymore, so have been working the last 1-1.5 years. Well, we are wanting to expand the family but still keep up with the income....Also, my mom did daycare for a long time (10-15 years) so I was raised in this environment and at age 6 when my brother was born I was dubbed "little miss mother" since I was so naturally nurturing.
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