Originally Posted by CheekyChick:
You would have to raise your rates if you let the children have water play? I'm not following you... 
The OP said
"it takes 30-45 mins just to get them dressed and sunscreened. And then getting them dressed takes another 30-45 mins."
I have as many as eight kids and PAY someone to do this.
If I have her doing what sunflower is talking about then she doesn't get the
other tasks done that I hire her to do. If she doesn't get them done I have to pay her for additional hours of work. That cost me money.
My staff assistant does laundry, cleans, sorts, inspects and cleans toys, peels and chops food, does receipts, does some keyboard work, etc. etc. for the business. She does these while the kids are UP and playing toys. If she takes an hour and a half to set up/tear down, dress kids etc. AND supervise water play she doesn't have TIME to get the things done that she does while they are up and free playing.