I started daycare because I, too, love kids and wanted to be home with my own. I stayed with daycare because I can make some good money at it. It required a huge shift in my thinking, though.

I would look at how much you need to be making and then charge enough so that you are making that. Divide it over the 52 weeks and don't give discounts.

I really learned a lot my first year. I made a lot of mistakes and needed to make a lot of changes. Once I did, I was happier. It did involve a lot of advertising and replacing, as I had pretty much signed up anyone and everyone.

Big things that have helped me:
*setting hours and not deviating from them for anyone. I start to resent the extra hours eventually.
*strict illness policy. Very strict. I dislike very much having sick kids here. So I make very clear that I am well childcare only.
*very clear policies and sticking to them right from the get go. My clients respect me more for it.
*revamping my interview process. Being picky about who I let in has made me happier.

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