Originally Posted by Starrygirl:
Unless you really needed the money, I would pass on it. I keep a 14mth old, a 5 mth old and a 4 month old. All full time. In December I'll also have a 2 mth old (my nephew) added to the mix. It's a challenge and for the first few weeks those two smallest ones had me exhausted. Keeping the 14mth old entertained while simultaneously caring for the infants is a major balancing act because they have such different schedules. I have a routine that works but if one thing goes wrong it can make the rest of the day a disaster. For example if one of the infants is colicky or fussy and gets off their feeding/nap schedule it changes the activity schedule of the 14mth old (can't do an art project while holding a screaming infant) which then causes her to get restless and then she will start to act up in an effort to get my attention focused on her only. After I have my nephew start in December I am changing my policy to only watch ages 1-6. The infants are sweet but I really am looking forward to the days when they're all able to follow the same schedule. I want all kids playing, eating and napping at the same times.
The money would be nice, but not desperately needed. I like the idea of having the longevity of a family staying from infancy to preschool.
I am worried about my older ones getting upset and acting out with sharing my attention, having to wait. Especially my son- we went through a horrible period of adjustment when I started doing this. He now loves his younger friends, although I do wish I could find a child closer to his age. He desperately wants them to play/interact with him and they are more interested in parallel play.
That definitely sounds like it would be a juggling act. (Schedules, needs, and wants)
Most of the calls I receive requesting interviews are for one year olds or infants. The calls I get for older preschoolers want an extremely lower rate or super weird hours. I need to change my marketing.