I did weekend care for 1 child for awhile, also advertising that I could accommodate crazy schedules. I NEEDED the income. In my case I had three M-F/9-5 dcks and the one weird schedule. Dcm was a float nurse, second shift, and days of the week varied each week, but usually included 2-3 weekends a month. For me that particular dcg became more of a nanny position and she was just my third child. If we went to the grocery, she went. Church, she went. Out to eat, she went. Trick-or-treating, I dressed her up and she went. You get the idea.
There are three reasons I didn't go completely insane with this schedule: 1) Dcm was laid back and understood that to make it work dcg would have to be part of my family. I didn't have to check with dcm every time we left the house. 2) I had ZERO drama with this family. Paid on time, every time. Picked up and dropped off as planned, every time. Provided supplies I asked for without question. 3) I had some weekend days and occasionally a whole weekend off.
Pros: It paid the bills.
Helped me realize I'm done having kids. Traveling with 3 in tow ALL the time is not for me.
I learned a lot, I found out a lot about myself and what I wanted out my daycare provider experience.
It paid the bills.
Cons: It's stressful, and my own kids took a while to adjust.
If you are signing up for both days EVERY weekend you will literally never get a day off. Oh, you wanted to go camping? visit family out of town? drive two hours away to go shopping at the outlet mall?... yeah none of that is happening.
And yes, I did charge them more than I charged my "normal" schedule folks. They understood this, and were on board. Dcm mom got a shift differential for working second and so did I
.
Would I do it again? Only if I had to, and I could find another family that was easy to work with. It was rough, but temporary.