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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>When Did YOU Know You Could Do This Job?
preschoolteacher 12:41 PM 12-17-2013
My daycare has been open for 2 months now, and I provided unlicensed care before that... so I've been doing daycare for 4 months in total. Recently I have felt like I can really handle it... I remember when I first opened, I was worried about taking care of one other toddler in addition to my son. Could I possibly do it??! Now, I only have three kids (all under 2) some days. Recently, I told a parent that those days were my "quiet days", and they looked at me like I was crazy. Honestly, I have been getting a little bored with just 3 kids here. Other days, I have 5, and that is also totally do-able... although with more challenges, of course.

When did YOU know that you could really do this--take care of multiple little kids at once by yourself? Was there an ah-ha moment?

I recently advertised for kids 2+ and am adding one or two more kids to the group... so I'll have 4-5 kids each day.
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sharlan 12:54 PM 12-17-2013
I started "babysitting" when I was 12/13. I haven't stopped. I always say that I've had a baby on my hip for 57 years now.
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littlemissmuffet 01:01 PM 12-17-2013
I'm very organized, can multitask easily and I manage time, stress and finances quite well... I've known all along I could balance the actual work part of this job (dealing with multiple kids) and the actual ownership side of the job (running a business, paperwork, budgeting, etc).
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Blackcat31 01:36 PM 12-17-2013
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
I'm very organized, can multitask easily and I manage time, stress and finances quite well... I've known all along I could balance the actual work part of this job (dealing with multiple kids) and the actual ownership side of the job (running a business, paperwork, budgeting, etc).
This is me too.

As a matter of fact, I've come to realize over the years how much I did that wasn't MY job to do.... making up for forgetful parents, dealing with behaviors I thought were simply "part of the job", dealing with non-payment, sleep and eating issues..... etc etc...

I think about 10 years in, I stopped and said..."Why am I the ONLY one doing this?" Now I am VERY clear about what MY responsibilities are and what belongs to the parents.

Can NOT believe what a difference it makes.

I could do it all before, I just realized that I don't HAVE to.
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TwinKristi 02:10 PM 12-17-2013
Originally Posted by sharlan:
I started "babysitting" when I was 12/13. I haven't stopped. I always say that I've had a baby on my hip for 57 years now.
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
I'm very organized, can multitask easily and I manage time, stress and finances quite well... I've known all along I could balance the actual work part of this job (dealing with multiple kids) and the actual ownership side of the job (running a business, paperwork, budgeting, etc).
Both of these! Then I was asked by friends to watch their kids and more friends and more kids and I realized I should just go legit and get my license. But now all the friends' kids are gone and I have 1 extra kid. It's soooo boring! I need to get more kids and that is my problem. I have 6 of my own (16, 16, 12, 10, 8 & 2) so a couple extra has never been an issue for me. Before I was licensed (and don't flame me, it was only 1 day for a couple hours) I had ALL the kids I watched here and it was 13 kids! Only 2 were infants and 2 were preschool aged and the rest school aged. That was probably the hairiest of days but I managed to feed them all and we had a fun day! I would love to have a full crew and develop more structure and activity but with 2 two yr old boys it's just play eat play eat nap play and eat before going home with some diapers in there too!
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Maria2013 03:50 PM 12-17-2013
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
I'm very organized, can multitask easily and I manage time, stress and finances quite well... I've known all along I could balance the actual work part of this job (dealing with multiple kids) and the actual ownership side of the job (running a business, paperwork, budgeting, etc).
I'm that way too, I just don't know how long I can handle the never ending regulations, it is really starting to get to me
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thetoddlerwhisper 04:04 PM 12-17-2013
Originally Posted by sharlan:
I started "babysitting" when I was 12/13. I haven't stopped. I always say that I've had a baby on my hip for 57 years now.
Even younger for me . i was the oldest of 7and the big mommy figure
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melilley 04:11 PM 12-17-2013
Before I opened my fcc, I worked in 3 centers for a total of 14 years and before that I was kind of a nanny and before that I babysat. I remember the first time I walked into a center and did an observational interview, I remember thinking" I want to do this for the rest of my life" I even had tears in my eyes and remember what one of the little girls that I talked to looked like.

Well, here I am. Now I have my own fcc-15 or so years later so I guess I kind of knew on that first interview.
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preschoolteacher 08:08 PM 12-17-2013
You all seem more confident than I have been. I started out when my son was just 1 year old (first kid). So I am learning how to raise my kid alongside learning how to do daycare!

I worked in a preschool before, but I was 1 teacher out of 3... and in a lot of ways, you have so much less responsibility in a center because the school is in charge of dealing with payment, policies, and so on.

I always have been really organized, though. I think you're right--that helps!
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Soccermom 04:06 AM 12-18-2013
I have always really loved kids and enjoy planning crafts and activities for them. I have a lot of patience for them and I always wanted tons of kids (Didn't enjoy being pregnant though lol)

But after 10 years I still ask myself daily if I am really cut out for this LOL
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Familycare71 06:47 AM 12-18-2013
Originally Posted by Maria2013:
I'm that way too, I just don't know how long I can handle the never ending regulations, it is really starting to get to me
THIS is EXACTLY what I struggle with! The rest of it (well most of it...) I love'
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sarah33 10:52 AM 04-23-2014
I feel a lot of anxiety over the regulations. We are in Maryland, and they are pretty strict. I am always worried that my paperwork isn't in order (shot records, health inventory, etc.) or that my surprise inspection will happen when one or two of them are having a meltdown over sharing. The worst case scenario, if you will.

I got my ah-ha moment when I took care of a 3-month-old at the same time as my two kids (then 2 and 4). I got the best of both worlds - my baby fix and sleep that night!

I did feel pretty burned out over the summer when I kept taking drop-in care and was working 50 hours a week. I think what gets to me is the same routine every day of cleaning the main floor and getting ready to open. It never seems like I have time to enjoy my family because the weekends are now all of the errands I didn't have a chance to get accomplished during the week. My every day baby is moving, so I am now interviewing only for 3-4 days a week so I can have a lot more flexibility and less anxiety.
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Annalee 11:03 AM 04-23-2014
I have learned and grown as a provider, but still don't know if I could answer when I "knew" I could do this job! Organization with an OCD personality for all things does help but, like BC said, it creates wayyyy toooo much work. Even after getting some of those things corrected I still question my abilities at times. On a brighter note, I began babysitting in clients homes at the age of 16, worked in a center for 3 years and have owned my own FCC home for 22 years....Child Care has always been my passion! As mentioned by other posters, the rules/regs take a toll on me but "it is what it is" and I am here for the long haul.....have started my second generation of child care kids and expect to make it to my third generation.......
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Annalee 11:16 AM 04-23-2014
Originally Posted by sarah33:

I did feel pretty burned out over the summer when I kept taking drop-in care and was working 50 hours a week. I think what gets to me is the same routine every day of cleaning the main floor and getting ready to open. It never seems like I have time to enjoy my family because the weekends are now all of the errands I didn't have a chance to get accomplished during the week. My every day baby is moving, so I am now interviewing only for 3-4 days a week so I can have a lot more flexibility and less anxiety.
Balancing my family with daycare has ALWAYS been my downfall. Not that I can't do it, my OCD personality makes me think every THING has to be perfect and every ONE has to be happy. It was driving me insane....First I fixed my contract to benefit me....closing earlier, 52 weeks pay with holidays/vacations/personal days, etc....I felt that certain things were not being accomplished at daycare nor with my family so therefore I felt I was failing...But my wonderful mentor told me to take a step back and look at my child care environment...she said if I didn't talk to my dcks all day (which I do talk to them) that my environment was a teacher for them and the same for the other part my family lives in....that my own kids and family are loved by more than what I say/do....I try to think about those words at the end of every day and cut myself some slack! Just passing some of this forward in hopes it benefits someone else.
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CraftyMom 11:27 AM 04-23-2014
I started babysitting young and always had brothers, sisters, cousins to watch. I've always been a kid person (up to preschool I guess, not so much SA).

As far as my actual daycare it was when I was talking to a friend and said "I only had 5 kids today, so it was an easy day" she couldn't believe I would call 5 kids easy

That was probably 6 months into daycare
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gracepatiencelove 11:51 AM 04-23-2014
Originally Posted by preschoolteacher:
My daycare has been open for 2 months now, and I provided unlicensed care before that... so I've been doing daycare for 4 months in total. Recently I have felt like I can really handle it... I remember when I first opened, I was worried about taking care of one other toddler in addition to my son. Could I possibly do it??! Now, I only have three kids (all under 2) some days. Recently, I told a parent that those days were my "quiet days", and they looked at me like I was crazy. Honestly, I have been getting a little bored with just 3 kids here. Other days, I have 5, and that is also totally do-able... although with more challenges, of course.

When did YOU know that you could really do this--take care of multiple little kids at once by yourself? Was there an ah-ha moment?

I recently advertised for kids 2+ and am adding one or two more kids to the group... so I'll have 4-5 kids each day.

I don't know. I guess I've never really thought, "I can't handle that!" until I hit 7/8 kids (6 in my state + my own two when SO is home). Oh, yeah, and this PT infant who cries for me only and makes me feel like I suck at this. She is currently the only one here (+ my own) so I know its not me - it is that I am not going to carry/walk with her while she takes her naps
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KiddieCahoots 01:40 PM 04-23-2014
When I was a mom with my first three, and my house was "that house" that all the neighborhood kids ended up at. Me in the middle of the activities with them in the yard, playing all sorts of games, fixing snacks, and just having fun!
When there was a neighborhood block party, again.....the kids would all naturally gravitate to my house, where all the neighbors knew and trusted me with every one of them.
Family, friends, and neighbors suggested I go into the business.
Fifteen years later and still kicking...
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LoraJenkins 05:33 PM 04-23-2014
I guess I never though about not being able to do "it". I had 5 of my own children by the age of 23 (yes, I started young). And started caring for 2 newborns when my third was 2 weeks old. Since I was a SAHM, everyone who needed care that knew me asked, and I accepted. I always looked at it as just adding another child in the mix. I have been caring for children since I was a child (my first was born when I just turned 15 years old), so It is just natural for me I guess. I have a harder time when I only have 1 or 2 children, the days seem too quiet. Lol.
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Heidi 07:00 AM 04-24-2014
well, today honestly, is one of those days when I wonder if I CAN do this job!

crabby, crabby kids!
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Shell 07:34 AM 04-24-2014
I've worked in centers and public schools for about 12 years or so, but I always had issues with authority - I can't stand bring micro-managed when I am quite capable. So opening my own daycare is a no brainer. Juggling multi age groups can be challenging, but I had my "ah ha " moment this week when a parent said, "I don't know how you do this job, but you do it well! " I'm sure some parent will create some drama soon, and it will ruin the great feeling I was having
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SignMeUp 10:36 AM 04-24-2014
Originally Posted by Heidi:
well, today honestly, is one of those days when I wonder if I CAN do this job!
Me too! Mine's not the kids Mine are having a great day today in spite of cold and rainy weather. And it's not most of the parents. But I am amazed that after all of the things I've tried to protect myself against, once in a great while somebody manages to circumvent my contract and/or rules.

Why do some people seem to take such pleasure in this? I will never understand that. Or why they would want to do that to the person who cares for their child.
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cheerfuldom 10:54 PM 04-24-2014
Probably around when I really called out a rude parent and got the money owed me and thought "yeah I just did that" LOL Around two years into the journey and stopped putting up with parents, assistants and kids that sucked the energy out of me. Now I have up to 9 at my house (including my kids) and 6 years down the road and sometimes things get a bit hairy but overall, everyone is safe, fed, napped, diapered, and supervised and my current set of parents is kept on a tight leash. I know I might seem a little mean and I am okay with that.
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Josiegirl 04:03 AM 04-25-2014
Hah! I've been doing this almost 32 years and I still don't think I can do it.
Just when I think I've got it down to a science, the dcks throw another wrench.
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Maria2013 05:19 AM 04-25-2014
Originally Posted by preschoolteacher:

When did YOU know that you could really do this--take care of multiple little kids at once by yourself? Was there an ah-ha moment?

.
I've been working with young kids since I was 10yrs old, been licensed for 9yr and for the most part, I can say that I love this job, and feel it is what I was meant to be doing....but all it takes is one bad fit and I find myself questioning my career choice

..Thank goodness in the latest years I learned what it takes for me to keep happy, and that's to part with families as soon as issues arise, rather than stress myself out, trying so hard to make things work
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DaisyMamma 06:31 AM 04-25-2014
Originally Posted by preschoolteacher:
My daycare has been open for 2 months now, and I provided unlicensed care before that... so I've been doing daycare for 4 months in total. Recently I have felt like I can really handle it... I remember when I first opened, I was worried about taking care of one other toddler in addition to my son. Could I possibly do it??! Now, I only have three kids (all under 2) some days. Recently, I told a parent that those days were my "quiet days", and they looked at me like I was crazy. Honestly, I have been getting a little bored with just 3 kids here. Other days, I have 5, and that is also totally do-able... although with more challenges, of course.

When did YOU know that you could really do this--take care of multiple little kids at once by yourself? Was there an ah-ha moment?

I recently advertised for kids 2+ and am adding one or two more kids to the group... so I'll have 4-5 kids each day.
Sadly it was when my own dd went to preschool. It's so peaceful without her here bossing every kid around.
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Unregistered 08:47 AM 04-29-2014
I knew I could do this job when I was 18 years old and worked for my sister's licensed daycare. We are only allowed 8 kids here, but she had 16! She started building an apartment in her basement and worked on that all day and night long. So she hired me to watch her daycare kids. I realized that if I could handle 16 kids by myself, then opening my own daycare and watching the legal 8 would be a breeze!
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