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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Hating This....
robinsoninfl 10:38 AM 03-01-2011
I just opened a couple months ago and when I first opened I had a temporary enrollment for about a month. He was 20 months and at the time my daughter was 18 months. I also have a 6 yr son but he is in school til' around 2:30 each day. During that time it was fun and I actually enjoyed it. Well that little guy left and now I've two infants. One is 11 months and one is 6 weeks. The 6 week old just started yesterday and the 11 month old has been here a month. It's not that I can't handle it or am overwhelmed. I just hate it! It's incredibly boring and they have very irregular schedules that usually are completely opposite from my daughters so none of them ever ever ever actually nap at the same time and that makes things a little frustrating as well. I just don't know what to do! The 11 month old is very very close to transitioning to one nap a day soon and almost walking and I'm looking forward to that and he's a very happy really good baby and I don't want to term him but I'm starting to question whether or not I really want to do infant care or not! Do you offer infant care? If so, how on earth do you keep your sanity?
blueclouds29 10:46 AM 03-01-2011
i know how you feel. My DD is 23 months. I watch a 6 and a 9 month old and a 14 month old. I used to call up my husband crying that i didn't want to do this anymore. They all seemed to need a bottle at the same time or just need to be rocked or something. My DD and the 14 month old fight all the time. So i would be feeding a baby and would be pulling the two toddler apart. For a couple of days i didn't want to do it anymore either. BUT i had to realize that they will get older and start crawling and walking. the 9 month old is now crawling and the 6 month old is now occupied on the floor or bumpo. Months ago it was bad. Plus we couldn't go out so i was stuck inside all day for what.. 3-4 months.
Trust me, they will get older and things will get easier. The reason i wanted to start with infants is so they can all play and interact ALTOGETHER as they got older. And i could do circle time with on age group.
Hang in there, it'll get easier, trust me, i was there!
Trust me, they will get older and things will get easier. The reason i wanted to start with infants is so they can all play and interact ALTOGETHER as they got older. And i could do circle time with on age group.
Hang in there, it'll get easier, trust me, i was there!
Christian Mother 10:56 AM 03-01-2011
I have 4 boys...all under 2. 
My littlest is 17 mos and then there is one at the end of the month that turns 2 and then my other 2 are almost a week apart...their bdays are in Dec. I don't know how I got lucky bc they all are walking and playing together. Somedays are better then others. But for the most part I have a happy bunch. The only thing I have a hard time with is they all like to climb up on the couch and jump on it or climb from the couch to the lamp tables. I don't have any lamb on them and there in the corner of each room but they like to use them as stepping stoles to get on to the couch. I am constantly telling them to sit down or get down. Or time outs for not listening. They think it is the funnest thing. I just worry they will go over the couch bc they like to jump up high and then fall on there bums. lol!! I don't usually feel over whelmed w/this age group but if I had them all at the age of 1 or younger then yea I would bc each one needs quite a bit of attention and at separate times or all at the same time. I can't imagine trying to get them all bottles at the same time or changing..diff. nap times. etc.. You are so brave...I would go nutz!!
My littlest is 17 mos and then there is one at the end of the month that turns 2 and then my other 2 are almost a week apart...their bdays are in Dec. I don't know how I got lucky bc they all are walking and playing together. Somedays are better then others. But for the most part I have a happy bunch. The only thing I have a hard time with is they all like to climb up on the couch and jump on it or climb from the couch to the lamp tables. I don't have any lamb on them and there in the corner of each room but they like to use them as stepping stoles to get on to the couch. I am constantly telling them to sit down or get down. Or time outs for not listening. They think it is the funnest thing. I just worry they will go over the couch bc they like to jump up high and then fall on there bums. lol!! I don't usually feel over whelmed w/this age group but if I had them all at the age of 1 or younger then yea I would bc each one needs quite a bit of attention and at separate times or all at the same time. I can't imagine trying to get them all bottles at the same time or changing..diff. nap times. etc.. You are so brave...I would go nutz!!
marniewon 11:04 AM 03-01-2011
Originally Posted by Christian Mother:
I have 4 boys...all under 2. My littlest is 17 mos and then there is one at the end of the month that turns 2 and then my other 2 are almost a week apart...their bdays are in Dec. I don't know how I got lucky bc they all are walking and playing together. Somedays are better then others. But for the most part I have a happy bunch. The only thing I have a hard time with is they all like to climb up on the couch and jump on it or climb from the couch to the lamp tables. I don't have any lamb on them and there in the corner of each room but they like to use them as stepping stoles to get on to the couch. I am constantly telling them to sit down or get down. Or time outs for not listening. They think it is the funnest thing. I just worry they will go over the couch bc they like to jump up high and then fall on there bums. lol!! I don't usually feel over whelmed w/this age group but if I had them all at the age of 1 or younger then yea I would bc each one needs quite a bit of attention and at separate times or all at the same time. I can't imagine trying to get them all bottles at the same time or changing..diff. nap times. etc.. You are so brave...I would go nutz!!
You let your dck's jump on your furniture?? I don't even let my dck's ON my furniture, because they would never listen and would run across/jump on/off my furniture. I expect normal wear and tear, with my family and daycare kids, but I don't make enough money to replace my furniture every other year! That, and it's a huge sign of disrespect to other people's property!I have 4 boys...all under 2.
My littlest is 17 mos and then there is one at the end of the month that turns 2 and then my other 2 are almost a week apart...their bdays are in Dec. I don't know how I got lucky bc they all are walking and playing together. Somedays are better then others. But for the most part I have a happy bunch. The only thing I have a hard time with is they all like to climb up on the couch and jump on it or climb from the couch to the lamp tables. I don't have any lamb on them and there in the corner of each room but they like to use them as stepping stoles to get on to the couch. I am constantly telling them to sit down or get down. Or time outs for not listening. They think it is the funnest thing. I just worry they will go over the couch bc they like to jump up high and then fall on there bums. lol!! I don't usually feel over whelmed w/this age group but if I had them all at the age of 1 or younger then yea I would bc each one needs quite a bit of attention and at separate times or all at the same time. I can't imagine trying to get them all bottles at the same time or changing..diff. nap times. etc.. You are so brave...I would go nutz!!
Blackcat31 11:34 AM 03-01-2011
Originally Posted by marniewon:
You let your dck's jump on your furniture?? I don't even let my dck's ON my furniture, because they would never listen and would run across/jump on/off my furniture. I expect normal wear and tear, with my family and daycare kids, but I don't make enough money to replace my furniture every other year! That, and it's a huge sign of disrespect to other people's property!
I made the mistake one year of asking a few couch jumpers "Are you allowed to jump on your furniture at home?!?!"....fully expecting to be told no but instead I got "Yes, but mom says if we get hurt we can't come crying to her!" You let your dck's jump on your furniture?? I don't even let my dck's ON my furniture, because they would never listen and would run across/jump on/off my furniture. I expect normal wear and tear, with my family and daycare kids, but I don't make enough money to replace my furniture every other year! That, and it's a huge sign of disrespect to other people's property!
I learned to never ask them to stop, I just started not allowing any of the dck's to be on the couch at all. It is a respect thing and if they cannot be respectful, they can use the floor! I have since removed the couch all together but I know that is not an option for most in-home providers since you all need a couch after hours...
broncomom1973 12:59 PM 03-01-2011
No, I dont offer infant care!!!! When I started daycare (2 years ago), I started out with my own kids who were 4, 1-1/2 and 5 months old. My first dcb was 12 mos and I had a 2 year old dcg and an 18 month dcg. About 2 months after I started, the 2 dcg's familys both moved away, so I ended up taking a 5 month old dcb. I then had 4 kids 18 months and under and my 4 year old. As these kids have grown older over the past 2 years, I have NOOOOOO desire to take on the 12 mos and under age ever again. I had a 2 month old start with me over a year ago and it was awful. The older he got, the worse it got. If I wasnt directly involved with him, he would scream. I couldnt keep him too close to the other kids at that point because they were 10 mos, 8 mos and 18 mos (all boys) and they didnt know the word gentle, lol. So, I tried to keep the 2 month old away from them as much as possible. As he got older (5-6 months), I would put him in the exercauser while I made lunch and he would just scream. If I was within 1-2 feet he was fine, but any further than that was a problem for him. I finally had to tell his mom that it wasnt fair to him, it wasnt fair to the other kids (who had to listen to the screaming) and it wasnt fair to me. He needed to be somewhere where he was given more attention than I was able to give. It was difficult trying to go outside if he was sleeping, if the others were sleeping, he was awake. It literally took him 40 minutes to take a bottle when he first came- and considering I fed him every 2-3 hours, that was a very large chunk of my day. I do much better with toddler age. We are all on the same schedule. I have two 3 year olds that do not nap, but they keep quiet and play together during naptime. I can communicate with them and they actually understand what I expect of them I do much better with toddler age.
I do much better with toddler age.
Christian Mother 07:51 AM 03-02-2011
Originally Posted by marniewon:
You let your dck's jump on your furniture?? I don't even let my dck's ON my furniture, because they would never listen and would run across/jump on/off my furniture. I expect normal wear and tear, with my family and daycare kids, but I don't make enough money to replace my furniture every other year! That, and it's a huge sign of disrespect to other people's property!
You are so correct!! I should of started from the beginning not having any of my DCK on the couch...but I wanted to teach them to respect my property and how to sit correctly...even in chairs. But, with chairs they have a booster so...doesn't really stick there. There kind of forced. My oldest DCB learned right off how to sit and I never had any problems but when I started getting more things changed quickly bc those children came in with out any respect so there where time outs...he pretty much learned how to jump and climb over the couch from the others. So now...as of today anyway...there is no more getting on the couch...I learned late...lol!! But better now them a long the way. My oldest DCB is having a hard time of it bc he is used to being on the couch when he wants to but he'll learn. You let your dck's jump on your furniture?? I don't even let my dck's ON my furniture, because they would never listen and would run across/jump on/off my furniture. I expect normal wear and tear, with my family and daycare kids, but I don't make enough money to replace my furniture every other year! That, and it's a huge sign of disrespect to other people's property!
JenNJ 10:56 AM 03-01-2011
When I opened, I accepted infants. Now that I have been doing it a few years, I have decided that I will only take on infants who are siblings to those ALREADY in care. I will not be accepting anyone under 12 months after this group of children. I enjoy outside time and a predictable schedule too much to do infants anymore. I like 12-48 months the best so I am sticking to that.
squareone 12:31 PM 03-01-2011
Originally Posted by JenNJ:
When I opened, I accepted infants. Now that I have been doing it a few years, I have decided that I will only take on infants who are siblings to those ALREADY in care. I will not be accepting anyone under 12 months after this group of children. I enjoy outside time and a predictable schedule too much to do infants anymore. I like 12-48 months the best so I am sticking to that.
When I opened, I accepted infants. Now that I have been doing it a few years, I have decided that I will only take on infants who are siblings to those ALREADY in care. I will not be accepting anyone under 12 months after this group of children. I enjoy outside time and a predictable schedule too much to do infants anymore. I like 12-48 months the best so I am sticking to that.
I would like to do the same except I want 24-48months. What we can do and where we can go is so limited when we have an infant in tow.
marniewon 11:00 AM 03-01-2011
I have one infant right now. She's 8 months. In the year that I've been doing this, I've decided that, although I love babies, in the future I will only take toddlers. Why? For the very reasons you mentioned. Schedules are too irregular, they need more attention, they tend to cry more, and you feel stuck with munchkins all day long, inside, without a break. Yes, they do get older, but I had one who got more needy and cried even more as he got older.
In my short career as a dcp, I've had 4 infants. There was only one that I truly enjoyed, even (and especially) as he got older. The other two screamed/screeched constantly, and the one I have now is a good baby, but her schedule is a little off of the rest of the group.
I homeschool my kids and we try to get schooling done during afternoon nap, but that doesn't always happen, with a baby here. So I don't think I'll be taking any more infants.
In my short career as a dcp, I've had 4 infants. There was only one that I truly enjoyed, even (and especially) as he got older. The other two screamed/screeched constantly, and the one I have now is a good baby, but her schedule is a little off of the rest of the group.
I homeschool my kids and we try to get schooling done during afternoon nap, but that doesn't always happen, with a baby here. So I don't think I'll be taking any more infants.
littlemissmuffet 11:30 AM 03-01-2011
Originally Posted by marniewon:
I have one infant right now. She's 8 months. In the year that I've been doing this, I've decided that, although I love babies, in the future I will only take toddlers. Why? For the very reasons you mentioned. Schedules are too irregular, they need more attention, they tend to cry more, and you feel stuck with munchkins all day long, inside, without a break. Yes, they do get older, but I had one who got more needy and cried even more as he got older.
In my short career as a dcp, I've had 4 infants. There was only one that I truly enjoyed, even (and especially) as he got older. The other two screamed/screeched constantly, and the one I have now is a good baby, but her schedule is a little off of the rest of the group.
I homeschool my kids and we try to get schooling done during afternoon nap, but that doesn't always happen, with a baby here. So I don't think I'll be taking any more infants.
You homeschool your kids during nao time? How long is nap time? And even then, sometimes it "doesn't always happen"? How does that work? How are they getting their education? Maybe I misunderstood...I have one infant right now. She's 8 months. In the year that I've been doing this, I've decided that, although I love babies, in the future I will only take toddlers. Why? For the very reasons you mentioned. Schedules are too irregular, they need more attention, they tend to cry more, and you feel stuck with munchkins all day long, inside, without a break. Yes, they do get older, but I had one who got more needy and cried even more as he got older.
In my short career as a dcp, I've had 4 infants. There was only one that I truly enjoyed, even (and especially) as he got older. The other two screamed/screeched constantly, and the one I have now is a good baby, but her schedule is a little off of the rest of the group.
I homeschool my kids and we try to get schooling done during afternoon nap, but that doesn't always happen, with a baby here. So I don't think I'll be taking any more infants.
I usually only take 10 months and up, 1-2 at a time and can quickly get them into a good schedule/routine that works for group daycare.
marniewon 05:52 PM 03-01-2011
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
You homeschool your kids during nao time? How long is nap time? And even then, sometimes it "doesn't always happen"? How does that work? How are they getting their education? Maybe I misunderstood...
Yes, I homeschool my own children at nap time. Nap time is 2 hours or a little more, depending on how tired my littles are. My kids are 14 and 16. They have a lot of independent work they can do, and that 2 hours a day allows us to do anything "group" together, help with anything they are having trouble with, give instruction for independent work, etc. You homeschool your kids during nao time? How long is nap time? And even then, sometimes it "doesn't always happen"? How does that work? How are they getting their education? Maybe I misunderstood...
Actually, 2 hours a day was the average time that we spent on school even when they were younger. If you think about when you were in school, how much time per day was spent on getting into a classroom, taking attendance, settling kids down, getting ready to go to lunch or other classes, coming back, settling down, recess, getting ready to go home, etc? Not to mention that during the actual instruction, you can only go as fast as the slowest learner. If one child doesn't "get it" much more instruction time will be spent until the whole class "seems" to understand the material. With my kids I could take as long as they needed or zip on through if they "got it" quickly.
So there's my long answer to your question....lol.
littlemissmuffet 08:28 PM 03-01-2011
Originally Posted by marniewon:
Yes, I homeschool my own children at nap time. Nap time is 2 hours or a little more, depending on how tired my littles are. My kids are 14 and 16. They have a lot of independent work they can do, and that 2 hours a day allows us to do anything "group" together, help with anything they are having trouble with, give instruction for independent work, etc.
Actually, 2 hours a day was the average time that we spent on school even when they were younger. If you think about when you were in school, how much time per day was spent on getting into a classroom, taking attendance, settling kids down, getting ready to go to lunch or other classes, coming back, settling down, recess, getting ready to go home, etc? Not to mention that during the actual instruction, you can only go as fast as the slowest learner. If one child doesn't "get it" much more instruction time will be spent until the whole class "seems" to understand the material. With my kids I could take as long as they needed or zip on through if they "got it" quickly.
So there's my long answer to your question....lol.
Thank you Yes, I homeschool my own children at nap time. Nap time is 2 hours or a little more, depending on how tired my littles are. My kids are 14 and 16. They have a lot of independent work they can do, and that 2 hours a day allows us to do anything "group" together, help with anything they are having trouble with, give instruction for independent work, etc.
Actually, 2 hours a day was the average time that we spent on school even when they were younger. If you think about when you were in school, how much time per day was spent on getting into a classroom, taking attendance, settling kids down, getting ready to go to lunch or other classes, coming back, settling down, recess, getting ready to go home, etc? Not to mention that during the actual instruction, you can only go as fast as the slowest learner. If one child doesn't "get it" much more instruction time will be spent until the whole class "seems" to understand the material. With my kids I could take as long as they needed or zip on through if they "got it" quickly.
So there's my long answer to your question....lol.
And to answer yours... "...when you were in school...?"
I was homeschooled - 5 hours a day, five days a week! So that is my experience with it. If you can get er done in 2, why not
