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KidGrind 12:34 PM 08-18-2014
….. from the insanity I am thinking about:

A before & after school program (500 ft away from me) is closing, I am thinking about taking on SA.

The opportunity to make more money is muting my logic. Greed is real.
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Heidi 12:38 PM 08-18-2014
DOWN GIRL!

Seriously, now way-no how; not enough money in the WORLD!
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Leigh 12:42 PM 08-18-2014
I have ONE 8 year old here today and tomorrow as a favor to a friend (I don't do SA). I am ready to stick screwdrivers in my ears in an effort to make sure I can't hear anymore. I'm bored. I'm hungry. I want.... and in between that, blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah, (BREATH) blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah,blah, blah.

I can not take anymore of this! She's a good kid, but never, ever shuts her mouth. E.V.E.R. (sigh).

If you want every day to be like this, take before/after kids. For me, there is not enough money in the world.
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NightOwl 12:46 PM 08-18-2014
STOOOOOOOOOOPPPP! You will kick yourself (or worse) if you do this. If you have a single nerve left in your body, they will be all over it. When I had school age kids, I found that my mood was way worse at the end of the day compared to not having them.

STEP BACK FROM THE LEDGE!!
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Blackcat31 12:49 PM 08-18-2014
Don't do it!!!!!!

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Play Care 12:53 PM 08-18-2014
I am ENDING my SA program.

Even if you just start only after school, eventually they will wear you down to full days when school is closed (and it's closed a lot) And SA kids do not nap, so...

The day will feel like its starting all over again at 3:00 or whatever time they come in... sort of like Groundhog Day only worse because at least Bill Murray is funny.

The LIABILITY from having older kids who TELL STORIES is unreal - and unlike a 3 or 4 yo where you can tell mom and dad "I'll only believe half of what they tell me..." older kids tend to LIE in a BELIEVABLE fashion.

When you take SA kids you then have to have the awkward conversations when they do outgrow your care - when kids left my program when they went to K it was easy. We knew they were leaving, had a little party and away they went. Last year I had two brothers who were so big that in the course of normal play, kids got hurt. It was past time for them to go, but mom wasn't happy...

Parents wanting tutors - because they are "too tired" to deal with homework and studying when they get done with work. I'll get right on that as I'm supervising several other children...

The money I did make was just not enough...
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Play Care 12:57 PM 08-18-2014
Oh, and my SA kids were never happy unless we were going, going, going. Not possible when you also have toddlers and preschoolers (or really even just other SA kids)
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Blackcat31 01:05 PM 08-18-2014
Originally Posted by Play Care:
Oh, and my SA kids were never happy unless we were going, going, going. Not possible when you also have toddlers and preschoolers (or really even just other SA kids)
...and they are sooooooo loud!
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nannyde 01:07 PM 08-18-2014
Don't do it
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BrooklynM 01:10 PM 08-18-2014
I had 1 for 2 weeks as a favor. They have called me 4 times since them to see if I could watch them but I said I was full and couldn't take him (I could have legally but to me it wasn't a lie because I was full of what I could handle and I couldn't handle him).

Don't do it! You can make money doing a lot of things but you cannot put a price on your sanity!
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TwinKristi 01:17 PM 08-18-2014
I did SA care at first but it really wears on you. I stopped in March and it made a huge difference. No more broken toys, windows, non-stop eating...
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hope 01:44 PM 08-18-2014
I had SA and it does not work in a multi aged grouped setting. You will be tired and miserable. No amount of money is worth it. And parents will not pay a lot for it bc they think SA is easy.
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Second Home 01:44 PM 08-18-2014
When school begins on Monday I will have 4 or 5 before / after kids . 1 hour before and 1 less than 1 hour after school . I do not hold a spot for snow days or days off , I treat it like drop in care, I choose who will come on those days , that way my days are not extremely stressful.
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Laurel 02:06 PM 08-18-2014
Aaacckk!!! No thanks!

I did know one provider who did school age ONLY. So she had from after they got on the bus in the morning till they got off from school free. I suppose if your days are free it 'might' be worth it. She liked it. I wouldn't do SA again with the littles though.

Laurel
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MOM OF 4 03:06 PM 08-18-2014
I used to LOVE it.....until they passed the age of 6. LOL Then it is that they are ALWAYS bored and you'll ALWAYS be "no fun" and "BABIES are sooooo annoying!" and " I don't like babies" and there are NO NAPS...NO MORE NAPS. NAPS ARE GONE! You will have said children up your behind!

SCARY SOUNDING, it is, and yet SO VERY TRUE! Don't do it!
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KidGrind 03:14 PM 08-18-2014
I have read ALL of your truths, wisdom, experience and advice.


I will keeping my sanity. I am going to stick to my no SA kids.

THANK YOU!
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nannyde 03:20 PM 08-18-2014
Awww shucks. I was hoping to get another hour consult with Ms Kid Grind to talk her out of going to SA he!!.
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Second Home 06:08 PM 08-18-2014
Originally Posted by KidGrind:
I have read ALL of your truths, wisdom, experience and advice.


I will keeping my sanity. I am going to stick to my no SA kids.

THANK YOU!
Does this mean I am insane .
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lynne 07:22 PM 08-18-2014
Originally Posted by nannyde:
Awww shucks. I was hoping to get another hour consult with Ms Kid Grind to talk her out of going to SA he!!.
Hee Hee!
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Silly Songs 08:05 PM 08-18-2014
Wow are school agers really that bad ? I work with mostly 4 year olds, that's only a few years younger than school age .
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daycare 08:07 PM 08-18-2014
YES..... SA is just a whole different animal.

Some people can deal with them, most people can NOT.

I love coaching sports in this age group, but I have them in an open field for about an hour and if they misbehave, most of the parents are about 15 feet away I make them sit out.


Think of yourself as throwing a lamb to the lions but WORSE
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Cradle2crayons 08:44 PM 08-18-2014
After reading the comments I'd have to think I must be the insane one here.

I love SA kids and wish I could do either all babies or all SA. There isn't much money in school age kids especially since the full time rates are so low here.

But I consider the money worth it since I only work 2 hours after they get here (SA have to be picked up by 5:30 even though I have other kids here afternoon.)

I give their snack and by the time they eat that and do homework, they are on the way out the door. And I charge $60 a week and parents send the snack. They pack a snack for school and one for my house including drink. Considering full time here is around $75-90 here a week, I make a lot more per hour doing after school and hey don't eat all my food. Lol

Sigh... And here I thought I was mostly sane.....
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Lucy 09:53 PM 08-18-2014
I have 5 kids right now. All SA'ers. Two going into 1st grade, and one each going into 4th, 5th, and 6th. I've had two of them since birth (now ages 6 and 11), and the rest since age 2.

I know it's not for everyone, but here are a couple of reasons it works well for me:

I think it makes a big difference when they've grown up with you. These feel like my nieces and nephews. If I were to take in "new" SA'ers, I agree they'd drive me crazy. They'd have behaviors and idiosyncrasies I'm not used to, and it would be harder, if not impossible, to "re-train" them.

We have had various activities going on for the majority of days this summer. I would much rather be out and about taking them places than sitting at home where, yes, they definitely DO get bored.

I've taken them to organized things like vacation bible school, basketball football and lacrosse camps, all the Friday library programs, and to our local Lego store for their mini classes on how to build something, etc. And also things we did on our own like going to a small pond to feed ducks, playing at the park, etc. ALL these things were FREE, which is awesome. Also, our town (and I think most places do this) has a free lunch program. We got about 99% of our lunches for free ALL summer long! I took them to McDonald's as a treat once, and ordered Domino's as a treat once. And a couple times, we just felt like chillin' at home, so we had sandwiches here. Otherwise, it was free, and I didn't have to make it!

I've taken younger kids all along, but this is the first time in 20 years that I've had all SA'ers. I'm used to them now. When I think about younger ones, I groan. I think about diapers, crying, not being able to take my eyes off them in case they trip and fall, hit each other, bite, fight over a toy, etc., etc. Ugh!

So it's all in what you're used to, and what suits your personality. I guess that's my long-winded point. LOL

ETA: Yes, it's 100x harder with mixed ages. Been there, done that.
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KidGrind 01:59 AM 08-19-2014
Originally Posted by Second Home:
Does this mean I am insane .
LOL! It means you have a sparkling disposition with a Madea edge, most likely.
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KidGrind 02:09 AM 08-19-2014
Originally Posted by nannyde:
Awww shucks. I was hoping to get another hour consult with Ms Kid Grind to talk her out of going to SA he!!.
I actually almost requested an emergency one yesterday. I was livid. The DCM called trying to confront me about their issue. I went from:

REALLY B****?

to

OH H*LL NAW

to

TERM

back to REALLY B****?

to

I am typing up the term letter, right now. I can’t do ungrateful and blatant disrespect.

We will definitely do another consult. I put your expertise into action and saw an immediate improvement.
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Play Care 03:32 AM 08-19-2014
Originally Posted by Cradle2crayons:
After reading the comments I'd have to think I must be the insane one here.

I love SA kids and wish I could do either all babies or all SA. There isn't much money in school age kids especially since the full time rates are so low here.

But I consider the money worth it since I only work 2 hours after they get here (SA have to be picked up by 5:30 even though I have other kids here afternoon.)

I give their snack and by the time they eat that and do homework, they are on the way out the door. And I charge $60 a week and parents send the snack. They pack a snack for school and one for my house including drink. Considering full time here is around $75-90 here a week, I make a lot more per hour doing after school and hey don't eat all my food. Lol

Sigh... And here I thought I was mostly sane.....
I did have mostly good luck for a while - and technically I'm not totally done with SA kids yet- but I am being more upfront with my clients about their kids outgrowing my care. I do think having them pack their own snack is a great idea.
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Laurel 05:05 AM 08-19-2014
Originally Posted by Lucy:
I have 5 kids right now. All SA'ers. Two going into 1st grade, and one each going into 4th, 5th, and 6th. I've had two of them since birth (now ages 6 and 11), and the rest since age 2.

I know it's not for everyone, but here are a couple of reasons it works well for me:

I think it makes a big difference when they've grown up with you. These feel like my nieces and nephews. If I were to take in "new" SA'ers, I agree they'd drive me crazy. They'd have behaviors and idiosyncrasies I'm not used to, and it would be harder, if not impossible, to "re-train" them.

We have had various activities going on for the majority of days this summer. I would much rather be out and about taking them places than sitting at home where, yes, they definitely DO get bored.

I've taken them to organized things like vacation bible school, basketball football and lacrosse camps, all the Friday library programs, and to our local Lego store for their mini classes on how to build something, etc. And also things we did on our own like going to a small pond to feed ducks, playing at the park, etc. ALL these things were FREE, which is awesome. Also, our town (and I think most places do this) has a free lunch program. We got about 99% of our lunches for free ALL summer long! I took them to McDonald's as a treat once, and ordered Domino's as a treat once. And a couple times, we just felt like chillin' at home, so we had sandwiches here. Otherwise, it was free, and I didn't have to make it!

I've taken younger kids all along, but this is the first time in 20 years that I've had all SA'ers. I'm used to them now. When I think about younger ones, I groan. I think about diapers, crying, not being able to take my eyes off them in case they trip and fall, hit each other, bite, fight over a toy, etc., etc. Ugh!

So it's all in what you're used to, and what suits your personality. I guess that's my long-winded point. LOL

ETA: Yes, it's 100x harder with mixed ages. Been there, done that.
You have some good points! When I first started doing childcare I did it during the summer only (worked at school during school year) and that did work out well but ONLY because I didn't also have little ones. I had forgotten about that.

We went to parks, nature trails, and swimming almost daily. I had my own SA kids as well. So I watched my 3 and 2 other GREAT kids full time and another 2 girls came 3 days a week. That was a good group.

It is way too hard with littles also though. If you can take them places then it works out I think.

Laurel
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Blackcat31 05:53 AM 08-19-2014
Originally Posted by Silly Songs:
Wow are school agers really that bad ? I work with mostly 4 year olds, that's only a few years younger than school age .
Honestly, there is nothing wrong with school aged kids.

Just so long as they aren't part of a mixed group child care setting geared mostly towards the younger kids.

THAT ^^ is where the insanity begins.

If you just have one age group it's a breeze.

The closer the age gap of your kids the easier they are.
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Rockgirl 07:55 AM 08-19-2014
Years ago, I had a group of school agers that could only be described as magical. They'd work on ongoing projects for weeks at a time, played board games, would actively play outside without ever being told "GO PLAY!". As they aged out, they were gradually replaced with.....the maniacs I have now. Honestly, I do agree with everyone who says it's difficult to mix ages. I think this would've been a great summer if we could've been on the go, but we were stuck here every day.
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DaveA 09:02 AM 08-19-2014
It's OK when just school agers. Mixed age groups with SA tend to be a zoo. Especially if you have older kids who are just STUNNED that the younger kids actually have the nerve to play with toys in the same area as they are.

Stay away.
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LadyK8 09:16 AM 08-19-2014
More money, more problems.
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Second Home 10:13 AM 08-19-2014
I agree it can be annoying to have mixed age groups . But if I did not have them then I would never have any kids .
My s/a ers have to follow the same rules as the little ones .
When we play outside they even play a little with them but I can have separate play areas so they can play their older kid games . Inside the s/a kids have their own area to be able to play without the littles ones near them and also some games , toys for older kids that the littles do not play with .
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Lucy 10:35 AM 08-19-2014
Originally Posted by Second Home:
I agree it can be annoying to have mixed age groups . But if I did not have them then I would never have any kids .
My s/a ers have to follow the same rules as the little ones .
When we play outside they even play a little with them but I can have separate play areas so they can play their older kid games . Inside the s/a kids have their own area to be able to play without the littles ones near them and also some games , toys for older kids that the littles do not play with .
Yes, I did the separate areas when I've had mixed ages. Especially once Summer started. I moved things around so that the "big kids" would have their own space. The "little kids" weren't allowed over there. It worked out great.
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Laurel 11:43 AM 08-19-2014
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Honestly, there is nothing wrong with school aged kids.

Just so long as they aren't part of a mixed group child care setting geared mostly towards the younger kids.

THAT ^^ is where the insanity begins.

If you just have one age group it's a breeze.

The closer the age gap of your kids the easier they are.

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