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Jack Sprat 11:57 AM 01-21-2014
I was wondering how involved is your DH/SO with your business and how do families respond?

DH sits with kids at lunch, takes kids to school and helps with snack etc if he is home from work early. Parents are aware of his role in that aspect and great with it.

He was at an interview I did last month and it was so much help for me. He remembered things that I had forgot to mention, stressed the importance of being on time for pick-ups and in general was a great help. So we have decided that he will be present at all interviews and I will go through policies etc but, when it comes to financial part he will step in and review that with parents. I am horrible at this and feel so awkward when addressing this part of the daycare. So Dh offered to present that part to families. If a family is late with payment either of us will be making the "where's the $" call.

Thoughts on this? I think it will be good. Wondering if anyone else does something similar.
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Heidi 12:03 PM 01-21-2014
nope...neither of my husbands (former or current) really had much to do with the dcp's.

Current husband is very friendly, visits if they cross paths, talks ice-fishing or beer-brewing with the dads, and loves bouncing babies on occasion or offering the toddlers weird things to eat. He also works 50 hours a week, so he usually sees the kids in the morning for a few minutes, and then once in a while a parent picking up.
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KidGrind 12:09 PM 01-21-2014
My DH doesn’t spend much time with the kids. However, if it’s a day off he’ll watch them if I run to the bathroom or am busy fixing lunch.

He gets a kick out of chatting with the kids. He thinks he is The Baby Whisperer. I haven’t met a baby or tot who hasn’t loved him yet. Parents don’t seem to mind his limited interaction.

However, he is not a part of interviews or payments. It wouldn’t work for us. Yet, I think it’s great you and your DH find what works for you!
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Childminder 12:11 PM 01-21-2014
My DH is my assistant and helps with everything. Kids love him, parents are great with it and I wouldn't want it any other way.
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Jack Sprat 12:17 PM 01-21-2014
The dck's love DH as well. He also enjoys being with the kids and I love seeing the bond they have with him.

If I am still running the daycare in 25 years I could see DH being my assistant.
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crazydaycarelady 12:20 PM 01-21-2014
Beyond walking through the dc rooms and saying hi dh is not involved at all. I do have him listed as a caregiver just in case though.
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_Dana_ 12:39 PM 01-21-2014
Though my DH works outside of the home, he is very involved. We both get to know the families very well.

DH helps with the accounting and payments. During his lunch break, he will sit in the play room while I prepare lunch for the kiddies. Once he gets home, he helps to straighten up after everyone leaves and does the dishes. Right now, he is helping me to create a website that will include a blog once I graduate with my Bachelor's Degree this summer.

DH makes sure that I have everything I need to effectively run my child care. If he comes across something that will make my life easier, he will ask if I would like it or go ahead and get it for me. At some point, we plan to expand and become a husband/wife team. I look forward to it. We've worked together at a school before and it was like a dream. We were in the same department, shared an office, and taught large classes 20-30 kids together. It was LOTS of fun. I miss it.
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Moppetland 12:40 PM 01-21-2014
Mine is involved if he's off work. I only limit him though. He mostly play and entertain the kids, but he will help with meal time, hand washing, and outdoor time.

The parents love him, because they know this is a FAMILY child care, and a husband is part of the family. They see how excited the kids get when he's home. They actually will go over me to greet him. But that's fine with me.

He's been background checked and fingerprinted. That's why they are requested to have it done. I never had a parent question me about him being around when he's not working.
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Play Care 12:42 PM 01-21-2014
My DH isn't very involved and I kind of prefer it that way. He's friendly to clients and families, but he has his own FT job. He does keep the yard and driveway maintained which helps DC.
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kathiemarie 12:46 PM 01-21-2014
I say if it works for you go for it! My dh is my back up so he knows the kids and families well. Once I had to go to a family function and was gone for 3 days and he watched the dc kids. They all had a great time.
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Jack Sprat 12:48 PM 01-21-2014
Originally Posted by Moppetland:
Mine is involved if he's off work. I only limit him though. He mostly play and entertain the kids, but he will help with meal time, hand washing, and outdoor time.

The parents love him, because they know this is a FAMILY child care, and a husband is part of the family. They see how excited the kids get when he's home. They actually will go over me to greet him. But that's fine with me.

He's been background checked and fingerprinted. That's why they are requested to have it done. I never had a parent question me about him being around when he's not working.
This is us! No one has ever questioned it etc. I think it will be good as I think most of my parents see me as a softie and laid back.. Which I am but, not about money! lol!
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melonieb 12:51 PM 01-21-2014
My hubby is somewhat involved. He worked outside all day five days a week. So when he comes home and he may or may not help. He is present at all interviews, because since we are an interracial couple, I believe that if the parents have a problem during interview, then the family will not attending. I tell all my family that I run a family oriented daycare. When he is off he has the choice of helping me with the children. But overall I run anything that has to do with daycare.
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jenboo 12:52 PM 01-21-2014
My DH doesn't do much. Sometimes he will sit with the kids while i run to the bathroom so I don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt. But ill have to stop doing this once im licensed. He hates when I ask him questions regarding the daycare. He says its my business not his.
He will say hi to the parents when he sees them. He is not listed as a back up because he would have to do trainings and stuff and he isn't willing to do it.
When he gets home from work, he usually gets a snack and goes into the living room or bedroom to watch tv.

We do not have any children of our own yet so no input there.
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Jack Sprat 12:54 PM 01-21-2014
DH also has a full time job and works 50 hours a week. Poor guy! Maybe I will have to pay him in homemade brownies...
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_Dana_ 12:56 PM 01-21-2014
Originally Posted by Jack Sprat:
Maybe I will have to pay him in homemade brownies...
There are other things too...... lol I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

I know mine doesn't mind his compensation.
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TwinKristi 01:00 PM 01-21-2014
My dh is self-employed so some days he's working from home or doesn't work and will help me. He's run daycare twice, once when I was hospitalized for a staph infection and would have otherwise closed for 3 kids plus our own 6. And another time when I was sick all day with a bad migraine. He's GREAT with the kids and they all love him. He would absolutely LOVE if we could do a large daycare and work from home together. But right now I'm not even full let alone close so there's just no way that would work but I could see it working down the line one day if we had a bigger home and could accommodate 14 kids plus our own.
I think it can work really well IF you are a teamwork kind of couple. Some aren't so it's hard to say. I know quite a few husband-wife daycare teams so I'm sure you can make it work!
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AnneCordelia 01:29 PM 01-21-2014
My husband is out of the house for all of my open hours, at his job, so he has little to no daycare interaction. I prefer it that way. I make all the decisions and his input is a minimum.
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Leigh 01:50 PM 01-21-2014
Mine works nights, so he is here through most of my day. He does a lot of the fun stuff with the kids, reads them books, talks to them about their day, has a calm sit-down with trouble-makers about how to fix their behaviors, and covers me when I have outside appointments. I love that he does it, but I would rather he did stuff like making lunch, cleaning up, and paperwork!

I'm glad to have the help I get from him-I never expected it, but he likes these kids, and enjoys having them around.
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Patches 04:52 PM 01-21-2014
Originally Posted by Childminder:426872:
My DH is my assistant and helps with everything. Kids love him, parents are great with it and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Same here. He just started as my assistant this month. One parent had a problem with it when we first announced he was going to be the assistant but everyone else was fine with it. I live having him here. He does a great job and our days go so smooth. It's fantastic
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jessrlee 05:18 PM 01-21-2014
Patches- Did the parent stay?
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Meeko 05:24 PM 01-21-2014
My husband is here all day (retired military) and my son and I are the "official" caregivers. But my husband is just as involved with the daycare.

I LOVE working with my family. We are very close and working together is a dream.

My husband does the school runs (no kindies this year, but 4 next year!) and loves his time talking with the kids about their day etc.

I have had a few people question it...or actually be rude about it at interview and they got told off and sent on their way. My enrolled parents love my husband and son. They are grateful for the home atmosphere and good male role models.
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EchoMom 05:29 PM 01-21-2014
My DH has zero involvement in daycare. He went on one interview with me when I was brand new and I don't even know why I did that. Then I used to introduce him and the dig briefly during interviews. Now I don't have a dog and I don't even mention my husband.

He does help with raking mowing snow shoveling and salting which is very helpful. He stays almost completely gone during daycare. It gives him major anxiety to be here when kIds are. It also makes conflict between us when he's here.
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Patches 06:15 PM 01-21-2014
Originally Posted by jessrlee:426975:
Patches- Did the parent stay?
Yep, they stayed. They almost left and I almost termed. But after talking it out with dcm and Dh, we all moved on like there was never an issue.
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melilley 06:29 PM 01-21-2014
My dh is somewhat involved as well. He works outside of the home, but sometimes has a day off during the week and will talk to them and sometimes play with them, but usually just talk and the dck's love him! They always ask where he is, have to watch him if he is out front doing the driveway or yard work, etc... He has met all of the parents, I prefer him to. I like to see how they react since I am a family daycare and he will be here sometimes. He is very sociable and will talk and talk and talk.

Some days though, he likes to get away from the dck's and he goes in the basement, which is good idea because sometimes it's hectic when he's here along with the kids. He doesn't understand that I have 5 kids and can't drop everything to do things he wants me to do and it gets frustrating.

And if he had it his way, he would be in charge of enforcing rules and payment. I am just now getting a backbone..lol
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Sugar Magnolia 03:13 AM 01-22-2014
Mine is my full time partner and is 100 percent involved. He is actually the owner on paper, sooooo I guess I work for him!

We try not to kill each other some days at 5:31 pm

Its the best gig in the world.
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jessrlee 03:17 AM 01-22-2014
Originally Posted by Patches:
Yep, they stayed. They almost left and I almost termed. But after talking it out with dcm and Dh, we all moved on like there was never an issue.
Thanks I'm just nosy
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Happily_wed 07:46 AM 01-22-2014
My husband works rotating shifts and is off at least two days during the week. My daycare area is our living/dining room/kitchen (all one big room). When he is home he is here in the area with us most of the time. He watches cartoons with the kids, talks to them, tickles them. They like to sit on his lap for a snuggle. When I have a baby here he will hold or feed the baby. He doesn't do diaper changes or help in the bathroom and I don't leave the home and leave him with them. Not that I don't trust him but I just feel that I am the daycare provider so I should be with them. In the past when I would take the kids out with me he would go too if he was home.

I love when he is here. My first daycare kids didn't see their dad much (he was in the home but worked LONG hours) so they really enjoyed having a man around. The baby boy called my dh daddy for a few months when he first learned to talk. The family I have now has a very stubborn oldest child who can just wear me out at times and all my dh has to do is tell her she needs to knock it off and listen and she is a different kid LOL.

I have never had a family have a problem with him or my kids being around. I tell them all right up front that he is here a good bit and will be interacting with the kids some.
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TaylorTots 09:47 AM 01-22-2014
Not very. He leaves for work when my parents start showing up or just before.

He is home about a half hour before my last parents pick up.

He is super good at helping me with any clean up that I need... he does all the doctor/dentist/cardiologist/dermitologist appts or the kids so I don't have to take off time (and he'd rather do that than sub for me).

He reminds me to deposit all the checks I always forget, so he's in charge of that. He helps me unload the car after grocery shopping...but does know better than to try to put things away (daycare vs. family).

He helps me with shoveling/salt if I don't have time...

He keeps our kids calm during interviews too.
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Annalee 10:17 AM 01-22-2014
Originally Posted by EchoMom:
My DH has zero involvement in daycare.

.
Zero involvement for my DH as well. He has NO rationale/interest when it comes to business and/or what my job entails throughout the day. But that's OK, I like it that way!
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butterfly 10:24 AM 01-22-2014
My DH works the same hours I do, so he's generally not here when I have dcks. But he is my licensed sub and will take a day off of his work to work for me when necessary. He's also my business manager and this is stated in my contract too.

He'll often make calls to follow up with late payments.

He's the best and the kids love him!! So do I.
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renodeb 03:16 PM 01-22-2014
My hubby is mildly involved with the dc. He will help with breakfast but he works 9:00-6:00 so he hardly sees them. Its cute everyday as he leaves he gives them all a high five or fist bump. He holds them on his lap but pretty low involvement over all because of his schedule.
Debbie
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dave4him 02:42 PM 01-23-2014
My DW refers to my daycare kids as an inconvenience, like they are old college buddies who come over every day and make a mess then leave the place stinking like pee. She might be half right there. But i am sure she will happy when she has her house back and i am working full time again somewhere else than at home.
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Sugar Magnolia 03:08 PM 01-23-2014
[quote=dave4him;427921]My DW refers to my daycare kids as an inconvenience, like they are old college buddies who come over every day and make a mess then leave the place stinking like pee. She might be half right there. But i am sure she will happy when she has her house back and i am working full time again somewhere else than at home.[/QUOTE

Old college buddies......
You made my day Dave!
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Jack Sprat 06:16 PM 01-23-2014
Originally Posted by _Dana_:
There are other things too...... lol I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

I know mine doesn't mind his compensation.
DH gave a big smile and laugh when I read that to him!
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Tags:husband - helping out, spouse
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