Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Would You Consider A Different Shift If It Was Temporary?
momofboys 04:34 AM 12-03-2010
I provide care for day shift workers. I only care for one family & times have been tough as a result. I was supposed to care for a baby then the mom got all wishy-washy & kept changing her start date (I was not charging her to hold the spot, I know bad idea!). Anyway, while I was waiting on baby I got many calls for care that I turned down b/c I thought baby was coming. Wrong. 
Now the only calls I get are for 2nd shift work something I don't want to do so I have turned them down but I really need to provide care for more than 1 family, this is not working out well for our finances. I just applied for a position for temporary 2nd shift (I'd be caring for one child from 4 pm - 10 pm) & it would only be 3 months. It sounds bad but it also sounds good to me because I have no evening children to care for but I know it will cut into my evening time with the kids. The child is 3 & so is my youngest son. FOr those who do provide 2nd shift care how does it impact your family time?
Now the only calls I get are for 2nd shift work something I don't want to do so I have turned them down but I really need to provide care for more than 1 family, this is not working out well for our finances. I just applied for a position for temporary 2nd shift (I'd be caring for one child from 4 pm - 10 pm) & it would only be 3 months. It sounds bad but it also sounds good to me because I have no evening children to care for but I know it will cut into my evening time with the kids. The child is 3 & so is my youngest son. FOr those who do provide 2nd shift care how does it impact your family time?
QualiTcare 04:47 AM 12-03-2010
could you keep the child at your home?
i've done that and it wasn't a big deal - it was really easy money actually. of course, i just did the same thing i was doing with my own kids...dinner, bath, etc. the kid can do what your family is doing and then it doesn't really interfere with family time. i was keeping a one year old and my kids would come with me to give him a bath and play/talk to him and he'd sit at the table with them while i cooked. in that case, i took him home at night too and my kids would be in bed before i'd leave. his mom was a nurse and i got paid pretty well to do it so i'd say go for it.
i've done that and it wasn't a big deal - it was really easy money actually. of course, i just did the same thing i was doing with my own kids...dinner, bath, etc. the kid can do what your family is doing and then it doesn't really interfere with family time. i was keeping a one year old and my kids would come with me to give him a bath and play/talk to him and he'd sit at the table with them while i cooked. in that case, i took him home at night too and my kids would be in bed before i'd leave. his mom was a nurse and i got paid pretty well to do it so i'd say go for it.
nikia 04:59 AM 12-03-2010
I had considered it at one time but I didn't do it. After thinking about I knew that I would miss having my home and family to myself. And my daytime kids are already here 11 hours I didn't want to be more burnt out than what I already tend to be at the end of the week.
But if it is only for 3 months and helps with your finances than I think it would be a great test run to see if it is something you want to do more of.
I was also wondering if you are registered or licensed whichever you need to have for your state. I only ask because my name is given out by the state to parents who need care. I get lots of calls this way.
But if it is only for 3 months and helps with your finances than I think it would be a great test run to see if it is something you want to do more of.
I was also wondering if you are registered or licensed whichever you need to have for your state. I only ask because my name is given out by the state to parents who need care. I get lots of calls this way.
momofboys 05:23 AM 12-03-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
could you keep the child at your home?
i've done that and it wasn't a big deal - it was really easy money actually. of course, i just did the same thing i was doing with my own kids...dinner, bath, etc. the kid can do what your family is doing and then it doesn't really interfere with family time. i was keeping a one year old and my kids would come with me to give him a bath and play/talk to him and he'd sit at the table with them while i cooked. in that case, i took him home at night too and my kids would be in bed before i'd leave. his mom was a nurse and i got paid pretty well to do it so i'd say go for it.
could you keep the child at your home?
i've done that and it wasn't a big deal - it was really easy money actually. of course, i just did the same thing i was doing with my own kids...dinner, bath, etc. the kid can do what your family is doing and then it doesn't really interfere with family time. i was keeping a one year old and my kids would come with me to give him a bath and play/talk to him and he'd sit at the table with them while i cooked. in that case, i took him home at night too and my kids would be in bed before i'd leave. his mom was a nurse and i got paid pretty well to do it so i'd say go for it.
Sorry I was not clear. This is for care in my home. I mean it will cut into time spent with my family b/c it would be this extra child with us which will impact our family time.
momofboys 05:24 AM 12-03-2010
Originally Posted by nikia:
I had considered it at one time but I didn't do it. After thinking about I knew that I would miss having my home and family to myself. And my daytime kids are already here 11 hours I didn't want to be more burnt out than what I already tend to be at the end of the week.
But if it is only for 3 months and helps with your finances than I think it would be a great test run to see if it is something you want to do more of.
I was also wondering if you are registered or licensed whichever you need to have for your state. I only ask because my name is given out by the state to parents who need care. I get lots of calls this way.
I am not licensed as my state does not require it.I had considered it at one time but I didn't do it. After thinking about I knew that I would miss having my home and family to myself. And my daytime kids are already here 11 hours I didn't want to be more burnt out than what I already tend to be at the end of the week.
But if it is only for 3 months and helps with your finances than I think it would be a great test run to see if it is something you want to do more of.
I was also wondering if you are registered or licensed whichever you need to have for your state. I only ask because my name is given out by the state to parents who need care. I get lots of calls this way.
QualiTcare 05:34 AM 12-03-2010
Originally Posted by janarae:
Sorry I was not clear. This is for care in my home. I mean it will cut into time spent with my family b/c it would be this extra child with us which will impact our family time.
well, it's all in how you look at it. if the child is the same age as your son especially then it would be no different than having a friend over...or twins! Sorry I was not clear. This is for care in my home. I mean it will cut into time spent with my family b/c it would be this extra child with us which will impact our family time.
i dunno, when i did it, i just went about my normal routine and they became part of the family. it's easy to do when it's one small child and it's at night in YOUR home...you can be informal. it's not like a 11 year old joining the fam and being akward.
nikia 05:37 AM 12-03-2010
Originally Posted by janarae:
I am not licensed as my state does not require it.
My state doesn't either but when I needed another family to make ends meet I decided to get licensed and had calls within 2 weeks. Just a thought on maybe how to get some more day families.I am not licensed as my state does not require it.
laundrymom 06:28 AM 12-03-2010
I did second shift exclusively for 2 years. Loved it! Then went to 24 he care when times for tough. Worked fine for the time. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices to make the end product work. My older kids do not remember me working all the time they just remember having friEnds around all the time
Childminder 08:59 AM 12-03-2010
I've been doing double shifts (6a - midnight) Mon-Sat for 6 years. Used to have 24/7 care but that was too sporadic and and unreliable. Most of the afternoon shift is waitstaff and not the best paying group of individuals. Used to do better but I live in the land of the Big 3 and most factories are closed or just one shift now.
momofboys 09:30 AM 12-03-2010
Thanks everyone for your input. My husband gave his approval. He had been against it before but seems okay with it since it is just temporary & it would truly help us out! I did e-mail back & forth with the woman & she said she knew me from storytime & seeing me at the park
& thought I would be great. But she is also considering someone else who can actually come to her home so her daughter can sleep in her own bed. I can understand that but I am hoping she gives me a chance if we seem to be a good fit. One thing that may work in my favor is I will likely charge less than the person who would be coming to their home but who knows? Thank you for your input. I may ask for some advice regarding bedtime if they choose me.
& thought I would be great. But she is also considering someone else who can actually come to her home so her daughter can sleep in her own bed. I can understand that but I am hoping she gives me a chance if we seem to be a good fit. One thing that may work in my favor is I will likely charge less than the person who would be coming to their home but who knows? Thank you for your input. I may ask for some advice regarding bedtime if they choose me.
Unregistered 09:33 AM 12-03-2010
I have done 2nd shift a few times in addition to first shift. I hated it so much! I will never, ever do it again. I was doing 3rd shift, too, but I terminated my last 3rd shift kid last month and I'm never, ever going to do that again, either. I was really feeling burnt out and I was losing the passion that I had for my job. I was only having like an hour and a half between the pick up of my last 1st shift kid and the drop off of the 3rd shift kid. I was so stressed out by the time that I terminated.
OP, if I were you, I would really take into account the personality of the 2nd shift kid and parents. That plays a large part in the kind of experience that you'll likely have. It's important to know if the parents are the kind of parents who won't think twice about showing up early to drop off or the kind that will pick up late. There are so many things to factor in when making a decision like that. Will bedtime be an issue? Are you going to be expected to give the kid a bath every night? Are the parents OK with you taking the dck with you if you need to run errands? Are the parents going to expect you to be in 1st shift daycare provider mode for non-core hours? I had that come up with a 2nd shift dcb before and I explained to his mom that my daily schedule complete with circle time, arts & crafts and all of that other good stuff is what I do for 1st shift care. After a certain time, I expected him to be able to entertain himself while I cleaned my house. I played with him and read to him until dinner time and then after that, he could choose to play with some toys, do some arts & crafts or watch a movie. Once she understood what I was offering, then it was fine. The 3rd shift dcg that I just termed came to my house pretty much at bed time, but I let her stay up long enough to eat a snack and use the bathroom and then bed time. The mom wanted me to let her stay up and play for about an hour or so and I flat out told her no. That would have put her at having a 9:30 bedtime and for a school aged kid, that it too late when the kid has to be up at 6:45am each day.
I know that it sucks when it seems that the only calls that you get are for 2nd shift, but really give it a lot of thought before you agree to it. I deeply regret having ever agreed to do 2nd or 3rd shift because it did have an impact on my family. I have one child and she's a teenager so it wasn't like having kids around all of the time was providing her with a playmate. She felt like I was being taken away from her by the kids but she wouldn't tell me how she felt until much later. She didn't want me to terminate a kid because of her, but I would have gladly done it for her. I had to explain to her that there is no amount of money in the world that trumps having her feel like she was losing me. She is what matters most to me.
I hope that you are able to figure out what to do, and I hope that the 1st shift calls start coming in for you!
OP, if I were you, I would really take into account the personality of the 2nd shift kid and parents. That plays a large part in the kind of experience that you'll likely have. It's important to know if the parents are the kind of parents who won't think twice about showing up early to drop off or the kind that will pick up late. There are so many things to factor in when making a decision like that. Will bedtime be an issue? Are you going to be expected to give the kid a bath every night? Are the parents OK with you taking the dck with you if you need to run errands? Are the parents going to expect you to be in 1st shift daycare provider mode for non-core hours? I had that come up with a 2nd shift dcb before and I explained to his mom that my daily schedule complete with circle time, arts & crafts and all of that other good stuff is what I do for 1st shift care. After a certain time, I expected him to be able to entertain himself while I cleaned my house. I played with him and read to him until dinner time and then after that, he could choose to play with some toys, do some arts & crafts or watch a movie. Once she understood what I was offering, then it was fine. The 3rd shift dcg that I just termed came to my house pretty much at bed time, but I let her stay up long enough to eat a snack and use the bathroom and then bed time. The mom wanted me to let her stay up and play for about an hour or so and I flat out told her no. That would have put her at having a 9:30 bedtime and for a school aged kid, that it too late when the kid has to be up at 6:45am each day.
I know that it sucks when it seems that the only calls that you get are for 2nd shift, but really give it a lot of thought before you agree to it. I deeply regret having ever agreed to do 2nd or 3rd shift because it did have an impact on my family. I have one child and she's a teenager so it wasn't like having kids around all of the time was providing her with a playmate. She felt like I was being taken away from her by the kids but she wouldn't tell me how she felt until much later. She didn't want me to terminate a kid because of her, but I would have gladly done it for her. I had to explain to her that there is no amount of money in the world that trumps having her feel like she was losing me. She is what matters most to me.
I hope that you are able to figure out what to do, and I hope that the 1st shift calls start coming in for you!
care-care 07:21 PM 12-05-2010
I have baby 2nd shift for 2 nights a week and it works out just fine,. He will end up being like a part of our family for night time when family is home. Id say since it is limited time I would do it. night time care is differnt as u have dinner to make feed family home work chores they will blend in and play go for it.