Why did you stop doing your old job to do daycare?

I was stuck with no prospects of any raise-EVER! and DS starting kindy soon so I wanted to be here to get him on the bus! Not to mention saving on gas and childcare!

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I despised the government hoops we had to jump through and the unbelievable amount of waste or misuse of funding happening.

My own DS was the DCK everyone here "vents" about.

This house became available which I took with the above two things as a sign that it was time to go my own way.

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I had an awesome job working for the states birth-3 early intervention program but they changed over into new hands and everything about my job changed including working from home

My DS has been in therapy since 1 1/2 and I knew I was holding him back from Kindy for a year and needed to work with him as much as possible so I quit and started daycare to be with him. He just started school on Tuesday

He's doing great and I know if he had been in daycare he wouldn't have had the attention he needed to make progress and I was able to work with him during nap time. I will continue with my daycare business for a while though, I can be here when my kids get home from school and I like doing it

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I loved the actual work I was doing at the DMV, believe it or not but it was a temp job (for me.. they didn't know that ). I was basically just saving up for the daycare.

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We moved across the state and the area we moved to was drastically different in how property management companies work. Here there are only 2 property management firms (handle houses/condos/apartments but have an off site, central office) and they are both "family run" businesses so neither were hiring outside of family. The rest were "on-site" management jobs and no way in h3ll was I going to become a low paid on site apartment manager living in an apartment when I had a property manager license.

I did get a regional manager job with one of the huge companies that manages the on site apartment managers but they politics of it (giant corporation, over 25k employees nationwide) and all the hoops was ridiculous. Plus I was making 3-5 trips out of town a week

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I stopped working full time because my husband wanted to pursue working offshore out of state. Also because we were about to adopt our son and I needed to be home for them both. I only work my minimum to keep my RN license active. And I can do it when husband is home.

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I knew I wanted to be home when I had children. However, I also knew that I would need to still bring in the majority of the income for our family. This was the best option for allowing me to be home, but yet still make a similar income to what I made teaching. In all honesty, I would rather be just a SAHM, but this is the next best thing I could do.

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I had always wanted to be home with my kids but couldn't afford to be s sahm when my son was born. He was in day care until he was 3 and unhappy the whole time. Once my dd was born, we decided we'd all be happier if I stayed home with them. Day care was a way for me to do that and still help pay the bills.

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I was in college pursuing my associates to be a preschool teacher when I got pregnant (surprise!) with #4. Soon after he was born I realized that I was paying daycare all of my money, and I couldn't afford to return to school FT. So I started doing daycare (minimal children, 2 at a time unlicensed) while I went to school. It was the EXACT difference in income that I used to bring home after paying for daycare. Then a provider down the street closed and I had clients banging my door down and I knew then it was meant to be.

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I retired from my career in 2009 & started flipping houses as a hobby & doing the rental thing. (I was still in my 40s.) I started watching my g'kids because my daughter couldn't find child care on 2nd shift. So I opened one that did. I really can't sit still & kids help out with that, lol.

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I was working at the hospital when I got pregnant with my first child, took my maternity leave and decided I could not leave my son with someone else. So I stayed home. My first client was one of my bosses from the hospital, her dc had some problems so she brought her 2 boys to me. After that word spread. But oh have I learned a lot since then. That was 32 years ago and the world of childcare has changed soooo much!

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We were moving to a new house further from my job and I wanted to have another baby but knew I couldn't afford 2 in daycare. I had 2 friends in other states who ran home daycares and I found it was the only way I'd be able to have another baby and still make enough money.

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Nothing I ever did before ever felt like more than a job to receive a paycheck from. I always liked working with the people but the job was never more than just a job. I didn't love it, no matter what it was. Taking care of children was always fun for me and still is. It doesn't feel Luke a job. There are days where the children and I are building a fort out of cardboard boxes and painting it or decorating it when I sit back and think "Heck yeah, I get paid to do this". I can really say that family child care is my career and I love it.

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I had a business for 17 years. Because of some political shenanigans, our government contract was revoked and given to a big corporation. When I tried to protest, I learned that our original bid, the public records copy of the bid, and my copy (stored in my storage building) were all missing. So I couldn't prove that there was no revocation clause. I tried for months to find a job, but there is something about being self employed for 30 years that doesn't lend itself to finding a job. Daycare had been my fallback plan for decades, so I dusted it off and opened for business. Took a huge financial hit, but we eat and keep the air conditioner running, so we are happy.

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I was commuting two hours a day...ick! I got remarried, we built a home and I moved.

We lost our grant two years ago and our hours were cut and my job of 14 yrs was on shaky ground.

My daughter needed childcare for my granddaughter She was going to a very crowded home child care..very sweet lady but she had 12 kids during the day (legally could have 8 and was regulated???) and 6 after school. There usually was 18 kids after school! The state was looking the other way I guess. This was the best option for the tiny town my daughter teaches in.

All my great programs were cut when we lost our grant and I was doing more social work type jobs...anger management with angry men child safety checks for kids in child protection when they were visiting their parents, parent education for at risk families and mainly at-risk teens. I missed working with young kids.

Returning to child care has always been my back up plan too!

This was not a good job change for me.....too isolating!!! Among other things!

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Believe it or not, the dental world is pretty corrupt.

I couldn't handle the lies being told to patients just to get their money. When it started to become expected of me to present treatment plans and take this money,I decided to get out. Every office I was at, it wasn't about the patients.

I would go back for one doctor. She's a good one and one of my close friends. But she can't afford me yet.

When I knew I was leaving the field, I also knew I wanted to be with my sons. My oldest needs a lot of care and doctor visits and so I sought out something that would allow me to do those things. My sons then in home provider suggested childcare. She helped me get started.

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Honestly my husband and I were horrified by some of the day cares we visited when searching for our first child. I wasn't happy with my current position, so it seemed logical, I could stay home and make some money at the same time. I got the itch to go back to work when she was 2.5 and we were fortunate enough to find a wonderful center for her to go to. When my daughter was 4 we started discussing having a 2nd child, little did we know I was already pregnant....with twins, so here I am doing daycare again. I wish I could just get paid for being a sahm, but since that wont be happening anytime soon, daycare is the next best thing

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It's funny what paths our lives take us down because I actually crave isolation the longer I do this job.

I used to be VERY social and loved hanging with large groups of people, constantly talking and interacting.....now I just want peace and quiet and.... well that's it. quiet.

I don't care if I go home on Friday evening and don't see another human being again until Monday when I come back to work.

My dream vacation is anywhere...as long as it's ALONE. (well, DH can come but only because he would be lonely without me. )

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While subbing, I ended up making $2 a day after paying for my own 2 kids to be in daycare. It was frustrating! So, I stayed home with the kids for a while did some unsuccessful job hunting in other areas (secretarial, waitressing, retail - all "too qualified" or "not enough experience") for! Ergh! Then we moved into a new house, with a lot of new space (we went from a 900 sq. ft home with no basement or closets, to a 2,500 sq. ft. home with a basement and a lot of closets! haha) and DH and I decided THIS is what I should be doing It has always been in the back of my mind while I was working as an assistant at a home daycare and going through college.

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I had a career in the medical profession that I loved; however, with having 5 boys and an hour commute each way there was very little "family time" left. I felt more like a drill Sargent than a mom. Our meals consisted of crock pot classics and Hamburger Helper.... I wanted more for my family as a whole. After a lot of consideration I chose to leave work to be present in my children's lives... not just hear about their day from their stories.... I wanted to witness as much as I could. My decision to begin daycare was an entirely separate thought..... I am still learning how to maximize my business while at the same time keeping a healthy harmony within the family.

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Since I was in high school, I always was interested in doing something with children, but I thought it would have been teaching.

I didn't like the corporate world, and I was never fairly paid for all the hard work I was doing.

Then, I wanted to be home with my youngest child. My oldest child already graduated high school and was in college by the time I opened up my child care.

Now my youngest child is in her senior year when school starts for her this week, but I still want to have my business after she graduates and goes to college.

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I always felt like a juggling act with my dd, I loved being home with her. And we did not believe that I could ever get pregnant again (or be able to carry it if I did). But, we needed the money, I worked. 5 yrs later I did indeed get pregnant and was told I wouldn't carry this baby. High risk pregnancy. Bedrest from the beginning etc. My son and I almost died (should have statistically- at least one of us) I took my severance package, moved halfway across the country (my husband's dad lives here) bought a house in a village and decided that I was never going back to "work". I needed an income though. I started babysitting for my neighbors son that is the same age as mine when they were both babies. Went on from there to become licensed. I babysat from the time I was 10 through high school and was a nanny at one point in college.
Near death experience is what led me here
Honestly, if I could have I would have loved to have a dozen kids but that wasn't in the cards for me. This way I have always had kids in the house and my kids have learned how to take care of little ones!

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Me too

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When I worked outside the home, I learned I hated desk jobs.

Then I was a stay at home mom until my children were in school all day...except that we needed money and so I started watching children in my home during the summer...all school aged, and then working in schools part time during the school year. Then I moved out of state and worked in a school for one year before I decided that I'd rather be my own boss and my job at school didn't pay much so I got licensed and the rest is history... By this time though, one of my own children was an adult and the other two were in high school.

Laurel

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Same here although I did love my school jobs as well.

One summer I watched some school agers only along with my own school agers. The parent had been a public school teacher and hated it so got an office job. Since they were my only family at the time (I was doing it part time) and they lived in our neighborhood she would give us the key to her house so we could use their pool. One day she had forgotten to send the key and we had to go to her office to get it. The moment I stepped in that place it reminded me of all I hated about offices. I thought it was strange that we had kind of swapped jobs. She had worked with kids but didn't like it and I had worked in offices and didn't like it.

Laurel

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[quote=MrsSteinel'sHouse;379663]I always felt like a juggling act with my dd, I loved being home with her. And we did not believe that I could ever get pregnant again (or be able to carry it if I did). But, we needed the money, I worked. 5 yrs later I did indeed get pregnant and was told I wouldn't carry this baby. High risk pregnancy. Bedrest from the beginning etc. My son and I almost died (should have statistically- at least one of us) I took my severance package, moved halfway across the country (my husband's dad lives here) bought a house in a village and decided that I was never going back to "work". I needed an income though. I started babysitting for my neighbors son that is the same age as mine when they were both babies. Went on from there to become licensed. I babysat from the time I was 10 through high school and was a nanny at one point in college.
Near death experience is what led me here
Honestly, if I could have I would have loved to have a dozen kids but that wasn't in the cards for me. This way I have always had kids in the house and my kids have learned how to take care of little ones![/QUOTE

I only have two children myself. But the day care kids I have actually raised in my home is still in my life. Even the parents make it so that they come by and see me every once in awhile. I'm like an old aunt to them or something. But you don't have to be a biological to be nurturing. That comes natural. So, your day care kids are like your kids too. That's their second home.

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I HATE office jobs with a passion - though mostly because with only an Associates degree I only qualified to be an office assistant/ receptionist. I do wonder if I had more education/advanced degree I would like having a higher level office position. Mostly because I would love the professional wardrobe those jobs entail My husband is a teacher and while he loves the teaching part, the politics of schools are brutal - one of the reasons I decided not to pursue my teaching degree/ certifications. I think if he could just go in and teach he would be a lot happier.

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When I became pregnant with my third child, my Husband and I decided I would be a SAHM. Two other women in our neighborhood were pregnant also and needed care for their newborns when they returned to work. So, when my daughter was 2 weeks old I had her, a 4 week old and a 6 week old. It was supposed to be temporary pocket money but here we are 20+ years later and I am still doing childcare and LOVE it.

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So its all about the clothes?

I like to 'look' at the clothes but when I did office work and actually had to wear them.....well can I say I lived in the era of panty hose. Omg, squeezing those things on!! Oh and those heels that are worn today, ugh. I am soooo happy to be wearing jeans, shorts or whatever I want. Every day is casual Friday here!

Laurel

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I was a dental assistant we had move a few years before and I was able to find a p/t job so I was able to spend more time with ds when number 2 was coming I know I had to stay home or work p/t. no way would I find p/t infant care... The dentist I worked for sent me in to talk with a friend of his who ran a preschool in her home The rest is history

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