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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Petrified and Excited
nanglgrl 02:49 PM 05-05-2021
I’ve been a home child care provider for most of my life. I started in 1996, took a break for a few years and then started back up again. I had 4 of my own children and went back to work within a week of giving birth to the two youngest. I’ve gotten divorced, remarried, offered 24/7 care, had operating hours of 7:30-3:30, didn’t take infants, did take infants, didn’t take schoolagers etc. At one time I worked as a director for a before/after program while running my program and going to school. Now I finished my BS in ECE (non teaching) thanks to the TEACH program and will be closing in a few months to start a center director job. Everything has changed over the years except this one thing and it’s time.

I’m so scared and excited and petrified and all the other emotions. I will make less money and still have no benefits so I’m not exactly sure it’s a upward move career wise but this last year made me realize I needed a change.

I’m so grateful for this board over the years. There have been so many conversations and ideas that helped me adjust my policies, procedures and ideas so my program would run smoothly.

The 24/48 sick policy made it rare that children were brought to care sick.

The rates based on pick up time helped me shorten my work day AND make more money.

The having parents pay before care saved me from having to chase payments.

The charging more for part time helped my business be successful.

Nanny D’s book helped me put into words the types of parents I’ve experienced and to recognize which types would and wouldn’t be a good fit for my program.

I could go on and on. So many of these practices are becoming common place now but they didn’t used to be.

Most of all though, the posts helped me develop a backbone, trust my gut and look for red flags during interviews so a lot of the woes of running a home childcare were rare.

Gigi out...well kind of...I’m still in the business.
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Michael 03:01 PM 05-05-2021
Thank you for appreciating this forum and explaining so well how it helped you and your business. I understand how anxious it must be to make such a major life change but you are now more experienced in managing your situations and outcome then ever before with the tools you now possess.

One thing that is certain is change. You are now in much more control of it.

I hope you continue to be a part of our long term community toward improving daycare and families. There can be no more noble commitment and effort IMO.
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Cat Herder 04:25 AM 05-06-2021
Good luck I hope you love it.

My only advice is to not toss out all of your stuff. Not yet. Wait two years. Pack it, put it up. Having a backup plan is never a bad thing.
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284878 07:39 AM 05-06-2021
Come join us at the new site

https://forum.daycare.com
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girlmomma 02:11 PM 05-06-2021
I will definitely say this forum has helped me and my business so much!
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e.j. 02:41 PM 05-06-2021
Good luck! I hope it's a good move for you.
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nannyde 04:26 AM 05-07-2021
Originally Posted by nanglgrl:
Nanny D’s book helped me put into words the types of parents I’ve experienced and to recognize which types would and wouldn’t be a good fit for my program.
.
Thank you. Coming from you that means a lot
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Tags:backbone, daycare experiences, daycare.com, director, job change, life choices, nannyde
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