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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Why Are School Agers A No No?
Little Buttons 06:05 AM 05-14-2014
I have seen it posted in various threads that school age kids are harder and some do not take them anymore. I am just honestly curious as to why. I will open in August and we live ditrctly accross the street from an elementary school, so I would like to be informed before I go down that road
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CraftyMom 06:18 AM 05-14-2014
School agers just aren't for me. I personally do much better with babies and toddlers. Others are geared more toward older kids. It's a personal preference.

There's nothing wrong with the SA kids themselves, but when mixed in an environment that is geared toward a younger crowd the day can be hectic.

It's harder to keep them occupied

They do not nap

They do not keep quiet during nap, waking everyone else up

They are often mouthy (not all, but most these days)

They get rough with the littler ones without realizing it, someone always gets hurt

They are often the biggest offenders of running in the house, rough housing, etc. Which makes it harder to keep the younger ones from doing so

They get bored quickly in my program since I am geared toward a younger crowd

These are some of my personal gripes with SA. However, there are some providers that do very well with SA and would prefer them over babies. It depends on what you prefer. I think it's something you have to experience to get a good grip on it. For me, in concept it seems fine. But reality is a different story.

Good luck with your opening!
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Moppetland 06:22 AM 05-14-2014
Honestly, I don't take them because I can't deal with the disrespect. I have had them in the past. If I had all SA, that will be different because I would have a day of plans specifically for that age group.

But it's very hard to have DCKs under 5 all day, then here comes the rowdy kids that create uproars. You can't deal with them constantly if you have infants and toddlers that need your attention more. You would think kids that old would be easier to have in care because they are mature enough to listen and do as told.

I use to take them if they were part of a sibling. But the older ones would always undermine me when I'm taking care of their youngest. For instance:

"My brother (or sister) can't do that. S/he doesn't like it".

Or, "Why does Johnny or Susie have to go to time out?"

So, no thank you. I really don't have time for that. It's too much trying to train them when they already have their way at school and home. IMO.
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Tdhmom 06:27 AM 05-14-2014
Originally Posted by CraftyMom:
School agers just aren't for me. I personally do much better with babies and toddlers. Others are geared more toward older kids. It's a personal preference.

There's nothing wrong with the SA kids themselves, but when mixed in an environment that is geared toward a younger crowd the day can be hectic.

It's harder to keep them occupied

They do not nap

They do not keep quiet during nap, waking everyone else up

They are often mouthy (not all, but most these days)

They get rough with the littler ones without realizing it, someone always gets hurt

They are often the biggest offenders of running in the house, rough housing, etc. Which makes it harder to keep the younger ones from doing so

They get bored quickly in my program since I am geared toward a younger crowd

These are some of my personal gripes with SA. However, there are some providers that do very well with SA and would prefer them over babies. It depends on what you prefer. I think it's something you have to experience to get a good grip on it. For me, in concept it seems fine. But reality is a different story.

Good luck with your opening!


All of the reasons above for me too. The older ones teach my younger ones not to listen it just makes my days long and nights and weekends even shorter
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originalkat 06:29 AM 05-14-2014
Yep. The reasons stated above are why I do not take them.
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Blackcat31 06:38 AM 05-14-2014
School agers as a whole are not a bad thing at all.

Having them WITH a mixed age group os by far the hardest thing I have ever been through.

SA'ers are developmentally so far beyond the preschoolers and toddlers that it becomes difficult to manage.

SA'ers use language that is inappropriate for the younger crowd (lots of potty mouth-type talk etc), play differently (rough, cliques, etc) and simply add an element of constant backtalk, disrespectful behaviors and the need to be continuously redirected.

Alot of providers manage SA kids just fine if they have the space and the equipment to keep them occupied. SA'ers require much larger spaces, bigger equipment and DIRECT and FIRM reinforcement or they WILL take advantage.

They are bored easily, rarely eat well and complain ALOT....my guess is that they are so used to being "micro-managed" in school that left to plan their own day is something they have issue with and the results are the above.

If I just had SA kids, it would be fine. But the influence they have on my preschoolers and toddlers is NOT something I am willing to deal with.
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hope 06:40 AM 05-14-2014
If you take SA then your program should only be geared towards SA. They need constant activities, stimulation, education and guidance that is very different than what you give little ones. Mixing the two age groups usually results in chaos.....it is very difficult to supervise both age groups and one ends up suffering. The little ones can get hurt or the older ones become bored and misbehave.
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craftymissbeth 06:53 AM 05-14-2014
I like school agers.. only if I ONLY have SA in my program. I like preschoolers, but only if I ONLY have preschoolers.. same for infants/toddlers.

For me, I just can't do mixed age groups. I know most home daycares are mixed age, but for me it just doesn't work out.
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Tdhmom 07:06 AM 05-14-2014
Originally Posted by craftymissbeth:
I like school agers.. only if I ONLY have SA in my program. I like preschoolers, but only if I ONLY have preschoolers.. same for infants/toddlers.

For me, I just can't do mixed age groups. I know most home daycares are mixed age, but for me it just doesn't work out.
Me too! I only have 3 year olds this fall. I've tried school agers, toddlers and crawling babies and it is the most stressed out I have ever been! Once my 3 yr olds age out for kindergarten I'm calling it quits. I don't want to start over training new kids.
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KatieG 07:24 AM 05-14-2014
I have had SA's in the past when I absolutely needed to fill spots to maintain my income, but I won't take them anymore. No naps = no breaks for you!

Plus, as stated above, mixed age groups creates chaos. They want to watch TV shows that just aren't appropriate for littler people. They want to play outside but it's time for baby's feeding. You finally get the little ones down for a nap & think you can take a break, but they want a new activity.

And siblings are the absolute worst! They go from fighting with each other to the older one trying to defend the younger one's poor behavior.

No thank you, I'll stick to my little people! All of my families know that age three means time to move on!
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GKJNIGMN 07:26 AM 05-14-2014
It depends on the kid but I have found them to be very disrespectful and they constantly complain. They want me to entertain them or let them play video games or on my computer all day.

I have also found that by the time I get a kid that old, changing their eating habits is impossible. They won't touch pretty much anything I serve and then will immediately run to parents at pick up and complain that they are hungry.

I do have one child now who is in kindergarten and she works out well but she is extremely immature and will be repeating kindergarten next year so that is probably why she does great with the little kids lol
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Play Care 07:42 AM 05-14-2014
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
School agers as a whole are not a bad thing at all.

Having them WITH a mixed age group os by far the hardest thing I have ever been through.

SA'ers are developmentally so far beyond the preschoolers and toddlers that it becomes difficult to manage.

SA'ers use language that is inappropriate for the younger crowd (lots of potty mouth-type talk etc), play differently (rough, cliques, etc) and simply add an element of constant backtalk, disrespectful behaviors and the need to be continuously redirected.

Alot of providers manage SA kids just fine if they have the space and the equipment to keep them occupied. SA'ers require much larger spaces, bigger equipment and DIRECT and FIRM reinforcement or they WILL take advantage.

They are bored easily, rarely eat well and complain ALOT....my guess is that they are so used to being "micro-managed" in school that left to plan their own day is something they have issue with and the results are the above.

If I just had SA kids, it would be fine. But the influence they have on my preschoolers and toddlers is NOT something I am willing to deal with.
This.
The other day my 9year old SA boy (who is solid for his age) grabbed my 3 yo dc girl(also his cousin) roughly around the arm. I don't think he meant to hurt her, but he did. Keep in mind those "arm grab"type injuries look very suspicious...I am done with them this summer and am so relieved.
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mom2many 07:46 AM 05-14-2014
I had just infants & preschoolers when I first started. As my own 3 kids got into school, I began watching more s/a kids & switched to only s/a for about 5 years. I took a cut in pay, but loved being to take field trips and activities geared to my own kids ages.

For the past 10 years, I've had mixed ages. It really depends on the kids! I currently have 2 s/a girls ages- 10 & 7 and they are great with the little ones! They read, play games & are a big help- just as my own 3 kids were. The little ones adore them and are so excited to see them after school.

However, I recently termed a family though... dcb was 8 and dcg was 5. They were not a good fit with the younger crowd and would take toys and cause problems almost every day after school. They were always so sneaky & conniving and I had to be extra vigilant watching them & it was worse than having a toddler!

It can definitely work! I've had a ton of success with having toddlers & s/a.
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jenn 07:57 AM 05-14-2014
My number 1 reason is transportation. I don't want to load all my littles up and drop off/pick up school agers. We are too far away to walk. My car is not big enough to hold that many car seats anyway.

I used to teach public school kindergarten. I don't have a dislike for this age. I enjoy my daughter's friends (age 5-9) coming over when daycare kids are not here. However, having school agers here along with newborns, infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is very difficult for me. CraftyMom's list says it all!
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Little Buttons 08:01 AM 05-14-2014
Thank you all for your input! I can see where that could be problematic. The school accross the street has a before and after school program so I doubt I would even get calls about that. Additionally, because we are so close busses won't run to our house, I am uncomfortable with them walking alone and I am unwilling to walk them myself with multiple babies/toddlers in tow. I had thought about taking SA for summers but I think I will wait and see how things play out. Thank you all!
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debbiedoeszip 08:04 AM 05-14-2014
If you don't live right across from the school, then you are faced with having to drag the younger kids out in all weather to walk/drive to the school, or to accompany to the bus stop, twice a day. Where I live, even if buses are cancelled (which happens only during the most extreme weather) the schools are still open so if your dck is a "walker" then you would still need to get them to school (in freezing rain, or -30C cold, or a blizzard, etc). Afternoons would be a challenge if naps for the younger kids aren't over when you need to be walking/driving to the school, or walking to the bus stop.
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MarinaVanessa 08:39 AM 05-14-2014
For me ....

Parents usually expect to pay less, want their child picked up from school, and want homework help. Correct me if I'm wrong but both of those suggest to me that more payment is required, not less.

SAers also eat more yet are more picky eaters. They make comments about food that is served which can affect the other younger children in the group. My own 9yo DD's distaste for broccoli, green beans and corn and the comments and faces she makes when I serve them throughout the day has recently become an issue and now some of the other kids will make disgusted faces or say "yuck" when I serve them.

They use more supplies. A collage for a preschool age child may consist of a few torn pieces of tissue, 2-3 buttons and maybe 3 or 4 stickers ... a SA collage may consist of the entire paper covered in tissue paper, 17 buttons, 7 googly eyes, some yarn, glitter and 10 stickers.

They're harder on the toys/supplies. My DD has her own markers because I can't tell you the number of times that she has ruined an entire box of markers by pounding the tips down hard onto the paper. Toys also get launched harder, toy cars get rammed into each other harder, balls get kicked over the fence more often or deflated, toys on the floor get stepped on by heavier children, chairs get stood on, plastic toy bins get dumped and flipped over and used to stand on etc.

SAers typically don't nap and don't know how to stay quiet. I don't have the space to let them play outside because even if they play in my back area it's close enough to my napping children that it wakes them.

They're more energetic, active and bigger. This can result in babies being stepped on and toddlers/preschoolers being bowled over by a bigger child.

Most of my clientele are infants, toddlers and preschool age children and typically the toys throughout the entire age range can stay relatively the same without me having to worry about having to have designated toys or spaces for different age children. Babies can play with the Duplos, blocks and wood puzzles without me having to be overly cautious. The older kids don't like playing with slobbered on toys anyway so it's easier for me to just pick up an unwanted slobbery toy and put it in the "to be cleaned" bin. With SAers I have to get toys/games with 1,876,765 microscopic pieces and I have to continuously be on the lookout for parts that fall or are left on the ground.

..............

Typically the above is around 1st grade age and beyond. I advertise for 6 weeks through 5 years (until they leave for kinder) but I have kept children beyond that age because they were current clients. This is different, these kids know my rules, know my expectations, know the environment, know the toys and they are used to all of this. Also when I keep them beyond age 5 they don't typically stay beyond 1st grade. By that time they can usually get into an after school program.

Around here we don't get many calls for SA children, it's mostly for infant/toddler care and the occasional 2-3yo.

Ratios are another big part of why I don't focus on taking SAers. In CA with my I can have:
- 4 total = 4 infants age 2 and younger
- 6 total = 3 infants age 2 and younger and 3 children 2 and older
- 8 total = 2 infants age 2 and younger, 4 children 2-5 years, 1 six year old and 1 other elementary school child

Because of the ratios it makes more sense that I can find more FT clients that are infants/toddlers and preschool age children. I charge my regular rate to clients of preschool children because they are only gone 3 hours of the day and I base my rates on the time they leave at the end of the day. Parents of SAers want to pay much less for care and typically need 3-3.5 hours of care a day (15-17.5 hours a week) and cringe at $100/week rates for after school care which is typical for this area. Parents of infants/toddlers however expect to pay more for their child so I'd rather have more of those than give a space up to SA child.
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Annalee 09:02 AM 05-14-2014
Originally Posted by Little Buttons:
I have seen it posted in various threads that school age kids are harder and some do not take them anymore. I am just honestly curious as to why. I will open in August and we live ditrctly accross the street from an elementary school, so I would like to be informed before I go down that road
Not sure about others, but I just don't want the hassle....no money is enough...haven't had schoolagers in over 5 years.....the way I got rid of my schoolagers was to begin charging what I charged for a daycare spot period....they quickly left It seemed school-agers just destroy physically and emotionally everything we worked on all day.... I have a 10 and 12 year old myself and I really didn't want to fight with other school-agers so I would have a better attitude when my own come home...I let my own come in the daycare only if they want and that helps their attitude....they actually want to help and be there because the do not HAVE to be there.
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sharlan 09:21 AM 05-14-2014
I had SA for the first 20 years I did daycare. I enjoyed them for the most part. I shut down for about 5 years and the few SA's that I've had since I reopened were more trouble than they were worth.

*They lie. I am obsessive/compulsive about lying. DO NOT LIE!
*They're rude, have no manners or personal hygiene (ie wash hands).
*They are difficult to entertain without an electronic in their hands.
*VERY PICKY eaters. I've never dealt with that before.
*Manipulate the younger kids into doing things they know are wrong.
*Destroy things, then hide it.
*Expect someone to sit and hold their hand while they do homework.
*Nothing fazes them because they know you can't do anything about their behavior.
*Parents excuse EVERY behavior - rough day at school, tired, hungry (but they won't eat), not feeling well - so they don't have to deal with it.

I am done with SA's except for my grandkids and some days I'd like to sit them out on the curbside for pick-up.
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KatieG 10:12 AM 05-14-2014
Originally Posted by sharlan:
*Parents excuse EVERY behavior - rough day at school, tired, hungry (but they won't eat), not feeling well - so they don't have to deal with it.

I had a 10yo dcb when I first started (my own boys were 10 & 7, so I thought it would be a good fit). I can't even begin to tell you all of the trouble that I had with him. I attempted to discipline him by restricting his TV privileges one day (I made him sit in another room while the other children watched TV). His parents felt so sorry for him that they took him out and bought him a new video game that evening! He was so proud that he couldn't wait to tell me all about it the next day after dropoff! So, at pickup that day, I told the parents not to bring him back. I watched him for a grand total of 9 days - that was 11 years ago and my boys still talk about how awful he was!
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gracepatiencelove 10:17 AM 05-14-2014
Originally Posted by sharlan:
*manipulate the younger kids into doing things they know are wrong.

this this this this this
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Laurel 10:22 AM 05-14-2014
Originally Posted by hope:
If you take SA then your program should only be geared towards SA. They need constant activities, stimulation, education and guidance that is very different than what you give little ones. Mixing the two age groups usually results in chaos.....it is very difficult to supervise both age groups and one ends up suffering. The little ones can get hurt or the older ones become bored and misbehave.


Laurel
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Second Home 10:25 AM 05-14-2014
The school accross the street has a before and after school program so I doubt I would even get calls about that
You would be surprised . I know many people who will never use the before & after care at (many different) schools.

I currently have 3 sa kids . Right now it is just before and after school . Sometimes it is all day if school is closed for some reason . I do not have them during the whole summer just here and there . I would go crazy if I had all 3 full time along with the little ones .

I agree to all that is posted above and sa kids have a whole different set of needs/wants .

There are some things that I just do not tolerate mainly lying , disrespect and intentionally hurting others . If a sa kid says they want a drink I will not get them one until they ask politely and use manners , it does not takes them too long to figure it out . Well at least not for my current sa kids.
They lie to me they go and sit .
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sharlan 10:32 AM 05-14-2014
Originally Posted by KatieG:
I had a 10yo dcb when I first started (my own boys were 10 & 7, so I thought it would be a good fit). I can't even begin to tell you all of the trouble that I had with him. I attempted to discipline him by restricting his TV privileges one day (I made him sit in another room while the other children watched TV). His parents felt so sorry for him that they took him out and bought him a new video game that evening! He was so proud that he couldn't wait to tell me all about it the next day after dropoff! So, at pickup that day, I told the parents not to bring him back. I watched him for a grand total of 9 days - that was 11 years ago and my boys still talk about how awful he was!
I had a SA boy (10, 11) for two years. We went out to dinner to celebrate the day he left.
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LadyK8 10:35 AM 05-14-2014
For me, the answer is simple.

I just do much better with infants and toddlers/pre-schoolers. I always have.

It's just personal preference.
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butterfly 11:32 AM 05-14-2014
Originally Posted by Little Buttons:
I have seen it posted in various threads that school age kids are harder and some do not take them anymore. I am just honestly curious as to why. I will open in August and we live ditrctly accross the street from an elementary school, so I would like to be informed before I go down that road
Have you ever been around SA kids? Just kidding. (but not really)

In my area, there are lots of other programs available to SA children at a much lower price than I could offer. Doing SA care in home just really isn't marketable here, unless you could live on just a few bucks a day and offered lots and lots of extra curricular activities for the kids to do - with transportation.
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TigerLily 11:41 AM 05-14-2014
Everything that they said. The one SA I have, other than my son, can NOT play by herself. Or amuse herself in any way. If I am not directing her or another child is not interacting with her she will lay on the ground and listlessly roll back and forth. Even if she's involved with something and the other person needs to go blow their nose. She's so used to being amused she has zero idea what to do on her own. Drives me batty!
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cheerfuldom 05:41 PM 05-14-2014
I think the big thing is that by the time they are done with school, they are so over the structured activities and sitting still and anything cooperative. School is hard work for kids and the last thing they need after school is two or three more hours of a school environment. Yes some of it is just plain out disobedience and disrespect but I think a lot of it is that they NEED some physical outlets at that time of day and they aren't going to get it cooped up with babies. Even my own kindergartener is just completely done by the time she gets dropped off (330ish). They only get one short 20 min. recess a day! When I was in kindergarten, we had half day if I remember right. 1st grade had an hour lunch and two short recesses......the schools these days have very little to offer for physical play. The only way to keep SAgers is if you have the setup to do so.....bikes to ride outside, a big yard to play in, comfy TV/electronic area, big table for homework/snack/games. And it is nearly impossible to offer that when parents, at least around here, want to pay $10 or less per day for before and after care, breakfast, transportation and homework help. Transportation is a PAIN with a mixed age group but there is liability with kids walking to and from your house. Breakfast and after school snack gets really costly and few can provide good, focused homework help.....so many of us are caring for little ones and probably dont have the education to be helping with homework these days, not with Common Core and other complicated standards plus special needs kids and stuff. I consider myself a babysitter only. I will make sure your child is safe till you get here. If I was transporting, providing meals, tutoring, I would expect to be paid a lot more! and of course there is the general societal issue of kids not being able to handle unstructured time....no creativity to invent their own games, form their own friendships, and be responsible without someone watching all the time.....forget about trying to get the majority of them to help at all even with a simple task. It is too much to handle! I occasionally watch school agers but only kids I already know and parents that accept that I will tell their kids what to do, will not tolerate sass and misbehavior and more than likely, put their kids to work in some way.
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Lucy 07:41 PM 05-14-2014
I'm the opposite of most of you. I have SA, but won't take infants anymore. (used to). The youngest I'll go now is about 20 months.

I currently have all SA, but not by choice, necessarily, that's just the way it has evolved. And all mine have grown up with me. THAT's the key!!

I've done DC 20 yrs, and have always had mixed ages. Mine mostly stay long-term, so right now I have six SA'ers. Two of them are PM Kinders (for another couple weeks!) I'll have all six the whole summer, but they've been with me from 4-11 years! Three of them since birth, and the other three from ages 1 or 2.

When they grow up with you, you've "trained" them to your ways. For me, it's like having a group of nieces and nephews over. The 11 yr old boy does get on my nerves sometimes with his sarcasm and slight laziness, but it's his age. And I know I'll only have him through this next school year (6th grade), then he'll age out.

For me, I would never take any NEW kids over the age of about 4 or 5.
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mom2many 11:22 PM 05-14-2014
Originally Posted by Lucy:
I'm the opposite of most of you. I have SA, but won't take infants anymore. (used to). The youngest I'll go now is about 20 months.

I currently have all SA, but not by choice, necessarily, that's just the way it has evolved. And all mine have grown up with me. THAT's the key!!

I've done DC 20 yrs, and have always had mixed ages. Mine mostly stay long-term, so right now I have six SA'ers. Two of them are PM Kinders (for another couple weeks!) I'll have all six the whole summer, but they've been with me from 4-11 years! Three of them since birth, and the other three from ages 1 or 2.

When they grow up with you, you've "trained" them to your ways. For me, it's like having a group of nieces and nephews over. The 11 yr old boy does get on my nerves sometimes with his sarcasm and slight laziness, but it's his age. And I know I'll only have him through this next school year (6th grade), then he'll age out.

For me, I would never take any NEW kids over the age of about 4 or 5.
Absolutely! My 10yo dcg has been with me since she was 3 and my 7 yo dcg has been with me since was 1 & her older sister aged out last week, when she turned 13. Having them grow up with you does make a world of difference!

I have had other new kids start once they are in school, but have always had the best success, when they've started as infants or preschoolers & not when they are older.
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Play Care 02:55 AM 05-15-2014
Originally Posted by :
For me, I would never take any NEW kids over the age of about 4 or 5.



I tell parents I am NOT a SA provider, but I do make some exceptions for children who have grown up in my care. I had a *horrible* experience with a SA girl who came in first grade - "tween" like behavior and then accusing me of not being "nice" to her I was so happy when I told them I couldn't take her anymore.

I also think it's important to realize than when a SA kid says the provider is "mean" or whatever, it tends to hold more weight with parents. I was never asked by the parents what was going on, they just believe their "princess" that I was a big meanie
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Laurel 04:27 AM 05-15-2014
I think it is hard to do both babies/toddlers and SA together. One summer when I first started my own were SA and I took a few more. That went pretty well. It also depends on the children. I had some good ones and some not so good experiences.

Occasionally I will take a sibling of one I already have. I have one now that is a delight (I also had him when he was a baby) but he rarely comes as they have a friend watch him for free.

Besides not napping and therefore waking babies, they constantly bug you to do things cause they get bored. Plus I don't have a lot of their age toys. They need to be outside more and if you have an infant or two that can't walk that is a big pain too.

I had one that was so bad that I told his mom I couldn't watch him anymore and I had the sibling. I just told her it was too hard to do littles and big kids together because I felt torn on giving them the attention they needed. That is true. But he was reallllly bad. My inspector was there one day for a routine inspection and she said "He just goes around getting everybody riled up doesn't he?" Wow, she didn't know the half of it. I have a gate so they can't get into the kitchen. He took a run and leaped over it. That was it. I told mom that night. I didn't lose the baby either. She knew.

No more for me unless it is grandkids and the one delightful one. I've had other very good ones too so it isn't all of them. But even with the good ones it is exhausting and you really don't get much of a break. Such a looonnnnggg day....

Laurel
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originalkat 06:21 AM 05-15-2014
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
They are bored easily, rarely eat well and complain ALOT....my guess is that they are so used to being "micro-managed" in school that left to plan their own day is something they have issue with and the results are the above.
This is exactly right. I have said this over and over. Their every moment is micromanaged in school and they do not know what to do when they have time to play and use their imaginations. Sad IMO.
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originalkat 06:23 AM 05-15-2014
Originally Posted by Play Care:
I also think it's important to realize than when a SA kid says the provider is "mean" or whatever, it tends to hold more weight with parents. I was never asked by the parents what was going on, they just believe their "princess" that I was a big meanie
Yep. This is so true.
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kitykids3 10:57 AM 05-15-2014
For me it is a combination of reasons but most of what was mentioned above.

I personally just do not get along well with older kids because of their sassy disrespectful attitudes.

They don't take naps and I need that time, unless I have babies.

They would be taking up a full time spot just for after and before school and I'm not wasting one of my 8 spots for that.

I don't have things here to entertain school agers and I won't be allowing them to sit on the computer or video games here. i just don't allow it for anyone, period. They'll be bored then because they don't know how to entertain themselves.

They are harder on stuff, more physical.

This is the main reason I opened my own home daycare instead of becoming a teacher is because I have more of a positive impact on their future when they are younger. I was a semester away from getting my teaching degree and when they put me in a 5th grade class and even the 1st grade class for my teaching experience, I KNEW I would not get to have the impact on them that I wanted by teaching them.
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KiddieCahoots 11:40 AM 05-15-2014
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:
I think the big thing is that by the time they are done with school, they are so over the structured activities and sitting still and anything cooperative. School is hard work for kids and the last thing they need after school is two or three more hours of a school environment. Yes some of it is just plain out disobedience and disrespect but I think a lot of it is that they NEED some physical outlets at that time of day and they aren't going to get it cooped up with babies.
exactly!
I have tried it, and now prefer the babies and up to 3, because of all the same reasons mentioned above.
Sa's need to let out all that pent up energy they've been keeping in during the day at school.
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