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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>2 Babies or Not????
tenderhearts 01:37 PM 07-07-2010
I have been right at 6-7 enrolled until about 1 month ago when I lost 3 kids in a matter of a month, 2 lost jobs one left because of school. So I keep getting alot of calls for infants, infants are nice especially when they grow with you. I have had 2 infants before, one started when she was 7 months the other started when he was 8 mo, these 2 are only 5 days apart, they are now 4 1/2 and still with me. So I had an interview for a baby who will start in mid aug and he'll be 8.5 mo old, now I have an interview (only because the other family hadn't let me know yet) on thursday for a 3 month old. I know I did it before and it was difficult at times, how many of you brave it and do 2 babies at the same time along with 4 others being between 2-5 yrs? I want to do it but then I'm also kind of hesitant. Any thoughts? would you do it?
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GretasLittleFriends 02:00 PM 07-07-2010
I had an infant in my care he started at 4 weeks back in November then stayed with me until he moved the first part of June. He was here for about a month when my own little one was a newborn. Along with a mix of other kids between 18mos and 6yrs. I found it VERY difficult. I did it, I made it work. I currently have 3 openings, but I am looking for 1 year and up because I thought it was a little too much with my own baby and the other infant. I am not sure how it would differ if neither infant was my own.

Being as the one is 8.5 months old he(?) is likely to be more mobile, and perhaps not so needy? This boy I had seemed slightly behind in his development and constantly starved for attention. I think after my DD gets to be a toddler/preschooler I'd be willing to try again with two infants, as long as neither were my own.
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jen 02:11 PM 07-07-2010
I wouldn't take two new borns, but I think that a 9 month old and 3 month old is doable...
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tenderhearts 02:13 PM 07-07-2010
That's kind of what I thought, by 9 mo. they are at least playing and not so needy, and still nap alot. What about doing activities with the older kids? I remember back when I had my 2 8 mo olds I remember that on some days the schedule was off, basically I had to be more flexible with it. Part of me likes having them newborns that way they stay with you and they get "used" to you and the rules early on opposed to having a 2-4 yr old coming in. I guess I'll see how the interview goes. Thanks ladies.
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Golden Rule 02:20 PM 07-07-2010
I currently have 3 newborns, well 4 months now, and I love it!!! They love to watch and babble to each other and it makes my day so much easier...

The 3 toddlers sing and "read" to them... It has changed the entire tone of the group. They have become so loving and careful. They absolutely love "their babies"...
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TGT09 02:22 PM 07-07-2010
The youngest I've had so far come in was a 9 month old. She stayed with me until she was 17 months...I still have her sporadically (dcm switched to 2nd shift) during the day though. I interviewed for a newborn for January of 2011 but we should be deeper in the adoption process by then and the thought of us having a newborn and me having someone else's newborn is making me feel very anxious. I sort of wish I would have told new dcm that I'm not accepting but come fall, I will only have 2 toddlers and 1 after schooler on a normal basis so I was afraid of not finding another toddler.
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professionalmom 07:03 PM 07-07-2010
I wish I had a choice about dealing with 2 newborns at the same time, but I don't. I approximately 4-5 months, I will be having twins of my own. I keep trying to figure out the logistics like nursing both at the same time, taking them and my soon-to-be 2 year old to the grocery store, etc. Life is about to get very crazy in our house.

But I did take on a 6 mth old when my DD was 6 weeks old. They were great together. They were basically growing up like brother and sister, until the mom got a nasty attitude with me and I had to terminate, but that's a whole other story and not worth reliving. Frankly, I'd rather have 2 infants that aren't mobile yet, than have 2 toddlers who are into EVERYTHING. I, personally, think toddlers are the most work. But that's just my opinion.
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tenderhearts 10:24 AM 07-08-2010
Thanks everyone, I'm just so worried about having to be so occupied with 2 little ones that the older ones are being more neglected. I know I've done it before with the 2 8 mo olds I had, it worked fine, but I was lucky with them and I'm afraid I wont be so lucky this time around. They were both great sleepers, neither of them were whiney (however one of them is alot now and she's 4 1/2). I know getting used to the schedule takes a couple weeks then I'll kind of know. I have the with the 4 week old tonight, they need care sooner than the 9 mo old so I would be able to adjust to the first one before the other started, ugh I guess I'll have to just see how it goes tonight. I definetly know I want the first baby the 8.5 mo old.
thanks again everyone
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MarinaVanessa 10:34 AM 07-08-2010
I wouldn't see it as a problem, but that's just me. I have an 11mo that started at 8months (full-timer) and a 8mo that started at 6mo (part-timer) and a 19mo that started when he was 8mo (part-timer). That wasn't so bad. I'm also expecting so in December I'll have my own newborn, a 1y and 5mo, a 1 yr and 5m old and my now 19mo will have graduated to toddler at 2 years. It's nice to have their ages spread out at least by a couple of months. I don't know if I could handle 2 really small infants lol (younger than 6 mo).
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Lucy 12:04 PM 07-08-2010
I've done it twice. I had 2 girls that were 4 days apart in age, then a few yrs later I had 2 boys that were 7 weeks apart. The girls were together starting at 5 months, the boys were 6 mos & 8 mos. You just have to be organized and stay ahead of them. Make bottles ahead and have all supplies ready and out for diapering, etc. With the girls, since it was my first time having 2 babies and also they were only 5 months old, I had a little chart for the first couple months of who got bottles and diapers and what time. Otherwise I felt like I would mix them up. Probably wouldn't have, but it was for my sanity. I got used to it all real fast though. Each of the pairs loved "growing up" together. Had the girls until age 5 (other one stayed about 6 months longer), the boys until one was 4 and the other (who is still here) is now 7. You can do it!! Just be mentally prepared as well.
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tenderhearts 12:37 PM 07-08-2010
thanks, I keep thinking that I did it before but that was 4 years ago, but now that my group is almost turning over maybe starting with a couple babies would be nice again. My other 2 5 year olds that I had since they were babies just left, it was really hard. My 2 4 1/2 yr olds that I've had since babies one is leaving in august, mom's having a baby and not going back to work and the other one is leaving at the end of next summer right before kinder. So maybe having to babies would be fun. The only other concern I have is the set up of my house, since babies eat at different times from each other and the older kids, my kitchen isn't near the daycare room, I can see a portion of it but that's it. I suppose until they are eating "people" food, I can just feed them in high chairs in the daycare room. I'm already thinking
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Golden Rule 01:19 PM 07-08-2010
I also wanted to tell you, unsolicited , that puppy training pads have made my life so much better....while caring for multiples...

The amount of laundry was becoming atrocious (power bill topped $400 this month, alone), so placing inexpensive puppy pads, covered with never used cloth diapers, under leaky newborns in their cribs saved me from using over 12 sets of sheets/mattress pads a day.... I use one puppy pad and about 3 cloth diapers each, now, per day.

I plan to continue using them under their sheets once they start rolling around. Will keep them dry and make the pack-n-plays last longer, I hope .

Sorry for the hijack, just wanted to share with you
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tenderhearts 03:00 PM 07-08-2010
Wow electric bill of $400/mo , I thought mine was bad in Jan and dec it got to $300.
Thanks for the info. I don't remember my other little ones "leaking" through but if that happens sounds like a great idea. The puppy pads aren't expensive?
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Golden Rule 03:38 PM 07-08-2010
Originally Posted by tenderhearts:
Wow electric bill of $400/mo , I thought mine was bad in Jan and dec it got to $300.
Thanks for the info. I don't remember my other little ones "leaking" through but if that happens sounds like a great idea. The puppy pads aren't expensive?
Lol!! All three of mine spit up quite a bit (all preterm 4-5 lbs).... They are all on breast milk so I would not expect that, typically.

The last set of twins I had rarely ever spit up but were much larger.

I got a 50 pack of puppy pads for $12 this weekend at petco.
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momofsix 06:16 PM 07-08-2010
I had 4 babies this year and last, and now they're all over a year and I miss the babies! Two started with me as newborns, and a set of twins started when they were 9 months. I absolutely love the babies. They are more work in some ways, but I'm one that loves to be holding and rocking a little one. You will have to see how it goes yourself, but I wouldn't be too worried about it. I would let the parents know if you don't have it in your contract that their is (if you want) a probation period, so that if it doesn't work our for some reason they are not totally thrown for a loop.
I agree that having a newborn along with your own newborn would be very hard. First of all a new mother is extra tired, especially if nursing. And second of all I think that God created mothers to be so "in tune" and connected with our own babies that it would be very hard to give the same attention to another newborn.
Best wishes for whatever you decide!
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tenderhearts 06:45 PM 07-08-2010
Do you have 2 babies with preschoolers too?
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katie 07:11 PM 07-08-2010
I'm so glad you posted this. I will be waiting to hear how it goes. I have my 9 yr old, my 7 yr, 4 yr and 5 month, then I have a 1yr dcb, and a 3 yr old dcb. I will be getting infant #2 August 9th. I'm totally adjusted to the other two girls, but the baby freaks me out on top of my baby. She will be sitting up, or a little more able to play then (7 mo) but the 3 month old that is coming...I homeschool, so when school starts how to fit in bottles and math???? lol
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tenderhearts 08:56 AM 07-09-2010
The 3 month old I interviewed last night I asked how they felt with me having the 9 mo old, they were fine with it. Kind of my thoughts that it's crawling or close at that time not quite and needy as a 3 month old. so I was glad they were fine with it. The only thing is she said, she does need some "soothing" when she goes down, I said well what do you mean by soothing? she said well we have to rock and bounce her until she almost falls asleep. I said well being this little I would rock (in rocking chair) and I can bounce a little but I can't spent too much time in another room away from the kids, she said she understood and said that the other daycare seemed to be able to put her down without doing all of that so she said maybe it's just for mom and dad that she does that. Way back when I first started daycare with like my first few infants, I got myself into alot of trouble by rocking kids to sleep every time they woke up, it pathed some not good sleeping situations at my house because they were used to me doing that (I did that with my own kids so that's what I was used to) but i learned quickly that with a entire group of kids it's impossible to do that. Now with the last several babies I tried my best not to rock and bounce (within reason of course) but I'd rub their backs ect. and these babies did so much better, I dont' know if it was coincidence or what. so now I need to make the decision if I want to take this one, they need to know today.
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mismatchedsocks 10:23 AM 07-09-2010
I had two fulltime babies start together at 2 months old, along with the other older daycare kids, and you just have to be prepared for no break. I have one of those infants still and she is 3.

Last year I had a baby start fulltime at 3 months, then a 3 month old part timer. I was used to it. Now those babies are over a year, and added in another one their age.

I have two moms pregnant, and due any day, so in a few months I will have 2 part time newborns ( not on same day).

its a challange, but having seperate "play" areas for only the babies helped! Good luck!
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tenderhearts 03:38 PM 07-09-2010
Thanks, well I prayed about it and I decided that I would do both. I really enjoyed the other babies I've had that have grown up here with me plus the 2 that are still here that grew up together so since I have this opportunity I'm going to do it. So I'll have the 2 babies 5 mo and 9 mo (almost 9 mo) then my 4 preschoolers, should be ok, I hope. Thanks for everyones help in the decision making.
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sahm2three 04:23 PM 07-09-2010
I am contemplating taking another baby as well. I got a call today from someone asking if I would take their 14 week old. I already have a 6 month old. He is a pretty good baby, just is getting to that age that if you leave the room he screams, lol. But for the most part a good baby. Sleeps well, eats well. The mom says the 14 week old is a good baby too. I have an interview with them next Tuesday. So we will see! Good luck deciding!
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Tripletmom 01:30 PM 07-17-2010
I would take on two babies. Since the two you are considering are 5 months apart, it should be easier than two infants. Best of luck with your decision.
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boysx5 01:42 PM 07-17-2010
I find that the babies are eaiser its more physical but less mental work for me. My two infants in care are 14 months and 4 months and that isn't so bad plus I have three 2 year olds and one three year old plus a six year for the summer and she is more work than the others put together.
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Tags:homeschool, too many infants
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