How many kids can you handle?

[loads'o'kids]

Just wondering how many kids you care for and what their ages are. I am currently caring for a 14 month old, 15 month old, a 3 year old, and am considering taking on the following, a 10 month old, a 2 year old and a 3 year old. Does anyone have any thoughts on how this would be and if it would be manageable. I am fairly new to this home daycare thing, but I have 4 schoolage kids of my own so I am a good multitasker!

[kidlove]

I LOVE having a full house. I like a challenge. Love it when I have 6 plus my own two. Although, due to the fact that when you have your own kids "you wear two hats", sometimes days are easier when my 2 are in school. ha ha :) But love having a FULL house. I am licensed for 6 plus my own and love it that way. Right now I am down in numbers, feel bored.....I DO get a ton of housework done and have more time to visit with you lovely ladies, but am DYING to get more kids soon. :)

[playfelt]

If you are in Ontario then that would be 6 kids and you are only allowed 5. Not sure about other province rules. When you think about it you cared for your 4 when they were little and you were inexperienced to a certain extent. Now you are replacing those 4 plus adding 1-2 more based on your experience so it is totally doable but just make sure you know the age and number of kids limits for your province.

[kidlove]

not to mention, alot of people say, oh it's like having 4,5,6 of your own.....I always respond with....yah 4,5,6 all about the same age. That's alot more to handle than if the ages are spread out. Definately a JOB, that's for sure....but enjoyable to say the least. ;)

[sunnydays]

That sounds like it could be manageable depending on the rules where you live. I have had 5 daycare kids plus my own 2 and 4 year old (all the daycare kids being 3 and under) and it is a challenge, but is managable. It is much easier nwo that my own 4 year old is in school...he gave me way more trouble than the other kids ;)

[fruitloop]

I like being full too. I'm allowed to have 6 kids and right now I have 5 with the 6th one starting Oct. 29. 5/6 are under 2 and I love this age group!

[Crayola kiddies]

I had 5 (total allowable in Ontario) plus my own three all summer so I guess I could handle 8 but I can only have 5 and that's what I like to have.

[Momof4]

Yes, please be careful not to go over your limits, that's against the law and you could be fined.

I have a 12 month old, a 21 month old, a 22 month old, a 2.5 year old and a 4.5 year old (who will be replaced by a 10 month old in Feb. when her Mom goes on mat leave. So a very young group and that's how I started out and the children grew together year by year and I really love that. Plus, it's a long time until there is another tunover with the dreaded interview process.

[mrsplante]

I haven't started yet (next week), but I have a 12 mo, 18 mo and my 11 mo full time. I also have 2 yo, 3.5 yo and 3 yo part time. It seems overwhelming (particularly feeding and napping) but I think that having the pt's in there will make my day better.

[daycarewhisperer]

I have a staff assistant and we have had different registrations over the years. The most I had was eleven with a highly trained assistant. Now I run eight with a newbie assistant. I can manage eight by myself but it's a lot. I prefer to have a helper and make less money.

[Daycare123]

I have a 2 year old a 15 month old, a 1 year old and my own 7 month old...and I consider myself full.

[Inspired by Reggio]

LOL yes how many kids I can 'handle' and how many kids I feel are 'ideal' are two different answers .... in centre care as a new graduate I was often left with 7 infants under the age of 15 months on my own for two hours at the end of the day or over lunch breaks because they had not clarified in the DNA back than that you could not do 2/3 ratio with infants and my old boss could not do MATH to realize that 2/3 of a 3:10 ratio was not 7 ... but technically I could 'handle' it as in they were kept fed, changed and safe through assembly line care but it NO was not an ideal ratio ... even having a 1:3 ratio for infants is not ideal cause it is often assembly line care even then cause you just do not have enough hands to cuddle and snuggle and feed them ;)

My ideal ratio is 4 children with only 2 of them being under 2 and the rest over because my back cannot handle too many wee ones needing lifting/carrying. I say 4 because the days I only have 4 seem to flow so nice and smoothly with the kids pairing off and no 'third wheel' fights but I typcially have always had 5 cause that is how many I am allowed and I cannot say 'no' if someone comes a looking and I have the space cause well 1 more income is nice for savings and for the past 5 years I have been full 99% of the time with little need to advertize for openings clients would have me full again with referrals ... so admittedly right now I am really enjoying being 'low' for a change cause I just had most of my original clients all head off to school full time!