How long are you in for? LOL

[Spixie33]

I'm just wondering how long everyone has been doing home daycare and how long they plan to be doing it.
I have met a lot of people who have gotten out after about 1.5 years and said it was too much for them....and then there seem to be others who have done it for over 5 years and even 10 years. (hats off to those people!)
I have been doing the home daycare since 7 months now. So far so good but people keep asking me how long I plan to do it for. These are usually friends and family. Almost as soon as I annpounced what I was going to do - they asked me for how long. Bizarre.
However....it has gotten me thinking about how long. I am not sure I am meant to do this for 5-10 years but I am not in a hurry to get out of the home daycare either. So far it is challenging but rewarding too and I have found great kids and families. I have not fully booked myself so I feel like everything is managable.

I think I am starting my realestate course this month but even so I still plan to continue through in daycare until I graduate and beyond. I might just see through until all the young ones start school. I would feel bad to just leave people hanging and forced to find new care

So...long story short....do you have an exit plan or timeline??

[playfelt]

Actually I am in my 25th year of home daycare. I did have an exit plan in 1992 or at least had started to think about one. At tha point our youngest was in kindergarten so I would have all three kids in school full days. My training was as an elementary school teacher so had thought about making plans to go back into the teaching system but maybe starting out as an assistant with a special needs class or something along those lines. Then we found out we were pregnant so that changed the plans for the next 6 years. Our youngest has special needs so that extended it even more as I decided to homeschool her as part of the daycare group since her developmental level is the same as the toddlers. She turned 18 in January and I turned 53 in Februrary and well we don't really have an exit plan anymore. I do have my educational felt business to fall back on which I would rev up as my main career and downsize or stop the daycare - someday maybe.

[Play and Learn]

I hope forever! I would love to close for when I have children of my own, but it all depends on how many dance students I have, to pay for our mortgage. We're planning on starting a family within the next year - we both hate being in debt, so now that we're debt free, and putting away for our savings, and holidays, we can try starting come Aug/Sept! I would probably work up until I'm due, and then close for 5 months to a year (depending). I would keep dcg age 2, as she's like one of my own!

When my kids are in school, I will probably switch to school-age only, so I can do whatever during the days.

That's our plan anyway...we'll see how it works out!

[second mom]

I have been running my day home for 11 years and can't imagine commuting downtown in rush hour traffic. I love being free to throw a load of laundry, hang out at the park or make a new dish for dinner while the kids are napping. This past year I haven't had a full house and am struggling I can afford to pay only the bills but never any extra cash. I know it is spring and people tend to move around so I will start getting phone calls soon. Right now I have 4 full time and one school age and of the group 3 belong to a teacher so I will be short on cash when they leave for the summer. Another one is listing their home for sale and who knows how long or if I will still have him after. If this all happens at once that means I will only have one here, it seems to have dried up for some reason. I have posted on free online advertising sites as well as posting notices in the local grocery stores and walk-in medical clinics. Not much response. I only charge $650/m (and can't offer subsidy) and the day care centres charge between $800 and $1000/m even with subsidy my price is still lower so how come I haven't been full for over a year?

[Tinkerbell]

I have been running my home daycare for 19 years. My exit plan was about 13 years ago, but that never happened. I have loved to be here for my own kids, while they grow up, and not have to put up with traffic and office politics. That's not to say that there isn't 'drama' doing this job, as we all know. It has been a very rewarding job and I have had the pleasure to meet many wonderful families and make many friends. I've always said that if I win the lottery, I'm out...but until then, I'll know when the time is right.

[mlc1982]

I will try to do this at least until my youngest starts school ...shes 8 mths right now. I wonder if i'll make it that long sometimes since this is a tough job. Some days are great and some are so exhausting. If I could keep my business going once the kids are in school and just do b/a school care, that would be ideal.

[giraffe]

I'm in my 12th year... loving it more and more as I go on. I plan on doing this for at least another 7 years if not longer...

[sunnydays]

I have just started and plan to do it at least until my youngest starts school (she's ten months now), but if I find at that point that I am loving it and doing okay financially, I will keep going. I don't miss the career-mom rat race and all the rushing here and there and never seeing the kids. I do find this a challenge, but I am just beginning and I can already see that it's starting to get easier, so I think it will get a lot easier with more time.

[momto3plus1angel]

My youngest is now almost 7. I originally said I'd do this until she went to gr 1 which was this year but as this year came up I just couldn't imagine doing anything else, or being told what to do and when to do it lol.

I now plan on doing this for at least 5 more years full time and then I may try and do a preschool 2-3 mornings a week or something.

[Tot-Time]

I started my home daycare 15 1/5 years ago.

6 years ago I started my exit plan. I reduced my home daycare to before and after school kiddies which allowed me to take my ECE full time. I graduated in 2 years through distance education. After graduating I was supposed to work in a centre.

And I did, for a year. I dabbled in many avenues, such as respite care, nursery school, and infant and preschool rooms in a daycare centre. As much as I loved working outside the home, I loved being home for my daughters when they needed me. So back to daycare where I belong.

Now my daughters are 16 and 13 and I wonder what the future holds. Retirement for my hubby is just a little more than 3 years away, which is when I plan on slowly reducing my daycare. I think for the first few years I will take in kindergarten children if there isn't a full day program here yet. Then reduce daycare to before and after school until both girls are out of college/university.

[mom-in-alberta]

June will mark the one year anniversary of opening my home up to childcare. I am mostly loving it. I have found in the last year, I went through a lot of "learning curves". I have now determined what my ideal age group is, whether or not I will transfer, what to be firm on... etc. I am having our fourth baby in September, so will be taking that month off. I will re-open the first "work" day in October. I don't have a looooong term end date. I will likely do this for a number of years, as I will still have small kids at home myself. I would never ever just up and close on families, so I am thinking that when I do choose to cease operating, it will be a 12 to 18 month gameplan. That being said; we all know that life has other plans sometimes, so who knows what the future holds!! :)

[Skysue]

I'm the same as you I have been doing it for 7 months and hope to change careers when my little one starts school. Family and friends have been so so with the idea as they think it's a really tough job. It has its moments and can be challenging but what job isn't. The best part about this job is we are the boss we set the tone and pace for the day. Some days I'm really tired and or not feeling well and we just realax and have a movie day. The kids need it too! You can do that in the office setting. I was a flight attendant for 11 years and then a hotel manager for 2, the hours in hotels can be killer and I am sooooo greatful to have my weeekends off to be with my family.

I can't see me doing it for more than 5 years as I'm a serious go getter and really miss adult interaction but need to go back to school and I have no idea what new path to take!

[Judy Trickett]

I am in it for about 8 years now. I'm probably a lifer.

[VictoriaChildCare]

I'm on my 11th year, I was only supposed to do this until my daughter went to school - she's almost 12. My next date is 3 years from now- when my mortgage is paid off. Then I'll go work part time in a centre base. That's the plan, what will probably end up happening is I'll carry on until I'm worn out. I love my job and I get paid to do it. For me it's the best of both worlds.

[giraffe]

I'm hitting 13 years in Feb... and going to be doing this for at least another 5 years but probably forever.

[Nifer]

It's been almost 15 months and I plan on doing it until our kids are in school full time (my son is 22mos and i'm 12 wks) and when my husband makes enough so that I don't have to work :p lol. I would most likely do something part time out of the house then. Or just have less kids/better hours.

[CPST_Manda]

As long as my own kids need "before and after" care, I will be in daycare.

[jodaycare]

I have been doing home daycare for 18 years. I worked in a centre for 2 and a half years before my daughter was born and decided to open my home daycare after my 6 month mat leave was over. This is my career, I went to college and got my ECE diploma so I cannot see myself doing anything else. I still enjoy my job very much.

[zen39]

My children are still in elementary school and I really like that I am here for them before and after school, march break, summer, when they are sick. I love being my own boss, my two hour break in the afternoon when all my dck's nap. I've done some form of child-caring, working in daycare center, having my own home daycare for 15 years...so I imagine I'll keep doing it for the foreseeable future.

[Caring]

I too started with the plan that I'd run the daycare 3-4 years until my children were in school full time I would move on to something else - now I've been running my daycare for close to 14 years and can't picture anything else. I've always said that when the demand dries up I'll close up and find something else - but the demand just gets greater and greater each year - I'd like to clone myself and run a second daycare if I could.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Yup another lifer over there ... I worked 17 years in centre care and the past 5 in home based program ... I love being self employed, the freedom and flexibility of a home childcare environment so as long as my old body holds out I plan to do this for as long as possible ... as I get 'older' I will likely drop down my work load to a part time smaller group.

[ECE53]

This will be my tenth year and my family and I have decided it will be my last. I will close down in a little over 90 days and take the summer of with my children. I look forward to all the changes ahead......Homedayca re has been really good to me, but it is really time for a change.

[playfelt]

What is good is knowing when it is the right time for you and your family to make the changes. There isn't anything that magically counts down the years you just have to know. Good luck with what you are choosing to do next. I'm sure your children are looking forward to a summer with just mom too. PS let us Ottawa people know if you plan to have a daycare garage sale please. The downside to spending too many years in the business is that you have to replace stuff often.

[Dayhome Mamma]

My plan is to do it until my kids are in Gr. 1 and kindergarden, so 2-3 more years. But hoping to have our other business up and running by then so it might end sooner if all things go smooth. So in the meantime I am going to take a business course to finish our business plan. Find an investor. And then be running/managing the next place. (Child related as well, but no more daycare) Although if that falls through, I can see myself continuing for sure as I like how I've gotten it set up now with working with an assistant. Makes my life sooooo much better. I have to sacrifice a lot of my own income, but it makes me a much happier provider and its so good for the kids:)

[Momof4]

I opened my business 4 years ago and plan to make this my last career. I love working at home and being the boss and after a lifetime of working for large corporations and just being a # it's really nice to be appreciated for my hard work by sweet families who are happy they found me.

[Sarah]

Been opened 6 months only, and liking it a lot. The initial plan is to do it until my own kids don't need caregiver. I have a 9yo, a 6 and a 4 yo. So a few years I guess!

[dragonlady3]

This has been a terrific conversation. Like many of you, I started out thinking I would keep my day care running until my youngest was in full-time school...but I liked the job so stayed on a bit longer. When my kids got sick or upset, I was there for them and I liked that. As my older children became more competent, I was able to employ them in the day care. Now I'm thinking of retiring when my youngest completes university!!! So I have been doing this crazy, wonderful job for 16 years...many years longer than originally anticipated!!

[ECE53]

I will post a link to my big sale coming in July. I have a runabout stroller, plan construction set with table, doll house and large little tykes play house that will be the first things to go....

[Crayola kiddies]

Not sure jury's still out ; ). Hahaha
My youngest will be in full day jk in 2013 but I still have a mortgage so it will be awhile yet .... I can't work out of the house and make the same money as I do now when you factor in gas, clothing, lunches, time spent travelling to/from work, ect ... Plus I answer to me only, and I like my2 hour break in the afternoon to fold laundry, tidy , clean bathrooms, ect.... Also like the others said I can be home when my kids are on school breaks or ill.

[sunnydays]

I definitely want the link! I am always looking for new stuff as I've only been open for 1 year.



I will post a link to my big sale coming in July. I have a runabout stroller, plan construction set with table, doll house and large little tykes play house that will be the first things to go....

[playfelt]

I will post a link to my big sale coming in July. I have a runabout stroller, plan construction set with table, doll house and large little tykes play house that will be the first things to go....

If only I could talk hubby into the runabout - for 5 I assume. I have a quad foundations but rarely have one I can trust to walk beside me since we are in an area without sidewalks and it means go at their pace as compared to me getting the walking exercise. When you get some prices in mind do let us know for sure. What part of Ottawa are you in? I am in Orleans.

[fruitloop]

I'm here for awhile. My dd is only in grade 1 and I plan to do this until she is in at least grade 7 or 8...old enough to look after herself after school for an hour or 2 and during the school breaks. Right now it's pointless to find a job (that won't pay me as much as I make now) just to have to quit it for the school breaks. I refuse to put my own kids in daycare so I'll do this until they can look after themselves. I have a ds who is in grade 6 but his school times are different than my dd so it wouldn't work for him to be here to look after his sister. I've been doing this for 10 years with a 3.5 year break in the middle to be with my dd when she was little and plan to be doing it for another 7 years at least. Who knows, maybe I'll be a lifer...I like my hours, my breaks, my holidays and my pay...my boss is pretty darn good too ;)

[mom-in-alberta]

Fruitloop; one of these days we will have to do coffee.... :D
I have a kid at NCE and a kid at MCMS, so it sounds like we are on the same schedule. Hahaha

[fruitloop]

Fruitloop; one of these days we will have to do coffee.... :D
I have a kid at NCE and a kid at MCMS, so it sounds like we are on the same schedule. Hahaha

I would love that!

[gcj]

It's been 4 and I figure I'll go for another 10-15...at least. There are too many perks to think that I'd be happier anywhere else doing anything else. Of course on the rough days that's not how I feel, but all jobs have rough days and I know the good outweighs the bad...by A LOT!