How do you know?

[torontokids]

This job is obviously difficult (I'm singing to the choir right?) How do you know if you are a fit for this job? I am doing this like many others to stay home with my girls but I am finding it hard. I know so many pack it in as new providers because they can't "cut it" I guess I don't want to make the mistake and find this out after a bunch of families have invested their time and energy with me.

I have a very difficult family right now and unfortunately I don't have another family/client to buffer this. Right now I am also not getting my break during nap due to the 3 yo dcb so I am feeling like I am "always on."

I have learned a lot in the 2 weeks I have been open and this will help me to know what I am looking for future clients. I guess one of the reasons I am doubting myself is I feel I have been very quick to "give up" which isn't my personality. e.g. don't like b & a, I should term, dcb not napping, I should term. I read posts with you all talking about things you have been struggling with for months and I wonder, how are they dealing with that for so long?

I don't know what I am asking for from all of you. Did you all have doubts in the beginning? How did you know you were still making the right choice?

[dodge__driver11]

Some will tell you to give it at least 6 mo to 1 year before you make your final choice and I tend to agree. I had a lot of doubts within the first 90 days, but then I started perfecting my routine, my handbook and my webpage.

I now have a great set of refrences to draw from as I relocate, and some of the kids have become very dear to me (parents too)

Good luck!

[Spixie33]

I think those are just growing pains. The kids are new to the daycare...you are new to the daycare and you probably just haven't found your groove yet.

You just have to do a pep talk for yourself every morning and psych yourself up to be a great provider and have a great day.

I set a goal for myself. A lot of people tend to quit at the 18 month mark so I made a goal for myself to do it for 18 months no matter what and then if I was not happy at the 18 mo mark then I would bail.

I am now at the 3 year mark.

That first month was tough and I patted myself on the back day by day for surviving each day. It gets better. Now weeks fly by.

I am not too familiar with the specifics of your dcb situation but can you find a way for the 3 year old DCK to stay on a nap mat with some quiet activities i.e magna doodle for drawing, some Megablocks, puzzles and books and tell him he cannot come off the mat until quiet time is over? Tell him he doesn't need to sleep but he does need to stay there and be quiet and let others sleep.

[torontokids]

I guess with the 3 yo I haven't really allowed for quiet activties (aside from reading) because I really want him to nap and he is tired. With my dc setup it is in the basement and one open space so I am not sure if having one child doing quiet activities is even feasible as this would disrupt the others napping (he is currently the only dck as of now). Am I being unrealistic or will I need to start spreading the dck around the rest of my house at nap time?

[sunnydays]

Oh, I can feel your pain oozing through your post! It is VERY tough in the beginning! Only YOU know how much you can take and truly deep down whether you think you can do this. It may be that you chose a family as your first clients that are really not a good fit for you and I would hate to see you throw the whole daycare idea under the bus because of that. Or it may just be that you weren't really prepared for how draining it is in the beginning and how much adjustment you would all have to go through. It is a lot of changes for you, for your kids, and for the dck's. I certainly don't think 2 weeks is enough to know...unless you are at the point of actually feeling that you might physically harm one of the kids because your stress is so high...then I would say quit before it is too late (not at all trying to say you are at this point, but you never know right?). Otherwise, try to get the 3 year old to stay on his mat at quiet time. Could you make it a challenge by telling him that if he stays quietly on his mat for one whole hour (you will tell him when the time is over) then you will do a really fun activity with him (or perhaps he will get to watch TV or something like that) and specifiy exactly what that fun activity is. Explain that if he does not stay on his mat quietly then you wil be too tired after naptime to do said activity. Then follow through with it no matter which way it goes. Good luck!

[Crayola kiddies]

I also have a basement daycare and we are totally self sufficient down there except I nap three of the children upstairs in my bedrooms. Each room has a pack n play in it and hen I have over more in the basement bedroom and the oldest sleeps on a nap mat in the play room. He knows he is not permitted off his mat till I say so and he sleeps quit well. This way I get a terrific break and the play lens in my bedrooms are not much of an inconvenience and worth it to me for the quality 2 - 2.5 hour break I get ; ) ..... Give it a shot...... Also I wouldn't allow toys at the beginning of nap .... He would have to earn them.

[Momof4]

There is a learning curve to the job, no doubt about it! Starting slow is best and I recommend adding children one at a time. I agree with Dodge that I took about a year to get up and running and full and to figure out my routines and they still change year by year as the group changes depending on their ages and personalities.

But YES, you need to make sure you have a nice dark sleep room where all the children will nap so that you can have a break. It's really important because when the children leave we are NOT finished our day by a long shot.

I have posted this response many times but I believe routine is key. Our days transition the same every day from busy mornings to lunch to nap, etc. but the children all fall asleep within a short time of each other because their bodies have learned to expect our routine.