Ratio Thoughts

[bumbleberry]

I am looking to start an unlicensed dayhome in AB when my son is a bit older than one year.

While I know I can legally have five other children, I do want to keep in mind the ratios that licensed centres use. Are these my options...?

2 under 2....my child + 1 under 2yo
3 under 3...my child + 2 (between 2yo-3yo)

Ideally I was wanting a child very close in age for when my child is under 2 making Option #1 make the most sense, but also possibly monetarily not worth it.

Thoughts?

[Lee-Bee]

You'd need to make a call based on the income you need. That being said as great as it is having a same age playmate for your son he will benefit a lot from having older kids to hang out with (lots to observe and learn). So, if you need 2 paying kids then having the 2 a bit older than your son would benefit him. I would likely try to get the older 2 kids really close in age though. Having your son just turning 1 and a just turned 2yr old and a almost 3 year old means 3 different age/developmental level and all kids playing at a different stage. If the older 2 are in the same level they can play together which make it easier for you to tend to your younger son. There is a HUGE difference between 25months and 35 months.