You just take what you can handle (and of course...whats legal) I completely agree with a comment made up top re: if some parents put their kid in a home care situation that is over loaded like a total "kid factory" they are obviously not looking out for their childs "best interest" rather to save a buck or get "quick" daycare! or they just plain DONT CARE!
i am a mommy to many, and I have absolutly no problems. I have a large enough space inside and outside to handle the amount of children that I have and have never ever had any problems finding and/or keeping children in my care. Yes it does require careful planning but it is doable.
I can say that I have seen providers with 3 kids and not be able to handle it! Its all about personality. And realistically parents need to do their due dilligence when choosing a provider.
I am all for age restrictions though...
For the original example I gave, I wasn't baulking about the amount of children in her care, I was taking issue with them all being little. I am hard pressed to believe that any ONE woman could effectively care for nine children aged 3 and under in a playground.
I am sure that many people can care for multiple children in a fenced yard, or in their home, especially if some are older. I have 8 kids here today, but all but one of them is over 6.
I agree, not sure how you could take that many kids to a playground and keep them all safe and accounted for. I am a "worst case scenario" kind of person....what if the day you take all nine to the playground there is a child predator lurking, you know for a fact you can keep your TWO eyes on NINE kids at once? Doubt it! I'd sh**! If I knew my child was one of nine in a public place with one provider. (these parents must be crazy)
I've always counted my own two in my numbers ...as it's what I can handle. I have had them all under the age of 2 and it's busy but I only ever took on what I could handle by staggering starts by xx months. Nine is way too many for me and wouldn't take that many to a park but only my backyard as there is no way she could keep her eyes on all those children- if they were hers or others.
I understand the benefit of regulating home daycares ~ there are many out there that don't follow any type of common sense and or regulations other than their own. They are the ones that give home daycare's a bad name 'babysitters' being one of them
I wouldn't want home daycares to be regulated- I have my own business for a reason, I run it as I want to. I do follow some of the daycare nursery act as in only having 5 children in my care at one time. Having said that, this will be the first year that my youngest will be full days every other day and she will be home 2 days a week which will be 5 daycare kids and 1 of my own. Again, though, it's what I know I can handle comfortably.
I think that it's also accountability of the parents to ensure they know where their children go.
There are some out there that are able to take on that many kids and I think it all comes down to what as a parent you want for your kids.