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Hello everyone!
Just wondering for those of you who became pregnant while running your daycare, how did you attend to the situation with parents? How did they react? I am just thinking ahead at this point but am very curious to know.
Thanks so much for any info!
I told both parents that are with me when I was around 3 months. I was a little nervous how they would react seeing as I haven't been doing this for too long. One was very happy for us and fine with the time off I will need, the other wasn't quite as happy because she needs to find someone for when I take time off.
Thank you for your reply Marie. I have just enrolled children for september...this isn't a concern right now, but I just think it is something to think about. How long did you take off?
I've taken off a month after the baby is born. After I have the baby I will have four kids total in my care, including my own, so I'm hoping it will be as manageable as I think it will be.
You know what you are comfortable with...it sounds very manageable. I have to keep reminding myself that there are always growing pains with any new endeavour! :)
I am currently preg with baby #4, a little over 7 months along right now.
I told the parents fairly early on, probably only 8 weeks pregnant or so? I had to, because I was starting to show already, ugh. So I wanted to be upfront as soon as possible. The only thing I made sure of; was that I had already thought about what my "plan" was going to be. It would not have felt fair to break the news and say "not sure what's happening yet!".
I am due September 9, so I will be taking the entire month off. Re-opening the first weekday of October. I will have the same hours and rates, but have chosen not to transport kids on a regular basis anymore. I was fully prepared to lose some clientele, as a month is a long time to find alternate care. I will not be charging anyone to hold a spot, as it is my choice to close down. I have asked all my parents to be upfront with me, because I will need to advertise for those spaces over the summer if they are choosing not to come back!
Amazingly enough, it looks like ALL of my families will be back. I was very pleased. There is only one "maybe" that I will be finalizing this week with a definite answer. I have made sure that I have back-up plans in place should I go into labor sooner (or much, much later) than anticipated. But all the parents I have are incredible and I hope would be understanding if there was an emergency-type scenario.
I hope that a month will be long enough, but the beauty of this job is; if I answer the door in my pajamas, it's my prerogative!!! :)
Thanks for the info mom-in-alberta! Yes, I have been discussing "a plan" with my husband. We are just thinking about all the details because I like to plan ahead, especially when it involves the daycare. I appreciate all the info and advice I can get! Congratulations! :)
I would approach it the same way I would approach it with a boss or a colleague at an office job. I would not tell without a plan. Having a plan shows the parents that you are serious about everything and have things under control. here is another thread in which we discussed some of the particulars about providing care during pregnancy
I told my parents a couple weeks ago (I"m 13 weeks now) as I was showing already... a few of them had noticed!! I did lose 1 famiy, but I hadnt started with them yet, and honestly, it works out better for me anyways so I'm not too upset. I;m due Jan 16th and said I'd take the month of Jan off (I figured I couldnt do the school run in Jan anyways and since most of my kids are school age...) however, my sister just had her 3rd and a month later had life threatening complications (retained placenta, massive hemoraging, ambulance to the hx etc)... kinda freaked me out and got me thinking... I've decided to take Jan and Feb off. If things go as well as my first 2 preg/lab/del then I'd be ok, but I'm older now and who knows right? If everything goes smoothly, well then lucky for me, I have a bit of extra time to get used to my new baby, but if things dont go the same way (even if its just that I have to have a c section this time and need more time to recover) I'd rather my families be taken care of then have to scramble if I have an unexpected situiation!
BTW-my sister is ok! :)
I had my first interview yesterday for a child coming from another daycare provider that is taking a years mat leave. She has been paying into EI as a self-employed person and taking off at least from Christmas till next September. My baby days are long past but it is something worth looking into for those just starting families or I guess thinking about starting families since you need to pay in for awhile before you can claim.
Just curious, how are thoes of you who are pregnant or just delivered doing? How are you finding caring for all the dck as you get further along in your pregnancy or with a newborn? I'm getting nervous, I'm only 6months along but I'm finding its getting way more difficult than I anticipated, especially with the toddler (16m). I've done it before, my son was 17m when my daughter was born, and I survived, but man, I"m tired (already not sleeping at night), stressed, getting tons of Braxton Hicks, and very short on my patience... I guess 7 kids to look after (5 + my own 2) while preg is a bit more difficult than 1 toddler... what was I thinking?
I'll bet with your son you sat down and rested some yourself while he was napping, etc. Doing daycare we don't let ourselves do that as much as we should. In the grand scheme of things the kids will not be harmed for life if you don't play ring around the rosie for the next 4 months. Keep your schedule flexible and low key. You are actually at the worst part because of the position of the baby. The baby should soon make a drop and then you will sleep, bend, sit, move a lot better. I have 4 kids and I started daycare when my own were 18m and 4 m and the next two were born into the daycare. You need to give yourself permission to look at what is important in your program and what can wait or is just extra fun, you need the parents to be on board believing that continuity playing with friends for a few months is more important than visits to the museum and recreating a lunar escape in the playroom. Again give yourself permission to proceed slowly.
I am due on the 20th of October, I have an 18m old son, 2 ft dck, and 2 pt dck.
I am so WIPED by 5pm that I can hardly make supper or get my own son entertained until his bedtime. Luckly my husband is off quite a bit and helps out. When he comes home early (around lunchtime) he hangs out while the others are napping, and I go for a nap myself. This helps me make it thru to the evening.
I told my parents back in April when I first opened actually and they were all fine with it. They all have plans to take dck to Grandmas, or dad is taking last minute vacation. I am taking 2 weeks off after baby comes. My husband will then be on parental leave for 9 months! Woo Hoo!!! He loves the kids and will definetly help me out.
I just had a baby on the 15th of Sept. I told all parents fairly early on (see my earlier post). I went into it fully expecting that I may lose some, or all, families. I took the entire month of September off, as I was due on the 9th. Ideally, I was to have about a week off pregnant, and then have about 3 weeks off before opening again. Baby J, unfortunately had other ideas. She was a tad late, so I ended up only having 2 weeks before the d/c kids came back.
I got through the pregnancy okay, by realizing that it will not kill the kids to have more free-play and less "structured" activities. I had to remind myself to take breaks when I needed, and when we played outside, etc I made a point to sit down and relax when I could. Parents were super understanding, and I had lots of help from my hubby, whose job is pretty flexible. I have managed the last couple weeks in the same way. I wrote up a note for all parents before we closed for the month, reassuring them that even if we don't go outside quite as often, or do as many crafts, etc; their kids are still getting the quality care and attention that they always did.
The only cruddy thing is; 2 days before we opened, I found out that one family wasn't coming back. I was pretty choked, because I found it very rude that they didn't consider giving me more notice. But I wasn't totally shocked.
I would say, also; remind your parents to have BACK UP CARE. If you should need to close early, or something happens that you cannot open as soon as you planned on it, don't let them guilt you into taking care of kids under those kind of circumstances. I had back up plans and constantly asked the parents to do the same. Just remember that your health, and baby's, is more important!!
with my youngest I told my daycare families early on - i wanted them to know in case something had happened. anyways it was a booked section - i had 3 families- 2 of them actually went to my mom's house ( she had an inhome daycare at the time - for 18yrs) i finished 5 days before my scheduled section - which was in may- i took off until sept - the first day of school actually. it was fine going back- i was able to really heal - the one family decided to not come back. It all worked out in the end.