Should I quit my job to do daycare again?

[innisfildaycare]

Hello everyone!
I need some help and advice please!!
I ran an in home daycare for 6 years and then 2 years ago I received a call from my former employee to come back to work. ( I had quit when I was on may leave with my second child) so now my boys were 8 and 6. This position I hold hold is a fairly high position in the company and I was there for 6 years prior to quitting. The amazing thing about his position is that my employers are completely flexible. They have no issues and allow me to tak as much time off as I need to be at any school functions or class my trips for my children... No questions asked. I also get 3 weeks vacation during the months of September thru to June as well as get June and July off to be home with my boys during the summer!! Too good to be true right?? I love my job an I love all of these perks and would absolutely hate to give it all up! Here's where my problem lies, I travel an hour each morning to work and an hour each way home at night. My kids, now 10 and 8 get up at 6 am. Thy are exhausted! It's a struggle each morning and I mean a struggle!! I'm home by 5:30 each night. Start dinner, eat by 6;30 clean up.. Then homework time.. Omg!! Who has the time for that!! Home work is also a struggle and takes up much of our night.. Then it's bath time, snack and bed. Then my night starts, picking out clothes for the kids and myself, my shower, preparing lunches etc. I'm exhausted by the time I'm done around 10:30 / 11 and off to bed I go only to get up at 5:30 and start all over again! Where's my time?? And all of the above includes mysel and my husband and between the two of us I still can't manage to sit down at night for even 30min to relax. Then comes weekends.. Groceries, laundry and cleaning!! Not to mention all the meals and snacks that have to be cooked and prepared. Where did my weekend go?? So here I am... Enjoying my summer off with my boys and dreading all of that come time to go back in 5 more weeks! I think I want to do daycare again!! It was tough..long days.. Loosing children at any giving time which means losing income and struggling to find more dck's! My house not being my house anymore.. Picky and mean parents.. But.. I gt to fold laundry on Mondays, when the kids napped I was able to scrub a toilet or 2.. Able to prepare my dinners earlier leaving me tons of time at night for homework etc and had plenty of me time come 9 pm!! I miss children.. I miss the hugs and miss the arts and crafts! I miss running their the spinklers with little voices giggling!! Most of all.. I miss being to able to play hide and seek at night with my own kids.. Or pulling out monopoly and playing all the way until the end on a weeknight!!!!Not sure which way to go on this!! I need help and advice please!!!!!!!!!!

[Lee-Bee]

Personally your job is too good to pass up. How much of a pay cut will you take quitting to do home daycare?

My first reaction was you need to hire a full time nanny. one to let the boys sleep in, get them up and off to school they then clean the house, make supper, get the boys from school and do homework with them until you arrive home.

Supper is ready, house is clean, homework is done. The nanny can do groceries and errands as well. I would cost a good chunk of money (perhaps a much as $30,000 for they year) but you would have evenings and weekends free to spend with the family and your boys would have more sleep time, down time and another member of the family (so to speak).

[innisfildaycare]

Hi leebee!
Thanks for the reply! Actually after gas and daycare cost for my boys .. I'm left with the same salary as providing for only 3 kids! I spend over $500 in gas per month.. And I spend 50 bucks every 6 weeks for an oil change.. Plus wear and tear on my vehicle!! Not sure if that's all worth it??

[CrazyEight]

I get where you're coming from, but I would kill for a chance to have a job like yours. I wouldn't leave it for just about anything.

I say this because yes, I may have time to fold some laundry during naptime, I am able to pick my kids up from school, but I am struggling right now to be PRESENT with my kids. I am so exhausted and drained mentally from taking care of other peoples' children that I find that my time with my kids is lacking QUALITY, even though I am always home.

The grass is always greener on the other side. I dream of working outside the home, even though I know I would miss so much with my youngest, who is only 20 months old. You dream of having time at home without having to schedule it so much, but the reality probably won't be as rosy as you hope. Just trying to play devil's advocate a bit, I don't mean to burst your bubble.

Personally, I think you've got it pretty good. I haven't been able to go on any field trips or attend school assemblies, as I have a house full at home. My husband complains about his job and having to work some evenings and weekends, but he has the flexibility to do more with our kids' school than I have.

I think you could try to implement some changes when school starts up again, and see how it goes for a few months before deciding. For example:
-if you could afford to, a nanny like the previous poster suggested. Even if it wasn't fulltime, where do your boys go after school? Could you hire someone to pick them up from school, bring them home, and start their homework with them, eliminating the need for you to do that after dinner? The person could also start dinner, leading me to my most life-saving tip ever (lol)

-The crockpot! Make meals ahead of time, freeze them in large bags, toss it into the slowcooker in the morning, and dinner can be pretty much done by the time you get home. It'll take some trial and error, but I do this at least 3 times a week. I get everything chopped and measured and such in the morning during snacktime (but you could do a bunch of recipes on the weekend in very little time), toss it all in, and I don't have to worry about dinner.

Your job has the flexibility to attend things with your kids' school, you don't work evenings and weekends, and you have summers off! That is incredible - maybe you can find a way to tweak your schedule at home so you don't feel so rushed, and it might help you have the best of both worlds. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[5 Little Monkeys]

I quit a great job (also moved to a different city to be with fiancé though) and opened up my hdc. I knew early on though that eventually I wanted a hdc so it just made sense and came at a perfect time for me. I don't have children but always knew this is what I wanted to do long term. If we have children it will work out great as well.

For me, doing what I love is more of a priority than making lots of money. I hate commuting which is why I quit my job when I moved. There is stress with any job and pros and cons. For me, the pros of being my own boss, owning a business and working from home outweigh the cons (no med benefits(except thru fiances plan at work), unpaid sick/vacation days, inconsistent income etc) and this is why I choose to do what I do. I hope that I am able to do this until I retire....which is very far away lol.

I would make a list of the pros and cons of each choice and make a decision based on that. Good luck!!

[Lee-Bee]

I don't think this decision should be made while you are off for the summer. Everyone dreads going back to work after vacation and a 2 month pause from work to be home with your kids is a BIG vacation. I would wait until you are back to work for a good month or so and revisit the thought.

Try some things to free up time. Can you hire a part time sitter to supper prep and homework instead of sending boys to daycare? Some small things to free up time will be nice.

Remember right now you have the ability to stop work to go to school events you can't do this with home daycare. Also, right now you have 2 full months off to be with your boys you won't have this with home daycare...sure you'll be with them more but you will be sharing your time with many kids...which is not the same.

I'd be weary of quitting your dream job for a second time...because odds are they won't come looking for you in a few years...when your boys are much older and independent and need less help and just want to hang out with their friends.

[Artsand crafts]

Can you rent a house close to your work and put on lease the one you currently have (if you have a mortgage)? That would save you time and money on gas. Your current job sounds like a dream job when having children and your employer sounds amazing. The reason I quit my job and I did not look into other companies and did daycare instead was because my previous position was very demanding. I had to work after hours, sometimes work at home and travel. If I was offered something back then like what you have I may have never considered home daycare, since I did not have a childcare degree or daycare experience back then. Also, you may want to consider that your kids are older now and in summer you may have to be doing toddlers activities instead of spending time doing activities your kids enjoy.

Well, even if your current job sounds great you may have to consider what makes you happy. Currently I think I would not go back to work outside since I really enjoy my current job, and the main deal is that I can stay all day with my own children when they need me the most (a toddler and one on his/her way)

[innisfildaycare]

Thanks everyone for your replies! It's a hard decision. Again I love my job and the flexibility and would be crazy to leave it..I have been feeling this way since about March while I was at work. I even did quit after I had an argument with another employee, however my employers asked me to stay on as thy would make arrangements for the other employee. So i stayed on. I have been out of the daycare now for just over 2 years and I remember how crazy and mentally draining it could be.. But I'm tired of commuting and these early mornings and rushed nights. I could potentially make more money doing daycare which is a plus, but getting the clients would be key. My family thinks if he crazy to quit my job..but I just feel I had more time for my kids. They were above average academically because I had the time to teach and help them, now they are failing most tests because I simply do not have the extra time at night to help them. Im stuck!!

[mickyc]

Why not just make a few changes and see how it goes. First of all hire a cleaner!! If you can get the housework out of the way would that help? Consider the nanny idea if you can afford it. Also you need to take some time to get organized. Plan your meals in advance, use your slow cooker, don't be afraid to get takeout a little more often.

For me it is all about money! I make more money now than I did when I worked out plus all the deductions I get to claim really help. I do love what I do but I did also love my previous job and miss the adult interaction, going for lunch with the girls, and not having to wipe snotty noses or stinky butts all day LOL. I do like to be able to do laundry, dishes, wear my sweats, sit on the couch and be lazy, not have to scrape windows and warm up the car in winter.

There are pros and cons to both ways. Your job sounds like the dream job! I miss paid holidays, being able to be flexible with my schedule and taking off work early sometimes.

I say take it slow, make a few changes and see if it helps. Get a house cleaner!! that is a must.

[blackcomb]

I would put my children first for sure from what you have said and forget the job, plus it sounds tiring getting up that early and back later and not having time for your children or yourself by the sounds of it, I'd put the job behind me and look at it as a time of my life that is now behind me but now I have the time to teach my children again and time for them (which we don't get back again as you know). Ask them what they want. Sounds like it was exhausting for them too, I'd hate seeing my child so tired personally speaking and that in itself makes it harder for them with school work. It's a reason I am doing two night shifts a week max for now so son can be at childminders for bedtime until I am finished and collecting him at 7.30am next morning, and day care day time once my clients start coming, with before and after school care for ages 2-6 though ages 3-7 may be better.

Different if the job was on your doorstep I guess, as to the clients, be selective and do a contract that helps you filter out the trouble ones, sheesh I hope I don't have difficult clients that would put me off too..