VENT: Pretty sure this is the last summer...

[Lou]

...that I'm providing school age care! OMG, it just isn't worth it! And it's only the first week since school let out, LOL!!
I advertised $5 LESS per day than my regular rate for school agers thinking that they would be easier, no diapers, no tantrums, etc.
WRONG. Today I am caring for three 6yrs olds, a 7 yr old (my daughter), a 3 yrs old and 2 yrs old (my son). The 4 older girls are by FAR the most difficult to deal with...I don't know why I didn't see this coming!! They're so catty!!!! UGH!!!
I think I'll stick this summer out, then stick to my littles next summer!

[Inspired by Reggio]

Oh I SO hear you ~ in Ontario as they are introducing full day everyday kindergarten and while I am torn on if this is 'best' for children that young to be in school setting and ratios full time I am so GLAD to be done having to deal with children who have been exposed to the SCHOOL YARD ... and IME it is not the 'age' that makes them catty but in my opinion the exposure to so many peers with so little adults that turns them into this 'Lord of the Flies' behavior we than have to deal with!

For years I have seen sweet little angelic children, boys and girls, head off to school in September with empathy, conflict resolution skills and MANNERS and by October I am wondering 'who the hell is this kid' because the tone, rudeness, strategies for manipulating others and poor behavior coming out of them is unrecognizable ... I have had the same basically aged children who are not in school because they were January babies and had to wait a year who are NOT like this and I have peers who home-school so their kids are not in that environment who are NOT like this... which leads me to my conclusion it is the SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT that creates this behavior and the fact that kids are suddenly exposed to so many 'varied value systems' that children there might have from parents who allow their kids to watch media and listen to music that others might not, to the language used in homes and so forth and the kids are 'seeing' all this on the school grounds and do not know how to process or assimilate it and so they bring it HOME and try there

Yup ~ I do not want to deal with school agers either!

[Lou]

Oh MAN!!!
The thing is that they get along great UNTIL this one part timer 6 yrs old comes. Then the whole dynamic changes and it's one argument after another and she is the root of every problem!!!! I had such an issue with her bullying when she was here for after school care, that I flat out told Mom that I would not be tolerating this behaviour over the summer, and that July will be her month of probation. Mom and Dad must have laid down the law (finally) at home, because the rest of her school year went great. Her first full day here for the summer though...not so great. It's honestly just bitchy behaviour! Never towards me, but she's SO argumentative with the other kids, it's ridculous!!

[apples and bananas]

Yup, I do before and after school care for 1 girl. Most of the time she is self sufficient... but if she happens to be here and my daughter (1 year apart) isn't here for whatever reason... it's constantly "what can I do now... I'm bored... " UGH! And I keep the kids pretty busy, but she just jumps from one activity to another.

If you're lucky you find a good one who likes to help with the little guys. But they are rare to come by

[michellesmunchkins]

This is exactly why I DON'T offer school age care and NEVER will again. Did it for 3 months and seriously thought jumping off a bridge would be more fun lol. I just can't handle the attitudes and disrespect that comes with that age group. I'm all for the little ones that I get to 'train' along the way I find the school agers to be 3x the amount of work of the little ones. So not worth the pay in my opinion. Wishing you lots of luck for the next two months!! I totally feel for you.

[Momof4]

Oh boy, there is no way I would ever want children that age in my daycare. They have such Att-i-tudes! I would rather have 5 tiny babies.

[eoinsmom]

I agree too! I have twin 7 year old boys who are before school (occasionally after school and PD days) only during the school year and full days in the summer. First day of summer vacation, I have one bugging me all day long that he is bored and needs something to do. Everything is "for babies" and he says the other kids are too little to play with (one of them being his 4 year old sister who would LOVE to play with him). The other brother just wants to play video or computer games all day and complains and whines when he isn't allowed. I dread summer! I can't really drop them now (have had them 2 years and they are good kids and good parents) and their younger sister and my son are best of friends...their mom says that the boys always ask to come to my place, they just complain when they are here and have that awesome attitude that seems to appear once kids go to school. I am already counting the days down until school starts again

[Dreamalittledream]

Oh I so agree! This is my first (& LAST!) summer offering care for older children!!! I too lowered my rate by $5 a day...thinking they would be easier. So so so wrong. My little full timers are 10 times easier; they are awesome tidy uppers (without even asking most times), they nap, they (for the most part) eat anything I serve. I swear these older kids have cost me more than I earn in wasted food, wear and tear/breakage on my toys, twice the amount of sunscreen, huge amounts of toilet paper & on my sanity!!! Lesson learned.

[Lou]

Dream- I could have written your post word for word!
Eoin- I disagree, I have also been caring for these schoolagers over the summer for 2 yrs but I will be giving notice in the fall that that was my last summer caring for schoolagers...not worth my sanity!

[Sandbox Sally]

I am doing school agers for the summer only because that's what fell into my lap after our move. I am hoping to be FULL of toddlers and babies next summer so I can politely say no to any school aged kids. I have three (sorta four - long story) of my own!