How long when you're not sure?

[Tot-Time]

I'm just quickly reading through this thread, I haven't been on daycare bear much because I haven't had to advertise a space in 2 years. I had one family who was supposed to be leaving summer 2013 just give notice because they decided not to put their daughter into public school but private school and of course the private school has a space now and so they are looking at moving her the end of Feb. I was thinking I had until the summer to get prepped for interviews and now I'm feeling nervous all ready, I'm not good at interviewing!

Anyway, I had to read through this post because I have over 20 years experience in daycare between being a live-out nanny, working in a daycare centre, and home daycare (17 years). My children are 17 & 14. I'm in my last few years of daycare and I find myself more and more wishing that I didn't have a few years left so I can move on to something new. Now with 1 child leaving soon and then another leaving for school in Sept, it makes me wonder if I should possibly be weaning home daycare now. The hardest part I think about leaving home daycare is the years you've invested into it, meaning, the longer I've been doing home daycare the 'less employable' I feel. I have my CECE (well I didn't renew in July but if I pay the late fees I should be able to get reinstated), so I can work in a centre, but I truly feel like home daycare has spoiled me in the sense that I'm my own boss and I may not be able to work outside the home.

I'm not 40 yet, so a part of me feels like I'm too young to retire so often I think about just accepting before and after school care students, so that I can have my day to myself. Take back my basement and my kitchen I can dream!

I'm pretty much with my last group of daycare children now. I'll see this group off to school and then switching to the school aged kiddies. I have one more sibling to accept and I was hoping that would be my last baby. But now with this new space opening up earlier than anticipated, I may be required to accept 1 more infant.

For the newbies wondering when to say enough is enough ... my thoughts are it takes a good 3 months to get used to daycare, develop a routine and find what works best for you. Daycare is a learning process which has a high learning curve in that first year. If you make it past 3 months it does get easier, if you make it past the year it does get easier again. Now, if daycare isn't for you, no matter how long you are doing home daycare it just won't get easier, so you always have to do what is best for you and your family needs. Home daycare does have a high burn out rate and I think that is why you will see many caregivers closing home daycare after a year or 18 months. I can truly tell you that the year I spend working in a centre was way easier than home daycare, when working outside the home you have scheduled breaks and lunches, but at home on your own your breaks are dictated by whether the children nap or have quiet time. Not that home daycare is bad, by no means am I saying that, it has its own rewards and that is what keeps me going

[Tot-Time]

Oh ... and yes the adult interaction is something I miss!!!! I often wish that double daycares would be allowed and then I would be in heaven with home daycare

[Momof4]

I see other home daycare providers at least 2-3 times a week. I arrange visits with them at parks and other venues and it really helps me to have others who understand my life and my business. All of our daycare children have become great friends too and my little ones are always running toward the park yelling 'our friends, our friends'. It kind of combines the big daycare group and the small home daycare into one great program. They get the one on one care at the home daycare and the big park groups prepare them for a big class when they start school. It's also a great selling point during an interview when I explain it to parents that way.

[Tot-Time]

I agree Momof4 that park visits and children's events are an excellent way to get some 'adult' social interaction. Park/outside play is as much for the children as it is for us. The problem is travelling with 5 little ones in the winter isn't the easiest task and local parks aren't fenced Not that my kids would run, but one never knows. Plus, I sometimes find it frustrating that some caregivers can't seem to multi-task, ie observe the children and socialize. That is a whole other story.

It's time to start thinking about the future of daycare. I said I wouldn't accept anymore infants after my next sibling so I have to decide what is going to happen, whether I leave the space empty or if I start weaning daycare now. It doesn't seem like an easy decision.

[Momof4]

I understand what you are saying and there was a caregiver in our group just standing there while the rest of us watched her kids but I don't see her any more. Her kids were out of control little monsters. I'm constantly counting my kids and watching and chasing them and I prefer parks that are kind of in valleys, but even my one year old children have just been through a safety week and we talk about it all the time, inside and outside. My one year old girl barely talks but she knows red-stop, green-go. I keep them on the backpack with ropes attached to my wrists system when we are walking. We had such a mild winter last year we were at the parks in Jan & Feb but it may be a whole different story this year. Also, two of my older children have been replaced with babies which will slow me down too. But if we get lots of snow we won't have to travel far because we'll have lots to do here on the premises.