I opened my dayare 2.5 years ago and I am very happy with my decision. It is certainly not an easy job and there are negatives as well as positives, but for me, the positives outweigh the negatives. The longer I have my daycare, the better I have become at having things running smoothly. I love that I am here for my own kids, even if they do share me with 5 other kids (I actually think it is good for them to have to share me...they don't have that feeling of the universe revolving around them like some kids). It can definitely be a challenge taking care of your own kids and the daycare kids...my own kids challenge me more than the daycare kids for sure. There are also definitely a lot of costs involved that we don't always think about before we open...food, toys, art supplies, furniture, equipment, outings, and then the dreaded taxes. Before I started, I talked to many providers who told me they paid almost nothing in taxes...well I was hit with a whopping tax bill this year and that was a shocker! However, still when I calculate how much I would be spending on childcare, parking, gas, eating out, work clothes, etc if I were working outside the home, I am better off financially doing this. I guess it depends on how much you make in your job currently and how many kids you have that would need childcare etc. I thought in the beginning that I would do my housework at naptime and have dinner on the table early every evening since I am home...but it hasn't quite worked out like that. I am too tired at naptime to do housework and I don't have time to cook while the kids are here. Plus, there is a lot of extra cleaning involved in having a daycare in your home...especially if it is in your main living space. All in all, I enjoy being a daycare provider and I think I will do it for at least another few years...maybe longer. I like being there to see my kids after school and I like providing them with healthy food, allowing them to come home to their own homes after school etc. I figure when I am ready to close my daycare I will likely retrain and enter the workforce with a fresh career as I don't want to go back to teaching anyway. I think I will start doing night courses or online courses when I feel I am a couple of years from reaching that point. Good luck with the decision!