Daycare and pets

[5 Little Monkeys]

superfun....I change my mind when I think of cleaning the tank too! I remember having fish as a child and I remember the tank being smelly and hard to clean and drain and keeping the fish alive when changing water. However, we had a huge tank and lots of fish and little sharks etc. (at least I think they were little sharks??)

[Daisy123]

I've had families actually tell me that my super friendly Golden Retriever was a selling point. I do know that other families weren't comfortable with her. Every potential client has things that appeal and don't appeal to them... I don't think that I would add new pet though- those ones I have have already proven themselves kid friendly. My Golden is really just an overgrown stuffie. As for the fish? They're my husbands responsibility.

[Mike]

While it is true that the kids like pets...it's the [I]parents[I] who are choosing the daycare and paying for it

Good point.

[Mike]

I have an aquarium. Honestly, ALL of the children LOVE it! Every day they go up to it and look at the fish swimming around! Starting from infants to toddlers, preschool and up! Safe for the children to be around and not a lot of work!

I think I'll go that way.

[Mike]

Thanks everyone. I'm not going to bother with a dog or cat, but will get fish or some other small animal they can have fun watching but not play with.

[mimi]

I agree with the others. I am recently pet free (2 cats) and the house smells better, no cat hair, I didn't dare let the cats around the kids for fear of a scratch or bite and I had lost potential clients due to cat allergy. Parents are quite pleased when I mention I am pet free.
(They went to a good home together and I do miss them though)

[mickyc]

When I started daycare my house was pet free. We do have outside dogs but they have a dog pen and are not around the children. This past year we ended up getting 2 cats for inside. One thing about my daycare being in my basement and separate from our living space is the cats have somewhere to go if they don't want to be around the kids. They do come down off and on throughout the day and then leave when they have had enough. They are very gentle with the kids and that is something I do not tolerate. If they would bite or scratch they would be gone! I did get soft paws for their claws for the furniture. I haven't had any issues with parents not being happy I have pets.

[Secondtimearound]

I too say pet free !!! We rescued animals before opening our dayhome and we would rehome them ! We kept Winston Theodore , he's a rescued chihuahua lol thinks he is high class but rescued from a gross farm !!!
I keep him totally away from dayhome children as being rescued I'm not totally able to trust him ! He is a wonderful pet for our family !! And we love him but when the kids are here he is upstairs and if we go upstairs he goes to kennel .
Sometimes during nap he will bark lol and I'm running him out so the kids do not wake up !!!
Pets are great !!! But personally I think easier, safer without them !!
Love you though Winnie !!!

[5 Little Monkeys]

secondtimearound, that is awesome that you rescued and rehomed animals. Even though I am not an animal person, I respect those that do what you did!

Our theme this month was animals and one of the dc gramma's brought in her cat for the kids to play with. The kids LOVED it, the poor kitty did not LOL. They also have a dog that was rescued and she was going to bring him one day too but her daughter (the dcm) said no, she didn't trust him. They only have one child at home and 2 elderly gramma's so the dog is used to being around quietness and she wasn't sure how he would react. I was glad mom said that!! haha

I think we are going to get a goldfish...I would love to have an aquarium but I know I wouldn't want to clean it and I don't really have the room for a large tank.

[Secondtimearound]

Thank you !!! My husband not as impressed !! Lol but in his defence he works nights and has come home and been surprised by a new face !!! Lol
We brought a kitty in once to visit the dck and it was traumatic for the kitty and my own 5 yr old who was sure the poor kitty was having a heart attack lol !! Being chased by 3 -2 yr olds screaming "kitty !!!" Might not of been the best for the poor thing !!