Starting a home daycare - need tips

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1. How do you get 3 little ones down for a nap at the same time? I'm afraid one will start crying and wake up the other ones. Or maybe they need to be rocked to sleep, but I'll only be able to rock one at a time. I have a small home, so they will all be napping in the same room. Initially separate them into different rooms until they have adjusted to you and their new environment and then once they are in a good sleep routine transition them into one room. you may find out that one or more of them needs to be kept separate on an ongoing basis if they always wake crying, wake earlier than the others or if they are a light sleeper. I have a guy who wakes up momentarily after 1 hour every afternoon but I don't jump up and get him. After 5 or 10 minutes he always settles back down and then sleeps for the additional hour or so like the rest of the group. It will take some time for adjustment and you will have to do some sleep training but its totally doable and worth the hardwork to have them all on the same schedule

2. What do you think is best: playpens, those really low daycare cots (I've seen them on daycare supply sites) or mats? Playpens for babies and then some time around the 2-2 1/2 yr mark depending on the child weight switch them over to the toddler cots.

3. Do you prepare meals the night before in case they don't nap well and you don't have time to do it during nap time? I never cook during the day and I don't spend every evening prepping food for the following day. Our days are long enough. Some providers serve leftovers while some providers actually make double their evening meal purposely to have a meal for the kiddies the next day. I have a 3 week menu and each of my recipes yields enough for 3 meals so I cook 15 meals and there is enough for 9 weeks worth of meals. It is one busy weekend versus regular extra cooking. Everything goes into foil trays and is labelled and then goes into my chest freezer. I pull the meal out the day before and then put it in the oven to cook or reheat low and slow, or if it is a crockpot meal just empty the contents into the pot to cook during the morning. The only prep I have to do each week is to chop fruit and veggies for snacks. That's what works for me but I have tried many different methods over the years and that may be what you do to figure out what works best for you and your family.

4. How do you stay on top of the cleaning, especially after meals when there's food all over the floor and dishes to do? I try to clean as I go but typically once lunch is over I clean the kids up and do our toileting routine and I put them to bed. Once this is done then I do the dishes, wipe the highchairs down and sweep and mop the eating area.

5. I'm worried that this will be a huge adjustment for my daughter and heard that there may be jealousy issues. Has anyone experienced this, and do you have any advice? When I first started out my son was 3 and my biggest regret was taking on my first child that was the same age as him. There were so many issues but your child is substantially younger, is more adaptable and if nothing else just isn't at "that age" lol I know there are lots of people who have started daycare with a 1 year old who could advise you better.

6. For meal times, what is best: booster seats, high chairs, or a low table and chairs? Has anyone found low chairs with arms? I feel they'd be safer for this age group. I use highchairs, the ikea ones stack really well, take up minimal room and the trays can go in the dishwasher to be sanitized oh and did I mention they are cheap too!! Once they can sit at the table that's where they eat. For snacks they sit on the floor or they sit at the small craft table

Thank you so much in advance. I've already got some excellent ideas for other questions from older posts, so I'm looking forward to hearing more great ideas.