How does being a daycare provider effect your own kids?

[lilac]

I just wrote a whole post and it dissappeared!!

Anyhow, Positives - being at home with my kids; being my own boss etc, etc. I belive there is a whole thread on this! LOL! Which I totally agree that all of the points listed in that thread are wonderful reasons to run a home daycare!

However, I hear you, I am experiancing the double edged sword at the moment as well. At first my daugther (3 when I started) was jealous, however, once she got over that, both my kids LOVED having the daycare kids here (they are all about the same age); besides that I needed the income, it was my number one reason why I would keep doing it, b/c my kids loved it. However, I suppose the novelty of that eventually wore off, they started to get upset that younger kids were napping in their rooms, that they couldnt have their school friends over or go on playdates of their own bc I'm always busy with a housefull of other kids. They have expressed to me more times than I can count that they wished we didnt have daycare at our house and both quite often will spend a good chunk of time playing alone in their rooms (their choice). And most recently bc I've lost most of my dcks due to my upcoming mat leave, they are devestated that their friends arent coming anymore. I've also found that my son's behaviour is very influenced when a certian other dck is around.

I feel that my kids have been so affected by the daycare that I'm considering taking the fact that I've lost most of my dcks as an opporunity, motivation (or a sign LOL!) to come up with another way of earning an income from home. My kids are so unhappy right now and it breaks my heart.