How does being a daycare provider effect your own kids?

[martymonty]

From my experience of providing in home daycare for 26 + years and having children at home, I can only speak in regards to my children and yes, I feel that having an at home daycare did affect my kids and some more than others. I have 3 grown daughters and now that they are older and facing having their own children, they often tell me that they felt a bit left out when it came to the daycare children. When my own children were sick with colds, etc. I had them up in their rooms, but when daycare children were here with colds, they were allowed to play with everyone. They said they sometimes felt that the daycare kids were more important (which of course they were not) and I did try to explain that I had chosen this occupation so that I could stay home with them and not have to take them to someone elses house. I never got to experience a school play, or school activities because I was always watching others children (even though they got to see their childrens school activities) I remember going to the school finally when our daughter was in grade 7 for an interview, I was stopped in the hallway and asked why I was there, I explained and the woman actually said OMG there is a mom, well happy to meet you finally. I laughed, but it struck hard. So you do have to find a way to balance the daycare children and your own. If able to go back, I would make sure to take a couple personal days so that I could have went to school functions which was very important to my girls.