OK so...help me choose

[Inspired by Reggio]

None of us know her area and if it's been a tough go filling spots. The economy is tough right now and sometimes we need to bend a tiny bit in order to make some money...

This is true - ultimately what she is capable of and needs to do is her choice ... however when asked 'what would you do' my answer is I do not bend on my hours operation or fees for anyone

I know my limitations and have set my hours accordingly - as Momof4 mentioned in her post I know I would BURNOUT working 12 hour days cause I started to burnout working 10.5 days and it would ultimately affect my business and ability to attract and retain clients anyway because IMO when your burnt out you send out negative energy and people 'sense' that and it gets harder to sign on new clients - so I would be working long hours and still not full due to the burn out ... so if the option in my area was to either work those hours or not be able to make a viable income doing this I would honestly have to reflect on working outside the home in a normal 8 hour a day job

To be honest this is why I have set my business budget so that I only need to have three out of five of my spaces filled to 'be viable' so I can sit on open spaces waiting for the 'perfect fit' because income from my other two spaces goes into 'disposable income' aka savings, paying down our mortgage faster, hobbies, extras for the program above normal and other things that can be 'adjusted' as need be ... and honestly I would not have chosen to do this if I NEEDED to be full to be viable because it is not realistic in this industry - even when there is demand and your program is awesome there are those times between notice being given from a current client and time to interview and sign up a new client and transition them in where you have no income from a space

[Crayola kiddies]

I'm with you Reggio .... My husband can support our family and I do this to pay down bills faster and to do some extras around the house, pay for the kids RESP's, things like that also it releaves a bit of the pressure/stress from my husband who is chronically ill and stress causes flare ups so my working helps with his over all health. I need to have at least 2 full time kids in order for it to be worth my while but I prefer to be full (who wouldn't). I am fortunate that in my area it is hard to find good day care that opens early in the morning which is why I open at 6:45 and 4of my 5 children arrive between 6:45 and 7. The last one comes at 7:30. So in order for me to remain full I have to open early which suits me better then staying open later. That being said when I first reopened my dayhome I took anything I could get and therefore I was working 12.5 hours part of the week now that I am full and have an opening coming available in sept I can be more choosy. Good luck with getting more interviews for families looking fir care that fits into your own schedule better.

[Skysue]

Ladies I'm happy for you that you don't need to work. Some of us do it does suck at times when we need to bend a bit to make a dollar, such is life!

[michellesmunchkins]

Ladies I'm happy for you that you don't need to work. Some of us do it does suck at times when we need to bend a bit to make a dollar, such is life!

Agreed! Believe it or not, I actually make more monthly than my husband so we could never survive on just his income. I've had to work crazy hours when we needed the money. I've done the 6am-9pm and once or twice until 11pm to help some shift workers out. Its draining! I still can't be overly picky about the families that I chose and terminating is something I can only do when absolutely necessary! I would love to be able to pick and chose my hours...and only recently decided we could 'afford' for me to not work 12 hours all the time...but...if the only requests I get are for those hours I would have to 'suck it up' and work them because I have a family to support...

[Sandbox Sally]

I do kinda need to work, unless we want to be hand to mouth, and I've done that for far too long. Having said this, I am taking what all of you say to heart and am going to do a strict 7:30-5:30. These are the hours I have now, and they're ok.

Incidentally, I sent a copy of my contract to the mother of two...she completely balked at the idea of me charging her full time rates for 6.5 hour days, and also told me that her "old sitter" only charged her for days her kids were physically there. NEXT!!!

[Inspired by Reggio]

Ladies I'm happy for you that you don't need to work. Some of us do it does suck at times when we need to bend a bit to make a dollar, such is life!

I need to work hon - I just do not need to be FULL - my point is that if I had to be full with five clients ALL THE TIME to make this business a viable one and in order to be full I had to work wonky hours or deal with disrespectful clients who treat me like crap cause I cannot afford to 'terminate' them than I would not have chosen to do home childcare because IMO it is not a realistic expectation and is not a healthy way to live for yourself or your family who are also affected because you are bringing that work 'home' to them or the children of the clients you serve .... I work in order to LIVE but I am not willing to work at the expense of my LIFE ... kwim? I chose to work from home to create work life balance and reduce 'stress' in my life for my health - that came with financial sacrifices for sure to make that investment in myself and our family!

We downsized our home and mortgage and made other financial sacrifices in order for me to be home and have that 'buffer' in the business of not being full because going into this I knew it was not realistic I would be 'full' all the time ... if my spouse had not supported that decision and expected us to stay with the same lifestyle we had prior to this choice I would not have made the move to being self employed because the stress it would have placed on myself and my family would not have 'benefited' us!

I think sometimes we 'forget' why we choose to stay home in the first place ... most of us have chosen this because we want to be home raising our own children and that is an 'investment' that comes with financial sacrifices - but it also comes with emotional ones when we choose to do CHILDCARE OF OTHERS because we are already asking our families to share their home and mom for a normal 'work day' and the more hours we do that the less of US they actually feel they have ... my family is supportive because we were able to work to plan that the daycare poses the 'least' imposition on their lives - I do not open until my spouse has left for work so he can 'relax' as he gets ready in the morning cause that is not his best time of day for example and I do not work past 5 so we can have a 'family dinner' before heading into evening events ... so I know they would resent if they had to share me for 12 or more hours a day and the behaviour and stress that would come with that is not worth the extra $$$ it might bring!

I remember that in 2004 before I moved in with my spouse I lived a fairly enjoyable life on a wage of less than $24,000 a year ... had a roof over my head, food in my belly, ugly but reliable car to get me around to places and some left over for 'extras' like entertainment 'out' not a lot but some ... yet I had peers with a spouse who combined made $70,000 a year and were drowning in DEBT .... use to boggle my mind how they could not make 'ends meet' with that kind of money??? IMO they spent more than they required on EXTRAS for a roof over their head - my one peer had a 5 bedroom home and NO KIDS yet, food in their belly eating out a lot and buying 'prepared' foods at the store and their car to get them around were all 'high end' things that did not meet their need any 'better' but added STRESS to their lives and than too top it all off they were so 'stressed' they needed 'vacations' which they put on their CREDIT cause they were so much in debt .... just made me shake my head

As a society we have lost touch with what we TRULY need to be successful in life verses what we THINK we need to be considered successful in our lives!

At the end of your days when you think back on your life you do not remember THINGS in your life you remember the PEOPLE who were in it and yet we spend more of our week WORKING away from the people who truly MATTER in our lives????

[Cocoon]

IT depends on how desperate you are interms of money. If money isn't an issue for a while at least then don't pick any of them and wait for the full timers. Hopefully they will come soon.

If it is an issue. I would take the B option and arrange your family's afternoons according to that.

Hope it helps.

[wolfpup]

If you are hurtin for money then take the siblings... however the 6:30am start isnt so bad. Mine changed from 7:30 to a 6:30 start and I actually enjoyed it! And let me tell ya... I am NOT a morning person!!