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dragonladybug
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« Reply #30 on: August 16, 2001, 12:40:47 am » |
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I can't add anything to the money saving tips, but I do know about home-based daycare. I did the state licensed home daycare for a couple of years when my son was small, so that I could stay home with him. Money was very tight - we sold my car and relied on just the one (DH is self employed and shop is right by the house), and I used almost every one of the penny pinching ideas already listed - still use some of them.
Daycare is harder than it appears - not the kids, but their parents!!! I loved having the kids, as long as they were all in the same age group. Mixing age groups increases the workload exponentially. The most miserable time I had in daycare was when I agreed to add a baby into my regular group of toddlers - my son was a year old when I started this, so I got kids that were between 18 mos. and 3 yrs. In Georgia I was allowed to have 6 paying kids in addition to my own. You will have a newborn, so the best bet for you would be to have 2 or 3 babies not too much older than your own - this way their schedules can be adjusted to dovetail somewhat as far as naps, mealtimes, playtimes, etc. I would always just settle the baby down and a toddler would wake him; or get all the toddlers situated with fingerpaints or other activities while baby was napping and of course he'd wake up just at the time I was trying to keep toddlers from eating crayons or something! After one week, I had to tell the mother to make other arrangements. It took a couple more weeks to do so, and I thought I'd go crazy before then.
I did love the kids and remember each of them fondly (this was about 17 years ago). Their parents on the other hand, drove me crazy. Getting paid on time was sometimes an issue, a big one was pick up and drop off times; they'd send "goodies" that someone in the group could not have, or god forbid another child played with their kid's toys, etc. Also to get a state license, you have home inspections, you have to turn in meal plans, you have to register backup sitters, you have to get waivers for all kinds of things from the parents.
So be very careful before you start a daycare business.
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