Family Day Care Question...

[Ginger]

I was just checking out the FDC website and was just wondering if anyone here offers FDC at their house. if so, i would love to know about your experiences with it:
how do you find it?
is it worthwhile financially?
is it absolutely exhausting???
is it a good way to spend extra time with your own child??
any experiences would be appreciated, thanks

[Kitt3n]

Hey Gracie,

I did FDC a few years ago and i only lasted 8 weeks! (also due to home problems, left my ex not long after) Having said that though, i would definately do it again, for a few reasons....

1. when i did it i was living in the mountains and did not have a car (LOL still dont), so i couldnt really take the kids anywhere (even going to the park was a massive expedition, going up 2 steep hills with 5 kids). We were stuck at home and the way my house was set up i didnt have access to my kitchen while the kids were there, made life very hard

2. then you couldnt make your own fee schedule - i believe this has been relaxed now and you are much more "free" to set this yourself.

3. i put too much of an expectation on myself to have an amazing day care place - i let myself take on 5 kids (including my dd) straight away instead of easing into it - one at a time, for a few weeks to settle in i say. And i wouldnt have that many again, and i would certainly restrict my hours.

The beauty of it is you can make it work, very well, if you take it easy and let yourself slide into it.

-If you do it, have one or two simple rules - my only rule was "if you hate something, dont you do it too".
-Get yourself a dishwasher and set a menu - i think it depends on teh council, but you can charge extra for food or the kids can bring their own. If they do, there will be bickering. I made a weekly menu and each of the parents were to bring in certain things for the menu - ensuring no bickering and all kids were getting the same food, while eating cos each other did! Also didnt have to pay for that extra food license. Have ONE eating area.
- Set aside a time each day where the kids MUST rest - you need your sanity too. After lunch each day mine HAD to lay down and watch a movie. It was just they way it was and they all followed. Sometimes the older ones even fell asleep!
- Be a kid yourself and HAVE FUN!!!
- one last thing - who cares if you are still in your jammies when the kids get there - relax (one amin point I didnt follow).

Good luck!

[Ginger]

thanks for your input kitten,
i think you're really right about easing into it. i would like to maybe take on one extra child (2 including my ds) to start with just to see how i went with it...i don't know, it might do my head in!
do you know what happens in regards to pets? i have a dog who is excellent with children and very gentle. would she need to be locked up?

[Kitt3n]

Hey Gracie

I used to lock up mu pets (well, not lock up, just chain them up while the kids were outside).

Mine were really, really good with kids too but you dont want some sillly nasty lawsuit, IYKWIM?

Only thing is the puppies get sooooo jealous when its ball time! But they will get used to it

[River]

I am about to start doing FDC (as soon as my blue card comes back), and I am really looking forward to it. I want to stay a SAHM, but after 10 years as one am also wanting to have a *paying* job to do. I am only starting with 2 or 3 days a week, and can only take on 2 extra preschool aged children (as I have two of my own at home), so am easing into it. I am also going to take on a couple of before and after school care kids also.

I see it as an opportunity to stay with the kids, make some money and also have the kids have playmates without me having to put them in daycare to do so. Also, if interest rates keep rising and we need me to work more, I have the opportunity to do so without leaving my kids longer and longer, I am still parenting them myself. Fortunately, as the need for me to work increases, assumedly so does the need for other mothers, and hence more demand for daycare.....works perfectly LOL.

I will update when I start, but I can't see why more mothers don't do it.

[shaza12345]

Hi
i have been doing FDC for over 9 months and to me its the best thing i ever did.. the scheme i am are really good there willing to help u out when ever u need too. i like it so much because u are working from your own home u dont have to spend hours travelling to work and i am about to have my first child in 5 weeks time and doing FDC allows me to be home with my baby and still work at the same time. And i get to choose the hours i want to work how many children i want to care for and i get to chose the rate i charge the parents. i have not enjoyed any other job the way i have enjoyed FDC the children i look after are great and so are the parents. yes its exhusting but its just like any other job there exhusting too. i find i get so much more rewards and enjoyment in doing FDC then any other work i have done. You get to do so many wonderful things with the kids and your not always stuck at home i take the kids on outings alll the time and thats normally on a bus or walking because i dont have a car.. thats just my Opinion in FDC can i just say my bussiness is booming and i am always in demend of other children. and let me just say the money isnt to bad either..