Childcare providers' tribe?

[embers]

... anyone else out there?

[melissabb]

I am a home daycare provider. I am in Canada. Where are you? How many kids do you care for?

I have been doing this for 3 yrs now. I love it and can't imagine going back to work in the 'real' world.

I care for my own 2 kids and 5 other children each day.

[phathui5]

I am in the process of officially becoming a home daycare provider in Baltimore, MD.

I currently have three families that I work for as part-time and drop-in clients. There's one baby I watch two days a week. Family #2 has a six and a three year old and I'm one person on her list of sitters (she's a viola player and has varying hours). Family #3 has a five, four and two year old and is a drop-in client.

[boobyjuicex3]

I have been a childcare provider off and on for 6 years. I am currently located in Oklahoma City. I care for my 3 kids, and 5 others... ages: 5 months, 6 months,7 months, 2 2 year olds, 3 year old, 4 year old and 7 year old! All of my kids are from different families so drop off and pick up times are crazy!

[Yaelita]

I have three kids of my own, two in school and one at home. I watch a 4 month-old baby in my house from 9 to 3. I also do some night babysitting while my neighbor takes college classes. It gets busy here at times :

[Snowdrift]

I will be in January. One additional child, three days/week. He was born Thanksgiving. It will probably be pretty hectic for a while, since I do other WAHM things and am in law school PT.

[KimProbable]

I'll be joining the "ranks" in a couple of months. In February I'll be babysitting a friend's 1-year-old two days each week and possibly 4 days each week starting next fall. I've got lots of experience babysitting and I've even had a couple of nanny jobs, but it's been a while so I hope I'm not too rusty!

[ferra]

I am an inhome childcare provider in Portland, Oregon. I started in September. I just got registered with the state yesterday and have been watching one additonal child (17 mo girl) other than my own. I am really wanting a lot more kids but am not sure how I will be at dealing with the chaos. We'll see I suppose.

Nice to meet you.

[memory maker]

subbing...back with more when dd doesnt need me "right now!"

[SleepyMamaBear]

subbin.
i am an in home childcare provider just outside of portland oregon.
i take care of an almost 2 year old 5 days a week full time and two boys 3.5yo and just turned 1y.o three days a week for 4 hours each.
i LOVE my job.

anyone else have a toddler that has a hard time sharing their stuff. toys/space/mommy? my dd has turned into a beast lately and i think it is because she has a hard time sharing her stuff.

[melissabb]

Addysmama:

Do you have an area of the house set aside where the dckids are not allowed? It helps. I actually have a seperate room in my house that is set up just for daycare. The dckids still use the rest of my main level to roam around in or eat in etc etc but all of the toys are kept in the daycare room.
So, my dd knows that if she doesn't want the toy shared then leave it out of the dcroom.

Also, we have a finished basement and it is completley off limits to anyone who comes for daycare. My family need to have a place to get away when they need to and a place for their own toys too. I never want my kids or hubby to feel like their home in not THEIRS. It really helps to have a place only they can go.

One of the things I am very careful to avoid is having my own kids think they are in daycare everyday as well. fact of the matter is they are NOT. So, I let them go off and do their own thing when they need to in other areas of the house.

I hope that helps!

[SleepyMamaBear]

DD is 2.5
we are in a 2bdrm apt. one is our bedroom. the other is the toyroom. the main problem is, they are ALL her toys, and she feels strongly about them all, mainly, cause its her "turf" her toys, her space. make sense???
so even if its a toy she isnt usually very interested in, if one of the other kids want to play with it, or even show an interest in it she runs over and grabs it from them, i am NOT fast enough to stop her most of the time. we talk about how its not very nice to grab, that so n so was playing with it, and taking a turn with it, and she can take a turn with something else, then try to find an alternative for her to play with. but she doesnt want what so n so has because she wants to play with it, she just doesnt want THEM to play with it. she has become VERY possessive of her space and toys, and she has started lashing out with her hands. it worries me and bothers me. no one ever thinks THEIR kid will be the bully. and she hasnt ever had it modeled for her. when we lived with my mom, her cousin who was in daycare started hitting her pinching her and pulling her hair. then i limited her exposure to her cousin so she wouldnt be exposed to that behavior. that was like 6 months ago. now she is the bully, and its breaking my heart. i have such a hard time watching my child go from SO awesome and sweet and fun when its just us to a little beast when the other kids are here.
i am trying to keep her from the other kids unless she can use soft hands and use her words to express herself. it doesnt even bother me when she roars at anyone, because at least she is verbally expressing how she feels. then i validate her feelings, we hug, and she moves on. but the hitting, hair pulling, etc. its bothering me SO much!

[Yaelita]

triple strollers, anyone?

What do you folks use for trasnsportation?
For years I've been using the Peg Perego triple stroller, and it finally gave out (one of the springs broke). First I thought I would find someone to repair/replace the spring, but where do you find a "stroller mechanic"? Then I started looking online at used and new triple strollers. The nerw Peg Perego triple big wheel goes for over a $1,000, a new triple Inglesina for $720. The used ones I found for 250 plus shipping, but you don't really know what condition they are in, so I was weary of buying used one from out of state.....

what do you guys do?

[SleepyMamaBear]

what ages are the kids you watch? i wear the young one on my back in a meitai, push the second youngest in a stroller and DD and the 3.5 yo walk, IF we end up going anywhere that requires us to go far. but generally we stay in and do activities.

[Yaelita]

strollers

I watch a 5 month old baby during the day, and my baby is 11 months old now. So both of them go in the double stroller (I used my triple peg perego as a double most of the time, the seats are all removable; it makes a luxurious double!). I walk a lot as I have to take two older DDs to school and pick them up from school and take them to dance classes etc. When the baby I am watching is not here, my 2.5 yr old DD goes in the double carriage ,since we walk far. I do all my shopping, errands, library etc. during the day, so I am always pushing my double/triple stroller, RIP
I also have a baby sling, but rarely use it, since I have more than one baby always.
I am looking to buy a simialr one, with big pneumatic wheels and in-line (since it's easier to get into the elevator and stores with a long carriage rather than the wide one). Are there any good sites? I only found "triple connections".

[angel1895]

well I can officially join you now... I got confirmation that I will be able to watch dh's best friends boys... nearly 3, 1 1/2 and 6 months... I have a feeling that I may be getting in over my head... but 1.. I need the extra money (I stay home with ds.. who is 2 1/2) and ds badly needs kids to play with apart from my sister, 14. and youngest bro, 5.

anyway.. I was wondering what resources you ladies have/use... websites books etc.. the mom said these kids are wild (insert worried face here)
I have some sites that have neat progects I'll share later... and also what would I need for basic supplies... (I know I need bottles, diapers, art supplies...)

and

melissabb.. thanks for responding to all my posts yesterday... AND I love the fact that you make sure to separate the areas of your home like that.. it is very smart of you! I dont honestly have the room... we only have a 2 bdrm townhouse... but I will remember that anyway.

thanks ladies.

[wednesday]

Originally Posted by angel1895

(I know I need bottles, diapers, art supplies...)

I'm not a DCP, but as a parent who uses childcare, just wanted to say that typically the parents provide bottles and diapers. Some of the bigger centers will provide all the bottles and diapers--I think mainly because it's easier for them to use the same supplies for all the babies than to keep track of whose stuff is whose--but as a small in-home provider there's no advantage to you in providing that stuff, and it just eats into your income.

As for supplies, we pay an annual materials fee at my son's preschool but at an in-home provider I would kind of expect them to just build that cost into their weekly fees.

HTH!

[stellimamo]

I'm a soon to be home childcare provider. We just bought a house and I'm quiting my job once I find a child(en) to watch. I'm really excited about doing childcare. I've done it in a center setting in the past but am looking for to this change of pace. I'm having a hard time finding children to watch though. I don't have muich word of mouth because I'm new to the area. I've tried a newspaper ad and didn't have much luck. I put up some flyers too but havn't had any response.. any ideas, suggestions??

[wednesday]

You need to get hooked up with your local childcare referral agency. Even if you are not licensed, they will usually put you on the list they hand out to parents, and indicate the number of children you're allowed to watch. Like in NC you can care for 2 children unrelated to you without being licensed.

[memory maker]

my parents provide diapers and wipes and bottles. I work with the childcare food program so I get money from the state to pay for food and formula if babies need it.
I watch a 1 yr old, a 2 yr old and a school aged boy before and after school. I also have my 3 (1, 3 and 6) I will be adding a baby this spring when the 2 yr olds family has another baby. Some days I feel like Im going insane.
Are you able to get adult contact during the day? I have been doing this for 6 yrs and really crave adult contact since all I get is the few minutes that the parents are there to drop off and pick up. How do you handle this? I have too many kids to take places, especially when this new baby starts. Any advice?