I am looking for additional ways to supplement dh's income and thought watching another child or two might be a good way...
But here is the situation: I have 3 kids - soon to be 4 in Nov. They are all under 4.5 yrs old. We homeschool. My husband is on disability but has been told he can find a job to supplement his dissability payments but he's been looking since may with no luck. we live in the highest poverty area of our county (just moved in may to be able to afford to live with dh being on disability). There are a lot of (personal opinion) bad influences around here that local kids have as role models and tyheir behavior mimics that.
I'm afraid that #1 whatever kid(s) I watch may be nothing but trouble and a bad influence on my own kids (what do you do about that?), #2 I wont' end up getting paid (and I'm not the type to tell a family to go home if they haven't paid their bill... chances are good in this area that the kid woudl just be left home alone so mom and dad can go work... Then I'm afraid my family woudl be put on some sort of a 'hit list' for crime if the situation went downhill), and #3 can i still homeschool while watching another child or two?
The more I think about it, the more I think it would be a bad idea where I live... But then again, maybe a positive experience too... I don't know.
My dh is on board with the idea and is fine with it... But then we have the issue of doctors appointments (that I almost always attend with my own kids in tow, otherwise important matters dont get discussed with his doc... he always forgets!). My minivan will be full when #4 when s/he arrives, so i wont have any extra space for kids if I *had* to leave the house with them. I would never run general errands, do doc appts. or anything else while watching someone else's child, but I'd like to know that if i HAD to leave for something, i'd be able to... Does your vehicle hold your kids plus your dc kids?
I don't want to do this as a trial, then leave soem poor family stranded if for some reason I can't keep up with this. So I'm trying to think of everything I possibly can.
Also what is the going rate? Does it matter if you just 'babysit' or if you do some sort of an educational program? Could I do a small preschool type program from my home without being accredited/certified? Or do something educational (not school by any means - I'm exhausted just planning my own kids HS curriculums) like a craft/learning project each day? I'm thinking if I did something educational, that I was planning on doing with my own kids for hs, then i could eliminate one aspect of homeschooling while watching other kids?
Could I get approved by the state to offer childcare somehow, so i can guarantee being paid? Could I do that, watching kids from my own home, or would I need to run an actual daycare center?
But here is the situation: I have 3 kids - soon to be 4 in Nov. They are all under 4.5 yrs old. We homeschool. My husband is on disability but has been told he can find a job to supplement his dissability payments but he's been looking since may with no luck. we live in the highest poverty area of our county (just moved in may to be able to afford to live with dh being on disability). There are a lot of (personal opinion) bad influences around here that local kids have as role models and tyheir behavior mimics that.
I'm afraid that #1 whatever kid(s) I watch may be nothing but trouble and a bad influence on my own kids (what do you do about that?), #2 I wont' end up getting paid (and I'm not the type to tell a family to go home if they haven't paid their bill... chances are good in this area that the kid woudl just be left home alone so mom and dad can go work... Then I'm afraid my family woudl be put on some sort of a 'hit list' for crime if the situation went downhill), and #3 can i still homeschool while watching another child or two?
The more I think about it, the more I think it would be a bad idea where I live... But then again, maybe a positive experience too... I don't know.
My dh is on board with the idea and is fine with it... But then we have the issue of doctors appointments (that I almost always attend with my own kids in tow, otherwise important matters dont get discussed with his doc... he always forgets!). My minivan will be full when #4 when s/he arrives, so i wont have any extra space for kids if I *had* to leave the house with them. I would never run general errands, do doc appts. or anything else while watching someone else's child, but I'd like to know that if i HAD to leave for something, i'd be able to... Does your vehicle hold your kids plus your dc kids?
I don't want to do this as a trial, then leave soem poor family stranded if for some reason I can't keep up with this. So I'm trying to think of everything I possibly can.
Also what is the going rate? Does it matter if you just 'babysit' or if you do some sort of an educational program? Could I do a small preschool type program from my home without being accredited/certified? Or do something educational (not school by any means - I'm exhausted just planning my own kids HS curriculums) like a craft/learning project each day? I'm thinking if I did something educational, that I was planning on doing with my own kids for hs, then i could eliminate one aspect of homeschooling while watching other kids?
Could I get approved by the state to offer childcare somehow, so i can guarantee being paid? Could I do that, watching kids from my own home, or would I need to run an actual daycare center?
