Home Daycare

Avery and Kallie having fun (yes, Kallie is in the toy container:)

I get a lot of questions from people about what I do (home daycare), which surprises me, because really, it's not that interesting or unusual of a job. But I just thought I'd post a little bit about it, because it has it's ups and downs just like any other job, and if a SAHM is thinking about doing it, maybe this will help.

First, I really really do enjoy providing daycare from my home. I love the children that I watch, I love the opportunities it provides for Kallie to be at home with me and also have great social interaction, and I love that I'm able to work with families and provide great care for their children. I think it would be very stressful having to leave your child in someone else's care for the majority of their day, and I'm thankful that I can contribute to society/the world by doing my best to positively impact these children. Here's a list of some things I love about my job:

1. I love the kids! It's amazing how attached to someone else's child you can become, I love knowing them and watching them grow, change and learn. It's really fun and rewarding.

2. I love the fun! Singing songs, playing games, doing crafts, etc. really does make for a good time:)

3. I love laughing! Kids are hilarious, and when you're with multiple children on a daily basis, things are said and done that can just have you rolling on the floor:)

4. I love staying home with Kallie! Obviously one of the reasons I considered doing home daycare is to be able to stay at home with her, and it's a huge benefit (for both of us!)

5. I really enjoy not having to go anywhere to work in the morning. It's nice to just roll out of bed, quickly get ready, and I'm ready for work. If I'm having a late morning, I can have breakfast after kids start arriving, it's nice.

6. I love impacting the children. I'm not sure if this sounds like I'm full of myself, but I just have such a strong passion about building children up, praising them, loving them, and encouraging them, so they feel confident, secure and happy, and it is such a blessing to be able to do that on a daily basis.

While home daycare is great, it also has it's downsides (like anything). Here are a few of the things that I struggle to LOVE every day:)

1. The mess. Kids are messy. It's a fact. Food, toys, drool, mucus, poop, whatever the medium of choice, it's messy and can be a little overwhelming during and at the end of the day.

2. Spending so much time in my house. As nice as it is to not commute, it can be a little much to work and live in the same place EVERY DAY!
3. Lack of adult interaction. I love spending time with each of the children, but I definitely crave adult conversation at the end of the day.
4. This one is just more of a pet peeve...being called a babysitter. I am a daycare provider, not a babysitter. A babysitter is a teenager you hire to 'watch' your child. A daycare provider is someone who is completely invested in the well-being and growth (in all aspects) of your child, and has made a career choice in order to do that to the best of their ability. So for anyone reading this, if you have or know a home daycare provider...please don't refer to them as a babysitter, it can be insulting. K, that's my rant, I'm done;)~

Here are a few pics to show you a small snapshot of the mess the little munchkins can make:)

All in all, I love my job, which I'm thankful for, because that's what I spend most of my time doing. And if anyone else out there is thinking of starting a home daycare, please feel free to email me, tinytreasuresdaycare@hotmail.com, if you have any questions. I'm still in the learning stages of running my daycare, but it definitely gets easier and easier the longer I do it and more established I become.