Wednesday, December 27, 2006
The Misconceptions of Family Child Care...
I do love the holiday season, but the kids tend to get a bit "outgoing" during this time of gift giving, parties, visiting family and friends, etc. I will certainly be glad when things return to "normal" (or maybe I should say usual since it is seldom normal).
That's the thing about having your own family child care business. Its great! I'll never try to discourage anyone from entering the profession... but I want you to be aware of what you are getting yourself into. This article talks about the 5 misconceptions of running a family child care business...
It was going to be such fun! I could earn an income and still be at home with my kids. I imagined the darling little preschoolers coming to my door every morning, eager to begin another fun day. I could envision my family room all set up with a child size table and chairs and shelves filled with books and toys, sunshine streaming through the windows. We would have a full day of games and songs, arts and crafts, meals and snacks, and a lengthy nap, during which I would do all of my housework. The parents would all be so happy to have such a loving, caring place to bring their children; they would gladly pay top dollar for such service!
Somehow these daydreams never involved any fighting, crying, kicking, screaming, biting, spitting, hitting, temper tantrums or rainy days!
Okay, maybe I wasn't really that unrealistic, after all I do have children of my own, but I did have some pretty impractical thoughts about my future child care career. In time I discovered that while childcare is truly a rewarding and important job, it can also be frustrating, exhausting and under appreciated.
I hope you read the entire article, but here are the 5 misconceptions:
- Licensed day care will give us the extra income that we really need.
- Doing day care will be just like my normal life, but with a few more kids around the house.
- I won't have to 'get ready' for work each morning.
- I'm great with kids, people will love me.
- It will be so nice for my kids to have built-in playmates.
Misconceptions indeed! The family child care profession can be wonderful... but you need to stay realistic about what it is and what it isn't.
