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Is
Child Care Really the Job for Me?
How
do you know if child care is the right business for you? Well it's
all about you, who you are, what you are like, and what you want.
If you are thinking of doing child care it's probably safe to say that
you like children, you enjoy working with them, watching them grow,
play, and learn. If not then obviously this is not the business
for you!
But
seriously, there is a lot more to running a successful child care
business then just loving children, although that is probably the most
important part. So in order to get an idea about if this is the
right choice for you here are some other things to consider...
1.
Are you a neat freak? Do you like order?
Is your home furnished with new and expensive items?
-If so you may want to think twice, or expect that your home and
anything in it will sustain some kind of wear and tear. Kids are
hard on things. Kids have and require a lot of things. Some
people find it difficult to deal with the large amounts of toys and
other child paraphernalia all over the place. Think about where
you will put the extra toys, not to mention a crib, highchair, changing
table, and any other baby items you will need if you care for an infant
or TWO.
Maybe
you already have children and don't think it will make that much
difference to have more children in your home. I have three of my
own and seven more really does make a huge difference. Imagine the
number of dirty dishes we have after each meal! Don't forget
snacks!
Kids
make messes. There are days when even the sight of a stray toy under the
kitchen table drives me nuts, not to mention that portable playpen I
crawl over every night to get into my bed.
Luck
for me I am not a "Neat Freak!" So these things don't
bother me. If you are, don't fret, there are ways to deal with it.
We have a playroom that is used only for daycare. It is in the
basement and we have places for all the toys. This really helps to
cut down on the wear and tear to the rest of my house and to make clean
up easier, for me and the children. Sometimes the playroom is the
cleanest room in my house! If toys and supplies have a certain
spot where they belong and you encourage the children to put things away
you should have less anxiety over these kind of things.
2.
Are you good at keeping track of income and
expenses? Know a lot about taxes? Do you have a business
degree?
-If you said yes well then great you are set! If you are like most
of us you probably said no. So sorry this is not the business for
you! JUST KIDDING! For the un-business educated people there
is hope! There are many computer programs out on the market that
can help you with the accounting and advertising aspect of your
business. There are also books and other resources to help you.
My best advise to you is to keep every receipt you come across for
business related things. Talk to a tax person to find out what you
can claim on your taxes that you may not think of as business related at
first. Such as lawn maintenance, the new dishwasher you bought,
gas you put in your car to get to a child care meeting, etc. Keep
all of your receipts for everything! Label a big envelope with the
year to stick them into, or keep them in a monthly calendar. (There is
one called the Calendar Keeper made especially for providers to keep
track of monthly income and expenses.) Document and give carbon
copy receipts to parents for payments they make to you. They will
want a total at the end of the year for their taxes. (It's
required that you give it to them.)
3.
Did you ever take a human relations class in college?
-Don't run for the college catalog! It is not a requirement, however if
you did you are one up on me! Seriously though, doing childcare not only
means dealing with children but dealing with their parents as well! More
often then not that can be the hardest part of the job! Parents and
providers really need to work together to establish a good relationship
in order for everyone to benefit!
4.
Do you think of child care as a business or as a
baby-sitting job?
-This is the most important thing to consider when thinking of starting
a child care. If you feel it is going to be like a baby-sitting
job, well then think again! Doing child care is running a business
and it takes a lot of energy, time, commitment, training, understanding,
patience, planning, and many other things. Child care providers
are not baby-sitters they do much more then that. We are
qualified, trained, reliable, professional business people. We
provide a service to families that is so important to them, not to
mention the future of our society. Not only do we care for
children, we keep them safe, we teach them, love them, build their self
esteem, give them a moral foundation, provide them with a role model,
and so much more. It is a huge responsibility. Are you up
for it? It is probably the most rewarding thing you will ever do!
5.
Will this effect your family?
Chances are that you have children and wish to be home with them but at
the same time bring in an income. You are not alone! Will
child care effect your family? You bet! It is
imperative to have their support. Will your children like sharing
their mommy? Will your husband mind the hours and days you work.
Keep in mind most providers do 40 to even 60 hours of care a week.
One of the hardest parts of doing child care is dealing with your own
children. Most kids get use to the idea of you doing child care
but it does take some adjusting for everyone.
This is just a glimpse into the reality of what it is to be a child care
provider. These are probably some of the more common reasons why
people do not go into childcare. It is certainly not for everyone.
For the most part our days go fast and run really smoothly but
occasionally there are not so good days too! Just like any job
has.
The benefits of doing child care, I believe, out
weight the negative things. I love being home for my children,
being my own boss, working with other children, giving to my community,
not having a long commute to get to work, not having the expenses that
go along with working out of the home, and probably many other things
that I take for granted now. Good luck to all who are thinking of
starting a child care business it really is a wonderful occupation!
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