Why I Can't Do Daycare

I must admit that I think about running a daycare about once a month. I mean, it seems like the perfect solution to our financial difficulties.

I don't enjoy going to work. I never have. I would much rather be at home with my children than out on the job. That is why I got a Psychology degree in college. I mean, what better degree to have to help my children succeed in life! I was never actually going to have to use it. Or so I thought...................

We have tried to have me stay at home full time and eventually we need more money and our credit cards soar. We are unable to do both things at once: 1. Mom stays at home and 2. Stay out of debt. So eventually I would go back to work thinking "if only there was some way to run a business at home". Well, there is the most obvious way -- daycare.

I tried to do daycare early on it our marriage. I watched two little boys for a friend of my husband's while he was in graduate school. Even though it was part time, I was stressed out and frazzled most of the time. I dreaded the days they came over and began to resent having them there. And if they did anything toward my child, watch out! The mother bear in me came out and I had to be careful not to literally growl. Not good qualities for a child care provider.

My husband encouraged me to quit which I did and not do it again.

I didn't listen. I tried it again 3 years later when I was home with our children and he was getting his teaching certificate. This one should have been easy because it was a friend of my 5 year old who came out everyday before kindergarten and then went to school with her. I mean, how hard is that? Sounds simple, right? Not for me. Same feelings came into play and I have to admit, at times I wasn't very nice. This time it was better because the girl was older, but I still resented the fact I was tied to being home every day.

Fast forward to present day: I have been on maternity leave for 10 weeks now and am set to go back to work on Sunday night. And let's fact it -- I am not looking forward to it. I love my time at home with my children, and I dread going back to being tired all of the time. My friend who watches my kids has been encouraging me to do daycare which I have been halfway considering, despite my history.

So Tuesday and Wednesday, I took over for her (she had a class to go to) and watched one of her daycare kids who is this adorable 2 year old. At the beginning of the day, I'm thinking "yeah, I could do this. No problem" But by the end of the day, I knew there was no way. I was exhausted!!! It took all my strength not to crawl into bed at 7:30 p.m. She was so cute, but she wore me out. She is very active and constantly on the go. On Tuesday she climbed out of her play crib after her nap destroyed my eldest daughters' room. On Wednesday she fell off the top bunk of the bunk bed onto the bottom bunk (luckily) but then bounced into the dresser. (Miraculously she was OK.) She took naps no longer than 90 minutes both days and she loved to be outside which required me to be out there with her. My 4 year old was tolerant, but by the end of the day had enough and became whiny and tearful, adding to the mayhem. I swore I heard the "Hallelujah Chorus" when her mother showed up at the door.

Yes, this was definitely a lesson to me that I am not cut out for daycare. The sad part is that it doesn't pay enough. To make the money we need, I would have to watch three kids, FULL-TIME! That I'm sure would drive me batty. No, I'm afraid I'm not daycare material which means I have to return to work. Maybe if I would have chosen a different degree, learned to budget earlier, had less kids, I wouldn't have to work. But since I can't go back in time, I can't change any of that. I'll just have to grin and bear it. After all, there are worse things in life than working, right?

I could be doing daycare.