I need help. I am LOSING MY MIND!
I currently care for 5 children (2 of my own) and am expecting a 6 week old in about a month and a half (DCG). All the daycare kids are FINE...the problem is MY daughter (2.5).
Let me give you a little background to help you understand better. I have been in childcare/education for 10+ years. I had previously owned and operated my home daycare before closing during my divorce 5 years ago. I worked outside the home for 5 years and during that time my current DH and I had two daughters (2 and 1). For the first year of my 2 year old's life (we'll call her "K"), she was with me at work. After leaving that job and having her little sister, both of them went to a home daycare while I worked as a preschool teacher. Now, I will say this home daycare wasn't "elite", didn't offer a curriculum or learning activities, but that wasn't what I was looking for. I wanted a cozy, home environment for my daughters where they felt at home and loved....and they did.
Fast forward to this summer, I decided to open my own home daycare (again) because my salary was barely enough to cover them both going to daycare and I wanted to be home with them (as I was with my older two kids). This month I started 3 new children (2, 1, and 8 months). "K" has always been a difficult child. Strong willed, opinionated and just TOUGH. I thought maybe the daycare I had put her in was the cause (not a lot of structure, no routine, no discipline), but now I know I was wrong. She is constantly taking toys, pushing kids, throwing tantrums (like 15-20 minutes of screaming her head off), doing things she KNOWS she shouldn't be doing, even after I get onto her. If it was just my two kids at home with me, while it would still be hard, I would be able to be 100% attentive to the behavior. Unfortunately, with the daycare kids here, it does pull some of my attention away from her. The 2 year old also copies EVERYTHING she does which makes the day twice as hard.
I'm at a loss. I find myself in tears at the end of the day because she is SO hard and I feel like all I have done all day is yell at her. Closing daycare is NOT an option. I have put a lot of time and money into this and it is the best possible financial solution for my family, but I can't end each day like this.
I feel like I have tried everything. Conscious Discipline, time out, special time for just her and I, talking to her, taking away items etc. I am just banging my head against the wall every.single.day.
I know a large part is her personality...she is the strongest willed child I have ever met and I have worked with hundreds of children (including those with special needs). I don't want to crush her spirit, but I also can't have my daycare kids standing on tables or dumping bubbles all over the floor everyday.
Please help. ANY advice is greatly appreciated.
I currently care for 5 children (2 of my own) and am expecting a 6 week old in about a month and a half (DCG). All the daycare kids are FINE...the problem is MY daughter (2.5).
Let me give you a little background to help you understand better. I have been in childcare/education for 10+ years. I had previously owned and operated my home daycare before closing during my divorce 5 years ago. I worked outside the home for 5 years and during that time my current DH and I had two daughters (2 and 1). For the first year of my 2 year old's life (we'll call her "K"), she was with me at work. After leaving that job and having her little sister, both of them went to a home daycare while I worked as a preschool teacher. Now, I will say this home daycare wasn't "elite", didn't offer a curriculum or learning activities, but that wasn't what I was looking for. I wanted a cozy, home environment for my daughters where they felt at home and loved....and they did.
Fast forward to this summer, I decided to open my own home daycare (again) because my salary was barely enough to cover them both going to daycare and I wanted to be home with them (as I was with my older two kids). This month I started 3 new children (2, 1, and 8 months). "K" has always been a difficult child. Strong willed, opinionated and just TOUGH. I thought maybe the daycare I had put her in was the cause (not a lot of structure, no routine, no discipline), but now I know I was wrong. She is constantly taking toys, pushing kids, throwing tantrums (like 15-20 minutes of screaming her head off), doing things she KNOWS she shouldn't be doing, even after I get onto her. If it was just my two kids at home with me, while it would still be hard, I would be able to be 100% attentive to the behavior. Unfortunately, with the daycare kids here, it does pull some of my attention away from her. The 2 year old also copies EVERYTHING she does which makes the day twice as hard.
I'm at a loss. I find myself in tears at the end of the day because she is SO hard and I feel like all I have done all day is yell at her. Closing daycare is NOT an option. I have put a lot of time and money into this and it is the best possible financial solution for my family, but I can't end each day like this.
I feel like I have tried everything. Conscious Discipline, time out, special time for just her and I, talking to her, taking away items etc. I am just banging my head against the wall every.single.day.
I know a large part is her personality...she is the strongest willed child I have ever met and I have worked with hundreds of children (including those with special needs). I don't want to crush her spirit, but I also can't have my daycare kids standing on tables or dumping bubbles all over the floor everyday.
Please help. ANY advice is greatly appreciated.
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