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I was just curious how many kids you all watch, particularly in home providers. I am licensed to watch up to 6 kids, and I’ve had 6 kids in attendance all summer with 3 going to school this year, so now I’m down to 3, some of which are part time. I wouldn’t mind taking on 1 more to put me at 4. To me anything over that is overwhelming. I would be ok financially but I get the feeling parents don’t like it unless I have a house full of kids. They seem to think more kids equals more fun for their child but I don’t see it that way. Does anyone else keep their attendance under what is allowed? I think I’m leaning towards having a smaller group.
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I have 7. 2 are my own. I'd prefer to have 5... maybe 6 total. 7 gets a little crazy but isn't too bad in the summer when we can be outside! I'm licensed to watch 7 plus 2 school age (5+). So 9 total but I'm not going to take any school age right now. -
I'm licensed for 8, but only have 2, by choice.Comment
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Some prefer a smaller ratio for more hands-on attention for their child.
Some prefer a higher ratio for a social group for their child.
Some prefer a higher ratio for a social group for themselves.
Some never even give ratio a second thought other than *can they afford it. Generally, higher ratio = lower price.
Lower ratio is the goal of the "Quality" movement but IMHO 6/1 is a low ratio.
I prefer 8/1, mixed ages. Kids play with kids (not adults), older kids model wanted behaviors for youngers, learn better through teaching (learn one, do one, teach one
), develop empathy, problem-solving and independence. Youngers more readily follow olders, they love it.
I think everyone has a favorite way of doing things. All are great for some kids, nothing fits all kids. All have a place.
- Unless otherwise stated, all my posts are personal opinion and worth what you paid for them.
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Lic for 8, prefer 6. 2 of my 8 have to be school aged. :P
If I could have 8 preschoolers I’d be in heaven. I think we do better with a larger group.Comment
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Legally unlicensed at 4. I prefer and schedule 3 each day with a 4th on occasion.Comment
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I am licensed for 8+2 school age. I try to keep my numbers to 6 on a regular basis (but do an occasional day with 7 or 8 if there's no school, etc.) I figured out when working in a center with my own small classroom that somewhere between 6 and 7 kiddos is the line between a good day and a bad day, and I prefer most of my days to be good days...
Do what you feel comfortable managing. If parents don't like it, they will find somewhere else and parents who do want a smaller group will find you.Comment
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For those of you that can have more than 6, do you have an assistant or is it just you? I couldn’t imagine doing that myself!Comment
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I don't have to, I can have all 10 with school-agers by myself, but, um, yeah, no, gets too hectic for my taste and I just find it a little too much to keep track of for me. Six is fine, more is too much. I'm not quite as observant/as stern a disciplinarian as I would need to be for that.
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In Australia you can only have four under school age and 3 over, so never more than 7. I have four under school age and will NEVER do over :
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I'm licensed to have 6 children here at any given time. I like to have as close to 6 as possible but a lot depends on the ages of the kids. I don't rush out to fill spots if I have a lot of younger kids or infants in the mix or if some of the personalities make for a challenging day.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
As far as what parents want...I always remind myself that I can't be all things to all people so I need to please myself. If you're comfortable with 4 or fewer, stick with it. There are a lot of parents out there that like a smaller group for their kids.Comment
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I closed in dec but I had a 10:2 ratio. All kids under 24 monthsComment
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I find 12 to be much easier than 6. I'm licensed for 12 plus 2 before and after school. I have 16 enrolled, 2 are before school kids, 2 are after school kids. I sometimes have 12 at once, but I have 6 arrive at 5:30am, and 4 of them are gone by the time my other kids arrive (they leave for school). Today, I had 7 kids plus 2 after school, and the day was so quiet and slow!Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
I find that with 12, they entertain each other more, and it is EASIER to give one-on-one when necessary because they're not all competing for my attention at once-they play while I feed a bottle to a baby or work on writing the alphabet with a preschooler. I used to have 6 kids, and when I went up in numbers, I found that my job got easier!Comment
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In my state, you can care for less than 5 without a license. I care for a max of 4. Right now, I'm down to 2 since my 3rd DCK just left for school and I've pretty much held the 4th spot for my own little one that is now 9 months (she doesn't count in the ratio, I just didn't want to overwhelm myself and short change everyone in the process.) Typically, I find that having all 4 is nice, the day goes fast, there's a lot to do and they pretty keep each other quite entertained. I once looked into moving up to the 5-7 children license and just felt I would be stretching myself too thin. I have 2 homeschooling teens and doing this allows me a nice balance of home life and work life. Going to 7 children would definitely change that balance.
My DCP's don't seem to care. I think they like the small ratio.Comment
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I like my 1:4 ratio also... in Knoxville you can get licensed. It turns out if you live inside Alcoa city limits, you can't get a home daycare license according to DHS, heard from the mouth of a Blount Co inspector - they only license centers here (I live 2 blocks inside Alcoa limits in Blount Co, but different city address)Originally posted by knoxmomof2 View PostComment
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