Pros and Cons of Running an In Home Daycare or Child Care Business

Many new moms mull over the idea of running their own daycare. Daycare can be expensive. Sometimes you are better off staying home with your own kids, and looking after a few others for a little bit of cash.

Its tough work though. In the five years I've done childcare, I have seen many day cares start up and close down.

Here are some of the pros and cons I have found over the years.

• If you have children of your own, you get to stay home with them.
• It eliminates your own child care costs.
• You don't have to go anywhere for work. No transportation costs, clothing, lunches, etc.
• Your children can make new friends.
• You have a good excuse to buy new toys and art supplies for your home, and it may be a tax write off.
• You can set your own hours.

• Your kids may not want to share their mom and their toys all day long.
• You can't just send a child home if they are not getting along with the others.
• Having so many other kids around exposes your family to more germs, so you will be sick more often.
• You will have more cleaning up to do.
• Your pay will fluctuate if kids are sick, families go in holiday or parents lose their jobs.

Home daycare is not a job for everyone, but i have found the pros to outweigh the cons.

If you decide to give it a try, I recommend you start slowly. Take in one or two kids, part time at first, so you can see what it is like.

You also need to find children that your own children can play with for hours on end. Don't be afraid to tell a parent if it is just not working out. Trust me, it can be a nightmare to look after a child your child does not get along with. It is nothing personal, some kids just don't get along.

It is also nice if your family has an area of the house that is off limits to other children so they can have quiet time to themselves, if they want it.

If you want to give it a go, remember the tips above and check these links below for more information: