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Running a Summertime Home Child Care Business
By Eileen Michalczyk
It is extremely challenging to run a child care business year round. If you have often
thought about opening your own child care business but are afraid to commit to year-long
care, maybe you should consider opening a child care business for the summer months only.
This article looks at the pros and cons of this option, as well as possible scenarios for
what this summer child care business may look like.
If you have your own school age children that you are home with during the summer,
running a summer home child care can be a great way to make some money and entertain your
own children at the same time. There is a huge demand for summer time care for school age
children whose parents still have to work over the summer. These kids aren't old enough to
stay home alone, but they aren't toddlers either who need constant monitoring and care.
They are usually a lot of fun and very creative.
Most kids of this age love to be outside and active. But they also enjoy quieting down
with a movie or maybe even doing some reading on their own. They can pretty much take care
of themselves when it comes to basic care (bathroom, eating, drinks, etc.). Parents are
usually willing to pay well for keeping their kids safe and entertained. Nothing is worse
than bored kids, because they get into trouble. Plus parents appreciate the convenience
offered by a home daycare and the quality of care offered. This is a way to allow you to
earn that extra money while not having to commit to caring for other children year round.
There are some negatives to this though. First, you really do need to have a license to
operate a home child care. Getting a license can be a pain, but it covers you in case of
problems. The older children that you would be caring for may not require as much monitoring,
but they do require a different kind of attention. Older children tend to get into arguments
more frequently about how things should be done. You may be playing referee a lot!
Also, they have developed an attitude by this age, and it may show through! You
will need to be very firm and fair with your rules. Be firm from the beginning and you
will make things far easier on yourself and the children you care for. Since these
children are older, they tend to eat more. You can either charge a little more per day to
compensate for meal costs, or you can ask parents to send meals for their children.
Personally, I find the first option to be easier. They will also need to keep hydrated
in the hot weather. So you will be dishing out a lot of water! Finally, you will need to
be able to keep these kids entertained. Most kids this age don't entertain themselves very
well. Either they are constantly whining about being bored or else they are making
unhealthy choices about how to spend their time. You will have to be very creative to keep
the boredom and lethargy at bay!
The other thing to consider is that you will not have the freedom to go on vacation or
even take day trips with your family. If you are committing to caring for other children
for the summer, you really need to make yourself available to these families for the whole
summer. But it doesn't have to be boring! See below for how to have a great summer!
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