When it comes to opening your own in home daycare, it has its pros and it also has its cons. Sometimes, you might not deal with any of these so called, “cons” until later down the road. Or you might have to deal with them right away. You just have to remember that every business has pros and cons. Not one business, whether you own it or not is perfect. Just remember that being a provider isn’t all flowers and butterflies. There is work involved and you have to be determined and ready to take on anything.

Con #1: You are the only employee

The first con to opening up your own in home daycare, is your are the owner/teacher/cook. You are all the roles. So, if you get sick and have to close, more than likely you don’t have back up. Now, I do tell my families in the handbook that I do not have a substitute. So they are aware of that. I don’t hardly get sick, but in the event that I do, I will have to close for a day or two. It puts pressure on you to feel like you can’t ever close because I am letting the other families down. I put off making doctor appointments or other things that I may need to get done that just gets pushed to the side. I feel like I only can close if it is the last resort.

Now, for my kids events or a vacation, I will give my families at least a month notice. That gives them time to figure out a schedule or work with their employers.

Con#2: Negative Situations You Have to Deal With It

When you have a negative situation come up with a child or parent, you are in charge. That means you do not have another employee to help back you up or diffuse the situation. You are going to have to handle it the best you know how. At the end of the day it is your business and you may have to make a call where you will have to disenroll a family. Just make sure you have somewhere in your family handbook that states that. It is always best to have more information than not enough.

Con#3: Your Income Fluctuates and is Inconsistent

When you open up your in home daycare, you get to set your prices. You also get to decide on how many kids up to a certain amount you want to care for. When it comes to enrolling children, you have to sometimes deal with the family deciding to go another direction, job change, move, etc. and then you lose an enrollment or two. You have to then go back to advertising a spot or spots and hope that you can get them filled.

You also can deal with schedule changes in the school year versus the summer. I have two kids that are full time tuition for the school year and only 2 days a week in the summer. Their mom is a teacher and is off on breaks and summer. I then have to decide can I fill those other 3 days to make up the tuition loss or do I have to tell that family I can’t take them in the summer and hope to find two full time kids for summer.

You want to give yourself wiggle room when you set prices, so if you lose a child you can’t pay bills. It is going to happen when a disenrollment will have to happen or a family decides to leave. Just make sure to have a budget.

Cons #4:Your Own Children Don’t Get Your Undivided Attention While Working

When it comes to having my own kids here before and after school, they want my attention. Sometimes that is hard when I have 4-5 other little ones that I am responsible for as well. I have to make sure rules are being followed and kids are being watched at all times. I can’t just take my own kids outside in the front yard and watch them ride their bikes because my kids I am watching are only allowed to be in the fenced in backyard. Not only are you making a sacrifice, but so is your own family. Their mom isn’t available 100% of the time. They get frustrated sometimes, but I do try to incorporate activities and meal time with the daycare kids and my own kids too.

Cons #5:Your Hours May Be Long

When you set your hours, you want them to be around working parent’s schedules. If you are only open 8am-3pm, you might only get 1 family that can make that work. So, having hours 630am-600pm, for normal business hours, you’ll fill up and have 5-6 spots filled in no time. You just deal with a very long day. Yes, you are at home, but you are normally only in the area approved for your daycare. I can’t just go to the basement and work on the laundry, go work out on the treadmill, etc. I have to be attentive and be there at all times supervising from the hours your daycare children attend.

There are some providers that will do first, second, and third shift. If you feel like that is best for you and your family, than by all means go for it. I don’t work to live. I am not going to spend my whole life working even if its from home. You need down time and quiet time to yourself.