Am I Too Unflexible? Summer Chld Care

Yeah, too inflexible to be called daycare.

How about running a summer camp instead? Pick particular weeks and have 5 openings. Plan a list of fun activities to do each day. Have a theme for each week. Find out what the YMCA would charge per child and put a discount on that.

This would be a chance for families who don't "need" a caregiver to actually get a break, but not have to pay fulltime care for the summer. It's extra pocket money for you, but you don't have to work all summer.

Dawn

It might work if you are babysitting a good friends child that knows you are going to be doing all these activities and such, other than that I think it probably is too restrictive to a parent that has a certain schedule in mind, especially since you are going to be taking several long wknds off.

I think you have too much going on with your own family. I know when I put my GD somewhere for the summer, I expect my child to be kept entertained and even taken for a few outings at my expense. I certainly would not put her somewhere where she is just dragged around every day with someone who is keeping their own child occupied while mine was just drug around.

Also, even though you consider it just babysitting for the summer, the parents will want to claim the money they pay you on their taxes so you will have to claim it on your taxes.

I would think that that might be a little bit hard to do with all the vacations and everything you have going on. I wouldn't want my kid to have to be taken along to all those activities either. I would prefer someone who will be there the whole summer and who can give all their attention to my kids since I would be paying you to watch them, not bring them to all your activities. I'm sorry I hope I'm not being too harsh. I'm just trying to be honest. I hope you get it all figured out and you have a fun time!

Nope, sorry but I would not use you given that restrictive of a schedule. I work full time and I do not have family around that can help with childcare. Therefore, I really DO count on my daycare provider to be able to take my children. If I have to make alternative arrangements for my kids that frequently to accomodate your schedule, then I might as well use someone else. I also would feel quite badly for my children to be dragged around to activities to just sit on the sidelines and not particpate. Sorry....

Regardless if you consider this a "business" or not.... the parents of whomever you babysit, will or may... claim you on their taxes.
Thus, you need to, too.

And if you put up an "Ad" somewhere advertising your "babysitting"...then someone might see it, and check into that if you are licensed etc. and have your business license etc.

You need to know the regulations in your city.
And per how many kids you may be watching in your home, in conjunction with your own kids.
There is a certain ratio.

Ditto Cheryl B. below.

Parents, who want babysitters, want a regular fixed schedule. Otherwise, they have to find back-up Sitters as well and/or amend their own schedules. So it may be a hassle for them, to "hire" you. Not consistent enough of a schedule. And parents typically want to know, your schedule of what you do with their child and activities/naps etc. And per the age of their child.

Parents also, can often be late, in picking up their child from a sitter. So that will or may, put a kink in your own family's schedule of when you need to leave the house to take your own kids places.

And if you are transporting a child you are babysitting, then you'd need extra car seats. And a "permission to transport" signed by the parent and a release of liability etc.

Your personal schedule of when you can babysit or not and per your own timelines... does seem not conducive to regular babysitting.
Perhaps only drop-in care. For a couple of hours a day.

You need to decide if you are charging hourly or a flat rate.
And have a "contract" to have the parents sign off on, and per any rules you have as a Sitter.

I used to Babysit.

too much time off, too many activities. My daycare parents are ill-at-ease over my schedule: 2 days off next Th/F & 1 week in July. That's it & it's an issue.

If you're taking $$ for this, then you need to claim it on your taxes. Have you considered working at Sylvan or Kumon...or tutoring online for colleges?

Too much time off to be someone's summer care provider. You could off part-time/drop-in care. Maybe someone needs some care but not all the time. You could also offer care up to kids in the activities your children are in so their kids wouldn't care if you took their kids to the activity...they could pick up from there and it may make their lives easier.

I really like Dawn's suggestion of a camp. I personally don't know that I'd want my son being dragged around to lessons/activities that they couldn't also participate in, so you might want to consider that in your pricing if you decide to go that full-day route.

Well as a full-time worker, honestly, I probably wouldn't use your services only because that is about two and a half weeks in a two and a half month time period that I couldn't use you and would have to find back up services. It could work for some moms though I suppose. I would also want to negotiate if my child was going to vacation bible school as I personally don't feel like it's fair to pay you the time they are there being watched by other members of the church as well. That is just my opinion though . . .

I think that most people that need care, need it more than you can offer, and on a basis that you can't really offer.

Parents want to know that their childcare is reliable, always available, and that their kids will be given the attention & time that they deserve. It sounds like you have too much going on that centers around you & your children's life & activites & not the extra child(ren) you'd be caring for. It's not fair to expect a parent to pay for an activity they wouldn't otherwise want to pay for just because their child is in your care when your child has an activity. Nor is it fair to expect that child to sit & do nothing while your child participates. It seems like the extra kid(s) would be more of an afterthought than a priority.

Too much time off, but maybe offer to close friends that you could watch their kids for a few days here and there so they could get a break?

Too much time off, unless someone was just using you for drop in care.

I agree it might not work for everyone who needs summer care -- but you only need it to work for one family, right?

For what it's worth, many years ago my regular nanny was going to be out for several months and a neighbor was good enough to step in. She had 4 kids of her own --most older than mine but one younger than both my girls. Over the summer, hers had swimming and baseball and normal kid stuff. Mine tagged along. They went to the pool (& swam while lessons were going on). They went to games. They helped with entertaining the baby while my neighbor cooked dinner. They did what you do in a family -- and it worked out well for all of us.

Of course, this required a little flexibility on both sides and wouldn't work for everyone -- but it worked for us. Like I said, you can't provide a service that would work for many people, but you only need it to work for one family.

Wording maybe like:

"Summertime, family-based care available. Experienced educator and mom would treat your child like her own. Inclusion in swimming lessons, baseball and Vacation Bible School opportunities may be available."

You may find a family who would like to have their child participate in some of your kids' activities. Many working parents would really like to have their child take swimming lessons or the like, but can't arrange it to work with a more traditional day care.

Give it a shot! If you try, you may not succeed but if you DON'T try you can't get anywhere.

Create a flyer and list the weeks you are available. List the activities you have planned for the kids, kind of a daily schedule. Then see if you can distribute that at your kids school. I have 2 school age kids and work from home. My kids go to camp over the summer, but I would love the option of a close by home based 'camp' for a week or two. You would need to stress how it's going to benefit the other child though, being told I'm paying for my kid to be dragged along to your kids activities wouldn't appeal to me. Maybe word it that swim lessons are available and give parents the option to enroll their child at the same time your child is going.

That schedule would not work for me but it might for someone else. Its only for the summer so for full-time working parents it could pose a problem if they were looking for someone permanent. Sometimes people schedule their vacations around the sitters vacations. If the parents don't mind that you take their kids places, then it should be fine. I would be up front with all your vacations and everything you have planned so they know ahead of time.