Sahm/daycare Provider Wardrobe??

Wear what you want to be comfy! I never treated my provider 'more professional' based on what clothing she was wearing or if she had fixed hair and makeup.

I am a daycare provider and I feel like it's important for me to be put together. I wear clothes that look nice and clothes that are comfy. I don't spend a lot of money on clothes for work because I know that they can get spit up on or painted on etc... but I do shower and get ready for "work" every day. I consider myself a professional and want to be viewed and respected that way, so I take the time to look appropriate.

You can look put together wearing capris and a t-shirt, as long as the t-shirt isn't 4 sizes too big (or small) and looks like you just rolled out of bed. And I agree with another post that said that as long as their kids were well taken care of they didn't care what the provider wore. I think parents want to see someone who takes their job seriously but also doesn't care if their shirt gets paint on it.

Good luck!

I had a home daycare and I would wear comfy clothes. Scrub tops sound fine. I was always getting on the floor with the kids or running around with them outside so comfy was the way to go: shorts, T-shirts, capris, jeans. I don't think you have to wear business attire and make up for the parents to treat you professional. They didn't hire you for your fashion sense, they hired you for their trust and ability in your care of their children. They treated me the same if I had a pony-tail and shorts as they did if I was made up and wearing slacks? I don't really get the connection, they know you aren't going to an office and meeting clients??
When I used to take my son to a home daycare it didn't matter to me if she was wearing pj's or her Sunday best. It had nothing to do with her abiltiy to care for my child!

our daycare lady wears tshirts or polos and jeans or capris every day. Our old one would occasionally be in pjs when i got there, but she was always in regular clothes by the end of the day and she let me drop off early so I never complained.

we take our kids to a facility day care, and I can honestly say that I could care less what they wear as long as they take great care of my kids.

However, if it makes YOU feel better to get dressed-up, do it! I have to wear professional attire every day. I don't have a choice. I'd love the option of choosing to be comfortable vs. having to look a certain way.

In my personal time, I'm almost always casual.....and, by that I mean I will sleep in clothes and wear them the next day as long as they don't have holes! :)

When I was a daycare provider I wore casual, comfy clothes and always did my hair and makeup. Mostly the hair and makeup were for me, I always felt better, more positive and had higher self confidence when I did these small things to make myself feel good. Some days I would wear jogging pants, others jeans, never anything fancy but always presentable, not like raggy sweats or stuff like that. I'm a firm believer that you should take care of yourself so you can better take care of others.

Oh I think scrubs are a great idea. They come in loads of cute patterns and colors and they'd be comfy, plus ad an air of togetherness:)

I am a home daycare provider and mother. I wear decent looking, comfy clothes during the work day that enable me to move, bend, crawl, play and not care about whether they get paint/bleach/food stained. When things get old and have stains, I try to replace them with inexpensive (Target, Old Navy, etc.) casual clothes. I have tees, tanks, shorts, jeans, capris and sundresses that aren't low cut, aren't expensive that I use as my work wardrobe. I save my nicer clothes for weekends and evenings, so I can feel nice when I'm not working. I never wear make-up during the day and I usually have my hair in a ponytail, unless it's a rare morning that I've showered that morning and not the night before. I think having a specific work wardrobe when you're doing home daycare is important, so you can not ruin the nicer stuff you have and don't have to give up the sexier stuff completely either.

I am a preschool teacher and I have to wear "business casual" so I bought pants from the military surplus store to wear. They are very durable, and come in black, kahki, along with camo colors.

clean, comfy clothes which will allow flexibility & are easy to clean. Freshly-showered, hair done. AND make sure the house looks presentable,clean, & ready for children!

This is not dress-up time, this is not office clothes time! In fact, the clothes I use are just for "my job".....& I change (usually) before heading to school, events, & errands. That way I feel like I'm moving out of my job & into "Mom/wife/friend" mode. ...... funnier than funny: sometimes I change during naptime, if I know time will be crunched. The kids always notice & love my "good" clothes.....& the moms comment, too!

Well I'm open 24/7 so I have to get someone to watch the kids so that I can shower. I rarely feel like I have more than 10 minutes to jump in and get dressed and I rarely take more than 10 minutes. I wear a lot of loose fitting clothes because I am equally as busy before bed. I answer the door in the middle of the night to let people in and out as well. So I can't wear pajamas. I wear a lot of t-shirts and elastic wasted pants so that I can sleep in the same clothes I've been in all day. From time to time I do start replacing the clothes but tend to fall back on the ones that I like the most.

Most days I wear comfy clothes. I have three kids so it's hard to find time to get a shower, hair and makeup done. But I feel so much better when I do. Maybe you can buy a scrub and just put it on over your shirt when it's time for painting or something really messy. You would probably feel like a scrub if you wore it all day, everyday :)

I found along time ago that I felt better if I did my makeup and hair, But as clothes go its jeans/short and tee's or sweatshirts, things that will wash easy. Never would I go to work in PJs so why would I do this job that way seems pretty lazy to me.

I am a childcare provider (and a homeschooling mom). I wear whatever I am comfortable in that day. Somedays that's dressing up. Somedays it's just comfy clothes. :)

The more professional you look the more professional the parents will treat you.

I always did my hair and put on minimal makeup. but do dress appropriately. i wore shorts or capris in summer, jeans in winter. with things like polo shirts or tshirts with appropriate stuff on the front (poohbear, disney stuff etc) no jewelry as really it gets in the way.

My ideal outfit for being at home or running around town with the kids is yoga pants with pockets (for cell phone, keys and the inevitable small toy) and a solid color or cute printed t-shirt or sleeveless top. I try to make sure that I am as comfortable as possible without looking sloppy, that way I can change my plans on a moment's notice and not worry about being under or over dressed. Like yesterday, I was ready to go to the gym, but my son wasn't ready to get up from his nap, so...change of plans...scrapped the gym plans and headed to the zoo after he woke up, and did a few errands along the way.

As long as I make sure to at least halfway do my hair, and apply some tinted moisturizer and mascara, I feel presentable enough to leave the house.

I'm just starting a home daycare and I was wondering the same thing. At home with my own kids I'm pretty casual and rarely put on makeup, usually have my hair in a pony, but I know if I take the time to get dressed in the morning and ready I'm always more productive and less likely to lounge around with the kids. I was thinking maybe some comfortable jeans and t-shirts that are well fitted and lots of Old Navy cardigans and flats would work. That way if a baby spits up or you get muddy hands on your cardi you can always just take it off. I think the point is think about how you feel, care about yourself (so your less likely to feel frumpy and wiped out). I also think it's important to be modest make sure your shirts aren't too tight, too low cut and make sure that your jeans don't show off your panties when you kneel down. You don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable.