Do Not Ass-u-me....

This blog is in response to certain comments, blatantly stating my business is not "work" or merely implying it.  I dare these people to walk a day in my shoes.  I guarantee they will no longer believe I don't "work".  I may not leave my house, but my job happens to keep me very busy all day! 
I care for and teach 4 children, on average, all four years old and under.   I'm happy to state that the four year olds know how to spell and write their names, as well as the rest of their alphabet.  They can spell by sounding out letters to words, and I find that impressive.  My own two year old recognizes all her letters and single-digit numbers and can spell her own name (and I may be biased, but she's smart!).  We do a lesson almost every day, we do crafts (although they choose to just color some days), and we spend as much time as possible outside because even though there are many educational television shows available, I believe the imagination and outdoor time are extremely valuable. An imagination that is exercised daily is hugely beneficial to a child's mental health and can then lead them to a successful adulthood, especially if they use that imagination to persue a career that requires it; such as the arts, engineering, or architecture.  To those that believe I sit on the couch and eat bonbons while the kids run wild or sit mindlessly in front of the tv, try again.  
For those that believe I do this for fun, don't open your mouth until you think about this: I had bills before I took on this adventure, and I don't know how your finances work, but mine didn't just disappear because I quit my 50-60 hour/week job.  Circumstances happened to provide me with an opportunity to stay home with my daughter, while WORKING watching other children, so that I could still pay my bills.  To some, it might seem like having my cake and eating it, too. I took the proper route and got my business license, became a LLC, and took on children whose parents entrusted me with their wellbeing.  I have a contract so that myself and parents are protected financially, emotionally, mentally, and healthfully. My bills have due dates, which is why I have to bill parents on recurring dates.  I don't make a lot of money; this is not a gloriously rich job.  Every time I get paid, think about the money I have to put back into the business... 


On average, my toilets flush 2 times per hour all day.  
Do you know how much toilet paper children use?!? I can't keep it stocked long enough! 
This leads to washing hands... Do you know how long a child takes to wash their hands? Or how much soap they go through? 
They all need to turn lights on and off to use the bathroom, and I have to cook every meal of the day... ELECTRICITY! 
I said we do lesson and crafts daily, right? We reuse as many supplies as we can and recycle food containers, too, but I still need to purchase supplies.  
Just like I hope most of you do, I wash their bedding weekly.  I wash their swimsuits, towels, and clothes if they have accidents.  So there's laundry soap and more water. 
We have  a kiddie pool they swim in when we're outside; WHOA, more water! 
Each child eats two snacks and two meals here, daily.  Some parents are kind enough to pack one, but that doesn't usually stop the kids from wanting what the other kids have.  HAHA.  You remember those days, right? 
I then make sure we are healthy in our cleaning.  Lysol wipes are a godsend, but they don't come free! Paper towels... oh goodness, I can't keep those rolls coming fast enough. 
I'm sure I'm leaving out a million more things, like the time it takes to clean the toys every weekend, or make my house look like my own in the evenings, but this would go on forever. 


I love each of the kids in my care as if they were my own.  I love what I do (most of the time) because of the liberties it gives me in my day, too.  People that do go to a job outside their home don't get to play in the kiddie pool on hot days, or watch their kids' eyes light up when they learn to spell a new word, or push them on the swings for an hour, or make sure they eat a healthy, well-balanced meal, or be there to clean up and kiss their "owies" when they get hurt.  For this, I'm grateful beyond words.  It's not always the most spectacular job, some days it gets overwhelming and frustrating, but it's just like any other day at the office, right?  People that work get paid for a service they do.