Need opinions please be honest

Jaclyn - posted on 03/29/2010

i just wish there were more of you out there....we have one mommy and daddy day home in our area and they are always full. my niece and nephew go there and they are so happy. they get help with school work and they have the stability of a home which is so important these days. i say good luck to you and what a great idea...

Veronica - posted on 03/28/2010

Some of the best babysitters I know are males, I think its a wonderful idea.

Sherry - posted on 03/28/2010

I think this day and age that its great that men are trying to do things women are known to do and vice versa women trying to do things then men are known to do. I have some men in my life that I would totally trust leaving my daughter with and I think you need to surpass the look of it being a "womens job" and go for it and follow your dream. If its his dream to be part of a daycare then I say go for it!

Hani - posted on 03/28/2010

sounds great you would have to have mum toileting girls and dad boys i think just to keep things safe that way for the minds of parents good luck guys :)

Eileen - posted on 03/27/2010

i think that its a wonderful idea! i take both of my children to an in-home daycare..and they absolutely love going there..esp when her dh comes home..my oldest is 3 and calls in da-lah..and they follow him around the house constantly..ive been using her for over a year now..and believe it or not, my husband was the one who found her..she was listed on craig's list..

Stella - posted on 03/27/2010

its a good ideal,as long as the both of you know what you are going into

Jill - posted on 03/27/2010

I currently have my kids going to a mommy and daddy day care. I think its wonderful as shes stays inside with my 7 months old while he takes my 4yr old outside to play. It does not bother me that he is a man, in fact, its good for my kids to see that guys can be in that role, as well.

Gail - posted on 03/27/2010

Hats off to you both it would be wonderful!! Though fully look into it, as depending on where you are, it's very stringent and your house will be turned into a modern day looking child center. Down to the fact that they bringing in ruling that you will have to have artificial grass! Go figure! So please do your homework! All the Best

Shannon - posted on 03/26/2010

I would be fine with a mommy/daddy team babysitting as long as I know them really well and trust them =)

Rachel - posted on 03/26/2010

The daycare my daughter attends is a husband/wife team. My daughter enjoys being around both of them. They are both very active and involved with the children all day everyday. It's not a babysitting job to them. They have a made a fabulous atmosphere that encourages learning and motor skill development. It will be a little bittersweet when the day comes that she starts school, but thanks to the great teachers and caretakers my daughter's daycare providers are, she'll be prepared and ready to go to school. :)

Dawn - posted on 03/26/2010

I think its a great idea getting dads involved, children need a male role model too, good luck!!

Dawn x

Denelle - posted on 03/26/2010

I was lucky enough to find an awesome daycare that the husband worked along side with his wife. i don't think that it should make a difference if the husband is there.

Javelin - posted on 03/26/2010

Hi. I'm admittedly an overprotective mom and I would feel uncomfortable and uneasy if he were there handling the girls, until I got very familiar and was able to trust him. I'd like to also know if the owners of such an establishment were Christians. And it would make a big difference for me as to what his duties were at the home-care center. I'm all for family (husband & wife) businesses. Blessings to you both!

Veenu - posted on 03/26/2010

it's a bonus to have a gentle and a tough point of view...

Jane - posted on 03/25/2010

When my daughter was a baby (she's almost 20 now), she was in a home day care situation where the hubby helped all the time. I don't think there is anything wrong with a man who wants to be a part of a home day care!

Julie - posted on 03/25/2010

If I felt comfortable with both of you, I'd absolutely use your service. Some men are better caretakers than many women!

Sandra - posted on 03/25/2010

I think it would be great. However I know several other moms who would never take their children to any place with a guy there. It is sad to see we have become a society where we even have ask if it would be okay to have your husband there to help you.

Megan - posted on 03/25/2010

I would love it.

Tonya - posted on 03/25/2010

I THINK IT WOULD BE AWESOME ESPECIALLY IF A CHILD NEEDS A MALE ADULT FATHER LIKE PERSON IN THEIR LIFE!! YOU ARE ON TO SOMETHING GOOD!

Ayme - posted on 03/25/2010

I'm not really sure why this is even being asked.....since when is it taboo for a man to watch children..there really wouldn't be kids around if men weren't an active part of the process...a sick women can traumatize children by way of abuse/neglect just as easily as a sick man is capable of...in any situation, it is important to check the credentials, backgrounds, certifications and references of ANYONE you elect to watch your children.

Nicole - posted on 03/25/2010

As to men not being able to clean up accidents or change diapers.
At least here in Ontario that is a load of crap. A non ECE (Early childhood Educator) maybe, but not someone with their full ECE. In child care centers in Ontario everyone, including non ECEs and volunteers must go through a criminal reference check.

Now because of societal views I would not blame a male teacher to want a coworker near by at all times, but unless you are working solely with senior preschoolers, the chances of being in a classroom on one's own constantly is highly unlikely with the way ratios work (infants 1 to 3, toddlers 1 to 5, jr preschool 1 to 8 and sr preschool 1 to 10).

It's ironic that after all these years women have had to fight for gender equality in the work place and this is the one field where I find men have to do the same.
All because people are paranoid.

Nicole - posted on 03/25/2010

Go for it. People need to realize that men can work in the child care profession just as well as women can. I wish I could say you won't face any astigmatism, but some people can be so closed minded.
Men are needed in child care too. Some kids need a positive male role model in their lives.
Good luck! I hope it works out for you two!

Crystal - posted on 03/25/2010

Here is the long of the short of it. Personally I think its fine. I have worked in childcare for several years, and I have even worked in centers where there were males in the classroom. Personally I loved what the men offered to the children and its just not something that women can offer. My son had a male pre-school teacher that he still talks about today (and he’s 12 years old).

The laws are different for men vs women. You need to be aware of them. Males cannot change a diaper, not clean up an accident. That leaves you for all that (like that’s any different, LOL) but as long as you are ok with that.

For the unhappy part, when I worked in a drop-in setting I also had a male working as an aid for me; there were people who would not leave their child there because of him. They would say something like it’s just not right or they feel uncomfortable with it.

I think if you get certified for welfare children (where the state pays a part) You can make a great go of it, and you will find that you are almost always full. They offer some great benefits for these types of home centers too, a food program, and free classes too. BUT they also do inspections and lots of paper work too. The benefits do outweigh the negatives in this but it’s hard to get started but very doable. Just remember to ALWAYS be in ratio for what they say. And most important make sure the two of you have time away planned (both initially and together as adults) This will keep you both from going insane! When my mom did it she joined a bowling league for her and date night for the two of them once a week. Its not always easy working together, but also can be fun.

I say give it a try and see what happens! Good Luck to Both of you

Kristen - posted on 03/25/2010

I wish you the best of luck! My husband and I got licensed to do "mommy and daddy daycare" last spring and it never went anywhere. My husband and I are both have degrees in child development and have two kids of our own we wanted to spend more time with and be closer too. We thought that there would be a need for more positive male influences in childrens lives as well as the "nucular family", How wrong we were. Most of the calls we recieved were no longer intrested once they releised it was both of us doing it (even though the ad clearly stated that) and the FEW that did come by were kinda weird and never went anywhere or were choosing other home daycares that the whole house was turned into a preschool and lived out of their bedroom so that the living/dining/bedrooms were all daycare and converted for the kids, ours was childproofed and kid friendly with a huge yard and playroom but it was still a home and because it was both my husband and I with our kids and others kids I couldnt give up my whole house, I needed my space too and the idea of having my bedroom/living room dining room, etc all in my teeny tiny bedroom seemed too crowded.
Another thing to keep in mind is you need financial back up, especially if you both are doing it. It can take a while to get kids but you need to be open during the advertising phase if you get a kid that wants to start tomorrow. For us we ended up running out of money and I had to go back to work. Another thing to note is child care has been a little unpredictable latley (I am a teacher now and see this in the schools as well) with the job market the way it is enrollment is down because with more people loosing jobs and staying home with their kids or using family resourses instead of daycare. Although home daycare can make LOTS of $$$$ its when your thriving, fully enrolled and have a waitlist so when one kid leaves you have another starting the next day. I hope you are able to do what we were not because it truly would have been a wonderful experience.

Kyona - posted on 03/25/2010

I think its cool if u haver the patience for it.

Tiffany - posted on 03/24/2010

I think it is a fantastic idea! I would say that CPR and background checks are required, but that is for the most part a standard with any care provider license. It would give both of you the ability to not only care for the children, but have a back up if you needed to take care of something outside of the home. And, if there are any children that you are caring for that don't have a father figure at home your husband could be a good male role model for them.

Dawn - posted on 03/24/2010

i think that is a great idea...go for it... my daughter from the age of 3 months to 5 yrs old she had a sitter and her husband was very much involved!!! great support system...best of luck to you guys!!!

Cynthia - posted on 03/24/2010

I think it would be great! My son is in daycare and the caregivers are mostly women but my son would rather "hang out with the guys" than sit in the kitchen if you know what I mean...I think having men around is a great idea.

Rebecca - posted on 03/24/2010

Well.. Heather.... My daughter is 14 now and when she was 3 months old I had to go back to work, and the daycare I took her too - was a husband and wife daycare. At first I was very nervous thinking the man was going to harm my baby...but then I got to know them and trusted them more and more and realized not all men are evil... They worked together well and it all worked out!

Carrie - posted on 03/24/2010

I have a 3 year old lil girl and it is fine with me as long as potty stuff and anything of that caliber is handled by the mommy wouldnt be comfortable with him handling that. other than that i wouldnt be opposed to anything else . i think that is a good idea anyways for your husband's saftey !!

Luisa - posted on 03/24/2010

I have had my kids with the babysitter and her hudband there,he would alaways play with them so I don't see any inconviniece just thinkt of a good name for your day care.

Sara - posted on 03/24/2010

I think that is an awesome idea. A male influence is great for children as well.

Sara - posted on 03/24/2010

My son is currently enrolled in a home daycare, the whole family is involved from her 17 year old daughter, her 2 20 something year old sons and her husband. My son loves it and everyone. i think it is just a stigma about men with kids. As long as the kids like him that is all that matters.

Dana - posted on 03/24/2010

I love the idea! I am often times looking for drop in daycare as I work from home (writer) and my husband travels 5 days a week. Would this be a drop-in type program?

Angela - posted on 03/23/2010

that would be good especially if your a single mom or dad cus the the child would get both of a male or female bonding experiance

Sara - posted on 03/23/2010

I love it, that what I have for day care, my dauther is realy happy. God luck

Stephanie - posted on 03/23/2010

I would love it! Our day home now has mommy till 2 and then daddy comes home. The kids love him and he teaches them how to fix things! When we first took our kids there we had a chance to get to know them both. We also were able to sit and watch him especially interact with the kids! It's awesome!

Renee - posted on 03/23/2010

really good question...I would but thats just me. my son loves kids and babys he is 10 and is good with todlers too. He asked me the other day if he could baby sit, and i thought would anyone allow a boy to watch their kids??? This is why I remain open minded about this very question. I think people might be more open minded than you realize...

Angela - posted on 03/23/2010

Sounds like a great plan, men are allowed to work at regular day cares so I would see no problem about a home one.

Callie - posted on 03/23/2010

I think your daycare would be viewed at more reliable, in that would have a built in back up if one of you is sick, or needs to go to a school function for your children. Good luck! Guys doing childcare is a great idea, and kids love having guys around. It would be especially great for kids that don't have a dad around for some reason.

Susan - posted on 03/23/2010

I personally wouldn't care as long as everyone that works there (male or female) is appropriately trained and certified, passed background checks, and would provide a safe, caring environment for the child.

Heather - posted on 03/23/2010

Thanks for your responses!

Teresa - posted on 03/22/2010

i think that is great. There are alot more men out there caring for the children. The only thing as a mom i would want to see before i used any sitter/daycare/nanny is that all employees require cpr and do a criminal record check. If those are approved by both of you i think you would make wonders for many familes :) Good luck!:)

Cynthia - posted on 03/22/2010

At the daycare my daughter goes to, the lady's husband helps out a lot. And if she has an appointment or something, he will stay with the kids. I don't mind it at all, my daughter likes him a lot. So I think it's perfectly fine :)