https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:55:48 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2235064 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 13:27:37 +0000 hellobeeboston 2235064@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lady grey: I had a SAHM of three watch my son full time when he was tiny, 3 months old - 12 months. It was mostly great. She home schooled her older kids (10, 8 &amp; 7) and they loved the baby! The only issue for us was that my son was in the car a lot in the afternoon being carted to the other kids activities/practices. It was OK when he was a baby, but I wasn't cool with it when he was older, but it was great for short term. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2235048 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 13:14:49 +0000 LuLu Mom 2235048@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours is/was a SATM, her girls are all grown up now (youngest is a sophomore in HS) but she continues to do in home care. The oldest actually helps out now and is a part-time helper and DD1 adores her. She says a prayer for her every night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234907 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 12:01:39 +0000 daniellemybelle 2234907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: Agreed. We have had many childcare set ups over the last year. Grandma care, two different daycares (we had to add a second one short-term when my mom was injured and our first daycare didn't have any more days open), multiple babysitters, attempting to work with LO at home (that was the worst, haha!). So I am kind of an expert ;)</p> <p>We LOVE our daycare and of course I love my mom. But, actually, if I could go back and do it again, I would have had the SAHM sitter that we used as a fill-in over all those other set ups for so many reasons. She is such a loving person and I 100% felt like she treated my daughter like family when she was there. I saw how she prioritized LO over her own child at times. When LO was there, she worked around her nap and feeding schedule and had her son adjust to that rather than the other way around. She did all the activities LO does at daycare and often better - she has a very Montessori style home for her own son. LO got the socialization of being with another child her age without the inevitable chaos of daycare (even though our school's classes are very small and they have the lowest ratios around). She was more communicative and accountable than anyone else we have had watch LO. She had been a working mom and took the trust we put in her so seriously - it makes me emotional to think of it now. I felt I had a family member watching her but without some of the awkwardness my mom and I have had at brief moments. And she was very flexible, affordable, and right down the street.</p> <p>Ultimately, I think it comes down to the person. You can have a great daycare but your teacher isn't great. You can have the perfect set up with an in-home sitter but if she's isn't great then of course all the other factors matter so much less.</p> <p>If you have any misgivings now, though, honestly I would say that is all you need to know. Good luck! Childcare is so hard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234680 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 09:19:26 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2234680@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Truth Bombs: I'm not sure I agree with this (and children not being in their parent's class is not an issue where I live). If I am watching a child other than my own that child becomes part of my family for the time they are there. I am not any more likely to take care of my child over theirs any more than I am more likely to take care of one of my children over the other. I suppose this could be an issue with some caregivers, but i wouldn't want that caregiver taking care of my kids anyway. But I prefer the "family" feel for young kids over the "school" feel, so that could influence my opinion. </p> <p>That said, 5 young kids is a lot for one person, and depending on the ages of the children could definitely be an issue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234667 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 09:08:27 +0000 Truth Bombs 2234667@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>5 kids with no licensure would make me extremely uncomfortable. I'm also just generally not comfortable with someone watching my kid while also watching their own kid. Basic instinct will have her prioritizing her own children. It one of the reasons our day care (and heck most schools for that matter) won't allow students to be in their parents class. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234657 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 08:57:17 +0000 Mrs. Pen 2234657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have had a sahm for daycare for nearly a year and we love her. She is moving, and we're really bummed about it!<br /> She agreed to accept what the going rate for a home daycare is around here, so we paid $130 for 4 full time days, and $145 for 5 days.<br /> She has two kids, though one is in school full time and the other is preschool part time.<br /> I would be concerned about the legality of that lady having other kids though? I wanted to make sure I was doing everything by the book, and our state laws state that if an unlicensed provider watched your child, they cannot legally provide care for any other families on a consistent basis. So I was upfront about that and she was fine with it.<br /> It's worked out so well for us that I'm bummed I have to find other arrangements for fall. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234581 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 07:56:58 +0000 daniellemybelle 2234581@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lady grey: Definitely ask! On days that she is watching multiple kids I don't think it makes sense to pay the same you would for a one-on-one sitter. As a comparison, I had a sitter watch LO &amp; three other kids in my home one day. We paid her $20/hour which comes out to $5/kid. I would have paid her $10/hour if it were just LO. </p> <p>I would also have some concerns about the number of kids. You should double check your state's regulations about what constitutes an in-home daycare that needs to be regulated. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234566 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 07:48:44 +0000 MrsF 2234566@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lady grey: she didn't watch any kids other than my daughter and her own, and her two older kids were in school most of the day. I think it would have been a little crazy with more kids. I also liked the fact that they could go to story time, etc in the morning because she only had her daughter and my daughter most of the day. </p> <p>She also only charged $10/h which was very reasonable for our area but seemed appropriate to me because she was able to be in her own home and watch her own kids at the same time, but my daughter also got a lot of 1 on 1 attention. As a comparison I pay a sitter $15 / h in our home (but I have two kids now). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234505 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 06:44:11 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2234505@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lady grey: we pay a totally reasonable amount...$30 for 4 hours, which is probably the most I would pay for care in this situation. As a frame of reference I will pay $15 per day for 3 hours at a local church preschool where there will be 10 kids in his class with 2 teachers. So I'm paying more than I would for preschool and less than for a nanny, which would probably be $10 per hour for one on one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234503 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 06:41:27 +0000 buttermilk 2234503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lady grey: she is currently watching 2 other 1-year olds part time. And is charging much less than any other option we have!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234500 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 06:36:44 +0000 lady grey 2234500@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: wow it sounds like she was really resonable priced, our lady is not, and wants to charge too much I think. I suppose I could just offer her less and see what happens...</p> <p>@Mrs. Lion: glad to hear you've had a good experience! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234495 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 06:32:00 +0000 lady grey 2234495@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yellowbird: nice to hear your positive experience! The mom we're considering is charging what I would pay a nanny to watch my kid one on one, so I'm going to have to offer her much less, especially if there are 4 other kids there!</p> <p>@Mrs. Oatmeal: my son went to a home day care part time in our previous town. We had a great experience there. This situaiton is a little different as it will all be under the table, just a mom babysittinging her home, no state inspections, etc.</p> <p>@buttermilk: that does sound super convenient! Will she be taking in any other kids or just your LO? This mom is about a 10 min drive away from us, so pretty close by. How does her cost compare to that of just getting a nanny to watch your kid?</p> <p>@MrsF: Did she watch other kids in addition to your LO and her own? I guess I'm concerned that our lady would potentially have 5 kids there and its a totally under the table situation. Plus she wants to charge me what I would pay someone to watch my kid one on one. That kind left a bad taste in my mouth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234489 Mon, 13 Jul 2015 06:22:41 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2234489@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do and she is amazing! I love that she has 5he freedom to take the kids to do fun things because it is just her kids and my son. I love that there are less sicknesses because of less kids. I love that he is with mixed ages (he is 2 and her sons are 3 and 6). Mostly I love that she is a mom too and was also a teacher and we have a lot in common. I can talk to her about things I'm seeing and we can brainstorm solutions together because she knows my kid....dh and I can do that too but it's not the same. I think having a small care situation has been ideal for us. C starts preschool 2 days per week in the fall and I'm trying to find a way for her to still watch him one other morning because he loves going there so much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234422 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 22:47:03 +0000 daniellemybelle 2234422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a SAHM in our neighborhood watch LO intermittently when we had to fill in some gaps when daycare was closed and my mom was not available. She is not an in-home daycare though - she only watches one child in addition to her own at a time. I would ask some questions about the two other kids - the ages, what kinds of activities she will have, does she have the space and resources for 4 kids for playtime, mealtime, naps, etc.? What if there were an emergency?</p> <p>Our sitter went above and beyond to build trust and demonstrate that her home is clean, safe, and appropriate. She answered all my questions I had googled with confidence and volunteered more information that I hadn't thought of, like they have alcohol in the home but it is locked up.</p> <p>For us, there were really no cons. She provided wonderful care for LO and was very communicative about what they did each day. She was really flexible as far as the schedule too which was great. The only issue for us was that even though LO had a great time there, she deals with separation anxiety. It would have been my preference for her to just go to daycare where she has adjusted, but they are on a school calendar and close a lot.</p> <p>We were very fortunate to find this woman and that she only charged $6/hour! Before she left her job she paid for daycare and said she knows how expensive it is so she didn't want to charge a lot. If she charged $10/hour or more I would just hire a babysitter in my own home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234342 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 20:47:06 +0000 catomd00 2234342@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Starting this week a sahm will be watching my daughter in her home 2x/week. She is charging me $10/hour and will only have her 17 month old and my DD (16 months). Occasionally she may have another baby who is 12 months but said if I wasn't comfortable with it she wouldn't have him on my days. 5 kids at once in an unregulated environment would make me a bit nervous. My daughter has gone twice already to transition and it went really well. I love that she has a playmate since she will be with my Inlaws the other 3 days. The house is less than a mile from work which makes the commute easier for me and they will be able to walk down to my office for visits at lunch! She is a former teacher and her husband works at the same hospital I do, which is nice. I can actually see my husband and I becoming good friends with them as well, which is nice! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234322 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 20:24:25 +0000 MrsF 2234322@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a SAHM watch M for the first two years of her life. She had three kids (all older than mine) but two were in school most of the day. It was a wonderful experience because her kids really became like siblings to my daughter. She just scooped her right up into her family. I think that kind of a relationship might have been hard for me if it were full time but two days a week was perfect. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234319 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 20:17:38 +0000 buttermilk 2234319@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Following because this is the route we are planning to go as well. An older lady in our neighborhood has been watching babies for the past 20 years and she is only 3 blocks away from us so super convenient! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234314 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 20:07:13 +0000 Mrs. Oatmeal 2234314@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our daughter goes to an in home daycare. She absolutely loves it- and we LOVE her daycRe provider. She has a 3 year old and a 5 year old, plus two other kids most days. It's a great arrangement. She is priced on par with other home daycares, and about $10/day less than a centre. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234302 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 19:42:41 +0000 yellowbird 2234302@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a sahm watch my two. She has a 5 year old and a 2.5 year old. My Los are almost 3 and 3 months. It's been a great experience. She's taken one sick day in 1.5 years, she's always open when we need her, she has become a good friend, my lo loves her and her kids. She's also very reasonably priced </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-your-childcare-provided-by-at-sahm#post-2234295 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 19:32:19 +0000 lady grey 2234295@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm considering having a SAHM babysit my son while I work two days per week. She has two kids that will be home when my son is there. There may also be two other kids there at times, although she said she would never have more then 5 kids total. She has plenty of childcare/nanny experience. I do feel like she is charging too much though.</p> <p>Do you have another mom watching your kids? What has the experience been like? What are the pros and cons?? </p>