What is expected of a Child Care Provider and what can the child care provider expect from the parents?

Question

I recently became a child care provider for two children. Ages are 11 months and 8 years old, both boys. I am making $600 a month or $50 a day for 10-11 hour days, 3 days a week. Is it reasonable to ask for the parents to provide snacks, juice and perhaps one meal aday? I am currently providing breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks....we go through an awful lot of milk as you can image!!

Also, the 8 year old is a very picky eater, and nothing I seem to fix he wants. What am I expected to do in this situation?

What kind of diciplin in reasonable for a Child Care Provider to dish out?

I know, I have alot of questions. I have my own kids and I know what is expected of them as well as they do, but I am not sure what is appropriate for someone elses kids.....I know, I have alot of questions.

Thanks!

Answer 1

50 dollars a day is a great price for two kids for 10-11 hours a day, especially when one is under the age of one.  I think it would be extremely fair of you to ask that they provide food and drink for their children.  If you do want to provide something, maybe you can provide afternoon snack or cereal in the morning, but you shouldn't be obligated to provide anything, unless they forget or run out unexpectedly.

You can discipline the 8 year old through losing privileges, time outs, quiet play time alone, if he seems overtired you can have him lie down and rest and not necessarily fall asleep.  If you take field trips and he can't behave on them or after them, take the next one away.  ground him from certain rooms for a certain amount of time or allow him in only one for a certain amt. of time.  If you do a fun snack for afternoon snack, you can punish him by taking that special snack away and giving him a fruit or vegetable.  If he can't play a game nicely, you can exclude him from the next game or group activity.Kids hate losing the privilege to watch tv or play video games, so that may work the best for repeat offenses.  

For the picky eating, tell him he must take a certain number of bites of whatever it is.  Unless he is allergic or his mother told you not to feed him something, he should eat it, if he doesn't like lunch, give him pb&j as the only alternative.  If he doesn't like snack, give him a simple and cheap alternative that is his only choice when he doesn't like what you choose for snack.  Also if he is hungry enough he'll eat what you give him, so if you know he likes something some days but not like today, tell him he has that or he can have nothing and save it for the next meal if he is ready to eat it (this would probably be something you would need to discuss your policy with his mother on.)