One of the main things I've had to do since the move was find child care. The day care centers all seem to have wait lists for babies under 2 (and both of my kids are under 2), and they're fairly expensive. So, I decided to go with in home care.
I scoured craigslist and the Texas registered child care providers database. I had a huge list of people to choose from and didn't really know where to start. Most people I called were not taking more children. Some people did not want infants. Other people were really far from work and my house - these people moved to the bottom of the list. Sometimes after talking on the phone with people, I didn't really "click" with them and put those people on the bottom of the list too.
This last week, I met with some different people in their houses. I met a lot of friendly people, but one place in particular stood out. It seems like a rather odd situation, but if you met these people, you wouldn't think it was as weird. A woman, her twin sister, their husbands and their kids, all live in the same house. There are 4 kids total from the ages of 1 to 11. The husbands both work full time and the sisters stay home with the kids. They home school their kids and take care of a few other children. One sister home schools in the morning, and the other in the afternoon. The house is huge and in a really nice neighborhood close to work.
There are a few things that stood out. First, they seemed really good with kids. Their children were all incredibly well-behaved and listened to their moms. Also, they had a lot of experience. One sister managed a day care facility for about 4 years. And they've been doing in home care for about 10 years. I also really liked the fact that their house was clean. Strange, I know, but I think it says something about people. Plus, Andy is crawling around putting everything he finds in his mouth, so this is definitely a bonus. One of their kids was close to Livvy's age which was also nice.
Besides all that, I couldn't believe the great price and flexibility! I'll pay $30/day total for both kids. And I only pay when I bring the kids. So, if I have a holiday weekend and only bring them in 4 days that week, I only pay $120. I don't have to bring them in the summer to hold their spot, but I can if I want. It's just a dream come true. Granted, cost and flexibility were not at the top of my list of considerations for day care, but it's a great bonus.
Anyway, I hope it all works out as good as it seems. I checked references and criminal histories and everything seems to check out. Other parents were very happy with them. We start next week part time so wish me luck!
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