Many Providers choose family child care as a career because it allows them to earn family income and spend time with their children. That's one of the positive things about a home based business. Another is the interaction one's own children receive with their extended daycare family.

A negative aspect for your own children is sharing their mom and dad, home and toys to name a few, and for many hours each day. Your own children can easily resent the daycare children as being "intruders" into their domain, "disrupting" their quality of life. Since children don't often easily tell us why they have negative feelings, they may act out their resentments in other ways. This can lead to disruptive behavior.

We know that all children need love, attention and guidance. Sometimes the job of making one's own children feel special when others are around will be a challenge for you. These suggestions may help.

Many providers report that drop-off and pick-up times are extremely stress- ful times of the day. One provider suggested that after the last child has been picked up for the day, you should go out the door and come back in, just as if you are returning from owkr. Then hug, kiss and give lots of attention to your children, just as they have observed other parents doing for the last hour of the day when being reunited with their children.

Let your own children know that even though they have to make sacrifices of their home space and you, the benefits of your income to the family affects them. Then list out the "extra's" that you are able to afford because of your income.

Include your children in your business. Let them know how you rely on them to help your meal times run smoothly because they help with younger child- ren. Or how you appreciate the way they have made friends with a new child and made them feel comfortable in your house.

Toy sharing can be a large problem between your child and the daycare kids. One solution is to ask your child along on a special shopping trip to pick out toys for the daycare children's new learning activities. Reserve your child's favorite toys and put them in a special place only to be brought out when the daycare children are not present. When daycare children see your child playing with toys they aren't allowed to play with, they could receive the message that it is "ok" for your child to be selfish. As a result, they can feel like second class citizens in your home, which is detrimental to any child's self esteem. SO, give your own child that special private place and toys, but be careful about when they use them, don't allow your children to flaunt their priveliges in front of the daycare children.

Have designated rooms dedicated to just "Daycare space." Set the boundaries and limits so that the enrolled parents and children know exactly what part of your house and activities are offered to them. Keeping your children's personal items in their rooms can cut down on any anxiety that may take place when parents and children come into your house. If needed, close the bedroom or playroom doors to your own children's play spaces. This will cut down on any temptations the daycare children might feel. And if enough stimulating and challenging activities are being offered, this should not be a problem. But, we all know what it is like when a daycare child walks through that door with a new toy that is not available to share with your children or the other children enrolled.