So you want to stay home and open your own business!  Who does not dream of this opportunity to forego the hustle and bustle of full time employment, rush hour commuting, and being away from family?  Yet do you know if you have the right mindset to be a home daycare provider?

Here is a list of questions you need to ask yourself and answer honestly:

1. You know that children are a joy, but what about the time when those little golden-haired angels are less than angelic?  Will you be able to still enjoy a child who screams incessantly, who is uncooperative, or who will not obey the first time you ask her or him to perform a task?
2. Do you enjoy being around people – adults as well as children?  In other words, do you have an extrovert personality that does not favor any particular age group?
3. Are you a patient person?  Will a dropped peanut butter sandwich that lands sticky side down on your carpet provoke you to anger, or will you be able to take it all in a stride?  Will sticky fingerprints on the wall or the cabinet door drive you into a cleaning frenzy, or can you let it go for now?
4. Do you listen well?  You know that small children take almost forever to get to the point, and sometimes you need to do some creative questioning to find out what they are really trying to tell you. Do you have the patience it takes to draw children out and to listen to them talk?  If you are quick at finishing children’s sentences for them, you are not a good listener – at least when it comes to listening to children.
5. Are you sensitive with respect to moods and needs?  For example, are you able to draw out the shy child, get the uncoordinated child involved in a game, and make sure that even the non-aggressive child gets a turn with a coveted toy?  Are you able to quickly tune in to the needs of the children around you, especially those needs that are not verbalized like the need for some juice or milk, but instead the need for companionship and acceptance into the group?
6. Are you organized, but able to change pace at a moment’s notice?  It is important to be an organized individual since children love and thrive on structure, but at the same time a slavish adherence to a schedule, especially when you can tell it is not working for the group on a particular day, will do very little for the children in your charge.
7. Are you able to stay off the phone?  It may seem like such a little thing to take ten minutes here or there to catch up with friends and family, but children usually know that once you are on the phone you are not accessible.  Can you avoid prolonged conversations in order to spend time with the little ones?
8. Is the television set your backup plan?  If much of your daycare revolves around the television set, videos or video games, you need to reevaluate your mindset.  The children will want the adult interaction as well as the interaction with other children; they most likely get enough television at home.
9. Are you able to roll with the punches?  In other words, if your little object lesson gets derailed by a discussion on a totally different subject, are you able to shift gears and go with it? Do you enjoy improvisation?
10. Last but not least, do you love artwork, crafts, and dress up, and are not afraid of even glitter?

There is no shame in admitting that on some of the questions you might not answer as affirmatively as you know you would like to.  You might have the right mindset to be a home daycare provider for older children while you might not do so well with younger ones or vice versa.  Each age group has its own particular challenges, but you might be cut out more to meet one set of challenges than another. Keep this in mind when opening your business, and you and the children will have a wonderful experience!