[GoddessDanu]

Would 4 kids be too much for a first time parent? I do daycare and am used to dealing with lots of kids but I just don't know if four would be pushing it.

[lucyjoy]

It really depends on what issues the children are bringing with them and how willing your are to alter your entire life style. I think if you plan to continue with the daycare or plan to work, then yes, it would be too much all at once. If you can take a year off, then it could be very doable-again, depending on the kids issues.

Space is a big question. My kids shared rooms in foster care but I soon discovered they needed to not share rooms so you may need to plan for that to be a possibility.

Another thing to consider is if the kids currently are placed together. Sometimes, if they are seperated in foster care, when they are brought back together, they creat a lot of caos and sometimes abuse to each other. It's the way they remember their lives together and working through to break the trauma bond and help them form a healthy one can be a killer. However, if they have stayed together, they may have done some healing on that part.

It is a big change to go from non to four. I started with one and added 3 one year later. It was quite an adjustment.

[Biblemom]

I also have a daycare and it was a big adjustment for me going from 2 to 4. I am sure it can be done, but keep in mind the children you get are not like the children in your daycare. They come with a lot of issues, fears, and trauma and will require a lot of 1:1 which will be difficult with four at once and having daycare kids running around.

[crick]

All depends on the kids and their background, imo. I second the day care working being put on hold though if you adopt a sibling group. I spent ALL of my time with my kids that first year and it was necessary. There is no way I could have worked that first year, imo.

For me it wasn't so much the number of kids being around and the adjustment to no kids to 4, because I think going from zero to 1 kid is quite the adjustment too. It was the developing of relationships with each one and fostering their sibling relationships too all at the same time. That was VERY time consuming and overwhelming at times.

[GoddessDanu]

Thank you for the opinions! I agree, I think four would be too much. I've really thought about it and I love my daycare and wouldn't want to quit it. I think I'll focus on two and maybe, under the right circumstances, three.