When you get your early childhood education degree, one important thing to consider is what you want to do with it.  Some people may want to work in a school whereas others may opt for the freedom of owning their own childhood care center.  Although it sounds fun, there is a lot that goes into owning and operating your own daycare. Parents.com listed some questions to ask yourself before taking on the responsibility of other people's children.

1. Do you enjoy children? - The most important question to ask yourself because you will be surrounded by many of them all day if you do open a home daycare.
2. Do you have the space? - Child-care licensing agencies often require a minimum of 35 square feet per child, as well as a safe outdoor space with age-appropriate toys and equipment. Many states require outdoor play as part of a child-care program.  You'll also need to meet safety requirements such as providing fire extinguishers and smoke detectors.
3. Do you meet the requirements? - A regulated family child-care home is generally allowed up to six or seven children per provider, with no more than two children under the age of 2.  Also, you need to pass a background check, have extra insurance, become CPR certified, and pass a health inspection to make sure no one in your family can pass on diseases to your charges: like tuburculosis.
4. Are you organized? - Most of your day will involve caring for children, but you will have plenty of paperwork to do as well.
5. Are you a people person? - You will be interacting with parents and children all day so it's important to be good at handling all sorts of people.
6. What are the drawbacks?  - While your own kids may benefit from having you with them all day, they may not embrace sharing their home, their toys, and their mom with other kids. And your spouse might not like the extra clutter, or fully understand that even though you're home, you can't always tend to household chores.

What else do you need to consider before opening a daycare in your home?  Would you be interested in doing this?

Due to New York allowing same sex marriage to be legal, an online petition is calling for Bert and Ernie, two of the puppet stars of Sesame Street, to get married.  They believe that the education of young children about "alternative lifestyles" will end bullying and teach tolerance.  The petition states that, "We are not asking Sesame Street to do anything crude or disrespectful…. It can be done in a tasteful way. Let us teach tolerance of those that are different."

Sesame Street responded by saying, "Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves."  Their response later reads, "Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics…they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation."

What do you think of this debate?  Do you think Ernie and Bert should be allowed to wed and educate children about alternative lifestyles or do you think Sesame Street is doing the right thing by keeping the characters sexually neutral and maintaining they are just friends?  Will this even affect the education of children in regards to sexuality? 

Parent's behavior towards their child has a huge impact on the child's life.  Whether positive or negative, the child often learns behavior, feelings, and morals from their parent or guardian.  This site has been involved in deep discussion debating whether a child's behavior is better or worse when left at daycare.  The popular consensus seems to be children left in the care of a daycare facility are worse behaved due to lack of parental support and competition for attention with other children.

Now take into account the complete opposite opinion.  Once these children go to elementary school, the children that have gone to daycare seem to be much better adjusted.  These children know what is expected of them in the classroom and tend to adapt to the rules faster.  Also, these children have learned to share their toys and attention with others.  Now this is not always the case. Just like there are many types of children there are many types of behavior.

What are your thoughts?