The camel's back finally broke and I quit my job at the daycare I was working at. I had only been there a few weeks because nanny jobs are scarce right now. Seeing as how the first daycare/preschool I worked at was top notch, there was absolutely nothing wrong about the center, it was ideal for both children and teachers, I find it impossible to work in a place that isn't up to the standards I have experienced. Fortunately I have a handful of small babysitting and nanny gigs so I am not completely without income, but I would rather be happy and give up my 2 latte a day habit and Old Navy addiction than be stressed out.
The owners of a daycare should treat their staff with respect and I will not be treated poorly in exchange for a paycheck.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Things to consider if you chose daycare
While the daycare/preschool option is an affordable and attractive choice (multiple qualified adults in a controlled setting), there are things a parent needs to understand. I take it upon myself to lay out this information in black and white because the school director who ropes the parents in and makes the initial introductions will neglect to tell the parent anything useful and will assume that they will read the lengthy paperwork and memorize all the ground rules.
This is bullshit.
I can only speak for the centers I have worked in, which have varied from small and homey to large and corporate, so keep in mind that while the practices I am about to describe don't happen everywhere, it's very likely that at least some of it is going down in your local daycare.
Labels: Everything, absolutely everything needs to be labeled. Ryan's blanket with the train on it didn't come home at the end of the week? You want us to find it? Good luck. Aside from looking in the most obvious spaces and asking whatever other teacher works in that room, we're not going to do much more than sit and wait for it to turn up. For older kids its easy enough to ask them who any given object belongs to. If I find myself covering for a teacher in another room I will typically rely on the oldest and most vocal child in the class to tell me where things go if there is no obvious label. In a baby room, everything down to the nipple of the bottle should be labeled. If you don't want to deal with all of that then pre-make the bottles and send them in. When we have to wash things they get taken apart and mixed in with everyone else's, and "whose Dr. Brown bottle straw is this?" is not a fun game. Its easy to take for granted that everything in your house belongs to your children, but imagine the bottle parts for 8 babies floating around in a dishwasher...20 sippy cups all featuring Dora, Diego or what have you, 30 tupperware pieces and a slew of other things. 15 seconds with a shaprie before leaving the house goes a long way in insuring that your own belongings make their way back home.
Art work: If a teacher puts a piece of your child's art in your bag, cubby, art folder or wherever it happens to be stored when we're done admiring it...please take it home. We don't care what you do with it once it gets there...just please take it away. Every inch of a classroom is valuable real estate and we can't be battling with a store of artwork ranging from Halloween to Easter in the cubby area.
"The Bag": Whether its the diaper bag or the backpack each child should have one. In this bag there needs to be a change of clothes, hopefully multiple changes of clothes, all seasonally appropriate and well fitting. Callie got pudding all down her shirt, but the only clothes in her diaper bag are pants and a tank top...and it's November...that's a problem. Amanda pooped through her outfit today and didn't have any clothes at all? This doesn't reflect well on the parents. Babies have diaper leaking incidents, kids get messy and a daycare has a limited supply of clothing (usually the contents of the lost and found from years past). Not bringing a child in with a spare set of clothes is like bringing them in without a lunch.
Sounds harsh, and I know parents are busy and rushed, but so are teachers. To be honest, we don't have time to go hunting for something appropriate for your child to wear for the rest of the day. It is stressful enough trying to take care of my allotted amount of children without the extra responsibility of trying to find a needle in a haystack, or a 6 month sized outfit in a daycare.
Pick-up: In most daycares a parent pays for either full time or part time, not hourly. This causes most parents to think that if they get out of work at 3pm, they don't have to pick their child up from work until later because they're paying for them to be there anyways. I understand this, I really do, but there needs to be a scheduled drop off and pick up time. Teachers need to know this so we can make sure there are enough people to cover ratio. If I have 4 babies scheduled to be dropped off before 8am when the other teacher is scheduled to come in that's perfect timing. If a parent drops their child off an hour early and throws off the ratio timing, there's a problem that could potentially lead to your child's class not being in ratio and being unsafe.
So the rule of thumb is, if you need to drop off early or pick up late, please let the daycare know ahead of time so the appropriate staff can be provided. A daycare can't pay a teacher just to hang around in case a classroom accidentally goes over, it is a business after all.
Sickness: If your child goes home sick there needs to be 24 hours symptom free before they can come back. This is a pretty standard policy to insure that as few children as possible come into contact with illness. And please don't medicate them and drop them off anyways, we can tell. If they're teething or have allergies and not contagious don't assume it's ok to bring them in anyways. If it's bad and they need extra love and attention than they really need to be home or with a relative. A school environment can be stressful on a child that doesn't feel well.
Parent-Teacher Communication: We work for your child, true they don't sign our paychecks but everything we do is in their interest. If something comes up, vaccinations, family issues, a bump on the head from the night before, anything that would alter their behavior that day, the teachers need to be aware. I once had a little girl in a 4's classroom who was being medicated at home for her asthma. Since she did not need medication while in school we had no idea that the medication she was on is one that is known to cause irritability. So for over a week we thought she was going through a tough spell and testing her limits, we responded by being extremely firm and correcting every poor behavior. After hearing about the 5th "rough day" in a row the mother casually mentioned the medication. Well jeez...if we had known she was on such strong meds that affect her mood and behavior so much we would have gone a little easier on her. A child who has a tantrum because she's on medications should be held and talked to with soothing words, not sent to time out. Another older child from the after school program began acting out and it eventually escalated to the point where he had to be put in an empty classroom and left to throw around spare furniture because the safety of other children and teachers were at risk, after many frustrating days with the child the mother was finally "made" to sit down and discuss her child's actions and she confessed it was due to a divorce in the works. While this is generally a private matter parents should always be open with the child's teacher. Whatever is said is kept private and only shared with teachers so they can be aware of the problem and try to help the child by giving one on one attention and a healthy outlet for his feelings. Honesty is always best, it may be embarrassing to tell a practical stranger about problems at home but that is one thing we will not judge you on.
This is bullshit.
I can only speak for the centers I have worked in, which have varied from small and homey to large and corporate, so keep in mind that while the practices I am about to describe don't happen everywhere, it's very likely that at least some of it is going down in your local daycare.
Labels: Everything, absolutely everything needs to be labeled. Ryan's blanket with the train on it didn't come home at the end of the week? You want us to find it? Good luck. Aside from looking in the most obvious spaces and asking whatever other teacher works in that room, we're not going to do much more than sit and wait for it to turn up. For older kids its easy enough to ask them who any given object belongs to. If I find myself covering for a teacher in another room I will typically rely on the oldest and most vocal child in the class to tell me where things go if there is no obvious label. In a baby room, everything down to the nipple of the bottle should be labeled. If you don't want to deal with all of that then pre-make the bottles and send them in. When we have to wash things they get taken apart and mixed in with everyone else's, and "whose Dr. Brown bottle straw is this?" is not a fun game. Its easy to take for granted that everything in your house belongs to your children, but imagine the bottle parts for 8 babies floating around in a dishwasher...20 sippy cups all featuring Dora, Diego or what have you, 30 tupperware pieces and a slew of other things. 15 seconds with a shaprie before leaving the house goes a long way in insuring that your own belongings make their way back home.
Art work: If a teacher puts a piece of your child's art in your bag, cubby, art folder or wherever it happens to be stored when we're done admiring it...please take it home. We don't care what you do with it once it gets there...just please take it away. Every inch of a classroom is valuable real estate and we can't be battling with a store of artwork ranging from Halloween to Easter in the cubby area.
"The Bag": Whether its the diaper bag or the backpack each child should have one. In this bag there needs to be a change of clothes, hopefully multiple changes of clothes, all seasonally appropriate and well fitting. Callie got pudding all down her shirt, but the only clothes in her diaper bag are pants and a tank top...and it's November...that's a problem. Amanda pooped through her outfit today and didn't have any clothes at all? This doesn't reflect well on the parents. Babies have diaper leaking incidents, kids get messy and a daycare has a limited supply of clothing (usually the contents of the lost and found from years past). Not bringing a child in with a spare set of clothes is like bringing them in without a lunch.
Sounds harsh, and I know parents are busy and rushed, but so are teachers. To be honest, we don't have time to go hunting for something appropriate for your child to wear for the rest of the day. It is stressful enough trying to take care of my allotted amount of children without the extra responsibility of trying to find a needle in a haystack, or a 6 month sized outfit in a daycare.
Pick-up: In most daycares a parent pays for either full time or part time, not hourly. This causes most parents to think that if they get out of work at 3pm, they don't have to pick their child up from work until later because they're paying for them to be there anyways. I understand this, I really do, but there needs to be a scheduled drop off and pick up time. Teachers need to know this so we can make sure there are enough people to cover ratio. If I have 4 babies scheduled to be dropped off before 8am when the other teacher is scheduled to come in that's perfect timing. If a parent drops their child off an hour early and throws off the ratio timing, there's a problem that could potentially lead to your child's class not being in ratio and being unsafe.
So the rule of thumb is, if you need to drop off early or pick up late, please let the daycare know ahead of time so the appropriate staff can be provided. A daycare can't pay a teacher just to hang around in case a classroom accidentally goes over, it is a business after all.
Sickness: If your child goes home sick there needs to be 24 hours symptom free before they can come back. This is a pretty standard policy to insure that as few children as possible come into contact with illness. And please don't medicate them and drop them off anyways, we can tell. If they're teething or have allergies and not contagious don't assume it's ok to bring them in anyways. If it's bad and they need extra love and attention than they really need to be home or with a relative. A school environment can be stressful on a child that doesn't feel well.
Parent-Teacher Communication: We work for your child, true they don't sign our paychecks but everything we do is in their interest. If something comes up, vaccinations, family issues, a bump on the head from the night before, anything that would alter their behavior that day, the teachers need to be aware. I once had a little girl in a 4's classroom who was being medicated at home for her asthma. Since she did not need medication while in school we had no idea that the medication she was on is one that is known to cause irritability. So for over a week we thought she was going through a tough spell and testing her limits, we responded by being extremely firm and correcting every poor behavior. After hearing about the 5th "rough day" in a row the mother casually mentioned the medication. Well jeez...if we had known she was on such strong meds that affect her mood and behavior so much we would have gone a little easier on her. A child who has a tantrum because she's on medications should be held and talked to with soothing words, not sent to time out. Another older child from the after school program began acting out and it eventually escalated to the point where he had to be put in an empty classroom and left to throw around spare furniture because the safety of other children and teachers were at risk, after many frustrating days with the child the mother was finally "made" to sit down and discuss her child's actions and she confessed it was due to a divorce in the works. While this is generally a private matter parents should always be open with the child's teacher. Whatever is said is kept private and only shared with teachers so they can be aware of the problem and try to help the child by giving one on one attention and a healthy outlet for his feelings. Honesty is always best, it may be embarrassing to tell a practical stranger about problems at home but that is one thing we will not judge you on.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Do you dread going to work?
Every night before I go to sleep I mentally plan out the next day, wake up, have coffee, do laundry, this piece of homework, that piece of homework...and get ready for work. About 30 minutes before I leave I get hit with anxiety. I think about the colicky baby with the overbearing mother that will be in today, I wonder what grunt work I'll be told to do 20 minutes before close, I wonder if the owner who doesn't care about his center will stop in to make harsh comments and demoralize the staff. All of these things lead to an unhappy work experience. The center I'm working at now is less than ideal for me, only myself and 2 other employees even have teaching degrees. While other employees are good with kids and do get the job done, they are not there to be teachers, they are there for the paycheck. I want a job where I can write lesson plans and come up with theme weeks and fun things to do, not a job where the lesson plans are thrown on our counter at the beginning of each month.
I absolutely dread going to work. The 2 days a week I nanny for a family with 2 young children are my breaks. I have the luxury of being able to bring my laptop and do school work, I can have a bite to eat whenever I want, I can sit on the couch and not worry if someone thinks I'm sitting too long. I dislike having a boss breathing down my neck. I've been lucky that all the nanny jobs I have had have been good ones with parents who trust me and respect my education by occasionally asking for my opinions on subjects. Unfortunately in this economy the nanny jobs are few and far between, and I am competing with about 40/50 people for each job that comes along.
The first daycare I ever worked at was relaxed enough to where I didn't have any kind of anxiety. In fact I showed up to work 10 minutes early everyday because I wanted to be there. I wanted to see my kids, I wanted to see my co-workers, I wanted to talk books and school with my boss. While I regret quitting that job I understand it was necessary for me to be able to further my education and save up some money. Hopefully one day I can go back with my degree in hand and stake out a career in a school where I felt I was treated like a human being and not just an employee.
For now I will just have to wade through, and hope more small nanny jobs come up so I can quit the school I'm at now completely...and regain my sanity. If I stay there I know I will start to hate teaching entirely and after all my hard work I can't let that happen.
I absolutely dread going to work. The 2 days a week I nanny for a family with 2 young children are my breaks. I have the luxury of being able to bring my laptop and do school work, I can have a bite to eat whenever I want, I can sit on the couch and not worry if someone thinks I'm sitting too long. I dislike having a boss breathing down my neck. I've been lucky that all the nanny jobs I have had have been good ones with parents who trust me and respect my education by occasionally asking for my opinions on subjects. Unfortunately in this economy the nanny jobs are few and far between, and I am competing with about 40/50 people for each job that comes along.
The first daycare I ever worked at was relaxed enough to where I didn't have any kind of anxiety. In fact I showed up to work 10 minutes early everyday because I wanted to be there. I wanted to see my kids, I wanted to see my co-workers, I wanted to talk books and school with my boss. While I regret quitting that job I understand it was necessary for me to be able to further my education and save up some money. Hopefully one day I can go back with my degree in hand and stake out a career in a school where I felt I was treated like a human being and not just an employee.
For now I will just have to wade through, and hope more small nanny jobs come up so I can quit the school I'm at now completely...and regain my sanity. If I stay there I know I will start to hate teaching entirely and after all my hard work I can't let that happen.
Friday, April 16, 2010
What are some qualities of a "good" preschool?
Strictly referring to child care centers that focus on education and not just care and entertainment. A preschool's intended purpose is to provide children with the proper building blocks to prepare them for school. Even the infant room isn't exempt, babies as young as 8 weeks old can learn patience and how to occupy the same space as other children. I've babysat many little ones who woke up as the slightest noise, but in a preschool you can have 4 babies screaming at the top of their lungs and the other 4 will be sound asleep the entire time.
While I doubt that putting a baby in a preschool gives them an academic edge there is something to say about being more adjusted and comfortable in a school environment. If they've gone to school as far back as their memory goes than they may resist it less in later years. Needless to say, if you are comfortable with letting strangers take care of your baby, an accredited preschool is a decent option. There is a level of insurance, a parent can expect that the building is up to code with state regulations and that all staff are properly trained. However, some centers do flirt with the edge of the law and are constantly being warned by the state about certain code violations and burnt out staff members. The key is finding a good one.
Some things to look for:
Ratio: The laws in each state vary, but the typical numbers are a 1 to 4 teacher to child ratio for children under the age of 3. For children over 3 the ratio jumps to 1 to 10. That's right...imagine 1 teacher with 10 3 year olds. Personally that's where I draw the line, I tried, I really did. I completed my 220 hours of student teaching in a HELLISH preschool doing a 3 and a half year old classroom. Never again.
Never again.
Ever.
So parents, stop and count the kids in the room, if they don't add up...walk right out because that is a SERIOUS violation of the law.
Classroom Size: The law states there can only be so many children per square foot, a typical room is designed to hold either 8 (for the under 3's) or 20 (over 3's) but all buildings are different and some are awkwardly retro-fitted. Don't be afraid to ask how many kids can legally be in each room at a time...then count.
Don't be fooled by cubbies, if you see 12 cubbies in a classroom that should only hold 8, its probably because some kids are part timers. Preschools make their money by filling up as many time slots as possible. If a classroom has 8 kids all day but loses 1 at 1:30pm, you can bet they will try to find someone who needs child care from 1:35 to close.
Safety: This should be a #1 concern for a center, all outlets should be plugged, nothing should be in disrepair, no loose cords, etc. Take a look around and see if you can spot anything that you would deem a hazard. Chances are if the teacher is not constantly looking around for possible harm than they're not going to be on their A game for your child.
Teacher Behavior: If you walk in and hear a teacher yelling, that's probably not a good sign. Unless of course there is something chaotic going on and the teacher needs to shout to be heard, but is still managing to have a child-appropriate tone of voice. If you walk into a classroom and a teacher is yelling, that's a horrible sign. If they're going to yell in front of an "in-take" then they clearly don't give a rat's ass anymore and are frankly a danger to your child. Run in the opposite direction.
Artwork: A large part of childhood is art, unfortunately there are many teachers who focus more on the product and not on the process. They want a cute decoration for the wall and to give to parents when the idea of art is to let a child be creative and express themselves...and get messy. Look on the walls, if every child's project looks the same...that's bad, if nothing on the walls looks like it was messy...that's bad. A child should go home with paint under their fingernails and a sense of pride.
Of course there are more things parents should look for on an "in-take" but these are the major ones. I will cover more little secrets and things to search for and ask about in another post.
But parents, please ask questions. Ask lots and lots of tough questions. Assume every school is a hellhole until proven otherwise. A good school will enjoy the challenge of answering your questions, they'll want to showcase their high standards. Want to know how many of the staff are CPR certified? They'll smile and tell you it is a REQUIREMENT for their staff, hell they may even pick up the bill for the CPR classes to ensure their staff have it. A bad school? The director will break eye contact...talk in circles, kind of like a bad politician. If you feel like they're a used car salesman, then its probably not such a great joint.
I've had parents ask me if I would bring "my child" to certain centers and I've always said if they have to ask that then they shouldn't being their child there. You'll know when it's right. There's a vibe happy kids, teachers who don't yell, and it doesn't feel like they're putting on a dog-and-pony show for you.
Don't forget that they are providing you a service, as the parent, you are in charge, and a good preschool will embrace that.
While I doubt that putting a baby in a preschool gives them an academic edge there is something to say about being more adjusted and comfortable in a school environment. If they've gone to school as far back as their memory goes than they may resist it less in later years. Needless to say, if you are comfortable with letting strangers take care of your baby, an accredited preschool is a decent option. There is a level of insurance, a parent can expect that the building is up to code with state regulations and that all staff are properly trained. However, some centers do flirt with the edge of the law and are constantly being warned by the state about certain code violations and burnt out staff members. The key is finding a good one.
Some things to look for:
Ratio: The laws in each state vary, but the typical numbers are a 1 to 4 teacher to child ratio for children under the age of 3. For children over 3 the ratio jumps to 1 to 10. That's right...imagine 1 teacher with 10 3 year olds. Personally that's where I draw the line, I tried, I really did. I completed my 220 hours of student teaching in a HELLISH preschool doing a 3 and a half year old classroom. Never again.
Never again.
Ever.
So parents, stop and count the kids in the room, if they don't add up...walk right out because that is a SERIOUS violation of the law.
Classroom Size: The law states there can only be so many children per square foot, a typical room is designed to hold either 8 (for the under 3's) or 20 (over 3's) but all buildings are different and some are awkwardly retro-fitted. Don't be afraid to ask how many kids can legally be in each room at a time...then count.
Don't be fooled by cubbies, if you see 12 cubbies in a classroom that should only hold 8, its probably because some kids are part timers. Preschools make their money by filling up as many time slots as possible. If a classroom has 8 kids all day but loses 1 at 1:30pm, you can bet they will try to find someone who needs child care from 1:35 to close.
Safety: This should be a #1 concern for a center, all outlets should be plugged, nothing should be in disrepair, no loose cords, etc. Take a look around and see if you can spot anything that you would deem a hazard. Chances are if the teacher is not constantly looking around for possible harm than they're not going to be on their A game for your child.
Teacher Behavior: If you walk in and hear a teacher yelling, that's probably not a good sign. Unless of course there is something chaotic going on and the teacher needs to shout to be heard, but is still managing to have a child-appropriate tone of voice. If you walk into a classroom and a teacher is yelling, that's a horrible sign. If they're going to yell in front of an "in-take" then they clearly don't give a rat's ass anymore and are frankly a danger to your child. Run in the opposite direction.
Artwork: A large part of childhood is art, unfortunately there are many teachers who focus more on the product and not on the process. They want a cute decoration for the wall and to give to parents when the idea of art is to let a child be creative and express themselves...and get messy. Look on the walls, if every child's project looks the same...that's bad, if nothing on the walls looks like it was messy...that's bad. A child should go home with paint under their fingernails and a sense of pride.
Of course there are more things parents should look for on an "in-take" but these are the major ones. I will cover more little secrets and things to search for and ask about in another post.
But parents, please ask questions. Ask lots and lots of tough questions. Assume every school is a hellhole until proven otherwise. A good school will enjoy the challenge of answering your questions, they'll want to showcase their high standards. Want to know how many of the staff are CPR certified? They'll smile and tell you it is a REQUIREMENT for their staff, hell they may even pick up the bill for the CPR classes to ensure their staff have it. A bad school? The director will break eye contact...talk in circles, kind of like a bad politician. If you feel like they're a used car salesman, then its probably not such a great joint.
I've had parents ask me if I would bring "my child" to certain centers and I've always said if they have to ask that then they shouldn't being their child there. You'll know when it's right. There's a vibe happy kids, teachers who don't yell, and it doesn't feel like they're putting on a dog-and-pony show for you.
Don't forget that they are providing you a service, as the parent, you are in charge, and a good preschool will embrace that.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Babysitter vs. Nanny
When thinking about child care there are options to consider, if you chose to hire an experienced individual to care for your child than you are among about 5% of Americans. The stereotype is a wealthy mother and father who hire someone to do their child rearing for them. This is of course completely ridiculous, many people hire in-home help because for whatever reason they do not wish to put their children in daycare. Mother's helpers were becoming increasingly popular before the recession hit.
But for the sake of discussion, who do you have working for you? A babysitter or a nanny? Typically a nanny is an employee, she works 30 or more hours a week and it is her main source of income. Technically a nanny should be declared on your taxes...but no one actually does that. A nanny should be a professional in the sense that she has certifications in CRP, first aid and epi pen, she should also hold some kind of education in the field of child development or many years experience. A babysitter is usually a young woman looking for some extra money, she probably doesn't have much experience but comes with excellent recommendations or is a family friend. Even if she works on a regular basis she is not a nanny without some kind of professional qualifications. There is a difference in terminology and I know I wouldn't want to be called a babysitter.
There are a few other child-care professionals out there that work for individual families. In this economy I am seeing a lot more than just your run of the mill nanny.
1)The Unemployed Teacher- breaking into the nanny-field in an effort to stay within their comfort zone while still pulling in some cash.
2)The Stay-At-Home-Mom or (SAHM), you'll find these on craigslist, desperately seeking children to watch so they can be home with their own child and make money while out of work.
3)The Summer Nanny, usually a college student, prepared to work long days in exchange for cash from June-August. (cough-BEER MONEY-cough)
4)The Doula, a non-medical midwife who assists during labor, may also be a postpartum doula that helps with the care of older children and emotional support for the new baby and mother. Has special training and "special" pricing.
5)The Mother's Helper, could be anyone who is physically able to do tasks for a mother while she is home, kind of like a maid that plays with the kids once and a while.
6)The Mommy-Friend, another mother you can exchange child care with, no money involved. (Very hard to compete with.)
While I do not resent the fact that the field of child care is also a dumping ground for anyone with boobs, it's very hard to stand out as a professional nanny when so many people chose this as a back-up career. Daycares and homes are filled with women who couldn't do anything else so they chose to do child care. Since this is something I feel strongly about and wish to dedicate my life to, I am understandably frustrated with the situation.
Like all things in life we must take the good with the bad. I may have to fight 40 people for a job I know I am qualified for, but it helps that the parents I do work for appreciate me and treat me as family. Whether babysitter or nanny, the person you trust to be alone in your house should be someone you truly want to have in your life.
But for the sake of discussion, who do you have working for you? A babysitter or a nanny? Typically a nanny is an employee, she works 30 or more hours a week and it is her main source of income. Technically a nanny should be declared on your taxes...but no one actually does that. A nanny should be a professional in the sense that she has certifications in CRP, first aid and epi pen, she should also hold some kind of education in the field of child development or many years experience. A babysitter is usually a young woman looking for some extra money, she probably doesn't have much experience but comes with excellent recommendations or is a family friend. Even if she works on a regular basis she is not a nanny without some kind of professional qualifications. There is a difference in terminology and I know I wouldn't want to be called a babysitter.
There are a few other child-care professionals out there that work for individual families. In this economy I am seeing a lot more than just your run of the mill nanny.
1)The Unemployed Teacher- breaking into the nanny-field in an effort to stay within their comfort zone while still pulling in some cash.
2)The Stay-At-Home-Mom or (SAHM), you'll find these on craigslist, desperately seeking children to watch so they can be home with their own child and make money while out of work.
3)The Summer Nanny, usually a college student, prepared to work long days in exchange for cash from June-August. (cough-BEER MONEY-cough)
4)The Doula, a non-medical midwife who assists during labor, may also be a postpartum doula that helps with the care of older children and emotional support for the new baby and mother. Has special training and "special" pricing.
5)The Mother's Helper, could be anyone who is physically able to do tasks for a mother while she is home, kind of like a maid that plays with the kids once and a while.
6)The Mommy-Friend, another mother you can exchange child care with, no money involved. (Very hard to compete with.)
While I do not resent the fact that the field of child care is also a dumping ground for anyone with boobs, it's very hard to stand out as a professional nanny when so many people chose this as a back-up career. Daycares and homes are filled with women who couldn't do anything else so they chose to do child care. Since this is something I feel strongly about and wish to dedicate my life to, I am understandably frustrated with the situation.
Like all things in life we must take the good with the bad. I may have to fight 40 people for a job I know I am qualified for, but it helps that the parents I do work for appreciate me and treat me as family. Whether babysitter or nanny, the person you trust to be alone in your house should be someone you truly want to have in your life.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
An Introduction
I am a 23 year old college student in "small-town New England". I am currently working on my B.A. in Early Childhood Education yet I am bouncing around doing a mixture of part time nannying and work in a daycare. I have seen a lot of things that have made my skin crawl and swear up and down I will never work in a daycare ever again. Granted some are great, the rare combination of an experienced owner, knowledgeable staff, and small groups of children. They exist! I've seen it with my own eyes, and one day I hope to operate my very own school to the high standards I have witnessed.
I should also say that I do not think poorly of parents who chose to put their children in daycare, it is a very reasonable option. What I do have a problem with are poorly run daycares and preschools that charge an arm and a leg without delivering the quality service that a paying parent deserves. I don't plan on this becoming an expose like Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project, which if you haven't checked out yet you really should. Instead I want this to be more of an unseen perspective into a world that almost every parent interacts with but never sees. Child care: the good the bad and the ugly.
Future posts will include some basic and unknown information about both daycares and nannying, things you wish you knew about what goes on when you're at work, horror stories from myself and other nannies and teachers I know, some cute true stories about some of the children "my kind" has experienced, the reasons we love the job and I will even be trying to make regular "recipe" posts that are quick and nutritious.
So stay tuned...
I should also say that I do not think poorly of parents who chose to put their children in daycare, it is a very reasonable option. What I do have a problem with are poorly run daycares and preschools that charge an arm and a leg without delivering the quality service that a paying parent deserves. I don't plan on this becoming an expose like Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project, which if you haven't checked out yet you really should. Instead I want this to be more of an unseen perspective into a world that almost every parent interacts with but never sees. Child care: the good the bad and the ugly.
Future posts will include some basic and unknown information about both daycares and nannying, things you wish you knew about what goes on when you're at work, horror stories from myself and other nannies and teachers I know, some cute true stories about some of the children "my kind" has experienced, the reasons we love the job and I will even be trying to make regular "recipe" posts that are quick and nutritious.
So stay tuned...
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