Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Hello,
Disclaimer right off the bat: I mean not offense to anyone in particular. I'm just puzzled and confused in general.
Reading on these message boards, the main thing I derive from the threads is that most of you feel parents are a pain in the backside; kids are difficult, snotty, snooty, spoiled, or annoying; things would be so much better if parents just gave up their own silly ideas and followed your rules and guidelines; and generally, running a home daycare is just one small step short of the seventh circle of hell.
Is it really that bad? I'm not a troll; I am actually a fairly long-time member studying to get my ECE diploma right now, and this is truly not an attempt to cause trouble. I'm just really not prepared to deal with the anger and the resentment that will undoubtedly follow, and I am really, genuinely puzzled. I got into the ECE field because I absolutely adore children (and before you bring on the "Oh, you must be so young; we'll talk to you in a year," card, I'm in my 40s and I have three young children of my own, 9, newly 7, and 3). I realized when I started doing field placements that all parents - well, most parents do their utmost for their children with the often limited knowledge and - resources they have at their disposal. I figured, since I'm not all that special, that most ECEs/ECE students/professional childcare providers feel the same way.
But then on this forum, all I ever see is complaining. Snarky comments about daycare parents. Derogatory statements about daycare parents' parenting ideas. Long, elaborate descriptions of terribly behaved young children. It's all so, so, so negative that it saddens me. Come on. It can't be all bad. If this whole deal stinks so bad, why are you here? Why are you still doing this? Why are you not a greeter at Walmart, an employee at Subway, an up-and-coming actress?
Unless it's a misery-loves-company thing.
So talk to me. Help me understand, because I don't want to end up jaded and cynical and impatient with tiny humans who need our assistance while they are attempting to make sense of this world.
Why would we come here to talk about the ones that we DON'T have problems with? You're reading here about the worst of the worst. The ones that we come here to vent about to avoid exploding. I have some GREAT kids and GREAT parents-I don't feel the urge to come on a forum to talk about the kid who listened when I asked him not to jump on the furniture or to complain about the parent that always picks up 15 minutes early.
I, along with most everyone here (I believe), love my job. I love the kids I care for, and I genuinely like the parents. It's when they tick me off or I chose the wrong family to enroll that you'll see me here complaining.