Originally Posted by Leanna:
Funny, it isn't the "say it like it is" style or the declaration that you work for money that gives me the impression that you are "over it." It is the way you talk about children and families. It is the way you dismiss widely held practices in the field of early childhood education.
This part, I have to argue a little. The whole "widely held practices" changes like the wind. It's a science; and just like any science, it's a whole lot of theories that are right only until someone else theorizes that they're wrong. Particularly when you are dealing with people, there is never really a "right answer". It's just too fluid. There are clearly theories that are wrong; but rarely any that are proven right.
We all obviously work for the money. There are some professions, however, where it is expected for one to have something "more" in terms of motivation: doctors, teachers, counselors, and, yes, day care providers. This is true whether we like it or not. We work to earn money so we can pay our bills and take care of ourselves and our families, BUT we also provide love (or at least affection, I hope), security, learning, guidance, and much more to precious little ones. If we were ONLY in it for the money, we wouldn't do it (I believe this includes you, too Nan). We could all earn more at Walmart & we wouldn't have to keep our houses spotless to boot. It doesn't have to be love first....but it does have to be love too.
Heidi, I've read all her blogs. More than once. Seen the youtube videos. Read many old threads on this site. To be completely honest, I find Nan to be a highly intriguing individual. For the most part, I vehemently disagree with almost everything she says. I wouldn't enroll my child in her daycare because we would not be a good fit. I find her tone in her writing to be extremely caustic and downright rude and condescending on occasion. Yet, she has been in the business for twice as long as I have with many happy customers. People on this forum who have spoken personally to her glow about how caring and understanding she is. I have seen her give out her personal contact info to struggling providers. In her videos I see how the kids are so obviously comfortable with her. I try really hard to reconcile these two images in my head.
Yep, I get that. I think even Nan gets that. Sorry to talk about you like you're not in the room, Nan.
It's kind of like the character Sheldon on "Big Bang Theory" (and 2 of my sons). Intelligent, quirky, and lovable.
My favorite kind of person, actually.