Thread: Common?!
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Unregistered 08:11 AM 05-28-2021
I had a child like this. She was almost 2 though.

The first few days I held her constantly as she sobbed. If I got up (to attend to another child, cook lunch, get art set up etc) she would literally freak out. She'd start shrieking, shaking, flailing her body around, hitting me/the other kids/whatever was close by. There was literally no improvement over the next 3 months. I eventually had to stop holding her for the 10 straight hours but she'd literally shriek (the tears went away after the first month or so and she'd just stand there shrieking over and over like a siren) the whole day. And I mean SHRIEKING. Not even screaming but like actual, painfully high pitched and loud shrieks that would have even other parents grabbing their ears and running out of the house. I tried everything - and gave it ample time, hence the 3 months - but in the end, I just couldn't take it anymore. The parents were no help (they wanted me to just hold her all day) so I termed. My only termination ever, but everyone was miserable with her here.

Watch out for your own sanity. Sometimes it just isn't a match. I was considering quitting childcare all together because of how miserable I was with this one child. We couldn't do anything, it was just constant trying to appease her so that we could stop the literal pain of her voice in our ears. It was only 3 months out of my 10 years' experience but this would have been the child that broke me.

I see so many stories on here of providers that are so miserable but feel like they can't do anything about it. Hopefully your situation is temporary (Ive had screamers before but this was the first time I couldn't help) but if you start feeling I overwhelmed, just know that you can tap out at anytime. My little group has been so much happier since I figured that out.
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