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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Do You Hate Your Job?
Flowerchild 06:04 AM 11-08-2018
I'm a floater and I'm unsure if it's the hatred of being in preschool until God knows when or just general burn out. I was doing okay until I became a floater and now I'm unhappy. It sucks. I work at a center. I have education in eced but this is my 2 year mark. I want to work in a school or as a counselor but I'm unsure. It's just exhausting frustrating and I feel like I'm not making a difference any more to anybody. Kids who cannot listen for anything. The kids who are spend time hitting and fighting and not trying to play properly. I want to go back to school but that's time co suming and I only get paid for hours I work. Is it worth it moving on? I wasn't planning on day care but it's all I'm qualified for. I don't have a car so that's my struggle. I guess I'm just wondering what's next. Stay or go? Looking for support.
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Cat Herder 06:15 AM 11-08-2018
Personally, I loved my time as a floater because it allowed me to learn each job in the center. I viewed it as paying my dues and kept a smile on my face. I cooked some weeks, drove the busses, did playground maintenance, pool duty, afterschool/summer field trips, lesson planning, menu planning, oversaw immunizations records then eventually was sent on supply runs and trusted with account management and choosing suppliers.

After a couple years of that, I was given the lead in a 2 yo room (as previously requested) and in a few weeks, it felt stagnant so I applied for a regional position in a large chain. My floater time and experience is what sealed the deal. I went from 20k to 40k overnight without college.

This field is really about what you want out of it and what you are willing to put into it.
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Flowerchild 06:20 AM 11-08-2018
I do want to clarify most of my anger is in the morning when I have to deal with preschool which is my least fave group to deal with ever. But I'm a floater so I'm half ok and half hate it. It's a job so I put a smile on my face and deal with it but it gets old quick. It's not Friday 😦😭
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Cat Herder 06:24 AM 11-08-2018
Originally Posted by Flowerchild:
I do want to clarify most of my anger is in the morning when I have to deal with preschool which is my least fave group to deal with ever. But I'm a floater so I'm half ok and half hate it. It's a job so I put a smile on my face and deal with it but it gets old quick. It's not Friday 😦😭
I get it. I dreaded pulling dead animals out of pool filters, cleaning up vomit on school buses and arguing with parents about money but with the right mindset and a goal in mind you can get through it. You got this.
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Flowerchild 06:31 AM 11-08-2018
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
Personally, I loved my time as a floater because it allowed me to learn each job in the center. I viewed it as paying my dues and kept a smile on my face. I cooked some weeks, drove the busses, did playground maintenance, pool duty, afterschool/summer field trips, lesson planning, menu planning, oversaw immunizations records then eventually was sent on supply runs and trusted with account management and choosing suppliers.

After a couple years of that, I was given the lead in a 2 yo room (as previously requested) and in a few weeks, it felt stagnant so I applied for a regional position in a large chain. My floater time and experience is what sealed the deal. I went from 20k to 40k overnight without college.

This field is really about what you want out of it and what you are willing to put into it.
I'm getting used to floating but it gets frustrating. I miss being in my room which I never left. I miss building relationships with the babies. I hate it when kids refuse to listen. What's a regional position
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Flowerchild 06:35 AM 11-08-2018
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
I get it. I dreaded pulling dead animals out of pool filters, cleaning up vomit on school buses and arguing with parents about money but with the right mindset and a goal in mind you can get through it. You got this.
I hate arguing about diapers with parents. Grr. Lol. Yeah i am at loss for goals. That would help though 😊
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Cat Herder 06:56 AM 11-08-2018
Originally Posted by Flowerchild:
I'm getting used to floating but it gets frustrating. I miss being in my room which I never left. I miss building relationships with the babies. I hate it when kids refuse to listen. What's a regional position
There are many. Some are middle management over directors, some are in health and safety inspection some are in educational planning and oversight, etc. I don't know how many hire without degrees now. I've been out of the market 20+ years. Check out sites like monster.

Reading job postings religiously teaches what employers are looking for. That makes finding a goal or path so much easier. I remember being told to read the obits for the same reason before the net. It was not entirely wrong.
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Flowerchild 07:41 AM 11-08-2018
I don't ever know if you can call me a floater. The preschool teacher came am hour ago and I'm still here. 😡😡😡 I don't understand why when the waddler teacher is not here I'm not I the waddler room Simone else is. It's almost like they are treating me badly. Makes me mad. I dull can't get over that. I my room for admit 2 years and now I'm sick in rooms i don't like. Send re new infant teacher hardly works. I guess it rubs me wrong. I was told I would be working with waddler now. Nope!!! Grrr.......
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Ariana 09:34 AM 11-08-2018
If I had my time back I never would have persued childcare. Now I am in my 40’s with two kids and feel I don’t have much freedom to do anything else. If you are feeling burnt out after two years and you are still young then YES do something else. You can figure it out.

I also agree with Cat Herder. Thinking things will get better when X happens will never make you happy. Get happy about your job now and the rest will fall into place. I need to take my own advice as ususal
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Flowerchild 10:31 AM 11-08-2018
Originally Posted by Ariana:
If I had my time back I never would have persued childcare. Now I am in my 40’s with two kids and feel I don’t have much freedom to do anything else. If you are feeling burnt out after two years and you are still young then YES do something else. You can figure it out.

I also agree with Cat Herder. Thinking things will get better when X happens will never make you happy. Get happy about your job now and the rest will fall into place. I need to take my own advice as ususal
So true. But I do think about what's nect.. get b s degree, etc
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Josiegirl 02:08 AM 11-09-2018
Preschoolers can be a challenging group. Could it be the way the room is set up? The different activities that are offered? Are themes used? Search pinterest for ideas on classroom management, think positive, try to have fun with the kids.
The best time I remember in dc was when I had 4 preschoolers and we started at A and worked on different themes each week; got all the way up to H,(( then a family death occurred right before Christmas and my life took a hellish turn for awhile, never got back into it). They were so into it and so was I; problems seem to be very few.
Zero in on certain issues and work on them one at a time.

I am at that burn out stage and seem to be biding my time until retirement. Yes, I'm one of *those* people. I never wanted or meant to be but here I am. I think if I had my whole career ahead of me again, I'd continue my education with clear goals or switch my career path entirely. Pick something much quieter like library science.
Good luck and hope things turn around for you soon. No fun working when you're miserable in your job.
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Flowerchild 05:30 AM 11-09-2018
Originally Posted by Josiegirl:
Preschoolers can be a challenging group. Could it be the way the room is set up? The different activities that are offered? Are themes used? Search pinterest for ideas on classroom management, think positive, try to have fun with the kids.
The best time I remember in dc was when I had 4 preschoolers and we started at A and worked on different themes each week; got all the way up to H,(( then a family death occurred right before Christmas and my life took a hellish turn for awhile, never got back into it). They were so into it and so was I; problems seem to be very few.
Zero in on certain issues and work on them one at a time.

I am at that burn out stage and seem to be biding my time until retirement. Yes, I'm one of *those* people. I never wanted or meant to be but here I am. I think if I had my whole career ahead of me again, I'd continue my education with clear goals or switch my career path entirely. Pick something much quieter like library science.
Good luck and hope things turn around for you soon. No fun working when you're miserable in your job.
I thought admit doing school guidance counselibg. I can't get the m to stay in centers or keep their centers clean. I have to clean for them and it's not my job. They know I told them to clean up. And spilling milk at breakfast daily. Ugh. I just want to go off on them but cant. I have to yell or get loud just to get them to listen. 😕
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Unregistered 12:27 PM 11-18-2018
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
Personally, I loved my time as a floater because it allowed me to learn each job in the center. I viewed it as paying my dues and kept a smile on my face. I cooked some weeks, drove the busses, did playground maintenance, pool duty, afterschool/summer field trips, lesson planning, menu planning, oversaw immunizations records then eventually was sent on supply runs and trusted with account management and choosing suppliers.

After a couple years of that, I was given the lead in a 2 yo room (as previously requested) and in a few weeks, it felt stagnant so I applied for a regional position in a large chain. My floater time and experience is what sealed the deal. I went from 20k to 40k overnight without college.

This field is really about what you want out of it and what you are willing to put into it.
I disagree. A lot time you have to put your foot down. I never worked in a center, but did Head Start before doing home daycare. I got taken advantage of many times.I didn't get any promotions. Parents walked all over me due to HS "rules".
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Cat Herder 05:17 AM 11-19-2018
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I disagree. A lot time you have to put your foot down. I never worked in a center, but did Head Start before doing home daycare. I got taken advantage of many times.I didn't get any promotions. Parents walked all over me due to HS "rules".
Understood. Headstart is a government program, totally different environment. I would not touch that job with a 100ft pole. Comparing apples and tornados.
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Flowerchild 05:37 AM 11-19-2018
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
Understood. Headstart is a government program, totally different environment. I would not touch that job with a 100ft pole. Comparing apples and tornados.
I almost worked at headstart 😰
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