What to Do When Feeling Burn-Out?

Hey everyone,

I work at a military installation CDC, which all together makes two years of working at a military child development center. I am 21 years old and on top of work, I am also pursuing a college degree online. Let me just come out and say that I think I am experiencing burn-out. I have been at this new center for about five months now and I honestly really dislike it. I like children but I hate all the rules and regulations that come with working on a military facility. I work in an infant room with two other teachers but my supervisors look down upon having three teachers in rooms at the same time so when there are three of us they always make one of the other two teachers go to planning, or training and since I am a flex staff employee I am always in the rooms. They also work us flex from open to close 6-6 because they give us a two or three hour split in between. I just feel so incredibly burnt out. I no longer have a positive attitude about anything. I just completely dread my shifts everyday. It is the worst feeling in the world to not want to go to your job but feeling stuck in what you are doing. I give daycare workers a lot of respect because before daycare I had this glamorized idea of what daycare would be like and it's not at all what I thought it was going to be. And let me just vent and say that I have never had problems with getting sick until I started at this new program. In the past five months, I have been sick countless times, and as I type this I have the flu, after just getting over bronchitis. I know it's because they don't enforce the sick policy here as good as they did at the last facility I worked at. I am just so tired of parents, co-worker, management, being stuck in a room full of screaming infants... I can't even use the bathroom when I want to. I am stuck to a small room with infants day in and out. I just don't feel like a normal, adult human anymore. What should I do? Should I just take a break? Or should I just leave? Also, does anybody else feel this way? I just need some reassurance. Thanks everyone. Also, I should add that I am going to school for psychology, which I plan on being a licensed mental health therapist for adults so its not like I am working there for experience or anything. Should I just find something new?

[jenboo]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hey everyone,

I work at a military installation CDC, which all together makes two years of working at a military child development center. I am 21 years old and on top of work, I am also pursuing a college degree online. Let me just come out and say that I think I am experiencing burn-out. I have been at this new center for about five months now and I honestly really dislike it. I like children but I hate all the rules and regulations that come with working on a military facility. I work in an infant room with two other teachers but my supervisors look down upon having three teachers in rooms at the same time so when there are three of us they always make one of the other two teachers go to planning, or training and since I am a flex staff employee I am always in the rooms. They also work us flex from open to close 6-6 because they give us a two or three hour split in between. I just feel so incredibly burnt out. I no longer have a positive attitude about anything. I just completely dread my shifts everyday. It is the worst feeling in the world to not want to go to your job but feeling stuck in what you are doing. I give daycare workers a lot of respect because before daycare I had this glamorized idea of what daycare would be like and it's not at all what I thought it was going to be. And let me just vent and say that I have never had problems with getting sick until I started at this new program. In the past five months, I have been sick countless times, and as I type this I have the flu, after just getting over bronchitis. I know it's because they don't enforce the sick policy here as good as they did at the last facility I worked at. I am just so tired of parents, co-worker, management, being stuck in a room full of screaming infants... I can't even use the bathroom when I want to. I am stuck to a small room with infants day in and out. I just don't feel like a normal, adult human anymore. What should I do? Should I just take a break? Or should I just leave? Also, does anybody else feel this way? I just need some reassurance. Thanks everyone. Also, I should add that I am going to school for psychology, which I plan on being a licensed mental health therapist for adults so its not like I am working there for experience or anything. Should I just find something new?

Welcome to childcare

In my experience, the majority of centers are going to be very similar. I would start looking for other jobs.... maybe look for jobs with adults who have disabilities.. this could give you some good experience for where you want to end up. I wouldn't look into group homes/ adult centers though because you will end up with the same issues in childcare, but with adults.

[pandamom]

Hi! I worked in three different CDC’s for a total of five years. I can say that it is tough. Especially as a flex employee. Have you been flex for the entire two years at the same facility? Talk to the director about being being assigned to one room. That way you can have a more consistent schedule/kids and parents.

Are you NAF? If you don’t see things changing, take a look at other NAF jobs. Since you’re already in the system, it’s a bit easier to get another NAF job

[Ariana]

we have all been there at one time or another and I can certainly relate. There is a pinned post at the top of this section called “tips for provider burnout” that you might find helpful. I also read the book “finding your smile again” which helped me.

You really need to write down the things that you hate about your job and then think of ways to change them. In the end you may find that you can change it, or if not that you need to leave and find something else. Mental health in this field is so important and in my opinion it is not talked about enough.

[flying_babyb]

Hugs! been there. I actully work at one of the worst centers in my area (we've been shot at 3 times last year). I have people tell me "Im sorry" when I say where I work. I love the kids, which is probally the only reason i stayed. Every day the supervisor is tapping on the window telling us what were doing wrong. Its hard. The best advice is do somthing for YOU everyday. Make a routine. I was a complete umm crab untill I started this. So I get off at 6. I eat dinner, do homework and tv time from 6-830. 830 is quiet time. Every night I go to my room with a soda and book (i like to read, insert a favortie activity here). I go to be around 10-1030. I find it really helps to have a destresser activity each day. Oh and when I go on break i try to get far away and have a destresser there too, in my case drinking the soda my boss wont let us have anywere else.