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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Update From The "Outside"
Tdhmom 06:34 AM 12-10-2014
As many of you know, I quit daycare back in August. Had a rough patch quitting, as my parents were "blindsided" and my mother in law threw me under the bus when she would go camping with them. I had quit so I could focus more on my Parents as Teachers position.
I love love love my job! I get all my home visits in within 3 days. I have a group meeting once a month, and then random hours throughout the month at home getting things ready for both. That's about all that my job consists of now. My group meetings have been going over so well! I have record numbers coming each month!
September I did fire safety and had the fire truck there, 16 kids showed up and loved it, October we did Monster Mash with sensory boxes (huge mess, but so worth it!) I had 32 kids come!!!
The only thing I would want to change is how and when I get paid, I didn't have an actual paycheck until last month! One that I could actually contribute anything with. With my husband being self employed, we weren't really prepared for that. One of the many things I wasn't explained, just something I should have "known". I do my home visits, the next month they are processed and then the month after I get paid for them
I had no idea that was how it worked. But this way I'll get paid into July for May's visits but not have to be working through the summer.
The only child I have home during the day while school is in session is my 3 year old daughter and she is the amazing, fun loving, always happy child I remember before I did daycare. She's so much happier not having to share every thing in her house. She actually goes to daycare once a week now. It's just enough to get her out of our house and some interaction with other kids but not enough to overwhelm us both (this is the first person that has watched her besides family!)
My house actually stays somewhat clean now (I do have 3 kids of my own
as clean as it can be with them!). I get all my errands done during the day, my daughter and I have had so many date days it's amazing being able to spend all this time with her before she heads off to school!
I will admit, I had the littles that I used to watch come over for a slumber party last month. It felt like I was babysitting the whole time, it was awful!!!!! So I learned my lesson on that one.
I figured I owed everyone an update, I spent a good part of a whole year on this website almost everyday getting advice that I very much needed! To those of you burnt out, I wish I could say I overcame that and everything was better BUT it just didn't happen for me! Everyday just amplified the previous day and I realized I had to do something different. I'm so much happier, my whole family is happier! We have our house back. We aren't constantly waiting for someone to be picked up so we can leave. My son has his friends over and doesn't think twice about it (he used to avoid it so his friends weren't bombarded by little kids wanting their attention). My grocery bill has been cut in half! I don't completely regret doing it. The income definitely helped, however, I am glad I can now look back on it and realize I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN
So thank you all for your kind words when I needed them most
I love love love my job! I get all my home visits in within 3 days. I have a group meeting once a month, and then random hours throughout the month at home getting things ready for both. That's about all that my job consists of now. My group meetings have been going over so well! I have record numbers coming each month!
September I did fire safety and had the fire truck there, 16 kids showed up and loved it, October we did Monster Mash with sensory boxes (huge mess, but so worth it!) I had 32 kids come!!! The only thing I would want to change is how and when I get paid, I didn't have an actual paycheck until last month! One that I could actually contribute anything with. With my husband being self employed, we weren't really prepared for that. One of the many things I wasn't explained, just something I should have "known". I do my home visits, the next month they are processed and then the month after I get paid for them
I had no idea that was how it worked. But this way I'll get paid into July for May's visits but not have to be working through the summer. The only child I have home during the day while school is in session is my 3 year old daughter and she is the amazing, fun loving, always happy child I remember before I did daycare. She's so much happier not having to share every thing in her house. She actually goes to daycare once a week now. It's just enough to get her out of our house and some interaction with other kids but not enough to overwhelm us both (this is the first person that has watched her besides family!)
My house actually stays somewhat clean now (I do have 3 kids of my own
as clean as it can be with them!). I get all my errands done during the day, my daughter and I have had so many date days it's amazing being able to spend all this time with her before she heads off to school! I will admit, I had the littles that I used to watch come over for a slumber party last month. It felt like I was babysitting the whole time, it was awful!!!!! So I learned my lesson on that one.
I figured I owed everyone an update, I spent a good part of a whole year on this website almost everyday getting advice that I very much needed! To those of you burnt out, I wish I could say I overcame that and everything was better BUT it just didn't happen for me! Everyday just amplified the previous day and I realized I had to do something different. I'm so much happier, my whole family is happier! We have our house back. We aren't constantly waiting for someone to be picked up so we can leave. My son has his friends over and doesn't think twice about it (he used to avoid it so his friends weren't bombarded by little kids wanting their attention). My grocery bill has been cut in half! I don't completely regret doing it. The income definitely helped, however, I am glad I can now look back on it and realize I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN
So thank you all for your kind words when I needed them most
preschoolteacher 06:38 AM 12-10-2014
So awesome. 
Congrats!
Congrats!
KiddieCahoots 07:16 AM 12-10-2014
What an awesome update!
Thank you for sharing, and so happy to hear!
The only thing, now you've done it......I instantly found myself daydreaming out the window with..."what if's" lol!
Thank you for sharing, and so happy to hear!
The only thing, now you've done it......I instantly found myself daydreaming out the window with..."what if's" lol!
melilley 11:00 AM 12-10-2014
Awesome update. I'm glad you love your new job!
CraftyMom 11:21 AM 12-10-2014
Glad to hear you are doing so well!
I am jealous...I hate my job today
I am jealous...I hate my job today
TwinMama 11:46 AM 12-10-2014
Originally Posted by Tdhmom:
As many of you know, I quit daycare back in August. Had a rough patch quitting, as my parents were "blindsided" and my mother in law threw me under the bus when she would go camping with them. I had quit so I could focus more on my Parents as Teachers position.
I love love love my job! I get all my home visits in within 3 days. I have a group meeting once a month, and then random hours throughout the month at home getting things ready for both. That's about all that my job consists of now. My group meetings have been going over so well! I have record numbers coming each month! September I did fire safety and had the fire truck there, 16 kids showed up and loved it, October we did Monster Mash with sensory boxes (huge mess, but so worth it!) I had 32 kids come!!!
The only thing I would want to change is how and when I get paid, I didn't have an actual paycheck until last month! One that I could actually contribute anything with. With my husband being self employed, we weren't really prepared for that. One of the many things I wasn't explained, just something I should have "known". I do my home visits, the next month they are processed and then the month after I get paid for them I had no idea that was how it worked. But this way I'll get paid into July for May's visits but not have to be working through the summer.
The only child I have home during the day while school is in session is my 3 year old daughter and she is the amazing, fun loving, always happy child I remember before I did daycare. She's so much happier not having to share every thing in her house. She actually goes to daycare once a week now. It's just enough to get her out of our house and some interaction with other kids but not enough to overwhelm us both (this is the first person that has watched her besides family!)
My house actually stays somewhat clean now (I do have 3 kids of my own as clean as it can be with them!). I get all my errands done during the day, my daughter and I have had so many date days it's amazing being able to spend all this time with her before she heads off to school!
I will admit, I had the littles that I used to watch come over for a slumber party last month. It felt like I was babysitting the whole time, it was awful!!!!! So I learned my lesson on that one.
I figured I owed everyone an update, I spent a good part of a whole year on this website almost everyday getting advice that I very much needed! To those of you burnt out, I wish I could say I overcame that and everything was better BUT it just didn't happen for me! Everyday just amplified the previous day and I realized I had to do something different. I'm so much happier, my whole family is happier! We have our house back. We aren't constantly waiting for someone to be picked up so we can leave. My son has his friends over and doesn't think twice about it (he used to avoid it so his friends weren't bombarded by little kids wanting their attention). My grocery bill has been cut in half! I don't completely regret doing it. The income definitely helped, however, I am glad I can now look back on it and realize I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN
So thank you all for your kind words when I needed them most
Congratulations, but I have a silly question. What is "Parents as Teachers".As many of you know, I quit daycare back in August. Had a rough patch quitting, as my parents were "blindsided" and my mother in law threw me under the bus when she would go camping with them. I had quit so I could focus more on my Parents as Teachers position.
I love love love my job! I get all my home visits in within 3 days. I have a group meeting once a month, and then random hours throughout the month at home getting things ready for both. That's about all that my job consists of now. My group meetings have been going over so well! I have record numbers coming each month!
September I did fire safety and had the fire truck there, 16 kids showed up and loved it, October we did Monster Mash with sensory boxes (huge mess, but so worth it!) I had 32 kids come!!! The only thing I would want to change is how and when I get paid, I didn't have an actual paycheck until last month! One that I could actually contribute anything with. With my husband being self employed, we weren't really prepared for that. One of the many things I wasn't explained, just something I should have "known". I do my home visits, the next month they are processed and then the month after I get paid for them
I had no idea that was how it worked. But this way I'll get paid into July for May's visits but not have to be working through the summer. The only child I have home during the day while school is in session is my 3 year old daughter and she is the amazing, fun loving, always happy child I remember before I did daycare. She's so much happier not having to share every thing in her house. She actually goes to daycare once a week now. It's just enough to get her out of our house and some interaction with other kids but not enough to overwhelm us both (this is the first person that has watched her besides family!)
My house actually stays somewhat clean now (I do have 3 kids of my own
as clean as it can be with them!). I get all my errands done during the day, my daughter and I have had so many date days it's amazing being able to spend all this time with her before she heads off to school! I will admit, I had the littles that I used to watch come over for a slumber party last month. It felt like I was babysitting the whole time, it was awful!!!!! So I learned my lesson on that one.
I figured I owed everyone an update, I spent a good part of a whole year on this website almost everyday getting advice that I very much needed! To those of you burnt out, I wish I could say I overcame that and everything was better BUT it just didn't happen for me! Everyday just amplified the previous day and I realized I had to do something different. I'm so much happier, my whole family is happier! We have our house back. We aren't constantly waiting for someone to be picked up so we can leave. My son has his friends over and doesn't think twice about it (he used to avoid it so his friends weren't bombarded by little kids wanting their attention). My grocery bill has been cut in half! I don't completely regret doing it. The income definitely helped, however, I am glad I can now look back on it and realize I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN
So thank you all for your kind words when I needed them most
Tdhmom 01:43 PM 12-10-2014
Originally Posted by TwinMama:
Congratulations, but I have a silly question. What is "Parents as Teachers".
Not silly at all! A lot of schools had to do away with the program due to funding. We just got it back a couple years ago in our district. Congratulations, but I have a silly question. What is "Parents as Teachers".
But it starts at birth (can do prenatal visits as well) up to kindergarten. I provide monthly home visits that last about an hour and it's just empowering parents to be their child's first teacher. How play is learning and ways to incorporate both. I bring an activity to do at home (Pinterest is my BFF) and then I provide screenings once a year just make sure every child is on track developmentally. If there are any delays (speech, hearing, vision) then we can catch it before school starts and have a head start on learning so they aren't behind. It's a terrific program and if you have the chance to be involved in it I highly recommend it
Everyone that I have met at trainings absolutely loves their job and I am definitely one of them! I have complete control over my schedule and I make the same I did doing daycare full time.
TwinMama 01:57 PM 12-10-2014
Originally Posted by Tdhmom:
Not silly at all! A lot of schools had to do away with the program due to funding. We just got it back a couple years ago in our district.
But it starts at birth (can do prenatal visits as well) up to kindergarten. I provide monthly home visits that last about an hour and it's just empowering parents to be their child's first teacher. How play is learning and ways to incorporate both. I bring an activity to do at home (Pinterest is my BFF) and then I provide screenings once a year just make sure every child is on track developmentally. If there are any delays (speech, hearing, vision) then we can catch it before school starts and have a head start on learning so they aren't behind. It's a terrific program and if you have the chance to be involved in it I highly recommend it Everyone that I have met at trainings absolutely loves their job and I am definitely one of them! I have complete control over my schedule and I make the same I did doing daycare full time.
How can somebody get in to something like this? It sounds wonderful!Not silly at all! A lot of schools had to do away with the program due to funding. We just got it back a couple years ago in our district.
But it starts at birth (can do prenatal visits as well) up to kindergarten. I provide monthly home visits that last about an hour and it's just empowering parents to be their child's first teacher. How play is learning and ways to incorporate both. I bring an activity to do at home (Pinterest is my BFF) and then I provide screenings once a year just make sure every child is on track developmentally. If there are any delays (speech, hearing, vision) then we can catch it before school starts and have a head start on learning so they aren't behind. It's a terrific program and if you have the chance to be involved in it I highly recommend it
Everyone that I have met at trainings absolutely loves their job and I am definitely one of them! I have complete control over my schedule and I make the same I did doing daycare full time.
Tdhmom 02:18 PM 12-10-2014
Originally Posted by TwinMama:
How can somebody get in to something like this? It sounds wonderful!
I basically fell into it. The previous parent educator was my son's kindergarten teacher and she had retired teaching the previous year and didn't care for all the paperwork that goes with PAT. So she had told me she was quitting and suggested I go for it. SO I did and it's the best decision I've made for a long time lolHow can somebody get in to something like this? It sounds wonderful!
I would say start with your elementary schools and see if this is something they offer to parents and if they have any positions open. I live in Missouri so I have to follow DESE guidelines in order to be reimbursed for my home visits. There are a lot of rules to follow and paperwork that seems like a quiz every month I fill them out but once you get the hang of it it's not that bad! Just a lot of on the job learning. I know boundaries to set and am more prepared for multiple kids now (try to do one activity together for the ages I'm with and then also a separate one for each so the 8 month old isn't in the 3 year olds face the whole time). Trial and error but I'm getting the hang of it
Most of my kids I service are the same age groups so I can use the same activities each month. The group meetings are my favorite part. They're fantastic! I love seeing all the kids enjoying themselves so much! I didn't have a budget for them so I had to come up with anything free I could...that's hard! So I approached our PTO and they donated $200 a year for me to use for meetings and my family owns a grocery store so they donate the snacks and drinks at meetings too. I swear food brings people in
daycarediva 02:22 PM 12-10-2014
That sounds like an amazingly fulfilling job! I am so glad you are using your talent and love of teaching AND are happier for it!