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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Needing a Break??
SimpleMom 08:28 AM 09-11-2012
I almost quit last summer. decided to keep a few kiddos, now I am already burning out after 2 weeks?? I've been trying really hard, but I am just needing a break. I feel bad leaving a notice after saying I would stay on. If I go this route, what would be a good way to state it without sounding foolish or rude?
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SimpleMom 08:37 AM 09-11-2012
The other option I just thought of is letting one family go and see how I feel after that. It would be very uncomfortable to let the family that I would choose, but would make it much more comfortable during the daytime for me. How would you word that??? without actually saying that
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itlw8 08:39 AM 09-11-2012
I have decided to take a new path in my life. So I have decided to start ____ wish me luck I will miss everyone.

I love to tell everyone about my bil he went back to finish he degree and decided if he was going to do the work he was switching what he was doing. So at 53 he became a teacher. He then ended up moving out of the city when his school had a layoff.... He is having a BLAST in a small town in southen Mo as the schools choir director. Makes you wonder why he did not do that years ago.

SO DO IT figure out your dream, make your plan and get started. It may be you will want to still work if you are going back to school or it could be a different job would do it.
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Breezy 08:48 AM 09-11-2012
I know exactly what you mean. I am totally burnt out and find little joy in daycare anymore at this point. I need a big long break to pursue other things like a job outside of home and college! As soon as DCM of my only DCB finds other care I am done! I am moving across country in about a month and will be closer to my family and even have family in town! I'm so super excited! We will be living in an apartment for 6 months so no chance of doing daycare there anyhow.

Do what you love! Make your dreams come true.

I'm so nervous about the possibility of putting DS in daycare part time but this will be better for my whole family.
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daycare123 08:54 AM 09-11-2012
Originally Posted by Breezy:
I know exactly what you mean. I am totally burnt out and find little joy in daycare anymore at this point. I need a big long break to pursue other things like a job outside of home and college! As soon as DCM of my only DCB finds other care I am done! I am moving across country in about a month and will be closer to my family and even have family in town! I'm so super excited! We will be living in an apartment for 6 months so no chance of doing daycare there anyhow.

Do what you love! Make your dreams come true.

I'm so nervous about the possibility of putting DS in daycare part time but this will be better for my whole family.
Why can't you do daycare in an apartment? I'm assuming you will be in town for the first 6 months? There are lots of good daycares around here!!
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Breezy 08:59 AM 09-11-2012
My leasing agreement says the apartment can only be used as a residence.

Yes I will be in town for the first 6 months and then we will either move on base or find a rental home off base. We tried to find one for when we get there but slim pickings in our price range. Hopefully when I find a job we can up our price range!
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Breezy 09:02 AM 09-11-2012
Originally Posted by daycare123:
Why can't you do daycare in an apartment? I'm assuming you will be in town for the first 6 months? There are lots of good daycares around here!!
Are you in Grand Forks? Wouldn't it be funny if I ended up calling you to see if you had an opening, hehe
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daycare123 09:34 AM 09-11-2012
Yep in am in Grand Forks!!! I will have to see what my lease says, i think it says somehthing to the order of single family residense. Did you ask your landlord about doing daycare?
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Breezy 09:39 AM 09-11-2012
No not yet because I didn't think it was an option! I am looking forward to finding something outside of the home...I think!
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MarinaVanessa 09:59 AM 09-11-2012
Originally Posted by Breezy:
No not yet because I didn't think it was an option! I am looking forward to finding something outside of the home...I think!
What state are you in? Most states have laws that protect family childcares. For example, here in CA all apartments have in their contracts that the dwelling only be used for residential purposes and not to run a business out of them however child care isn't seen as a "business" as in like a retail store etc. We have seperate laws that prohibit that anyone be denied the chance to run a daycare from their apartment or rental so what state are you in?
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Breezy 10:04 AM 09-11-2012
I will be in North Dakota as of next month!

Sorry OP, didn't mean to hijack your thread
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SimpleMom 10:06 AM 09-11-2012
Thank you! You are right. We have to do what we love. Life is too short. Although I loved this for years, I'm just not there at this particular time.
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My3cents 10:40 AM 09-11-2012
Originally Posted by SimpleMom:
Thank you! You are right. We have to do what we love. Life is too short. Although I loved this for years, I'm just not there at this particular time.
maybe you need to revamp. Do a little more with the kids. Plan your day to have some busy moments, schedule things in.

I fount that I have more joy in doing this when I revamp and get back to why I like what I do. I think we all get in this crud mode every once in a while here is what I do when I feel this way

call a friend,pref a friend that does daycare and knows the struggles I am having
look around at my space to see how I can improve or change it up
plan out activities to do with the kids instead of always having free play
get outside as much as possible
give myself a break
think of myself and do something for me.
Remind myself that every job has it's ups and downs and that it could be worse- change up my stinky thinking.
plan for next years vacation, or a future event.
get on the floor with the kids even more then I already do.
talk it out with hubby.
take a class, or training
simplify and organize

if none of this helps then it time to think about a career change or a break. Having clear rules, policy hand book and contract and great working relationships with the parents also helps. Keeping daycare separate from my personal life is a must, and not taking everything on, or the drama which I don't have at this time.....yeah yeah Another thing is watching the load of kids that you have, too many, high maintenance, the ages, and the hours that you keep your business open. Long hours can drain the best of the best.
make a list of pros and cons and see which side has the most weight value. I have heard that most people will make three major career changes in their lifetime. If the gig is up, move happily onto other things and go for it.

best-
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SimpleMom 07:22 AM 09-12-2012
I know. I've been doing thids a long time One of my families is high maintenance. I am not wanting to do all the structure as I've done that and burnt out (it was a rock'in structure, though!). Today I am totally wiped from screaming and crying and super rough little one (three diff. dck's at that).

I don't know if we can afford for me to quit. plus, ironically, i may be bored if i do quit. but i do think i need to let the one family go. it's so hard for so many reasons. kinda sad.
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Country Kids 07:32 AM 09-12-2012
I just heard that if a person dreads going back to work every Sat. or Sun. week after week then thats pretty much a sign of burn out.

I thought that was real interesting as sometimes I feel this way and then I make one teeny tiny change and can't wait for the kids to see it. So I was actually thinking maybe every weekend seeing what I can change and see if it helps my attitude.

You might try something like that!
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SimpleMom 07:38 AM 09-12-2012
Country kids, I'll do that. Funny thing is that i'm always in a great mood about doing childcare --after--they leave. really. during the day, it's up and down. but there are times I want to pull my hair out. I feel awful.

However, I wonder what new changes I could make?? Big or small types? what have you done?
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Country Kids 08:02 AM 09-12-2012
I will get back to you at naptime! Its a pretty long list and everyone has decided its a day to be busy-
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lolaland 10:36 AM 09-12-2012
Originally Posted by SimpleMom:
Country kids, I'll do that. Funny thing is that i'm always in a great mood about doing childcare --after--they leave. really. during the day, it's up and down. but there are times I want to pull my hair out. I feel awful.

However, I wonder what new changes I could make?? Big or small types? what have you done?
I have been feeling the same lately : love my daycare & kids 1 hour after they're gone... but most of the day is a struggle to keep them safe and not fighting! (5 kids under the age of 3, all in diapers and all boys)
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Country Kids 01:28 PM 09-12-2012
OK, here goes:

OUTSIDE:

Once/twice a year I buy something new. This year I have bought a teetor/totor helicoptor (used my birthday money-) and a kitchen set.

The kitchen set I got for $10 and its a homemade wooden set. Has a formica top, with a metal sink and a real faucet (doesn't work, just for looks). The stove has a formica top with wooden burners. Lovely little set, worth its weight in gold. I painted it with new colors and it absolutely gorgeous. The kids will play with it for hours. I have a chest next to it that we keep all the kitchen stuff in.

Sandbox turtle-I have turned it into a water table. Another toy that they will literally play with for hours. Yesterday I filled it up with shaving cream and when they were done with that, filled it up with water. They were in heaven!

Sponges/paintbrushes-these are so much fun to have with the watertable. They will wash/paint everything for a long, long time.

Laundry detergent containers with the push button. I fill these up with water, then they can push the button and get the water out.

Chalkboard wall-Took a wall of my shed and painted it with chalkboard paint. Then next to it I put a little table with a wicket basket of chalk. Hours of fun!

I have another area with concrete and I put another basket on a table and filled it with more chalk. Another basket holds bubbles for blowing.

I have playhouses, swingset, picnic table, slides,balls,jumpropes. I'm in the process of getting a dirt/sand table built. We can be outside for hours upon hours and they still keep playing away. I'm going to take my basketball hoop (kids size) and put it in the back so it will be played with more. Just need to find a spot for it.

Inside:

I put blank newsprint over the kids table and they can draw, draw and draw some more on it.

I filled a larger plastic tub up with beans, seeds, pasta and just stuff for a sensory bin. Next week I'm filling it up with pencils, erasers, letters, numbers. I leave this down all the time now. Put a checkered tablecloth underneath it, looks so cute.

Redecorated my room with apples/buses for the back to school part. Put them on the windows also. Rearranged the room and it looks very big now.

All my toys are in wicker baskets or apple baskets. I like the real natural look.

Took a big dry eraser board and turned it into a magentic center. Put a basket of magnets (letters/numbers/shapes) by it. I leave that down all the time now also.

Going to hang a coat rack in my kitchen on the kids level so they can hang their coats up. Two wooden crates below will hold outdoor boots and their shoes. This will help in cleaning up the shoe/coat area as it is now.

Put cloth cubbies on the shelves in my bathroom. Each one holds a childs change of clothes, diapers, wipes, etc.

The biggest change of the year-No TV! Thanks blackcat and others. We only turn it on when I'm getting ready for lunch. 30 min a day and no more.

So thats some of the stuff I do!
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Blackcat31 01:50 PM 09-12-2012
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
OK, here goes:

The biggest change of the year-No TV! Thanks blackcat and others. We only turn it on when I'm getting ready for lunch. 30 min a day and no more.
Sometimes kids need less of something in order to be 'encouraged" to do other things.

No TV for us here has meant better relationships among peers, more support and encouragment from friends, longer play periods and more in depth play as well.

Fewer arguments, less rough housing and gun/sword or knife pretend fights.

The kids seem to want to be creative and imaginative and without the TV on, it is abundantly clear that it was the TV that stole their ideas and thoughts.
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Country Kids 01:56 PM 09-12-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Sometimes kids need less of something in order to be 'encouraged" to do other things.

No TV for us here has meant better relationships among peers, more support and encouragment from friends, longer play periods and more in depth play as well.

Fewer arguments, less rough housing and gun/sword or knife pretend fights.

The kids seem to want to be creative and imaginative and without the TV on, it is abundantly clear that it was the TV that stole their ideas and thoughts.
Just started this week and its weird. Everyday they would come in and ask for me to turn it on. I rearrange and adda few things and they don't even ask for it. I can't believe how easy it was!
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sunlight 02:23 PM 09-12-2012
Country Kids you sound amazing! Reading your comments here have totally inspired me. I have been doing child care for almost 12 years now. Every now and then I too feel burnt just DONE. A friend of mine who also provides care for over 17 years said that I should take off more time. Boy, just to stay in business I am lucky to get my weekends free! My husband who used to own 3 quick lube centers for years reminded me that they only closed for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Work was 7 days a week for many many years. I started to schedule one Friday every couple of months off. Sometimes if a holiday falls on a Monday I can turn it into a 4 day weekend. This has helped me tremendously!

I don't have a boss breathing down my kneck, I get to work from home, I can make as much or as little money as I want to depending on how hard I want to work, I am home when my kids leave for school and when they come back, I don't have to deal with traffic etc. LOTS OF POSITIVES!! Yes, the responsibility and trust placed on our shoulders is tough. But the rewards out weigh it all.

Country Kids all the things you listed to do out doors is inspiring!! I hope to incorportate many of your ideas into my own daycare. Thank you for posting them!
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Country Kids 02:57 PM 09-12-2012
Originally Posted by sunlight:
Country Kids you sound amazing! Reading your comments here have totally inspired me. I have been doing child care for almost 12 years now. Every now and then I too feel burnt just DONE. A friend of mine who also provides care for over 17 years said that I should take off more time. Boy, just to stay in business I am lucky to get my weekends free! My husband who used to own 3 quick lube centers for years reminded me that they only closed for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Work was 7 days a week for many many years. I started to schedule one Friday every couple of months off. Sometimes if a holiday falls on a Monday I can turn it into a 4 day weekend. This has helped me tremendously!

I don't have a boss breathing down my kneck, I get to work from home, I can make as much or as little money as I want to depending on how hard I want to work, I am home when my kids leave for school and when they come back, I don't have to deal with traffic etc. LOTS OF POSITIVES!! Yes, the responsibility and trust placed on our shoulders is tough. But the rewards out weigh it all.

Country Kids all the things you listed to do out doors is inspiring!! I hope to incorportate many of your ideas into my own daycare. Thank you for posting them!
Thank you! I'll try to post more if I think of anything else we do.
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Sprouts 06:13 PM 09-12-2012
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
I just heard that if a person dreads going back to work every Sat. or Sun. week after week then thats pretty much a sign of burn out.

I thought that was real interesting as sometimes I feel this way and then I make one teeny tiny change and can't wait for the kids to see it. So I was actually thinking maybe every weekend seeing what I can change and see if it helps my attitude.

You might try something like that!
Did you just hear that on a Christian music station? Lol I just heard and was thinking of the same thing lol
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