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Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Do you work at a daycare? do you like it?
I'm thinking about making the switch from corporate america to a daycare. I have 2 small children and have been a working mom for 5 years.
thoughts? I don't know anything about working at a facility I just know about being a paying customer.
Re: Do you work at a daycare? do you like it?
I did it for 2 years and got out. Will never go back. They pay is low (real low... barely above minimum wage), very few thanks, rarely down time to get certain tasks done (lesson plans, cleaning, etc.).
I found the work to be mind draining (I have a college degree). The turnover everywhere I have worked is quite high... well over 50%. The benefits were bad, no retirement at any of the places. It was something to do while I was "passing through" certain towns. No more day care work for me!! Every place I worked did not offer a discount for child care unless you had worked x number of years.
BFP 2: 7/7/2014 Beta 7/8: 115, Beta 7/12: 638, Beta 7/16: 3793, Beta 7/21: 21,625
I worked in a home child care for 2 years while in college. (bachelors in child development) Most childcare workers and teachers are underpaid and overworked. I loved my kids and miss them horribly! I know lots of moms who enjoy working at the child care their children attend.
As for the work, many teachers are required to make lesson plans, make lunch/ snacks, potty train, educate parents, break up toddler fights, love on crying babies, etc. If you love children, this may be a good fit for you. Be careful to chose a high quality center.
I'll bite! I am currently employed at a non profit child care center. I will say that teh environment ranges greatly from babysitting to pseudoschool, and it also depends on where you are located! If you want to work at a "quality"school, check out the NAEYC website for centers.
A few fair warnings: you must really want to change the lives of children. The monetary benefits are awful, and you really won't get verbal thanks.
Child care teacher =/= Mom, there is a vast difference. A few moms think "well I have raised this many kids, I must be great at preschool." They aren't. Preschool teachers are good at preschool, regardless of how many children you have.
It varies in different states, but there are requirements that you must have before you can be hire for anything more than an aide. So many hours or education etc. Trainings are also a huge time consumer. Where I work, we take 24 additional training hours/ year in addition to the 40 hours we work weekly.
It is a hard industry that is barely respected and not easy, but if your heart is truly there, it is worth it!
I worked at a daycare for a few months. I got paid $7.50! They always said what a good job I was doing, so I asked what their policy was on raises. You are eligible for a 25 CENT raise after a year. I love kids but this place would allow you up to 10 kids by yourself. TEN 1-2, 2-4, or 5-8 year olds by yourself.
Granted, all daycares have different pay rates/policies. But I just couldn't take it.
My jobs have all been in child care/preschool. I have a BA in Human Development (basically ECE). I love it. I, of course have bad days when I'm tired of breaking up fights and cleaning up spills etc, but overall excluding nap time, I love it. It's so fun to be a part of kids learning. Plus I get tons of hugs everyday.
The pay is actually pretty okay but I'm use to much lower pay so I guess it's all relative.
I'm currently trying to get into a school district to eliminate naps and then I think I'll be good.
I will say you have to love it. If you have to ask why kids play and can't they learn just as much from watching Finding Nemo it might not be for you. (A substitute at my center said that to me.) Also if you aren't aware of developmental milestones socially, emotionally, physically and academically it might not be the job for you.
I taught elementary school for 5 years, and then we moved mid-year to a new state. I was getting restless so I took a job at a preschool with the plan that I'd do that for a while and then get into a school district. Well, that was 3.5 years ago. I know I work at a "higher end" center and we're very focused on developmental milestones, key experiences, etc. and run a highly structured program. I make 60% of what I would be making if I were still working at a school district, and I work way more. I am lucky that I'm given paid "plan time" and now that I've been doing the same thing for a few years, I can usually get it all done in that allotted time. DH has excellent insurance through his job, but I could get benefits through my position. I receive an excellent amount of vacation days, personal days, and paid holidays, however they did just reduce the childcare discount and that stinks!
What is your background? I know at my center if you do not have an education or child development related degree you will need to work toward a certain degree.