There is nothing in the world of daycare that can make me more agitated than an outsider commenting on how much money I earn. Every now and then a parent on a forum will pipe in and slight a daycare provider with reference to the amount of money we charge for services. I guess my first reaction of indignation is the fallacy that I earn more than I deserve. The second insult comes with the realization that I am under appreciated and taken for granted.
People will always find cause to complain about their jobs. I am not immune to this characteristic myself. We all have different levels of tolerance and frustration. To foster resentment and anger does no one any good. For that reason alone I am open and honest with those feelings of animosity I harbour; hence the reason for this very blog. I am proud to admit however, that I have never, ever complained that I do not earn enough money. I love the fact that I have the opportunity to earn a full time income all the while staying at home and watching my own kids grow and mature. I feel fortunate in this regard. But, please, do take from me that for which I work hard and deserve to be paid.
It bothers me when parents make envious judgements about my being 'lucky' to stay home all day. There is no luck involved. My lifestyle is one of choice, not desperation. There are many careers wherein I could earn much more money and recognition. Such career choices are the realization of some of the daycare parents for whom I provide services. These parents made their choices and in doing so relinquished the opportunity to begrudge me mine.
There is a general sentiment that daycare providers are glorified babysitters that are paid a small fortune. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It astounds me that the same parents who sit in our living rooms and demand quality care, no television, daily crafts, organic menus, field trips and circle time that could rival any kindergarten teacher, turn around, and in the same breath consider us 'lucky' and over paid. Perhaps I am missing something because I don't see the correlation.
On a local forum a teacher recently posted a comment wherein she compared herself to a daycare provider. Her theory was that if a daycare provider could earn $30 per day per child then her allotment of twenty children should earn her a daily stipend of $600. After all, she claimed, she had more responsibility than any daycare provider could possibly imagine. When I read this comment my blood immediately started to boil. Did she really believe this to be true? Was a teacher seriously comparing what it is she does to earn her money to the responsibilities of a daycare provider?
I don't envy teachers. I could certainly not do the work they do each and every day. Politics and parents aside I think the job of a teacher is most likely very hard. Where does the comparison lie with concern to income? The last time I read the board of education annual budget I didn't notice a section on teachers' overhead payment responsibilities. And I'm pretty sure I read that teachers were still being rewarded with pension, vacation and health benefits. All benefits considered, a forty week work year, and teachers are doing okay compared to daycare providers.
No, I don't complain about my income. I think we deserve to be paid more for our work but one must also consider the market threshold, competition and the state of the economy. After all, daycare providers are business women first and foremost. We manage not only the poop and the snot, the crafts and the cradles but the budgeting and advertising, customer service and overhead. We do not have the luxury of showing up, doing our job, and punching the clock at the end of the day. Daycare is not a job - it's a lifestyle. A lifestyle of our choosing.
Maybe some day parents will wake up and realize that anyone who is bold enough to admit that their job is very much lifestyle integrated is far more passionate than ninety per cent of the population. When will they realize that anyone who can get up every morning and greet the day knowing that they will be puked on, pooped on, sneezed on and then trampled on by the parents, deserves every penny she earns? I am certainly not sitting on my sofa at two o'clock in the afternoon, my house smelling like a dirty diaper because I am getting rich. I am rich; but the wealth I enjoy does not come in dollars and cents.
To the teacher who thinks only her work is valuable and worthy of compensation please know that I do not begrudge you your worth. Please reciprocate the sentiment. I'm pretty sure your daycare provider reads this blog. It would be a shame for her to know exactly what it is you feel for the time, consideration and love she devotes to your child each and every day. Just like me, you might not pay her enough, but trust me, she feels wealthy; and it wasn't as a result of your cheque.
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