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.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
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13 comments:
Nice post Judy - I love the lifestyle I have choosen. Being a homecare provider is so rewarding & yes we might never get rich in this choosen field. My daughter asked me many years ago if we were rich - I told her rich in LOVE!
Judy, I'm a home daycare provider in Ontario. Last year my accountant handed me a piece of paper and on it was a daily breakdown of my expenses per child according to the information and resources he had to gather the information together.
I charge $25/day per child, the going rate for my area. From this $25 or each child I spend $6/day on food (lunch & 2 snacks), $3/day on taxes, $2/day on utilities, $2/day on insurance, $3/day on craft supplies and resources including toys, $3/day on maintence and miscellaneous (toilet paper & cleaners, wear & tear on furniture, etc). This totals $19/day in expenses just to have that child in my care. So, subtract the $19 of expenses from the $25 I charge each day and I actually earn a whopping $6/day/child which equates to $.60/hour/child.
I dare anyone to tell me that I'm raking in the money doing what I do. I will (and have) happily whip out this piece of paper from my accountant to show them the the facts.
Oops, I hit post too soon. I meant to add that I love what I do and not all rewards or feelings of satisfaction are related to money :)
I love when you are FINALLY able to purchase something new, and not necessarily brand new but new to you. And a parent comes in with a snotty comment, like WOW... that is why I pay the big bucks. GRRRRRR
No, that was found on craigslist for $120. It is vintage and I have been hunting for it forever and was DH and my gift to each for Xmas. Apparently, as a daycare provider we are not allowed NEW things. But, it is ok when I purchase NEW items for their kids to play with in my care.
I "love" when parents want to know EXACTLY they are getting for their daily fee...... OMG! I rattle off the usual and basically just say, give your child a few days and you will see. Most do, but you still get the assessment of what they pay you.
I think we should go to their office and make comments on their skill or job and see how they like it.
Yep, charge $27 a day so I can have my house covered daily in germs, sticky fingerprints, a kitchen full of toys(when my kids are tweens), wash sippie cups, divided plates and snack bowls several times daily, have a trashcan full of poopy diapers when its been 9 years since I last changed my own kids. I love every, well almost every minute of it and could easily do without the parental assessment on what they pay me and how I use it.
As for that teacher, she has benefits, health coverage, her pay and tons of vacation all included in her job. She doesnt have to look at her "classroom" all weekend because it is in her house. She can have a crazy morning and rush out the door leaving dirty dishes in her sink, laundry sorted on the floor and a muddy rug and not be judged. Let her do our job 1 day with all it entails and she will run screaming back to the school and be thankful for what she does and what she receives!
I dont make a lot but my bills are paid, my children do not suffer but they do know the meaning of a $1. And like previous post said, we are rich in love!
Kudos to all us daycare providers that put up with comments about income from parents or otherwise for not strangling them on the spot!LOL
Well said. I would just like to point out to you that my mother-in-law is actually a semi-retired teacher. When I said I was going to be opening a daycare she was so excited because she could come and play whenever she wanted ... she loves being around kids...
I have rheumatoid arthritis that until recently was in remission. Now I am having to see doctors quite regularly so given her education and experience and yadayadayada, I casually mentioned how it would be great if she actually lived in our town so I could use her as a sub rather than closing my daycare for an afternoon or whatever. She said she'd love to help out, thinking it would be a breeze!
After her 2 hours of subbing for me, she looked at me and said, "Running a daycare is infinitely more difficult than teaching." Because in a classroom, first of all their older and capable of focusing on one task for extended periods of time, and second of all, because they're more structured, again, because of their age and ability to focus.
Just food for thought :)
Yeah, people think I make the big bucks here too. The going rate for a single child is $30 a day. Those teachers should NOT complain because they have the luxury as well to 'call in sick' from their work and still get paid for it. I do not have that option and during cold/flu season when kids are off for various reasons, I lose a ton of income since I do not charge for days the kids do not come. That's just not the way things are done where I live, I wish that was not the case but it is what it is and I do earn enough for our bills to be paid and for me to also stay home with my 'tweens' as well. Like I've mentioned here before, I am considering changing employment but it is very hard to make the transition and Judy you hit the nail on the head when you said that daycare is not just a job or career, it is a lifestyle and changing lifestyles is not the same as just jumping from job to job, it can't be done lightly, if things aren't going well like say for a teacher, they can apply at another school within their community, I can't just jump ship to another house lol!
To anonymous who said: "WOW... that is why I pay the big bucks. GRRRRRR".....
I recently bought a used van. So yep, new to me. One day a dcparent had the nerve to say, "Oh, that's where our money goes". And I piped up and said, "Yep, and I paid cash for it too - thanks".
Stupid, ignorant comments deserve rude, direct answers. It definately stopped this dcparent in their tracks speechless.
I have worked in Day care centers for sevral year before opening my own day home and I too got comments from parents who were teachers about how much their child care was and how 'offended' they were to have to pay over the summer to ensure their spots. I even worked in a center once that had a private Kindergarten, with a 'new' teacher who had her own thoughts on child care centers and providers. By the end of the first month she had changed her tune! Her 'teacher' salary for her class was greatly reduced when she was 'just a staff' for the rest of the day. No longer did she think we made to much money! LOL
Now that I have my own day home, I have broken my daily fees down (based on hours/food/bills etc)a few times for parents and they soon see that no, I do NOT make as much money as they think.
Finally, it amazes me that many parents have no qualms about paying between $500-$1000/mth for their vehicles, but God forbid should they do it for their children!
Good post Judy!
Dmansmomy
My mother recently bought me a diamond necklace. Which is nice...My parents are phycians and make WAY more money than me....
A dc parent looked at my neck this morning and said "My god...Is that a REAL diamond? You naughty girl...wasting my money".
I was shocked. I admit..I had nothing to say...was embarassed...and still don't know what I should have said..
HER money???? That's your money once she hands it over. Wow, that is really unbelievable! I probably would have said..."Oh NO, there is no way I could ever afford to buy this necklace, it was a gift. Gee maybe I should consider increasing my fees! What would you think of that?"
One dcmom I have said to me a couple of weeks ago that she is sick of parents complaining about daycare costs she said it's their choice to have kids and if you break it down per hour we don't make nearly enough. Plus she understands that I feed the kids well and put money into the quality care as well. Yup I love this dcmom because she gets it!!!
momof2
I have a dcp who made a rude comment each time she noticed something...wow your child has lots of clothing for the money I pay you....your taking vacation, how can you afford to be off. I just smiled and didn't say anything for the longest time then I started to make remarks back. This is the only dcp i have who just does not get it and funny thing is this person is a former provider. I consider myself lucky because I can stay home with my child doing something that I really enjoy, I do not make lots of money,but as stated in earlier posts it is a lifestye and I love my lifestyle:)
I know I am going to hear about it tomorrow when I hand out my annual receipts for child care! I only hand them out once a year ... and I always hear the same thing! "oh wow, I sure paid you a lot of money! What did you do with it all?" Duh - I paid my bills, fed your child, kept him in craft supplies etc!!
Maybe I should ask what they do with all the money they make at their jobs!!
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