Money Can't Buy You Wealth

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.

Training Camp

I always wanted to be a dog trainer. Dogs are great. They love you unconditionally, always miss you when you leave and show their undying affection when you return, and are the most empathetic pet. Dogs are cuddly and cute and wonderful. Yes, I am a dog person. In fact, if I could manage a successful, profitable doggy daycare I would be stocking up on pooper scoopers before you could utter the words "doggy biscuit". I much prefer doggy doo-doo to big kid poop and dog slobber doesn't seem to have the same cringe factor as snotty, kid spit. And heck, just like kids, dogs can be trained too. God love 'em.

I've never met a dog I didn't like. I can't say the same for kids. Yes, I will openly admit that I don't like all kids. Kids who are misbehaved, rude and impolite can try their repertoire on someone else cause this old gal ain't buying it. However, I think most of the harder-to-like kids lack the same things that hard-to-like dogs lack - training. Really, give me any dog that is unruly and disliked and in a weeks' time, with some love, attention and training that dog will morph into the most pleasant pet you ever had the fortune to call your own. The same can be said for children. With a little love and guidance and the ability to be the bad guy, any caregiver can have wonderful children to spend her days with.

My brother in law always joked that when he had kids he was going to send them to me to raise for a few weeks. He had no doubt that whatever troubles they had when dropped off would somehow disappear during their stay with me. We never carried out this experiment but I suspect his hunch is correct. Kids respect me not because I am mean or controlling. Kids respect me because they understand that I have high expectations for them. I expect nothing less than their best and for that expectation I gain respect and behaved children.

There was a day last week when I realized the extent of my efforts to help raise caring, responsible children. It is a rule of mine that while the children are in my care they will clean up their mess of toys. You will not find me on my hands and knees digging Little People out from under the doll cradle or Lego from under the craft table. No, those who make the mess shall clean up after themselves. Their mothers might tidy up their toys at home but this is not home. This is Miss Judy's house. This rule came to a head when a new child, who has been in my care a mere three weeks awoke from nap time. As I smiled and asked everyone how their sleep was I was gathering pillows and placing them away until their next use. From across the room came this new child, nap mat, pillow and blanket in hand to put them in the cupboard. I did not ask him to carry these large, bulky items. He simply felt the initiative to do so and took responsibility for his things. It was a proud moment. In three weeks time he had figured it out and a difference was made.

Children can be trained. The word training in concern to children often has a negative connotation. I'm not sure why this is. As adults we receive training in all types of environments. We are trained in school, in our jobs, and in some cases, parenting. We are trained and we learn as a result. Children deserve the opportunity to train as well. Why do we often rob them of this ability? We rob them because we assume they are not capable. What a shame to underestimate the abilities of children.

It amazes me that many parents do not give training its merit due. They think their child too young to learn. They see a child manipulate a negative situation but do not have the insight to realize that manipulation takes tremendous thought and intelligence. If your child is adept at manipulating you to pick up his toys for him then he possesses the competence to do it himself.

I wish that as a society we would stop coddling our children keeping them in a perpetual state of infancy. Perhaps this attempt to keep our children dependent is self-serving and fills a void that we find empty. Regardless, that is our problem and not that of the child. We need to start treating children like people; clever, intelligent, equipped people. People who have the desire and ability to learn and grow and acquire new skills; people who deserve nothing less.

My sleep time security share is coming to an end. In a few minutes I will greet my nappers with a smile and pat on the head. And when I do, every one of them will pick up their sleep mat and pillow and hand them to me to put in the cupboard. I wish their parents were here to witness this. They might be amazed at the skills their child possesses - all in the name of training.

Fear Is Not Your Friend

I didn't want to blog on this topic. I did not want to open the can of proverbial worms. I did not want to engage the scary media people, the hyped up parents or the misinformed. However, due to the increasing number of emails received with concern to this subject I will in fact address the issue. The issue I speak of is H1N1.

Before I begin my verbal insults of the medical profession and your local news station I will make a disclaimer. I am the parent of two, innately healthy, unvaccinated children who have optimally functioning immune systems. Never have their arms been extended to take in a toxic soup of chemicals. Never have they cried from needle pricks. Never have I been awakened by the high pitched fever scream of a freshly vaccinated child. Never have I walked into a doctor's office asking for advice on the soreness, the fever or the wailing to be told it is "normal". Perhaps we are not "normal". I can live with that.

With that said, and a clear warning of my biased, yet extensively researched opinion on all things vaccination I will continue with the blog.

It seems that this morning Ontario citizens woke up with increased fear of the dreaded swine flu (and no, I will not further sensationalize the name with capital letters). We poured our morning coffee and either turned on the morning news or picked up the paper. Regardless of the form of media first introduced to you in the early hours of this day the result was the same. A child had died in our province. A victim, stated the media, of H1N1. Suddenly message boards everywhere were a flurry of activity and parents started to doubt their doubts about the vaccine.

Being a parent myself I can understand the hysteria many parents feel today. My heart mourns for the child who passed and more so for the family he left behind. One can not possibly imagine the grief and despair they must feel. Our imaginations at what they must be going through are not wicked or evil enough to come close to that realization. But I sincerely hope that all parents are not allowing the death of this child to cloud their view - their rationalization.

There is a blatant force of misinformation and scaremongering in this country. The only place worse on earth wherein people are made to feel fearful and doubtful of all that they know is the United States. This past weekend President Obama declared a medical state of emergency. The president himself claimed that H1N1 was responsible for 1000 deaths in the United States. From an onlookers respect this sounds plausible. After all, we all know that for the last four months the first news story on any television channel was about the swine flu and its recent victims. I dare say that with all the deaths I have seen attributed to the swine flu the number of attributable deaths should actually be more. But I am smarter than that.

I find it interesting that even the president of the United States would be so careless as to make such a big statement, foolishly forgetting that Americans (and Canadians) are smart people with computers - computers to verify or nullify the very words he speaks.

1000 deaths? Oh, Mr. President. How could you think us so stupid?

The Center for Disease Control is the end all be all, it seems, for all things statistical concerning diseases of man. The CDC's own website clearly shows it has not been tracking cases of H1N1 since August of this year. One must wonder then, where Mr. Obama got his information. And why the scare tactic of declaring an emergency if his own governing body of all risks to public health doesn't see the need to track the same virus the president thinks so harmful. Why? Because it simply is not as harmful as the media has lead us to believe.

The actual incidence rate of confirmed cases of H1N1 is a mere two per cent. Yes, TWO percent. Of all the suspected cases of H1N1 only TWO percent have been confirmed to be the actual swine flu. Two per cent. It seems to me that everyone I know seems to know someone who has contracted H1N1. Either there are a lot of doctors telling patients they have H1N1 without the benefit of a positive lab swab or the numbers are way off. Something doesn't add up. In fact if you look at more common things like cancer and heart disease you will see that the stats offered in H1N1 are far less alarming than need be. In 2007 one in every 350 Americans contracted some form of skin cancer. In 2005 heart disease was responsible for 27% (CDC website) of all deaths in the U.S. alone. Do we turn on our televisions every night and hear frantic reports of fear mongering and standing in line to put out your arm and take in that cocktail of chemicals for the benefit of skin cancer or heart disease? No, we don't.

I have had a flurry of emails from daycare providers asking me about my stance on H1N1. These ladies want to know what I am doing to prevent this epidemic from entering my home. Some providers are so bold as to ask if I will demand the parents of the children in my care to get their child vaccinated. As a parent I would be appalled at anyone other than my spouse demanding such things. When did we, as daycare providers earn the right to force medical procedures and decisions on parents? We didn't before and we don't now.

For now I will sit and wait. I'll wait for the hysteria to die down, for the next big disease process to be renamed, and for big pharma to step in and save humanity as we know it with their pills and syringes. And while I wait I will silently pray that none of the children in my care ever have to put forth their tiny little arm to take in the toxins. In fact, I would love to have a daycare full of children who have never had to extend that tiny little arm. Send me the innately, perfectly immune children and I will welcome them with open arms.

I am not afraid. I do not live in fear. I have done my research. I live a healthy life. I have faith that the power that made the body will heal the body. And that, my friends is the short answer. With that I leave you this:

Dr. Mercola and The Swine Flu



For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

HDPBP

I am implementing the official Home Daycare Provider Benefits Plan. From now on I am going to take advantage of every opportunity the HDPBP offers. Sorry, it does not include paid sick days, paid vacation or a pension plan but it does have its perks. The employee contribution is negligible and the rewards, if used to their maximum are outstanding. The only catch to the HDPBP is that an unprecedented lack of guilt is required if the benefits are to be enjoyed to their fullest extent.

The most fantastic component of the HDPBP is the sleep time security share. Each and every day you are able to gain an additional one paid hour of time to enjoy. The process of benefits payout is simple with the sleep time security share. Every afternoon, at nap time simply close your eyes for sixty consecutive minutes. When you awake, refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to take on the day you will realize you have been paid for one hours wages to sleep. But wait, the benefit lies not in paid nap time but in the additional hour you may now spend in the evening enjoying leisure pursuits. Just imagine how much time you could amass if every day you took advantage of the sleep time security share. One nap five times a week over the course of a year is an additional 260 hours or 32.5 work days you have to yourself. Who said the daycare parents who gloat to us about paid shopping days are the only ones getting benefits? Hell, we can get paid time too. We just have to be smarter about it. However, I am sorry to inform you that the sleep time security share only works in real time. You may not carry over benefits used or unused for more than a 24 hour period. Doing so will result in late nights and sleep deprivation that might affect your ability to take advantage of the next benefit.

The employee motivation benefit is the next best thing to the sleep time security share. This benefit allows you the opportunity to take advantage of the daycare provider helpline free of charge. At any time during the day the employee motivation benefit allows you to log on, call up, or stop by a friends house, albeit sometimes with five children attached to your legs, to garner support, a cup of coffee and a bitch session. If used correctly, the employee motivation benefit can be better (and cheaper) than a prescription for Prozac. The side effects however, just like Prozac include addiction to talk forums, blogs and Bell Canada.

And speaking of addictions we must not forget about the bottomless cup commission. This benefit is perhaps, if you have not had your daily dose of provider Prozac, the most necessary benefit of all. At any time during the day you are able to visit the communal coffee pot for what is always a fresh, hot cup of coffee. Adjacent to the pot is of course an array of items to compliment or enhance your bottomless cup commission ranging from vanilla powder to Caramel Bailey's. Don't worry, this is an employee specific benefit. No one will verify your coffee enhancements. No one's looking.

Perhaps my favourite HDPBP perk is the domestic duties dividend. This benefit comes in the form of clean, folded laundry and perfectly pleated bed skirts. It is amazing to find that yes, you can be paid to be both a domestic goddess and a daycare provider. Many executives have expense accounts to which they might charge dry cleaning bills and tailoring costs. Why not take advantage of more of that paid time to fold laundry. Heck, if you combine the time saved from your domestic duties dividend and your sleep time security share you will amass hours of extra time you can call your own each and every week night. Toss some Play-doh on the table and start matching socks.

One can not forget the private toilet treasury. Is there anything more special than not having to squat to pee? With the private toilet treasury you can sit down, rest and take thirty seconds to do your business. And when that private toilet becomes dirty you can move some of your domestic duties dividends shares over into the private toilet treasury and clean it. See, I told you this benefits plan was state of the art and rivals the best.

Take some time today to visit your human resources office and speak to the boss. Ask her why it is you have not been able to take advantage of the HDPBP. After all, you have been paying into it for a long, long time. Oh, but you better wait until after the boss has finished with her sleep time security share or you might not like her answer. Always better to bother someone after their break rather than in the middle. Speaking of which - aren't YOU supposed to be taking advantage of a benefit right now?

For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

I'm A Swinger

It's October and a beautiful day. My job allows me to run on the fly, spontaneously escaping from the house to take advantage of any fun activity that presents an opportunity. Being Muffin Day we decided to combine our special treat with a trip to the park to enjoy the cool breeze and watch the giant, fluffy clouds roll in.

As we sat in the park eating muffins and laughing at the small birds who stopped by hoping for a few crumbs I couldn't help but relish in the moment. There I was, getting paid to sit in the park and eat fresh, warm muffins. With me were my own children laughing and giggling and I had the great fortune, because of my job, to bear witness to every smile. What a glorious thing.

Muffins finished, the kids ran to the play equipment in a race to see who would slide first. I took the opportunity to jump on the first swing and pumped my legs forward. It was an exhilarating feeling, sitting in the park, swinging like a carefree child, the wind in my hair and fresh air filling my lungs. It was one of the many moments when I realized how lucky I am. But then again, I thought, I am not really 'lucky'. After all, I chose this destiny. And in doing so I have tremendous job satisfaction. That thought made me wonder how many others have satisfaction in the career path of their choosing.

In 2007 a study was done by the University of Chicago wherein they polled various professionals and labourers and asked the question, "how satisfied are you in your job?". You might be surprised to know that the study cited that, "the most satisfying jobs are mostly professions, especially those involving caring for, teaching, and protecting others and creative pursuits". As daycare providers we certainly fall into that category of caregivers.

Providing daycare is certainly not full of roses and lollipops and we have our moments of frustration and regret. However, I suspect nearly every employee, in every job, has these same moments. I imagine, that even the one individual who has gone through the most demanding, disclosing, and difficult interview process ever - the president of the United States - has mornings when he wakes up and wishes he could pull the covers up over his head and disappear. I'm pretty sure that the president gets far more credit and pay for his accomplishments than we do ours. With that in mind, our jobs are far more fun than being president. Sure, we too have to worry about projectiles coming our way - vomit has that attribute but then again I don't have human shields to protect me from the chunks. Yeah, maybe my job is harder than that of the president!

All vomiting, pooping, peeing, feeding, and tantrums aside we have little to complain about. Yes, the parents can be a challenge but thank goodness I only have to spend five minutes a day with them. But by far, the children, with their laughter and silliness make up for the inadequacies of some parents. And the rewards I reap from the little I sow are a thousand fold. I am positive that in any other line of work I would feel more tired and less satisfied with my accomplishments every evening as I sit folding laundry at eleven o'clock at night when I finally had time, after being out of the house all day. Yeah, my job isn't so bad.

Anytime I meet someone for the first time and am asked what it is I do I always reply with honesty knowing that as soon as I utter the word "daycare" their attention will wane and I will no longer be interesting. That's okay. I know the work I do in one day is probably more important than the work they do in a week's time. Maybe next time that same questions is posed I will answer that I am a 'swinger'. It's sure to pique more interest. Besides, it's true. Yes, I am a daycare provider. However, I wish to be known by my professional name - Muffin Eating, Wind Blown Swinger. Now that job title should turn some heads.



For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

Dump On Me

Daycare is like a construction site. Beside my home is an open field where new homes are being built in a frenzy of banging hammers, ground shaking backhoes and smells of new wood and fresh concrete. When I look at that construction site I realize that perhaps the worlds of construction and daycare are not so different. Just think about it for a minute and soon you too will agree.

Construction projects always start with digging a hole. Just like the hole every daycare provider found in her pocket as she repeatedly doled out cash to set up her daycare. And, then, like the concrete foundation they start to pour every daycare provider gathers together all those things that form the foundation of her business - toys, crafts, first-aid training, a police check, advertisements and clients. The daycare provider carries on, improving the frame work of her business just as the house finds itself with lumbar walls. Eventually, both the daycare provider and the house fill in the cracks and a complete unit is presented to the world. And one day, when it is weathered and old and the roof starts to flop in the breeze the daycare provider will realize that like the old house, she too has character and memories.

What struck me most about construction in relation to daycare was the arrival of dump trucks. The trucks pull in to the lot, backing up, all warning bells dinging and then when perfectly positioned they dump the load of topsoil and leave in a great hurry. When I saw this occur it struck me how many daycare parents dump and run too.

How often does a parent off load their responsibilities on a daycare provider? How often do they come in, alarm bells going off, dump and run? The short answer is all the time. My personal favourite of these typical situations is breakfast. My policies state that all children must come prepared for the day. However, every day one particular child shows up with a plastic container of mini muffins to consume as his first meal. The excuse is always the same; the parent was too rushed. Interesting concept. The parent was too rushed to feed one child but sees nothing of the fact that I am responsible for five children and now must find the time in my rushed day to supervise a child while they eat their breakfast. Perhaps I fail to see the logic there.

Of course there are a thousand other responsibilities that parents back up to your doorstep and dump into your lap. Just the other day I was reading a forum post about a parent who couldn't be bothered to ensure a child finished a prescribed antibiotic. This parent claimed "it wasn't worth the battle" but the very next day asked the daycare provider to ensure the child received his daily dosage. Yes, let the dumping begin. Then there are always the parents who dumps on to the provider the responsibility of dressing the child as they arrive in their pajamas, today's clothes in a shopping bag. "Sure", you say, "no problem". Before long you wish the backhoe would just come along and run you over. Life would be easier that way.

Yes, daycare is like construction in so many ways. The only visible difference is with the man who holds the sign that reads, "stop" and "slow". My kids don't seem to understand that one. Maybe I just need to borrow the sign guy for the day. Or better yet, I'll trade him jobs. He can enjoy my dump truck and I'll try out his. I'm pretty sure by the end of the day I will be all smiles and he will be looking for that backhoe.

For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

The Destiny Of An Unsuccessful Tree

The other day as I sat in the drive thru lane of my favourite hot beverage store, thanking the Java Gods for the oncoming caffeine rush I was about to enjoy I started to do math. Perhaps it was my fidgety state that made me want to calculate how much money I spend on coffee in any given year. I won't share with you what the total calculated as it would only lead to further embarrassment on my part. But what I will share with you was my ongoing thought process of the dollars spent on other items frequently purchased for use in my home.

We can all agree that snot and poop duty are on the list of least desirable job responsibilities for any daycare provider. Wiping snot and poop also come with costs to our health as well. I always shudder at the beginning of Snot Fest. I shudder because I know it will take nothing short of a miracle to wipe snot from the faces of five different kids, all in their individual shades of green, and not contract the illness responsible for the copious amounts of snot production. This fact alone lead me to wonder exactly how many Kleenexes are used over the course of the average daycare provider's career.

If the average daycare provider is anything like me they can not stand to watch a child dip their tongue into the double-barrelled green goo running like a river from a child's nose. Up we get, pulling Kleenex from the box with that familiar 'whoosh' sound to rescue the taste buds of one child's tongue. Over the course of one week during the months of November through April I can annihilate two boxes of Kleenex in a flash. In just those six months alone that is .....count 'em......fifty-two boxes of Kleenex! Add to that number the other fifteen or so boxes used throughout the rest of the year and the average provider purchases sixty-seven boxes or, seventy dollars worth of Kleenex each and every year. Worse yet is the vision of the mountains and mountains of snot encapsulated in all those Kleenex. Boy, I sure am glad I'm not the garbage man.

How about wipes? There are plenty of nasty, poop smeared wipes included in my weekly garbage as well. As a person who has a particular aversion to the energy depleted food remnants of others I am fond of using quite a few wipes at a time. I like to build as much of a barrier between my bare hand and the poop-encrusted butt I intend to wipe. I will often use as many as four wipes in one dirty diaper change. Add that up and before I know it I have used twenty wipes a day - that's one pack of wipes each and every week. Fifty-two packs of wipes and one hundred and fifty dollars later I can call it a stinky year.

They say that "what goes in must come out" and I guess that includes money too. I know that whatever monies I deposit into my bank account always seem to find a way to escape somehow. Over the course of a year I spend around two hundred and twenty dollars on sopping up exactly what "must come out". We won't even mention the amount of toilet paper that is used by a potty training toddler who does not understand that the toilet hole has its own limits as far as its capacity. No, I won't go there today.

If the average daycare provider has a career of only ten years they will spend more than $2200.00 on plush paper products to wipe butts and eradicate snot. I don't know about you but that number makes me nauseous. Not only is that amount a lot of money to spend on a completely disposable commodity but it is also environmentally unfriendly. I guess we could all stop complaining, adopt an environmentally friendly stance and use hankies and washable butt wipes. We would certainly save a lot of money and landfill area. I actually know of a provider who uses terrycloth wipes. I'm happy it's working for her; for me - not so much. I'll just keep forking out money for Kleenex and wipes. And then next time I am sitting in the Starbuck's drive thru I'll not do math.









For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

Money, Money, Money, Money

It's tough out there. Everywhere you go you hear of people losing their jobs. As self-employed business owners we too are feeling the pinch. Less people having jobs means less parents are in need of daycare. Add to this fact that some daycare providers also have spouses out of work and it is a disaster in the making.

Today I received an email request to write about budgeting and methods to reduce daycare costs. We're all aware that operating a daycare means paying for overhead expenses. Additional costs associated with operating a business from home include everything from additional electricity to food to craft supplies. How then, in these tough economic times, do we tighten our money belts and save for our own family's expenses while still offering top quality care we can be proud of?

With a little brainstorming and a small amount of research time I have come up with some cost-effective ways to provide all that we want and still be able to lay our heads down at night with the security of knowing the mortgage will get paid.

The largest expense daycare providers face is that of food costs. There are many ways to cut down on the cost of feeding those always empty bellies belonging to those hungry, hungry gaffers that run around your home all day. I guess we could duct tape them all the the floor in an attempt to expend less calories and therefore require less nourishment to replace all the calories lost through play but somehow I imagine the parents, and the Children's Aid Society might take issue with that. And, as much as I might love to have a quiet, solo vacation I was thinking of somewhere more tropical than steel bars and a concrete slab.

Casseroles are the mainstay of a budgeted menu. Budgeting does not have to equate "cheap" as far as nutrition and taste are concerned. Tuna casserole provides more protein per serving than any other quick lunch you can serve that would be gobbled up in minutes. A meagre can of tuna can cost as little as seventy cents a pack and offer as much as thirty grams of protein. Combine two cans of tuna with a half a package of egg noodles, a can of creamed soup and a cup of milk and you will provide five hungry bodies with lunch for under $4.00. What other nutritious, kid-friendly meal can you serve for less than one dollar a portion? Swap out the tuna for ground beef, and the creamed soup for a can of tomato paste and you now have homemade beefaroni for under $5.00. Have any left over cottage cheese in the fridge? Toss it in too and you have another protein packed lunch.

Fresh produce can be expensive. There are methods, however, to take advantage of fruits and veggies that are priced less than average and still get all the nutritional benefits. The next time you are in the produce aisle head straight to the back. You will often find packaged produce marked down on a miscellaneous cart near the back wall. Often times these discount packages are jewels in the rough. A marked down package of apples can become inexpensive apple sauce, apple muffins or apple cake. In fact, these apples make a terrific version of "baked apples" that will have the kids asking for more. Simply peel, core and slice the apples. Place them in a glass bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place the apples in the microwave for one minute. Stir and cook for an additional minute. Viola! Baked cinnamon apples the kids will love - and all for less than a dollar! You can make similar items with reduced carrots, zucchini and pineapple. All of these fruits are great for making muffins. My favourite is picking up bananas that, on the outside appear brown. Inside these aesthetically repugnant bananas are sweet, acidic delicacies that make the best banana bread you will ever taste. You will often find reduced bananas for less than a nickle each. What a great bargain! Mix up a loaf of banana bread for less than seventy five cents. And while you're making that banana bread toss in some of that apple sauce you made from the reduced apples for half of the butter asked for in the recipe. You will have a healthier, cheaper version ready to eat in less than an hour. Kids love baked goods. Why not save a few pennies and feed them high quality food they love?

The second biggest expense daycare providers face is craft supplies. I am the first to admit to being 'craft challenged' but even I can come up with some cost effective solutions to getting glue and glitter all over everything. One of my favourite ideas was tweaked from a craft a fellow daycare provider posted on a forum I frequent. Everyone has those Saturday sales flyers that flood your front doorstep. Why not make use of that free paper and give your kids something to do on these brisk fall days? Cut out Halloween items from the flyers and allow the kids in your care to make collages of all things Halloween. The best part is that you don't even have to provide the paper! Have the kids paste their cut outs right on to another piece of flyer paper. Once finished cut out a square box from the centre of their master piece and discard the edges. Before you will be a beautiful collage of Halloween art that any parent would proudly display on the refrigerator.

Fall leaves and pine cones can make for another inexpensive fall craft. Leaves make great collages as well. Pine cones can be transformed to pretty art with some glue and glitter or paint. And while you are collecting those pine cones save a few for Christmas decorations the kids can glitter and take home to mom and dad. Fall leaves can also be used to make autumn inspired napkin holders for the family table. Simple cut strips of paper and then roll into a ring and staple. Glue a leaf to the front and you have cute table accessories the kids will be proud of. Or, if you have ample time on your hands take old cans, tape the top edge with duct tape and allow the kids to decorate the sides with more of those leaves you collected. Who doesn't need another pencil holder?

There are cost savings all around you. Kids aren't fussy; they just want to have fun. So get out there and find inspired, and cheap ways to do it all for less. Your wallet will be fuller, you'll sleep better at night and your home will be filled with the sweet smell of baked goods.

For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

Sleep, Baby, Sleep

Let's talk about sleep, baby.

Let's talk about you and me.

Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be.

Let's talk about sleep.

Maybe George Michael was talking about something far more exciting in his popular song but if you are a daycare provider successful sleepers are far more exciting than sex anyway. That said, let's talk about sleep.

Nap time can be the bane of a daycare provider's existence. Regardless of how successful the day has been, throw one non-sleeping, screaming kid into the mix and suddenly you start to question why you choose to provide daycare at all. Before you know it, there are five or more crying children all awake and your break is finished before it got started. Tired, hungry and fed-up you get all the kids up and carry on with your day. Now all the kids are over-tired and cranky and you realize, as you look at the clock that the next fours hours are going to be the longest of your life. Does it have to be this way? No, it does not.

There are any numbers of reasons a daycare provider, if desired, does not have the luxury of a house full of slumbering kids and a much needed afternoon break for herself. Some of these reasons include parental requests and a lack of knowledgeable skills pertaining to what works in regards to getting kids to lay down to sleep and stay asleep.

Parental requests to not allow little Johnny to nap are frequent. For some reason most parents have the misguided notion that over-tired children are more apt to fall down in a coma state at bedtime. How wrong they are. There is much research on the developing brain of children that cites most children are sleep deprived and get into a viscous cycle of being overtired and therefore, unable to quiet their brains and allow quality sleep. Not allowing a child to nap perpetuates the cycle of over stimulation that carries on day to night. Sadly, the child never experiences quality sleep and suffers the effects of sleep deprivation which can include everything from problems learning to poor behaviour.

When a parent asks me to not allow their child to nap I am upfront and honest. I flatly refuse the request. I explain to parents that nap time is important not only for the children but for myself as well. I make it very clear that the inability of a child to nap while in my care will result in termination of services. And I mean every word. I will simply not be party to allowing a child be exhausted. Therefore, if a child is in my care I can guarantee they are napping.

Introducing new children into care always presents a challenge. Rarely is a new child sleep ready and accustomed to self soothing at nap time. In fact, if I were to count the number of children I have cared for I might be able to think of a single child who, upon their first day in care, went down at nap time and slept for an acceptable amount of time. I find that in today's society many children do not have a set nap period but rather fall asleep while in the car running errands or in the stroller at Mommy and Me walks. These children arrive at daycare not having a nap routine in place.

My nap routine for children who resist sleep is simple. I employ the cry-it-out technique that is the shared opinion of pediatricians like Dr. Weissbluth and Dr. Ferber. I place the child in a playpen or crib in a room of the house not shared with any children. I tell the child it is now time to sleep, give them a quick rub on their back and leave. Yes, they cry; they cry a lot. However, knowing this method works I do not, under any circumstances, give in to the crying. Through the course of nap time I will periodically go back in, lay the child down and repeat that it is sleep time but under no circumstances will I pick up the child or take the child out of the playpen. Little contact is made. The visit is short and I leave as soon as possible.

Many parents abhor this technique and will disclaim it's merits. However, as a daycare provider who has transitioned many children into care I can say, with honesty, this technique works. Within a week or two the child will learn that nap time is nap time. You will have a blissfully sleeping child who will wake up refreshed, energized and happy to greet the rest of the day. What more could a daycare provider want then happy, well rested children? What a gift to give a parent as well - a child who is happy and ready to spend a few hours with them at the end of the day. How wonderful to spend time with a joyful child than one who is cranky and overtired.

As daycare providers we juggle many tasks. One of those task should not be napping. There is no reason any daycare provider should have children attached to her hip mid-afternoon simply because that child will not, or is not allowed to nap. What a disservice we are doing to both the child and ourselves.

Decide today to take back your "union break". Demand that all children nap and then carry out whatever is needed to ensure your demands are met. And for goodness sake, set straight those parents who request their child not sleep. Let them know that this is your business and your rules apply. If parents do not like the service provided they are free to go elsewhere.

I still have a glorious one hour and forty minutes left of my "union break". I think I'll put on a pot of coffee and sip the sweet nectar of the God's in the silence that fills my home. All my kids are asleep. Are yours?

For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

Trading Cupcakes For Parents

There comes a time in your daycare career that you either have to smile, let it all slide or scream at the top of your lungs like a crazy person. It is inevitable in this job that there will be times that the priorities (or lack thereof) of the families in your care will affect you emotionally. It is impossible to care for a child for years and not feel some sort of resentment toward a parent who, you deem, is acting selfishly at the expense of their children.

Today in my care are two little girls who are celebrating their third birthday. Children rarely understand the significance of birthdays until the age of three. It is this year that these two children are excited with anticipation at what this special day holds in store for them. Sadly, what is in store for them also includes a full day in my care with, I would bet, will not be an early day.

I have stated before my general disdain for parents who repeatedly take mental health days without any care or consideration for their children. Often, these parents take paid days off a few times a month but never find the time or the need to keep their children home with them. I find it incredibly hard to believe that a parent, who spends fifty hours a week away from their child, wouldn't soak up every extra available minute with their precious gifts. Perhaps I am naive and living in the little town of PollyAnaVille myself with the misguided notion that parents are supposed to enjoy time with their children.

One would assume that if a parent has more than three months of paid vacation time a year that they might take one day a year to spend with their children. What a special gift to give a child on their birthday - a day with mommy or daddy. There is no pretty, packaged toy or gift that can trump time and attention. There never has been such a gift and I dare say there never will be.

I appreciate the sentiment that parents assume I am such a loving, warm hearted person as to make their child's birthday a special day. Is that really my job? Should the responsibility of happiness and childhood memories be that of a daycare provider? When a child is eighteen do parents really want their memories of the child's third birthday to be that of their daycare provider; I sincerely hope not.

It would be a lie to say that I am not angry today. It would also be a lie to admit that I am not saddened by the selfishness of two parents at the expense of their children. In fact, outrage might be a better word. If Facebook is once again my loyal spy then one of the parents of these little girls is enjoying a day off while their children are in daycare on their third birthday. In what universe is that acceptable?

Today I will carry on as usual, picking up the slack where it is needed. I have passed out balloons and flower crowns, shook my booty at the dance party and can smell cupcakes in the kitchen. Yes, leave it to me. I'll make the day special; someone has to.

For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

Long Weekends Make For Long Naps

Ah, the day after a long weekend. What could be better than coming off of three or four glorious, carefree days to a group of overtired, cranky, sugar-hyped kids? Sometimes long weekends are a curse rather than a blessing. The end result is always the same - daycare providers are forced to deal with the fall-out.

I love opening the door on Tuesday morning, the first day back to work after an extra long weekend, to have parents inform me that their child is very tired as they were not given the opportunity to nap since leaving my home the previous week. And then, in the next breath the parent will also inform me that the child was up half the night as they could not settle into sleep. It's at this point I roll my eyes, my blood pressure rising with the feeling my head might literally pop off of my shoulders. Yeah. Great. I love caring for cranky kids because the parent just couldn't bring themselves to parent over the long weekend. Thanks. And while we're on the topic of parenting how exactly do daycare parents rationalize that they could not get their child down to nap over the weekend but I can manage to not only successfully nap their child but four of his friends? The answer is simple; they just don't care. They created the little, overtired monster they drop on my doorstep. And the minute they step out my door, their child left behind, he is no longer their problem. Nope, he's my problem. Super.

If there is one positive aspect of the first care day after a long weekend it is this - it makes for a very long nap. Any daycare provider who has experienced the long weekend daycare fall out will undoubtedly have a list of things she plans to accomplish during nap time. The children in my care normally have a two hour nap period. However, today that nap period will be extended by one hour. This is a completely selfish act that benefits only me. Not only do I get an extra hour of my "Union Break" I also ensure that tonight, these same children will go down to sleep and therefore not cause me grief tomorrow. Okay, I lied, my ability to parent benefits not only me but the child and the parent.

I wish I could ask daycare parents to chronicle the sleep quality and quantity of their children during a holiday weekend and then the two days following that weekend. I have no doubt that after a mere one day back in care their child sleep longer and sounder that very night. Yes, we daycare providers are miracle workers. Imagine the special powers we must have to ask a child to lay down to sleep and set out the clear expectations to that child that sleep will, in fact, occur. No, it is not a miracle; it's parenting.

There are many items on my list of things to do today. I have plenty of time to get them all done too. Having completed item number one here on the blog I plan to move on to number two. So, if you need me I'll be busy - napping.

For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish to take this opportunity to extend a Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you. I sincerely hope your long weekend will be filled with family, friends and much joy and laughter. This weekend when I sit down with my loved ones I will be thankful for all of you who take time from your day to stop by and read the humble writings of a fellow daycare provider. Thank you all for allowing me a platform for my voice. You have no idea how grateful I am for all of the kind words via email and the comment form that many of you have extended. Without all of you this blog would not exist. Every daycare provider and parent who stops by everyday is motivation for me to write.

Enjoy this time with your loved ones. I too will be enjoying a few extra days off myself. I look forward to seeing you all again on Tuesday. Before I sign off I have one favour to ask. This weekend while you are out filling your grocery cart please take time to place a few additional cans and boxes in the basket and place those much needed items in the food bank bin located in your store. Somewhere a family will thank you. Remember - those who have more should give more.

Again, my most gracious thanks to you all. Happy Thanksgiving.

For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

Expect And You Will Receive

Is each new generation genetically flawed? Are we just getting dumber? Is all progeny of our generation developmentally delayed? I ask these questions because the children of today are less adept at those normal developmental milestones expected of us as children. I know I'm smart. I was potty trained at two and a half years old. I learned to tie my shoes before I got on the bus the first day of kindergarten. If I compare myself as a child to most of the kids in my care I would have to assume that I was a child genius.

Why is it that in 2009 most kids who attend grade one can not tie their shoes? I think it's great that Velcro has done so well. I'm sure that somewhere, in a Malibu mansion, sits its inventor sipping lattes and pina coladas. However, the inventor must also understand what a great disservice he has done to millions of children while serving the laziness of their parents. Step in to any shoe store and you will find that it is actually possible to wear shoes your entire lifetime and never, ever, have to acquire the skills necessary to tie a pair of laces.

What is wrong with kids these days? The more children I come in contact with the more I realize that we are raising a generation of dependent, whiny people who are not much fun to interact with. Why is this? Why are kids more dependent than ever? I have a theory and a name for that theory. I call it daycare guilt.

The more hours a child spends in non-parental care the more dependent that child. Parents, due to guilt of wanting more and therefore working more to afford the 'more, more, more' feel tremendous guilt at dropping their child in the care of a stranger fifty plus hours a week. When the parents do get a few rare hours to spend with their precious gift they do not want to sully that cherished time chastising the child for ill behaviour. Parents would rather bend down and put on the shoe of their four year old than listen to the child whine about needing help or worse, exploding into a tantrum that involves throwing that shoe. No, instead parents fall slave to their child's emotions and tread an ever finer path so as not to upset the small tyrant they have created.

Sadly, I know that most of the same children who claim to not be able to do X, Y, or Z while in their parents presence do in fact, have the skills to complete the task. There are few three or four year olds in my care who can not put on their own coat or shoes independently. Somehow, by some miracle these same children forget their acquired skill the minute their parents open the door at pick up time.

Parents need to stop feeding into their guilt and start doing what is in the best interest of their child. Offering to spoon feed a two year old is not acceptable. Yes, it's warm and it's fuzzy to sit with your child while they eat but for God's sake allow the child to use his hands. Parents need to step back and allow their children the opportunity - yes, I said "opportunity" - to grow and develop. Giving in to self-serving behaviour and towing the line for them will not allow for maturity and learning.

I recently read that daycare centres have had to change their policy concerning potty training. The standard has always been that a child could not advance to the preschool room unless the child was potty-trained. This rule seemed reasonable to me. Preschoolers are supposed to be independent children who are honing their skills rather than learning new ones. There was a financial incentive as well. Preschool rooms have a higher caretaker to child ratio and that cost savings has always been passed on to parents. Apparently, enough parents thought it discriminatory to stipulate a three year old must be potty trained in order to graduate. This notion is utterly ridiculous. Isn't the meaning of 'graduate' to advance, to have achieved a specific set of skills? Let's just keep pushing our children toward the golden egg without ever giving them reason to work for it. I'm sure kindergarten teachers all over the country are wincing with anticipation of those same parents to challenge that the school system is discriminatory as well. I'm glad I'm not a teacher.

Pampers and Huggies had a great idea when they came out with the disposable diaper. I wonder if they ever fathomed at the inception of their idea that one day, thirty years in the future they would have size six or larger diapers? If your three year old needs a diaper you can just buy Pull-ups that will afford you another year of laziness toward potty training. And when they aren't trained at five years you could always move on to Good Nites "underpants" or "boxers". But please, parents I ask one more thing. When you transition your child to the Good Nites "underpants" at least call them by their rightful name - diapers.

Parents - stop babying your children. Allow your child to grow and develop as his innate intended. Stop coddling, spoon-feeding, carrying, whining along side your three and four year old. In fact, start earlier than that. Get wild and crazy and offer your twelve month old a plastic fork and allow him to feed himself at dinner tonight. Who cares if he doesn't use the fork? He has hands for a reason. And while your at it why don't you allow that same child to climb the stairs himself? Stand behind him, encourage him and reward him with a big hug when he makes it all the way to the top. Children are not china dolls. They won't break.

I wish more parents could peek into my world of daycare every day their child is here; they would be amazed. The parents would learn first hand that little Johnny can in fact listen to direction, help tidy up the playroom, put on his own coat, slip on and fasten his velcro shoes and all of those task with a smile on his face and not tear in sight. No, little Johnny did not gain brain cells when he walked into my home. He was simply allowed to be a child; a child capable of so much more than his parents ever expect of him. There is an old proverb that says people will only live up to others' expectations of them. Do your child a favour and have only the highest of expectations. One day your child will meet those expectation. As a parent what better gift could you give?
















For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

Positively Challenging

Everyone knows that children thrive on praise and positive reinforcement. You don't have to be under five to appreciate a kind word or small ego booster. Everyone likes to know they are doing a good job. If children can be coaxed to exhibit good behaviour as the result of a little recognition then perhaps so can adults.

Too often we concentrate our efforts on the failings of the parents in our care. We are all aware that many parent do not pull their weight and expect far too much from their provider. It is this mindset that causes many daycare providers to complain and share with others those moments that are most negative and frustrating. What if we turned the tables? What if, instead of concentrating on the negatives, we applauded those few moments wherein a parent does their part? Why not exploit positivity to our benefit?

Yesterday, a reader of this blog emailed me with a fantastic idea. Laudryduchess, as she is affectionately known, has come up with a brilliant concept that every provider would benefit from employing. Laundryduchess has a family in her care that is 'golden' in every sense of the word. This week her 'golden' family took it upon themselves to keep their child home when they simply suspected he might be coming down with an illness. Laundryduchess was so grateful for this show of respect that she decided to present these parents with the 'Golden Parent Award'. This provider found an on-line site with certificates for download and created her own special award for a family who was going over and above. What a great idea!

I asked Laundryduchess to share the on-line site with us and it is included below:

www.myawardmaker.com

What would happen if collectively we all started a movement? What would be the result of hundreds of providers seeking positive parent behaviour and then rewarding that behaviour with a small certificate of thanks? I think the results might surprise even the most cynical of us.

I propose a challenge. I challenge each and every one of you to notice just one exemplary behaviour this week and reward that parent. Once your challenge is completed, return to this page and document how the award was received. Perhaps we can be instruments of change without ever having to utter a negative word. Let's give it a try. The only question that remains is - are you in?

For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

Just The Babysitter

I don't know anything. None of my colleagues and fellow daycare providers know anything either. We're all a bunch of dumbunnies who are incapable of the innate capacity to learn from past experience. In the world of science and psychology the ability to learn from one's past environmental experiences is coined perceptual development. Infants and toddlers use perceptual cues to understand and remember the world they discover. Perceptual development allows a child to understand that touching a hot stove once will, indeed, burn you the next time you touch the same stove. Perceptual development continues throughout our lives and every time we encounter a new environment or skill we employ this innate tool to teach ourselves important life information.

In this twentieth century world there is a mistaken notion that every job and career has a specific, measurable agenda and curriculum that must be learned, understood, and then tested before any one person can be accredited and therefore, assumed to be knowledgeable in that field. Gone are the days wherein experience - real life experience - counts for anything more than fireside story content. It is sad that so many people doubt themselves and others to the extent that in the process of their doubt they often discount valuable people and beneficial information.

Many daycare providers do not have expensive pieces of paper hanging on the wall attesting to the accreditation of their knowledge in the field of childcare. Most home daycare providers I have encountered are quite simply moms who choose to use their expertise as mothers and caregivers as an extension to those who live outside the confines of their homes. These women are smart, savvy and well-versed in everything children.

I do not possess a degree in early childhood education. I have, however, reared two polite, smart and independent children of my own. I have changed thousands of diapers, prepared hundreds of meals, and kissed more boo-boos than there are numbers. Do these repeated tasks not count for experience and accreditation of some kind?

One of the pet peeves of daycare providers is parents' inability to listen to our suggestions regarding the care and concern of their children. I do not possess a degree in medicine but I have changed many diapers and I am well versed in the various levels of diaper rash. When I recommend that a parent might want to pick up some Canesten cream at Wal-mart on the way home because I suspect the diaper rash is, in fact, a yeast infection, then please pay heed to my advice.

I am not a nutritionist nor do I hold any degrees in food sciences but when I ask that you not ask me for the hundredth time to allow your three year old to use milk as a main source of sustenance please listen to me. You see, in my care you child does eat lunch. Why? Simply put, he does not get a choice.

My name is not Dr.Marc Weissbluth but I have read and employed the techniques of his sleep book with dozens of children. When I tell you that your two year old still needs to nap each day and that his overtired behaviour and your lack of parenting are responsible for his not calming down at night then please, once again, give me the benefit of the doubt. And for God's sake, if I tell you that your child has not used his soother for over a month do not ask me to reintroduce it at nap time.

And for the last time; please stop putting the shoes on the feet of your four year old. When I inform you that she is quite capable of doing so herself believe me then as well. You see, your four year old does some amazing things when you are not here to do them for her.

Daycare providers are wise people. Many of the ladies who have been in the business of childcare for twenty or more years may have literally cared for sixty or more children in that time. That is sixty children transitioned into care; sixty children in a successful nap routine; sixty children she has potty trained; sixty children she has taught how to self dress; sixty children she has weaned from bottles, soothers and cozy blankets. These seasoned veterans know more and have experienced more than any grandma on the block. Learn from them. Use their experience as your tool.

I can not claim to have been in the business for twenty years. Although I have been providing care for more than five years. In that short time I have personally seen more than fifteen children come through my doors. I am not a mathematician or statistician but I am guessing that with my own children counted as well that is at least fifteen times more experience than most of the parents who come through my doors can attest to having.

Daycare providers are amazing people. Many of us do no have fancy watermarked diplomas rolled in a tube, sitting in the recesses of our closets but we do have time and experience that is easily seen and witnessed if you look hard enough. Give us the benefit of the doubt some time. You never know what you might learn.

Will most parents take our advice and apply it as requested? Probably not. But then again, what do I know; I'm just the babysitter.

For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca

Wipe Your Feet Please

It amazes me some of the things daycare parents say or think about providers. Some of them make me shake my head while others make my eyes protrude in a way that resembles a Pug. Every once in a while I will read a message board posting or a Kijiji ad that sends me into near hysterics at the audacity of some parent.

Last week one of the readers here on this blog sent me an amusing advertisement she found on a local Kijiji site. I wish this parent would spend as much time perfecting her atrocious spelling as she does bitching about her daycare provider. I will share a few snippets of the ad with you now.

Kijiji Ad : Parent's Beware

- If your child doesn’t nap she sends them to the basement during naptime unsupervised for and hour and a half as that is her quiet time.

- I cant imagine running a daycare and my house always spotless, It never looks like she is providing care for children there are no toys around. I have children and it looks like children are there. To me it looks like she is cleaning all day, maybe that is why children that dont nap are dismissed to the basement unsupervised. I have had wonderfull providers in the past, that my children loved. There houses looked like she was running a daycare. But were clean.

- when you are running a daycare out of your home, you need to realize you with be dealing with poop, pee and boogers and messes. If you cant deal with that you shouldnt realy be providing daycare services. If you are unable to be reasonable about the situation of the mess, you realy need to grow up because you yelling and degrading a young child because of the mess, isnt going to make the situation any better. And this is only my own personal opinion, but you in my eyes dont deserve to have children in your care. What so ever, if you are going to make them feel bad for your own gratification.

After I read this ad I chuckled to myself. After all, being a daycare provider for a few years now I can honestly say there is not much I have not heard before. In fact, I have had many a parent sit in my own living room and comment on the cleanliness of my home. It seems that daycare providers can not win. If our home appears 'lived in' we are messy and untidy. If a parent has to take out an insurance rider to walk from the door to our living room stepping over and through mountains of toys then our home is viewed as cluttered. And then, as this ad points out, if our home is spotless we are not dedicated to our job. We are viewed as putting our home as a priority greater than the children in our care. In short, we can not win.

My home is of the spotless types. One of the greatest compliments I ever received was by a relative who once remarked that had he not known, he would never have guessed I run a daycare from my home. I was quite pleased with this comment. However, I am sure the Kijiji poster above would view me as the hyper vigilant Molly Maid wanna-be who tosses the kids in front of the television while I feverishly scrub floor to ceiling nine hours a day. Oh, how wrong she would be!

I know many daycare providers who have dedicated daycare space. These providers easily maintain both a home and a daycare within the confines of the same four brick walls. Their playrooms are cluttered and fun while their home is tidy and kept. There can exist a balance between home and daycare. Even those providers who do not have the luxury of a dedicated space are often able to contain the toys, the crafts and the ensuing mess to specific areas of their home. There is no shame in admitting that you do not want five booger filled, double barrelled snot ridden, sticky handed children running amok in your home touching every surface and denting every wall. Besides, daycare providers, by nature, are organized, time management efficient people. What we manage to accomplish in one day would make most of the parents of the children in my care dizzy.

I love the Kijiji poster's view on nap time. Apparently she thinks it okay to expect her overworked daycare provider to work ten hours without the benefit of a break. I'm sure this parent gets her fifteen minutes every four hours or an hour long lunch break every day. Perhaps we could ask her to take one for the team and allow all her coworkers the luxury of an even longer lunch break by giving up her break each and every day. Hey, if her daycare provider can feed, entertain, change, wipe, and watch five children for ten hours straight without a break then surely she can inhale her sandwich while manning the phones each day. Ah, who needs a break anyway? We're superhuman; didn't you know?

There seem to be a lot of double standards out there in the real world when it comes to daycare. The same parents who complain about their long work hours and lack of adequate vacation time always have the gall to turn around and demand we work ten hours a day for the same pay most parents earn in eight hours; and all of that with no break. And when our vacation time comes around it is always the parents who balk. Mind you, these are the same parents who complain they don't get enough paid vacation time but will not afford us one or two weeks a year to refresh at the bargain basement price of zero dollars. Double standard? I think so.

I can only hope that the Kijiiji poster somehow stumbles upon this blog. Perhaps she might open up her eyes and see that the world is not as she views it. And if she needs further proof that she is way off base with her assumptions then she is welcome to visit me any day. But, please, ensure you wipe your feet before you come in and then place your shoes on the mat provided. I spent all day cleaning - thanks in advance.

For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca