Do YOU Feel Appreciated ?

[DanceMom]

By your daycare parents ? Is it just me that doesn't even get a thank you at the end of the day from anyone of my daycare parents. Do I expect too much from these parents ?

A little pat on the back, would be great. Not always, but sometimes. Esp when I have had a LONG day, parents pick up late are rude when I ask them to be on time and in general seem to not give a crap about me..my time..or anything I do for their children.

I think I got stuck with some crappy families

These little kids keep me going...They tell me they love me, like me, don't want to leave my house, can't wait to come back tomorrow...so thankfully for THEM..I keep going.

Think maybe Im feeling a bit sorry for myself..:: - been a long few weeks !

[DancingQueen]

I have one set of parents that make up for all of them.

[broncomom1973]

I dont get much thanks here. I dont receive any cards or gifts. I dont really get any verbal thanks either. Heck, I dont even get thanks for the gifts that I give to these kids for Christmas and their birthdays. I gave one mom a bag of baby gifts for her baby who she doesnt bring here (he goes to work with her and I watch the older boy) and never even got a thank you for the baby gifts.

I used to thank our old daycare provider constantly. I always told her how much I appreciated her and all she did for us. We gave her gift certificates to her favorite restaurant every Christmas and b-days. Oh well, the kids do appreciate me, so that's enough.

[Former Teacher]

Oh yes I do feel appreciated!

I worked in a daycare for 17 years. I can count on one hand the ones who thanked me SINCERLEY. But like sbschildcare...those sets of parents make up for ALL the ungrateful ones ::

I am now a nanny to a WONDERFUL family. Mom tells me EVERY day..thank YOU and you have a good night. It means SO much to me. I can't ever hear it enough. More so I know she means it! Even when she was pregnant and her pregnancy really took a bad toil on her, she never once failed to thank me.

I get paid vacations all year (last count was 8 weeks and the year isn't over!) and paid sick days (although I have only used one).

She lets me do my own thing with the kiddos. Whatever I want to make for meals, I can. Which is good since I LOVE to cook and she has a BIG kitchen . She lets me do my own thing and doesn't say anything.

She values my opinion, even if she doesn't agree to it. We are in the process of starting to potty train the boy. Even after all my years of experience, I suggested Chickenhaulers suggestion about sinking the cheerios. She was like umm yeah I don't think we are going to go that route! Just today in fact she brought that up and said maybe we should give it a try!

My "family" is 99.9% perfect! The only bad thing...they are a military family. In 2012 they most likely will be moving. So that means I will have to find another "family".

I can say with all my heart, I will not find another one like them!

[MommyMuffin]

Providers have a very important job and should be appreciated. The only thing I can say if it makes you feel better is at my current job (havent opened my daycare quite yet) my job is to care about people, ask them about their problems all day long and skip lunches and breaks so that they dont have to wait (I am a nurse). I always put them first...but I hardly ever hear a thank you or any form of appreciation. It gets draining always hearing the complaints and problems with most everything and never a kind word. I try to remember that I AM helping them and that makes what I am doing good...even if they dont see it.
So, dont feel alone. You are important and you do make a difference...especially to those children!!

[SilverSabre25]

I don't hear it often, but I treasure the times I do. One sincere, heartfelt "you know, we really appreciate all that you do for our child" is enough to make up for weeks of crappy days and stress. Good things come in small packages. And really, for me right now, the biggest thanks I get is from the parents that pay me on time, that trust me to know what to do with their child, that stick with me through all sorts of things, that keep coming back week after week. Any other thanks I get is just icing on the cake. And I take the times that the child cries when they have to leave and grins and reaches for me when they arrive, as thanks and tangible signs that I'm doing a good job. When the kids come up to me and give me a big hug or tell me they love me, that's a sign that I'm doing good.

[MyAngels]

Like most providers I get the occasional card or note with a thank you, mostly at the holidays, but I tend to feel appreciated most when I have a parent say "I have a problem, and I know you'll know what to do..." or bring over a bag full of toys because they know the kids here will get more use out of them, etc. I also feel appreciated when I get paid on time every week, and when parents show up on time every night. I've got to admit I have been very blessed to have families through the years who, with the exception of one bounced check, pay on time and are rarely, if ever, late to pick up in the evening.

[legomom922]

Yes, I do. I have great famlies even though 1 tends to 2-3 min late daily. They do say thank you and I do get gifts and they are always willing to change their schedule for me if I have an appt or something or need to switch a day. I work with them, they work with me. I have one family that drives over 30 miles out of their way(15 mi to me then they turn around and drive another 15 mi back to their home) just to use me, and that in itself makes me feel very loved and appreciated!

[Crystal]

I totally feel appreciated. I hear from my families daily about how much their children love it here, all the little things they notice that their children have learned, that their kids ask to come here on the weekends, and from at least one family every day, I hear a thank you for all I do.

I have wonderful families, they are respectful, thoughtful, always pay on time and always pick up on time.

I am definitely fortunate and I appreciate them, as much as they appreciate me.

[MarinaVanessa]

By your daycare parents ? Is it just me that doesn't even get a thank you at the end of the day from anyone of my daycare parents. Do I expect too much from these parents ?

A little pat on the back, would be great. Not always, but sometimes. Esp when I have had a LONG day, parents pick up late are rude when I ask them to be on time and in general seem to not give a crap about me..my time..or anything I do for their children.

I think I got stuck with some crappy families

These little kids keep me going...They tell me they love me, like me, don't want to leave my house, can't wait to come back tomorrow...so thankfully for THEM..I keep going.

Think maybe Im feeling a bit sorry for myself..:: - been a long few weeks !

I didn't get a chance to respond yesterday when I read this post because I was reading it while I was waiting for DCM to pick up DCB who was late. As I was reading it she showed up (6:10pm) when I close at 6pm. I then had a talk with her about it, her being late without letting me know, tacking on the extra fee to next weeks payment (she did not like it at all ), and had to explain that yes DCB was watching TV because I was afterall ... well um, closed. Duh, I have DC
toys cleaned up and put away by 6pm so that I can vacuum and sweep as soon as all of the kids are gone so what's he supposed to do while he waits for mom?

Lol, so in fact, sometimes I don't feel much appreciated by the parents (okay so it's most of the time) but there are those very rare and few times when I do. Very few times ::.

[momma2girls]

I dont get much thanks here. I dont receive any cards or gifts. I dont really get any verbal thanks either. Heck, I dont even get thanks for the gifts that I give to these kids for Christmas and their birthdays. I gave one mom a bag of baby gifts for her baby who she doesnt bring here (he goes to work with her and I watch the older boy) and never even got a thank you for the baby gifts.

I used to thank our old daycare provider constantly. I always told her how much I appreciated her and all she did for us. We gave her gift certificates to her favorite restaurant every Christmas and b-days. Oh well, the kids do appreciate me, so that's enough.

I was the same way with my daycare provider before I quit to stay at home- now nothing from many families, it ****s!!!

[kidkair]

I have a suggestion for all those who feel under appreciated: make a thank you board. Even though it's October and not thanksgiving month I would make a thank you board or poster and hang it close to the door where parents will see it and where you will see it repeatedly. Discuss it with the parents by saying something like: We made it so that the kids learn the value of saying Thank you everyday and lots of times during the day. I'm teaching them that nothing in life should be taken for granted and if we are thankful and say it out loud that others will be happier and life will be happier. We are changing the world one thank you at a time.

And thank the parents routinely too. Say thank you to them for showing up on time or bringing in more supplies when you asked them to or for sharing a bit of what's going on at home. If you say thank you a lot you are likely to hear it from them too.

[momma2girls]

THis is a good idea!! My first yrs. of doing daycare I spent about $50.00 on each child for xmas and their birthdays in total. The next yr. it went down to about $25.00 and it went down from there. There were many yrs. I didn't even receive a card, a thank you, or a thank you for the Birthday and Xmas presents. I couldn't believe it!! SO now I spend about $10.00 on each for xmas and that is all!!! I received one very nice card and a gift card last yr. from one mother for xmas, I sent her a big thank you back, and said you really don't know how much this is appreciated!! Thanks so much!!
I made stuff all the time, I donated things, I gave her a birthday present and big xmas present every yr. before I quit to do daycare myself for my daycare provider!!

[Blackcat31]

I have a suggestion for all those who feel under appreciated: make a thank you board. Even though it's October and not thanksgiving month I would make a thank you board or poster and hang it close to the door where parents will see it and where you will see it repeatedly. Discuss it with the parents by saying something like: We made it so that the kids learn the value of saying Thank you everyday and lots of times during the day. I'm teaching them that nothing in life should be taken for granted and if we are thankful and say it out loud that others will be happier and life will be happier. We are changing the world one thank you at a time.

And thank the parents routinely too. Say thank you to them for showing up on time or bringing in more supplies when you asked them to or for sharing a bit of what's going on at home. If you say thank you a lot you are likely to hear it from them too.

Oh my gosh that is a great way to deal with it! I have definitely learned that the appreciation and thank you's are few and far between, but the important thing is to remember to act and be professional and people will treat you that same way. We as FCC provider's don't do this for the appreciation aspect so we can't get to stresses out when there aren't many thank you's. Just pat yourself on the back every day and remember that you made a difference! Some times the people who make the biggest impact on the world are the people no one even knows about!