Then Mental Part Of Providing Childcare-Vent-Sort Of

[Blackcat31]

Blackcat 31...what are some of your stress triggers and how do you manage them? I know right now for me it is that I have a screamer and not always happy. Right away in the morning when he comes I have his breakfast ready as otherwise he literally screams a high pitch wail, and I kid you not, he will wake up my whole family as he is the first to arrive.

I cannot deal with clingy kids... I am no longer willing to put up with a child who requires a 20 minute song and dance every morning to separate from their parent. I have a 2-4 week trial period. If a child transitions....great! If not, I don't keep them.

I cannot deal with nap issues... If a child isn't an easy napper... I just don't keep them without major progress and input on the parent part.

I also don't enjoy infants. It isn't that I don't like them...I just prefer not to have them as they add to the stress/chaos of the day and I just don't want that anymore.

I also can't deal with parents who are needier than the children they have. I am ALL for supporting, assisting and helping a parent out but when a parent requires more than the child, then I am not the right fit for them and I won't keep them.

It took me years to understand and accept that the sooner I recognize and accept the things that "trigger" stress, the sooner I can deal with those things and either eliminate or address the issues head on, so that stress no longer exists.

Does that sound picky? Probably, but I've been doing this long enough to know that there are simply some situations that I just don't HAVE to put up with.

THAT is MY beauty in being self-employed.

For some it's staying home with their own little ones
For others, it's about their love of children or being a caregiver etc...

There are millions of reasons providers choose this profession and once you figure out how to manage the parts that make it negative, it really is all fun and games!

[BumbleBee]

I completely agree. After the last kid leaves I am whipped. It's definately the mental more then the physical.

[Maria2013]

I get rid of the children that are too stressful so there isn't much crying and fighting in my daycare
what I really find stressful is having to do things a certain way to keep in compliance with regulations, yes I do know many rules are there to protect the children but still it adds to the stress

nice new Avatar Melilley:hug:

[cheerfuldom]

I think boredom is the bigger struggle for me, more so than the mental drain. I am someone that loves a challenge, loves creativity and new things to interest me intellectually and daycare is absolutely the worst job for that part of my personality. I am good at my job and there are parts of it I enjoy, but I am not shy in saying that I would NEVER choose this job as a career path. I do it so I can stay at home with my kids while they are young. As soon as everyone is preschool age and up, I will be happily heading back to work outside the home.

[melilley]

I get rid of the children that are too stressful so there isn't much crying and fighting in my daycare
what I really find stressful is having to do things a certain way to keep in compliance with regulations, yes I do know many rules are there to protect the children but still it adds to the stress

nice new Avatar Melilley:hug:

I wish I could get rid of the (hmmm hmmm) one child that drives me nuts, but I just can't, my fault!

Thanks for the compliment on my Avatar! It's my son....

[melilley]

I cannot deal with clingy kids... I am no longer willing to put up with a child who requires a 20 minute song and dance every morning to separate from their parent. I have a 2-4 week trial period. If a child transitions....great! If not, I don't keep them.

I cannot deal with nap issues... If a child isn't an easy napper... I just don't keep them without major progress and input on the parent part.

I also don't enjoy infants. It isn't that I don't like them...I just prefer not to have them as they add to the stress/chaos of the day and I just don't want that anymore.

I also can't deal with parents who are needier than the children they have. I am ALL for supporting, assisting and helping a parent out but when a parent requires more than the child, then I am not the right fit for them and I won't keep them.

It took me years to understand and accept that the sooner I recognize and accept the things that "trigger" stress, the sooner I can deal with those things and either eliminate or address the issues head on, so that stress no longer exists.

Does that sound picky? Probably, but I've been doing this long enough to know that there are simply some situations that I just don't HAVE to put up with.

THAT is MY beauty in being self-employed.

For some it's staying home with their own little ones
For others, it's about their love of children or being a caregiver etc...

There are millions of reasons providers choose this profession and once you figure out how to manage the parts that make it negative, it really is all fun and games!

Oh how I wish to be like you someday! I really wish I could get rid of my stress factor here, but I can't seem to let him go. I need to grow some.....