Why Are Daycare Providers So Undervalued???

[hsdcmama]

I just opened in February, and I have been pretty shocked in just that short time by how undervalued childcare providers seem to be by the very population that needs them. I just don't understand why so many people seem to think we are nothing more than glorified babysitters rather than trained professionals. I live in MD, and it took me more than a year and hundreds of dollars to become a licensed provider, not to mention the countless hours of training and workshops I have had to do - and must continue to do every year for as long as I hold my license. I did not spend all this time, money, and effort to have parents put their children in my care and then question everything I do. It's a real downer sometimes; I used to be so confident and self-assured in my parenting (I have 3 kids of my own), and these parents have a way of making me feel like absolute scum sometimes.

I currently have 3 daycare kids in my care, and the kids & their parents are great (the bad ones have thankfully come and gone). They trust me with their children, they treat me like a professional, and they recognize that I know what I'm doing. But having had so many bad experiences, I wonder if I will be able to keep doing this if good families are so hard to find? It makes me question myself sometimes, but I am not going to change my child care philosophy or my policies and procedures to fit this family or that family. Caring for the kids is the easy part; but the constant self-doubt that gets greater with every disagreement is really wearing me down.

[nannyde]

Can you give some examples of the situations that didn't work out?

Are you saying you are having a hard time finding respectful parents?

All ears...

[Naptime yet?]

I read that in MD, by 2017, there will be a 17% decrease in family daycares. The number one reason people were shutting their doors was moving; number two was lack of income.

This didn't help you, sorry.

[TwinKristi]

My husband says the same thing all the time. He works in electrical service sometimes and people don't bat an eye at paying him $75-90/hr but balk at paying me half of that per 9-10hr day for their precious child! I haven't had too many bad experiences with families, the biggest problem I've had is with one family and they're moving thank God! The other family I considered terming was for illness issues. Her child was constantly sick and she never wanted to keep him home to rest. He got everyone else sick and it was getting really stressful. She ended up moving him to a preschool setting instead where his sister went as well. It was for the best and taught me some lessons. The child was literally sick and excluded on his last day of care! The weeks before were filled with illness and dr visits and rounds and rounds of antibiotics. I haven't talked to her lately but he still seems to be getting sick all the time. Since he left our illnesses have dropped literally by 90%!

[Cat Herder]

I used to be so confident and self-assured in my parenting

but the constant self-doubt that gets greater with every disagreement is really wearing me down.

Parenting ability and effectively running a business are not related. Two different worlds. If you view what you do for a living as parenting, in any way, you need to change your thinking (much more effective than trying to change other peoples thinking). :hug:

Only you can change your mind and how you view yourself. Don't give their opinions of your services so much value, what have they done to deserve it?

[KiddieCahoots]

Right!?
You would think that a parent entrusting us with their most valuable possession would be, in the least, thankful, respectful, honest, willing to work with us for the better of their child, etc.... Not so for every parent.

I had a dcm ask me.....in a demeaning tone, "will you continue the child care after your son goes off to school?" This is after 15yrs of working this job, all the professionalism oozing out of my very pores, child care taking over the entirety of my home, on going trainings, and college classes (that dcm was aware of), this was the mom who used to come to my house as a child herself, (who became a grown up snot), and grew up with my own/older children.
Like the job I was doing was considered to be so miniscule by her

Sorry, rant over. This is a sore spot for me too

[Second Home]

Some parents really get it and are very grateful for all we do , those are the ones who make this worth wile . Yes ,there will most likely be more so-so and not appreciative families along the way .

[hsdcmama]

Parenting ability and effectively running a business are not related. Two different worlds. If you view what you do for a living as parenting, in any way, you need to change your thinking. :hug:

Only you can change your mind and how you view yourself. Don't give their opinions of your services so much value, what have they done to deserve it?

Not so much parenting, as knowing what's best for the children, their daily routines, etc. My most recent issue was new parents who got very angry and withdrew their 4-month-old infant because I was not able to accomodate feeding the baby on a rigid 3-hour schedule. I just couldn't comprehend the angry, accusatory things that were said, when a simple, "Okay, I understand. We'll just have to take him somewhere else" would have sufficed. They threatened to report me to the state, so I emailed my licensing person & gave the family a copy of her response; the parents insist that "they know the regs, I just didn't want to do what they asked so I am the one at fault", etc... I included the licensor's name & contact info and told them they are welcome to contact her with any questions, etc. Then before that I had a woman who constantly told me one thing & then did another - never paid on time, late pickups every day, I had to call her emergency contact person once and the person was not willing to come pick the kids up, etc... It feels like just one thing after another. I am grateful for the respectful parents I do have, but I worry about what I will do if/when they leave.

[hsdcmama]

Also people haggling with me over my fees; it's just ridiculous. People will tell me "they don't know how I do it", and then in same breath question my fee schedule.

[hsdcmama]

I can't understand why people don't think twice about paying a teenage babysitter $10 an hour to sit & watch TV with their kids for the evening, but balk at the idea of paying me less than $3 an hour to care for their children on a constant basis.

[daycarediva]

My husband says the same thing all the time. He works in electrical service sometimes and people don't bat an eye at paying him $75-90/hr but balk at paying me half of that per 9-10hr day for their precious child! I haven't had too many bad experiences with families, the biggest problem I've had is with one family and they're moving thank God! The other family I considered terming was for illness issues. Her child was constantly sick and she never wanted to keep him home to rest. He got everyone else sick and it was getting really stressful. She ended up moving him to a preschool setting instead where his sister went as well. It was for the best and taught me some lessons. The child was literally sick and excluded on his last day of care! The weeks before were filled with illness and dr visits and rounds and rounds of antibiotics. I haven't talked to her lately but he still seems to be getting sick all the time. Since he left our illnesses have dropped literally by 90%!

My husband is a plumber/self employed. For years he did residential service (commercial now), and still does residential on nights/weekends. Not a single person ever batted an eye at paying him $100 to SHOW UP at their house.

He just did work for a current dcf, who complain every week how expensive child care is. They thanked dh profusely when he was done. I've never received a thank you. They told me he was 'worth every penny' (of the $4,000+ bill for their new bathroom). When they handed me the check to give to my dh after saying that, I said "that really puts the daycare expense into perspective. It takes me half a year of educating your child to earn this." *wiggles giant check* She paid me this morning, and for the first time in 2 years, didn't say a THING about the cost.

I'm sure she still doesn't GET IT, but at least I shut her up. I was sick of responding "kids ARE expensive."

[Blackcat31]

People don't like paying others for jobs they themselves feel they are capable of doing.

Diva's post about her DH being a plumber is a good example.

If parents had the skills and knowledge to do their own plumbing, they wouldn't be so apt to hire and pay for someone else to do it.

Caring for kids on a daily basis is a job most parents view as easy (that's where their idea of not wanting to pay more than a couple bucks for it comes in to play. They just don't want to do it every day.

We see this job as hard sometimes because we are dealing with multiple kids at one time, parents only see/consider THEIR child so what we do in their eyes is care for THEIR child, not all the other kids.

The paying a babysitter $10 verses paying a child care provider mentality comes from parents feeling as though the babysitter is offering supreme services by coming to THEIR house to care for their children.

Plus paying someone to watch your kids while you do something fun (going out) is worth it to most parents but not as "worth it" to pay someone while they work.

[SignMeUp]

I think it has to do with the long, long history of undervaluing and underpaying for child care. It's far better than it used to be, but still has a long way to go.

[NightOwl]

People don't like paying others for jobs they themselves feel they are capable of doing.

Diva's post about her DH being a plumber is a good example.

If parents had the skills and knowledge to do their own plumbing, they wouldn't be so apt to hire and pay for someone else to do it.

Caring for kids on a daily basis is a job most parents view as easy (that's where their idea of not wanting to pay more than a couple bucks for it comes in to play. They just don't want to do it every day.

We see this job as hard sometimes because we are dealing with multiple kids at one time, parents only see/consider THEIR child so what we do in their eyes is care for THEIR child, not all the other kids.

The paying a babysitter $10 verses paying a child care provider mentality comes from parents feeling as though the babysitter is offering supreme services by coming to THEIR house to care for their children.

Plus paying someone to watch your kids while you do something fun (going out) is worth it to most parents but not as "worth it" to pay someone while they work.

This!

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I just opened in February, and I have been pretty shocked in just that short time by how undervalued childcare providers seem to be by the very population that needs them. I just don't understand why so many people seem to think we are nothing more than glorified babysitters rather than trained professionals. I live in MD, and it took me more than a year and hundreds of dollars to become a licensed provider, not to mention the countless hours of training and workshops I have had to do - and must continue to do every year for as long as I hold my license. I did not spend all this time, money, and effort to have parents put their children in my care and then question everything I do. It's a real downer sometimes; I used to be so confident and self-assured in my parenting (I have 3 kids of my own), and these parents have a way of making me feel like absolute scum sometimes.

I currently have 3 daycare kids in my care, and the kids & their parents are great (the bad ones have thankfully come and gone). They trust me with their children, they treat me like a professional, and they recognize that I know what I'm doing. But having had so many bad experiences, I wonder if I will be able to keep doing this if good families are so hard to find? It makes me question myself sometimes, but I am not going to change my child care philosophy or my policies and procedures to fit this family or that family. Caring for the kids is the easy part; but the constant self-doubt that gets greater with every disagreement is really wearing me down.

I completely understand. My last 2 spots have been revolving doors! I CANNOT find a respectful family (or 2) who values and trusts me. The families last 4-12 weeks here and then I tend to help them leave. The interviews I am having are HORRENDOUS.

But, on the plus side I have 9 families that are pretty great to work with. So, there ARE great clients out there. Just seems to be less of them.