Here's The Fork In The Road...

[daycarediva]

I am off tomorrow. My sub is doing her first whole day (wish her luck!)

I applied for a UPK teacher position at a center, and they hired internally for that. BUT, I got a call back for the director position. happyface

The current director is retiring at the end of May.

I have NEVER had a desk job. I am not a 'sit down' person. AT ALL. Tomorrow I will be touring and observing classrooms, meeting the staff, and giving my thoughts about changes to the current director and the center owner.

The owner called me herself after calling licensing for a reference and looking at my website and facebook. We had an AWESOME conversation about things that could/(should?) be changed at her center. They have been operating for over 20 years, but the current director is very old school. Every classroom is a gaudy color, I saw some developmentally inappropriate practices in the 2's classroom (I was waiting in the office which is directly next to that room-not being nosy :: ) She was very open to my ideas and changes I would like to implement, even going so far as to offer budgeting for repainting- replacing antiquated, mostly battery operated toys (have they even been checked for a recall?) Staff development and paying for further training, offering pay increases for CDA's, etc.

It's STILL a pay cut.

My dh thinks that I'm crazy for even considering it, he thinks I am essentially giving away all of my awesome skills AND I would have to sign a one year non compete clause.

OR I could open in September and have dd/partner (start working in October)taking half of the hours and make about the same amount of money- more if I am full with the rates I expect to get.

Thoughts? Being an adult is hard!

[childcaremom]

I'm leaning towards the "you never know until you try it" type thing.

You can put in your year, and if you don't like it, go back to in home.

I guess I am not understanding what the non compete clause would be for? Like you can't have your own in home at the same time?

The one thing that comes up as a con (in my eyes) would be that if your dd needs you, you will not be at home, kwim? And did you plan to look after the grandbaby?

But then change calls out to me.....

Gah. I don't know.

[Ariana]

With your skills I am sure you would be a huge asset to them but if the pay is not good you'd have to consider the challenge of it to be fulfilling enough (which it can be!).

You could always return to home care and with your move you have to start over anyway right? Maybe give it a try for a year. They may give you a raise or it could open a door for an even better job. Who knows!

[Mike]

Being an adult is hard!

That's what I tell kids who are in a hurry to grow up. ::

Congratulations on your possible job. Sounds like a good opportunity, but you do have a big decision now.

Sit down like you love to do and make a list of pros and cons for each direction. Ask dd what she thinks. In the end, do whichever you feel would make you happiest.

[CityGarden]

It's STILL a pay cut.

My dh thinks that I'm crazy for even considering it, he thinks I am essentially giving away all of my awesome skills AND I would have to sign a one year non compete clause.

I would suggest you negotiate, both in terms of pay as well as the non-compete clause.

Ask them to clarify in writing what the non-compete clause covers - licensed centers as defined by X State. Specifically have them state a home daycare as defined by X state is exempt from our center's non-compete clause. I would tell them you are committed to their center however given the difference in income if something catastrophic should happen and your family needed more income you would need that as a backup option....

[daycarediva]

I'm leaning towards the "you never know until you try it" type thing.

You can put in your year, and if you don't like it, go back to in home.

I guess I am not understanding what the non compete clause would be for? Like you can't have your own in home at the same time?

The one thing that comes up as a con (in my eyes) would be that if your dd needs you, you will not be at home, kwim? And did you plan to look after the grandbaby?

But then change calls out to me.....

Gah. I don't know.

If I were to quit, I could not open up any type of child care facility in a 30 mile radius (this is 5 miles from my house)


and I LOVE change, which is part of dc I like.

Paperwork is the least enjoyed aspect and I'm sure this job will be loaded in it.

Grandbaby would have split time between me and dd, so yep. I would be losing hours a day at home, with the grandson.

I really wish I could operate in somewhere other than my home. That is 90% of my issue with daycare, despite it being entirely separate space. It takes UP space. It's less privacy. My family IS inconvenienced. I would buy a separate home to operate in a second if my state would allow it.

AGH! pros and cons list, here I come!

Also- the walkthrough will help me decide I'm sure.

[AmyKidsCo]

Have you been a director before? I have several director friends and their biggest source of stress isn't paperwork but staff. Cooks quit, teachers call in, quit, act immature, stir up drama, etc. I've thought about applying for a director position but don't want to deal with the staffing problems.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

Congrats on the job opportunity! Dont hate me, but I wouldnt do it It sounds like a LOT of work and unless you can negotiate higher pay, i think it may get old, fast. The other thing I have seen when providers go to another business is the BOSS aspect. Being your own boss and the supreme decision maker is a hard thing to let go of. You may see a lot of things that need changed and she may agree now, but that could change and you may not have much recourse.

I think it sounds like a fun challenge, but it all depends on where you are in your life and whether you think the change is best for you and your family. Best of luck to you!:hug:

[Blackcat31]

If I were to quit, I could not open up any type of child care facility in a 30 mile radius (this is 5 miles from my house)

This would be THE deciding factor for me.

I would pass.

I can't work FOR others and if I did decide to try, I NEED a back up plan and a back up plan for me would to go back to what I WAS doing prior to "trying" something new.

Kind of like a trial period....if it doesn't work out, we always leave ourselves and out. Agreeing to a 1 yr non-compete agreement is not allowing for a trial period at all.

[daycarediva]

This would be THE deciding factor for me.

I would pass.

I can't work FOR others and if I did decide to try, I NEED a back up plan and a back up plan for me would to go back to what I WAS doing prior to "trying" something new.

Kind of like a trial period....if it doesn't work out, we always leave ourselves and out. Agreeing to a 1 yr non-compete agreement is not allowing for a trial period at all.

That's my big concern, and something I will try to negotiate out of the contract. I mean, I'm only taking 6 kids from them. How much competition can I be from a 250 kid center?

Have you been a director before? I have several director friends and their biggest source of stress isn't paperwork but staff. Cooks quit, teachers call in, quit, act immature, stir up drama, etc. I've thought about applying for a director position but don't want to deal with the staffing problems.

Nope. I do know several staff members personally. They have been frank about their positions, and their biggest complaints have always been the current director. She refuses to see anything wrong with her practice. Neon orange room for toddlers? Why not? Lots of plastic, cheap, battery operated toys, with a 10,000 grant? Sure. etc.

Most of the teachers, and even the assistants have been there for quite a while.

Their meals are contracted out from a service, they are delivered and heated only.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Congrats on the job opportunity! Dont hate me, but I wouldnt do it It sounds like a LOT of work and unless you can negotiate higher pay, i think it may get old, fast. The other thing I have seen when providers go to another business is the BOSS aspect. Being your own boss and the supreme decision maker is a hard thing to let go of. You may see a lot of things that need changed and she may agree now, but that could change and you may not have much recourse.

I think it sounds like a fun challenge, but it all depends on where you are in your life and whether you think the change is best for you and your family. Best of luck to you!:hug:

I feel the same way.

Add in the non-compete clause, that you won't see your own family (grandson) as much, and that you could work LESS for the same pay (at your in home with a partner)...I would easily choose to open your in home after your move.

[kendallina]

Have you been a director before? I have several director friends and their biggest source of stress isn't paperwork but staff. Cooks quit, teachers call in, quit, act immature, stir up drama, etc. I've thought about applying for a director position but don't want to deal with the staffing problems.

This was my line of thought as well. When I was a supervisor my biggest headache was staffing! People calling off work caused me stress because then I had to go in ratio (small center) and couldn't do any of the other 'big picture' things I wanted to do.

Make sure the owner is willing to pay for decent teachers because having the right staff is EVERYTHING!

The other question mark for me would be the one-year non compete clause...does that mean that you cannot reopen your in-home daycare within a year of quitting your job? I would renegotiate that for sure.

Good luck! It sounds like a fun opportunity! There was a LOT that I really did enjoy about being a supervisor and could see myself going back to that someday, but I live in a small town without a lot of those options.

[racemom]

On the pay cut, have you considered all the extra expenses you have as an in home? Electric, heating, wear and tear on your home. Cost of toys, equipment, food, supplies, etc.

Also, not having your home to yourself, people coming and going all the time. (This would be a big thing to me, like my privacy, but I work at a center and can't imagine have an in home program).

BUT, I would definitely try to renegotiate the non compete clause. At least make an in home daycares an exception. I can see them not wanting you to go to another center, but I never view in home as competition to centers, different clients looking for different settings.

[childcaremom]

This would be THE deciding factor for me.

I would pass.

I can't work FOR others and if I did decide to try, I NEED a back up plan and a back up plan for me would to go back to what I WAS doing prior to "trying" something new.

Kind of like a trial period....if it doesn't work out, we always leave ourselves and out. Agreeing to a 1 yr non-compete agreement is not allowing for a trial period at all.

Now that I know what it means.... I don't like it. I would do as you said, and try to negotiate it out. It would be a deal breaker for me.

When are you moving? This seems to align with your move and when you were planning to finish at your current location, yes?

Lots to think about. Lots of pros and cons to both. Nice to have these things to ponder, though. They can sometimes make us see our current situations in a new, positive way. (speaking from my own experiences in job hunting lately )

[Josiegirl]

We're all looking at this from our own personal angles. My problems would be:
I love working from home and having control of my own business but the isolation can be detrimental.
I hate having my home constantly overgrown with toys, diapers, baby stuff, and my backyard is nothing like I ever wanted it to be.
I have no health benefits or anything like that from being self-employed.
I don't work well with other adults(introvert here).
We do put a lot of our own money into this job but we use it for tax purposes.

There are definitely pros and cons to a decision like this for each of us and you need to figure out what's best for you and your family. Good luck with yours!!

Personally, if your dd is coming on board to be your partner in the fall, I think that sounds like a wonderful opportunity to find some relief in your current situation and it sounds like you enjoy the challenges of what you're doing right now. If burn-out doesn't feel in your future() I'd check the opportunity out but probably stay with what you're doing. But that's just me.
If the privacy of your home is one of your biggest challenges, maybe find a way to fix that if you can?