Worried About Getting into the DC Business

[Blackcat31]

Like a PP said, It was meant as some people don't take younger providers as seriously as business owners (as someone stated their concerns in a thread about it a few weeks ago). And Honestly BC, I DO think have a education does add a bit more of professionalism than none at all (If you don't believe me watch "Tabitha Takes Over"). At the very least it shows initiative that you take what you do seriously (IMHO). .

I have no clue what "Tabitha Takes Over" is or has to do with child care :confused:

You mentioned it in another thread too so I am assuming it is some sort of show like Super Nanny or something.... ??

I think we will agree to disagree about professionalism and it's connection to a degree.

That is an insulting statement to make towards/about providers who do not have a degree.

There are MANY providers here who do not have a degree yet are VERY professional and take their career just as seriously......kwim?

After all, would you want a doctor who didn't go to med school to preform surgery on you? Or would you want to pay a beautician top dollar if they didn't have any education/certificates in styling hair, or doing nails and skin? I was in cosmetology and trust me, there are ALOT of illnesses you can get if a nail artist or esthetician is not educated in sanitizing and proper application/storage of material.

If you use this analogy then, a provider who has no children would be considered an unqualified caregiver?

Also how are child care experts supposed to break out of the "glorified babysitter" label if they don't hold themselves to a higher standard than bare minimum? Yes there are some things you cannot learn from a class or a book but its always good to keep up to date on the latest break-threw on ECE techniques and information.

Earning a degree does NOT break you out of the glorified babysitter label....

Same as above....a degree may give you a formal education but the hands on experience a provider gets from actually doing the job teaches you FAR MORE than any textbook you can cite or memorize.

Not to mention that earning a degree in early childhood education has very little to do with the actual care of a child. Sure you learn all sorts about developmental growth and about the ages and stages of cognitive and physical development but that still does NOT guarantee that you are a quality CARE giver.

Like I said, many providers choose to provide CARE without so much emphasis on the education part. Of course learning happens naturally through play but the caregiver doesn't HAVE to follow a specific curriculum or purposely teach the child anything to be a good caregiver.

I owned and operated my child care business for 15 years before I went to back to school and earned my degree and in all honestly, I didn't really learn anything I didn't already know other than textbook terms and words to define the skills and knowledge I already knew and a little of the "why" behind some behaviors but I can guarantee that it didn't automatically make me a better caregiver or instantly make parents view me more professionally.

[Blackcat31]

Sometimes it seems to me that you don't really value education of child care professionals because you are always talking about how standards are getting higher and "Family child care will never be the same again". But for things to get better they have to grow, and growth sometimes means change. And not all change is bad.

Please don't assume that I don't value the education of a child.....

I discuss the downside of standards getting higher and more time consuming because as a child care provider (WITH a degree, by the way) I already work 50-60+ hours per week.

Requiring MORE from a provider who works that much in a week's time for LOW wages is NOT something that is doable or even feasible in the real world.

Child care providers are already one of the lowest paid professions there is. Not to mention the fact that there are no medical benefits, pensions or retirement plans just more standards.

I FULLY and 100% support the change in standards for Early Childhood TEACHERS but NOT for child care providers.

That is the difference you are not seeing/understanding.

NOT all child care providers WANT to teach academics.

Some just want to provide quality care and have fun while doing it....and to do that you do NOT need to know all the things you learn from a formal education.

....and no, family child care will never be the same again.....the government has taken the "family" part out.

[Starburst]

I have no clue what "Tabitha Takes Over" is or has to do with child care :confused:

You mentioned it in another thread too so I am assuming it is some sort of show like Super Nanny or something.... ??

Okay first of all Tabitha Coffee is a famous hairstyles goes to failing businesses and gives them advice about how to make their businesses better (it used to only be salons but now its multiple businesses).

I think we will agree to disagree about professionalism and it's connection to a degree.

That is an insulting statement to make towards/about providers who do not have a degree.

Ok, first I did edit it a bit before you posted this. and what part of the statement did I make that was insulting? I said that it adds a bit more of professionalism to have some type of education than none at all. In one post you said "This isn't going to be a job you do with only a HS diploma and a few training hours". I personally think that's insulting to think that that makes you qualified to watch and teach young children.

There are MANY providers here who do not have a degree yet are VERY professional and take their career just as seriously......kwim?


If you read the last paragraph that I added when you were working on this you will see that I acknowledge that a degree doesn't magically make you professional but that it helps you to learn the basics and understand development. As I said, IMPO the more effort you put into something the more likely you are to

If you use this analogy then, a provider who has no children would be considered an unqualified caregiver?

Um... NO! Just because someone is a parent doesn't mean they are qualified to work with children. There are many people who have kids but don't like kids and people who don't have kids but really want kids but cant have them. In fact, some people who say they like kids usually find out that they only like their own kids (because they raised them how they wanted them to be) or the children of their friends and relatives (because their friends and relatives have similar child rearing beliefs/approaches). The lady down the street has three kids and I wouldn't even trust her with a rock let alone a child (she is always yelling at her kids and always swearing).


Earning a degree does NOT break you out of the glorified babysitter label....

Same as above....a degree may give you a formal education but the hands on experience a provider gets from actually doing the job teaches you FAR MORE than any textbook you can cite or memorize.

Again read the paragraph that was added when you were responding. Also a requirement for getting your AA in Child development (in most of the colleges in my area) includes student teaching- where you apply everything you learned in a real child care (usually preschool) setting. Also some people (like myself) are very socially inept and are great with the kids but have issues talking to the parents or explaining things and need some tips on how to be more outgoing and communicate with parents and how to come up with a lesson that is fun and educational; as well as being able to explain to the parents how it is beneficial.

Not to mention that earning a degree in early childhood education has very little to do with the actual care of a child. Sure you learn all sorts about developmental growth and about the ages and stages of cognitive and physical development but that still does NOT guarantee that you are a quality CARE giver.

I think every opportunity in life is a learning opportunity, even in infancy. If you push a young child to do something they are not developmentally ready to do you are hindering their learning. IDK about your school but my school does have classes on caring for infants and toddlers (CD 13- Introduction to Infant/toddler care). Some of the classes about education children also talks about addressing their emotional needs, such as validating feelings and helping them to feel safe and confident; which (to me) is a part of "quality care". Again, as mentioned in my previous paragraph to get your AA here you have to have a certain amount of days/hours working with kids and applying what you learned.

Like I said, many providers choose to provide CARE without so much emphasis on the education part. Of course learning happens naturally through play but the caregiver doesn't HAVE to follow a specific curriculum or purposely teach the child anything to be a good caregiver.

For some people that type of thing doesn't happen naturally BEFORE they have a chance to open. Some people feel more confident if they have evidence to back up their beliefs/thoughts and points of reference to back up their claims or they get the information mixed up and need a point of reference to clarify (how many times have I gotten chewed out for not siting my source).

I owned and operated my child care business for 15 years before I went to back to school and earned my degree and in all honestly, I didn't really learn anything I didn't already know other than textbook terms and words to define the skills and knowledge I already knew and a little of the "why" behind some behaviors but I can guarantee that it didn't automatically make me a better caregiver or instantly make parents view me more professionally

Again I never said it "automatically" did it, I just said it helps to have some education than none at all. Sorry if you feel cheated by having to go back to school to learn what you already knew. Also depending on the type of care you do a certificate/degree is legally required. In your state (from what you have said) you have an FCC in a home that you do not live in but in my state you can't do that unless you buy/rent a house that is only for child care and that is licensed as a center; not a home (would have to follow Title 22 and Title 5 regs). You would also have to have at least a BA and (most likely) a directors teaching permit.

[Starburst]

Please don't assume that I don't value the education of a child.....

I discuss the downside of standards getting higher and more time consuming because as a child care provider (WITH a degree, by the way) I already work 50-60+ hours per week.

Requiring MORE from a provider who works that much in a week's time for LOW wages is NOT something that is doable or even feasible in the real world.

Child care providers are already one of the lowest paid professions there is. Not to mention the fact that there are no medical benefits, pensions or retirement plans just more standards. .

NOT all child care providers WANT to teach academics.

I never said that it looks like you don't value education in a child, I said in a child care professional.

Maybe by increasing the standard that will lower the over abundance of child care providers in certain areas where there are too many child cares there will be more emphasis of importance in this field (after all if it weren't for daycare, many parents would not be able to work). The way I see it the more of something someone has have the less they tend to value it. This may be the excuse that some providers need to increase their rates or help them to qualify for more tax breaks or even better access to benefits (such as being able to care for an additional SA child without an assistant, or their own child not counting for their ratio, or a type of licenses that would allow them to care for an extra group of children with an additional assistant).

If they don't want to teach academics that's fine, then they shouldn't advertise as a preschool or they should focus mostly on infants/after school children or cater to parents who want to "unschool" their children. And as I stated in PP, part of quality care to me is having an enriching environment that educates as well as cares.

[DaycareMom2012]

I agree with Starburst about the comment of having more education and being younger. I started my daycare business at 22 and am 23 and I myself sometimes feel some parents may not take me as seriously bc of my young age.

Also, I don't see why so many people in this forum feel the need to disect every little thing another person comments. I don't think anyone means to offend anyone and if you take offense then maybe you are being too sensitive, however, I have seen that some other people that will comment directly to offend someone on the way they do things bc they do not agree. I find it very childish to go back and forth with each other on a forum about CHILDCARE business, I think if a lot of parents such as myself were to read a lot of these forums would find many of the people childish. This forum is for advice and suggestions. This is just my opinion. Not trying to offend or be rude to anyone, especially no one in particular.

[MyAngels]

Also, I don't see why so many people in this forum feel the need to disect every little thing another person comments. I don't think anyone means to offend anyone and if you take offense then maybe you are being too sensitive, however, I have seen that some other people that will comment directly to offend someone on the way they do things bc they do not agree. I find it very childish to go back and forth with each other on a forum about CHILDCARE business, I think if a lot of parents such as myself were to read a lot of these forums would find many of the people childish. This forum is for advice and suggestions. This is just my opinion. Not trying to offend or be rude to anyone, especially no one in particular.

You don't think it's rude or offensive to call people childish?

[Cradle2crayons]

You don't think it's rude or offensive to call people childish?

Lol I think you just made her point for her...anyway.... Moving right along....

[Starburst]

I wasn't trying to go back and forth but I always feel like I have to defend my opinions on this board and part of it I do think is because some of the others don't take me seriously either because of my age or (as pointed out earlier) because I don't have any kids of my own .

I was actually thinking of saying something about this getting off topic a while ago but got caught up in the debate So I am sorry to the OP, I didn't mean to get off topic.

[DaycareMom2012]

That is exactly what I mean...all the arguing on the thread is unneccessary, especially when you are suppossed to be grown and professional!!
if the shoe fits...wear it...
Will be finding a new forum!!

[MyAngels]

Lol I think you just made her point for her...anyway.... Moving right along....

Perhaps. I don't usually call anyone out. I tend to be a live and let live kind of person. But in this case I see a member who joined just recently, with a total post count of less than 30, painting the entire population of this forum with a rather broad brush. I think there are better ways to make the point. And yes, I found her comments to be both rude and offensive.

[DaycareMom2012]

I wasn't talking about you starburst going back and forth. I took it as you had to explain yourself for a comment you made to the OP and someone else felt the need to take it way out of context and that should not have been the issue. I just feel some people get on this forum with a lot if judgement and make comments that are just not necessary.

[Cradle2crayons]

That is exactly what I mean...all the arguing on the thread is unneccessary, especially when you are suppossed to be grown and professional!!
if the shoe fits...wear it...
Will be finding a new forum!!

I'm sorry you feel this way. I've not been here for long and your right, I first came onto the board during yet another drama. It was very discouraging. But I stuck around. I take the good from the board and ignore the drama crap.

There is a lot of drama junk here. There's drama junk everywhere.

Ignore the drama (sometimes its really hard) and stick around. You can learn a lot here.

[DaycareMom2012]

I was not trying to say everyone or anyone is childish. I am a very blunt and verbal person. and I can see how things can be taken out of context by people by reading something, I was just saying the bickering between us as grown professional people is childish. I have read a lot of the threads and somewhere along a lot of the thread some negativity comes out, and I can say that at this I am probably guilty of that by the post I made and I do apologize, as i said b4 my intention was not to be rude or offensive.

[Lyss]

I wasn't talking about you starburst going back and forth. I took it as you had to explain yourself for a comment you made to the OP and someone else felt the need to take it way out of context and that should not have been the issue. I just feel some people get on this forum with a lot if judgement and make comments that are just not necessary.

There's gonna be drama on every board you visit at one point or another.


When it comes to age, didn't we just have the thread about how age effects enrollment? If I recall correctly I'm sure nearly all the early 20s people said they had no problem getting clients because of their age.

As for education, I have a degree and never once has a parent asked in an interview about my education. I don't feel I am a better provider or more professional than any other provider just because I have a degree, I learned nothing about the business side or general care side of childcare in school, that has been all been hands on (and this board ). And on that same note I have DCPs that know I have a degree but still refer to me as "babysitter."

IMO the Tabatha debate :confused: has nothing to with these situations, its a tv show about people who have given up and are about to loose their businesses because they don't care and have just let everything go

[MyAngels]

I was not trying to say everyone or anyone is childish. I am a very blunt and verbal person. and I can see how things can be taken out of context by people by reading something, I was just saying the bickering between us as grown professional people is childish. I have read a lot of the threads and somewhere along a lot of the thread some negativity comes out, and I can say that at this I am probably guilty of that by the post I made and I do apologize, as i said b4 my intention was not to be rude or offensive.

I see where you're coming from. Sorry to get a little snippy, but I really enjoy this forum and consider many of the people here to be friends.

I know when I first started visiting here I was like :::confused: a lot. The more I read, though, the more I realized that this is a great group of providers. Yes, at times we can "get into it" - myself included - but you won't find a better group anywhere.

Stick around, participate, and before long I bet you'll know what I mean.