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I am brand new here, but have a HUGE question?! Why is it when someone objects to Nannyde's posts it is an "attack"? Aren't we all able to express our opinions on here???? I have been observing what others are saying on this forum for a few weeks now and IMHO, as providers, we ALL have our "own" expertise to offer. Maybe I am just overly sensitive, but I have read many of the posts on here and find Nannyde to be condescending at times and it bothers me that no one can object to her point of view w/o being considered a "mean girl". What is that all about? :confused:
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Wow. Kinda glad I wasn't on the forum today. There's a difference in discussions between difference of opinion and just plain attacking people. Think I might check back in a few days after everyone has calmed down and gotten back to normal.Comment
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other careers, preparing for retirement
Without getting into job descriptions here, I think it is apparent from several months of observation that our resident blogger also manages to read and post on most of the daily forums, much as a moderator would. The honor of a blog is one thing. Leader of the pack is another.
I also think its true that she is respected and successful and that her blog and opinion probably are valuable as a single perspective from a single point of view on a particular model of very basic childcare.
I have said before (also anonymously) that I don't believe her style represents the majority of caregivers or that her services would work (or be available) to the majority of children in daycare.
Nanny does espouse a popular concept of cherry picking which is also a problem in our public schools and in most aspects of child placement endeavors. If you are an upscale childcare provider, you probably don't use the word daycare, but, whatever. Daycare is what it is, and that varies widely. For what its worth, I pass a couple of well paid nannies on the patio of our local starbucks with cigarettes and coffee while the infants sleep in the strollers from time to time.
Expertise is a difficult monster. In order to know one thing very well, you must chose not to learn about others. In the child development field(s), the bottom line is the well being of the children. The truth is that very few adults really can manage children full time. Nanny's expertise is based on her experience, and that is limited by her choice to specialize. Moving on to blog and consult (and there must be more lucrative ways to blog) is a natural extension of that expertise, but in no way does it represent knowledge of all childcare needs or settings. I don't agree with most of what she suggests. I find her model too restrictive, the uniformity, as reported, of her clients unsettling, and her choice to limit her services saddening. But, its also important to strike a balance you can live with, in your own practice, for your own profession. And that's a valuable lesson I learned from NannydeComment
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It's commonly understood that you should take clients that are a "good fit" for your program.
When I declare what is a "good fit" then it's unsettleing and limiting.
This kind of response is rooted in a fundamental belief that as women we are to just DO. We are to do as we are told. We are to do whatever it takes for the sake of the babies. We are to serve the parents. We are to say YES.
We SHOULD be able to specialize and do what we want to do with our lives and our careers. We don't have to be everything to everybody. Trying to be that and do that causes child care workers to fail and children to be under the care of miserable providers.
We get one life just like everybody else.
Can you imagine saying to a cardiac surgeon... "ya know Doc your services are limited and your client base is too restrictive."
Can you imagine saying to a special needs teacher "ya know teacher... your services are limited and your client base is too restrictive."
"Nanny's expertise is based on her experience, and that is limited by her choice to specialize."
Of course I choose to "specialize" but I can go back to doing any kind of care I choose. I can take care of families that are unstable, have unstable kids, one to one needing special needs kids, unstable schedules, short term, part time, behavior disorders, eating disorders, non paying, shift changing, late parents, "what curriculum do you have for my nine month old" parents...
I CAN do all of that but I don't want to. So yes... I "specialize" in uniformly stable families and really nice (and very cute
kids.
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And the reason you don't...like some others, I imagine, is because you have already been there did thatIt's commonly understood that you should take clients that are a "good fit" for your program.
When I declare what is a "good fit" then it's unsettleing and limiting.
This kind of response is rooted in a fundamental belief that as women we are to just DO. We are to do as we are told. We are to do whatever it takes for the sake of the babies. We are to serve the parents. We are to say YES.
We SHOULD be able to specialize and do what we want to do with our lives and our careers. We don't have to be everything to everybody. Trying to be that and do that causes child care workers to fail and children to be under the care of miserable providers.
We get one life just like everybody else.
Can you imagine saying to a cardiac surgeon... "ya know Doc your services are limited and your client base is too restrictive."
Can you imagine saying to a special needs teacher "ya know teacher... your services are limited and your client base is too restrictive."
"Nanny's expertise is based on her experience, and that is limited by her choice to specialize."
Of course I choose to "specialize" but I can go back to doing any kind of care I choose. I can take care of families that are unstable, have unstable kids, one to one needing special needs kids, unstable schedules, short term, part time, behavior disorders, eating disorders, non paying, shift changing, late parents, "what curriculum do you have for my nine month old" parents...
I CAN do all of that but I don't want to. So yes... I "specialize" in uniformly stable families and really nice (and very cute kids.
. You more than likely learned the hard way, went through the stress of dealing with that 'kind' of clientel base and washed your hands of it. It takes EXPERIENCE to be able to build a clientel base that doesn't rub you the wrong way and cause unneeded stress in an already stressful line of business. SMART SMART WOMAN!::
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The LONG ............... HARD ............... WAYAnd the reason you don't...like some others, I imagine, is because you have already been there did that. You more than likely learned the hard way, went through the stress of dealing with that 'kind' of clientel base and washed your hands of it. It takes EXPERIENCE to be able to build a clientel base that doesn't rub you the wrong way and cause unneeded stress in an already stressful line of business. SMART SMART WOMAN!::Comment
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Speaking from MY own personal experiences, I have found that since I learned to "specialize" in the things I do best, there have been fewer stressful days, fewer kids in time-out or being redirected, there are fewer changes in policies and rules, fewer terminations and fewer days where I simply wish to throw in the towel and quit.
Being able to pick and choose the things I want to "specialize" in has made me a better child care provider to the families and children I serve. Being able to "specialize" has allowed me to be the best I can be. It has allowed me to no longer be in the pool of unstable, over stressed, and harried providers who are the perfect canidates for having a shaken baby or have an accidental injury happen due to being stretched to their limit.
I no longer feel obligated to be at someone else's beck and call. I have realized that I cannot physically, emotionally or mentally meet every client's needs. I cannot solely exist to simply be available to make the lives of my daycare parents easier as some providers have said they do. There are many many providers to choose from and it would seem to me that if every one of them "specialized" it would be a lot simpler for parents to find that perfect fit.
"Specializing" has allowed me to love my career choice and be in it for the long haul. It has allowed me to have a very low turnover rate, children who stay enrolled an average of 4-6 years and have a long waiting list of potential clients.
"Specializing" has made me more profitable, higher quality and most importantly, made me and my daycare parents and children happy.
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So, I really haven't seen any "attacks" and if those of you who are stating so are referring to me, I stated my "opinion" in a very respectful manner re. Nannyde...as I stated, I agree with some forum members that she does sometime come off sounding as "superior" yet while I may not 100% agree with her philosophy of early care and education, I can respect that she does offer quality services that meet the needs of her family, as well as the families that she works with. In case those of you who think I have "attacked" Nannyde didn't notice....she and I respectfully "talked" about things and we are fine with each other. I don't know why some of you feel the need to defend her, she is quite capable of speaking for herself, and as you know, does so often.
And, I ask, as another poster did, WHY is it that some of us cannot ever disagree with nannyde without her "followers" attacking us? We are entitled to our thoughts, opinions and beliefs, just as she is.Comment
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I agree....we all have something we specialize in.....so long as that specialization isn't hindering us from offering well-rounded programs, then what's the problem with that?Speaking from MY own personal experiences, I have found that since I learned to "specialize" in the things I do best, there have been fewer stressful days, fewer kids in time-out or being redirected, there are fewer changes in policies and rules, fewer terminations and fewer days where I simply wish to throw in the towel and quit.
Being able to pick and choose the things I want to "specialize" in has made me a better child care provider to the families and children I serve. Being able to "specialize" has allowed me to be the best I can be. It has allowed me to no longer be in the pool of unstable, over stressed, and harried providers who are the perfect canidates for having a shaken baby or have an accidental injury happen due to being stretched to their limit.
I no longer feel obligated to be at someone else's beck and call. I have realized that I cannot physically, emotionally or mentally meet every client's needs. I cannot solely exist to simply be available to make the lives of my daycare parents easier as some providers have said they do. There are many many providers to choose from and it would seem to me that if every one of them "specialized" it would be a lot simpler for parents to find that perfect fit.
"Specializing" has allowed me to love my career choice and be in it for the long haul. It has allowed me to have a very low turnover rate, children who stay enrolled an average of 4-6 years and have a long waiting list of potential clients.
"Specializing" has made me more profitable, higher quality and most importantly, made me and my daycare parents and children happy.Comment
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I know by being hired/chosen to do the daycare.com blog Nan had a target placed on her back and she is tougher than I am... BUT it infuriates me to see people try to tear her down for trying to create a financial future for her family in blogging/consulting.
Really? Why would she have a "target" placed on her back? When has anyone tried to tear her down? I have read her blog and I have found it to be very well-written....not sure why you think anyone is trying to tear her down for writing a blog????Comment
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Crystal
Bringing up a line off my consult site about seeking advice from internet forums and applying it to this forum was a "tear down".
Consult site: "Often times, those who answer forum request for help are not experts with experience in the field of home daycare."
You Take a look at her "consulting" site and see what she REALLY thinks about forum posters....basically Nan is an expert and all of us are not.
That wasn't a DIRECT MISSLE HIT? :::::::::::::::: (laughing in a fun way not a mean way... for reals)
I don't care if you want to take a swing now and then cuz I know deep down you likey a little of Nans work... but THAT was a direct hit.
I said it before... I'll say it again. I'm your bff and you don't even know it. My prediction is there will come a day when the two of us are side by side IRL in person... maybe on opposite sides ... but side by side nonetheless.Last edited by nannyde; 07-20-2011, 07:41 AM.Comment
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Okay...I'll take that. Perhaps that was out of line. But, I did feel that it was an insulting remark about "forum posters" and it related to the discussion about "superiority" BUT, I REALLY do like your site and I think it's AWESOME that you are consulting....especially for centers that have issues with staffing and behavior problems....I can see your service as being very valuable for them.Crystal
Bringing up a line off my consult site about seeking advice from internet forums and applying it to this forum was a "tear down".
Consult site: "Often times, those who answer forum request for help are not experts with experience in the field of home daycare."
You Take a look at her "consulting" site and see what she REALLY thinks about forum posters....basically Nan is an expert and all of us are not.
That wasn't a DIRECT MISSLE HIT? :::::::::::::::: (laughing in a fun way not a mean way... for reals)
I don't care if you want to take a swing now and then cuz I know deep down you likey a little of Nans work... but THAT was a direct hit.
And yes, I do like some of your work. I wish I could do the menu you do....I wish I could find the time to find the foods, prepare the foods and then get the kids to eat it. I also like some of your techniques with families. I also agree with you about society and parenting practices today and where this next generation might be headed. I agree with you on MANY things, and disagree with you on MANY as well....but in the end, I do respect you for sticking to your guns and doing things in a way that make you happy and help you to be a good parent and provider for the families you work with....you have found your niche and I think that's a good thing.
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I believe that can be flipped both ways here. On the sprinkler thread I agreed with Nan, reason being, because I do NOT offer water play either for the reasons posted in my response to that thread. I was immediately attacked for my opinion on 'water play' and pretty much told that I strip the children from their child hood memories. It then got turned to a direct attack on me for a while because my opinion was different than someone else's. I do not think that is fair in any way whatsoever. Each person IS entitled to run their daycare in which ever way they see fit, pick their own policies and procedures and work with a clientel base that they are comfortable with. Just because someone doesn't offer a service that someone else does offer doesn't mean they are less of a daycare. I never have a problem keeping my daycare full, my children and parents happy and I don't offer 'water play' like other providers think is essential for a sucessful daycare to incorporate into their program.
I stood my ground on things when I was UNFAIRLY attacked because I stand behind my policies, procedures and program 100% regardless of how other people feel...this is still MY business and MY life!Comment
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