Do You Want To Quit Daycare?

[sgmb id=”1″]Have you ever felt stuck and confused in your daycare business?

You spend a few minutes (ok let’s be honest, more like a few hours) on Facebook, Instagram and other social media only to see – happy families taking vacations, friends doing coffee dates, girlfriends shopping together and enjoying delicious lunch at one of your favorite restaurants.

And then there is you: stuck at home, every day, taking care of kids that are not even yours.

“What is wrong with me? Why did I become a daycare provider? Should I quit?”

Girlfriend, I don’t care how much we love being a daycare provider, if we are being honest with ourselves, we all asked those questions at some point in our lives.

It is easy to get frustrated and discontent. I will be the first to admit – some mornings I wake up cranky and not ready for daycare. I want to be everywhere else but my house. (How about Starbucks where I can order a nice cup of coffee and enjoy every sip of my heavenly nectar called “latte”.

So does this make me a bad daycare provider?

No! It makes me REAL! We all go through seasons when we need encouragement and excitement to get us out of the rut! Mostly we are tempted to quit daycare when we feel burnt out by demanding and annoying parents, when babies cry all the time, or when toddlers get busy and destroy our house in less than a minute! Oh, let’s not forget about our daily dosage of whining and diapers!

Daycare gets overwhelming! Daycare gets lonely! Daycare gets messy!

Then unexpectedly…

~ a sweet daycare Mom brings your favorite Starbucks drink at drop-off in the morning;

~ a cute daycare girl gives you a hug because you made the best lunch:

~ a fountain of tears come forth at pick up because your daycare buddies do not want to go home.

And out of the sudden – it is all worth it!

No longer do you feel stuck anymore but instead you feel privileged to spend your days with the little ones who enter your home. Your “I have to” do daycare turns into “I get to” do daycare.

Did you know that you might be raising a future policeman who will serve in your city, or a future soldier who will fight for your country, or a doctor who may be able to find cure for cancer? You might even be raising a future president, or a daycare provider who will be one of the best out there.

Actually you bring hope for a better tomorrow by loving your daycare kids today. You are changing your city, changing your country and changing the world from the inside of your home.

You are simply fabulous!

I know you might be saying,“This is all great, but I still feel stuck and discouraged. Now what?”
You are not stuck: you are the boss of your business.

If you need a break, take a day off, or a week off, and treat yourself to whatever relaxes and distresses you. Head out on a trip to a coffee shop, or a bookstore. Go to the movies. Go shopping. Take a nice walk around the lake or a trip out of town. The sky is the limit, so be creative. Invest in yourself.

If you feel like you need extra time off to re-evaluate your daycare business and make necessary changes so it will run smoother and more effective, please do so. Everybody will be happier in the end.

Now if you know in your heart that you are done with daycare, please find a different job. It’s as simple as that. A new beginning might be exactly what you are looking for.

On the other hand, new beginnings often come every morning as you find the strength, the energy and even the joy to love your daycare kids for who they are!

xoxo, Sylvie