Vent: I hate childcare

amother

OP ↓

Yesterday at 4:13 am

I’ve been in childcare for years at various preschools /daycares. I never wanted to work with toddlers but it was the first job I got and I was never able to transition into anything else. Schools always looked at me like “oh you’re a preschool teacher, we need more of you!” And wouldn’t offer me any job above age four

I hate childcare.
I hate the constant diapers, fights, and tantrums. I hate having to be on all day. I hate how boring the days are. I hate the long hours in the classroom. I hate moms not picking up on time. I hate the biting. Did I mention I hate the constant diapers? I hate how little I am paid even though I work more than anyone I know! I hate prepping an activity that will take the kids five seconds to destroy. I hate not having adequate facilities or resources (really the only answer to this is to work for a secular daycare and… no.) I hate when people send their kids to school sick and then I get sick (and have no adequate sick days). But most of all I hate that I have no energy for my own kids at all. I hate having challenging students who, if I say anything about their behavior, I’m told “oh they’re too young to diagnose don’t say anything to the mom” never mind my years of experience, I obviously don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m get annoyed by community standards and priorities (how could my child be sent home messy? If he’s not learning independent skills he should have at that age like self feeding.)
Before I had kids I used to work a full day and then just come home and sleep. And I’ve worked with older (read: four and five year olds) they don’t do diapers, but other than that it’s not much better. Prek is not my favorite age) I really like all my students individually I just don’t like them as a group.

It feels like I and stuck in childcare and I hate it

amother

Moonstone

Yesterday at 4:20 am

amother OP wrote:

I don't have any advice. I do want to say though I've been in childcare for over 2 decades I NEVER EVER DIAGNOSE A CHILD.
They are too young to diagnose and your only creating a self fulfilling prophecy. Trust me I've seen that happen numerous times.

amother

Apricot

Yesterday at 4:36 am

OP, I feel for you. I hear you loud and clear. I was you for 18 years!(until this past summer) Now I am not working, and looking for work. Not even sure what I want to do. I just knew that I coudnt do childcare any longer!
Try to think about what else you would wnat to do instead. hatzlacha and hugs to you

And to the mom who said shes glad the OP is not her childs teacher. thats not nice. I can assure you that the OP is warm and loving in school. just... shes falling apart at home, has no energy. childcare is a truly exhausting job. its really really tiring and really really hard. I am sure OP does not show her feelings to the kids, I know, becaseu I managed to do that for so many years. But she is allowed to vent. Please be kind. unless the morah is a high energy person, she finds working with little kids tiring. its a fact of life. I bet YOU couldnt do it without complaining either.

amother

↑ Beige

Yesterday at 4:40 am

Op I get you. I just posted on a different thread about how my office job makes me so miserable but childcare would make me way more miserable. You have to have the right personality for it and not be burnt out to work in childcare.

Please think about switching careers. Doesn’t an office job sound nice, sitting in a comfy chair in an office all day and just using your brain?

amother

↑ OP

Yesterday at 4:49 am

amother Pistachio wrote:

Do you want to switch careers or just stay unhappy?
Venting is fine but the negetivity creeps into other areas of your life.

Right I have planned.

I promised my boss a year and the school is really depending on me so I need to make it until the end of June …

Not sure what career as I feel like I’ve tried for others and don’t have the skills but aye I’ll be able to figure it out over the next few months

The other thing is I’d love another kid but really don’t have the energy.

If you haven’t been a daycare/ preschool worker you probably don’t understand how I’m saying I can’t be pregnant in my current job. I’m already out of sick days from taking them for my kids, so that’s one thing.
Plus you can’t leave the class alone to go be sick in the bathroom. That’s making me sad that I feel like I have to wait.

amother

↑ Pistachio ↓

Yesterday at 4:57 am

amother OP wrote:

In the kindest way, I get wanting to stick to a job committment but if your job is impeding your happiness and long term goals such as having another child, you really need to leave.
Have you tried an educational eval to assess your strengths and weaknesses to advise on potential careers? You can even do an online quiz.

amother

↑ Pistachio

Yesterday at 5:03 am

amother OP wrote:

OP, another idea but this isn't easy.
Take this year to teach and do a skills-based course in your spare time until June.
June time, look for a new job in the area you have just spent the past 6 months training in.
You'd probably still need to evaluate future baby plans as you wouldn't want to enter a new job and go on maternity leave 3 months later...

amother

Gardenia

Yesterday at 5:22 am

Op I was you. I'd only ever done child care work, felt so burnt out and sick of it. We decided I would go back to school and I got another degree and felt so happy when I was in school. Fast forward to getting my first job with this new degree and I was absolutely miserable. I really really missed the child care environment and feeling like my job meant something taking care of such beautiful neshamos. I ended up back working in child care.
It's really a mindset to be happy in your life. That said I'm really happy that I went back to school and got to experience all this. I feel like I really got to choose my career even though I ended up back in child care.
It's never too late to go back to school, but realize that it might not solve your problems.

amother

Cantaloupe

Yesterday at 5:27 am

amother OP wrote:

Of course you don't have the energy for another kid of your own, you're too busy pouring everything you have and more into other people's kids.

I was a daycare/preschool teacher as a teen and promised myself I would never ever work with that age group again. I love my own kids that age, they are SO CUTE BH, but nope I don't envy their ganenot even though they seem to love their jobs BH. It's just not for me. I like teaching high school, thanks very much.

OP take this year to learn a skill that's marketable and if you can quit mid-year just do it. As the moms here say they'd rather someone else so let them have her lol. Smile

You do what's best for you and your family, the school will find a replacement.

amother

↑ Stone

Yesterday at 5:32 am

imaima wrote:

This is really unpleasant. OP is doing a service for the klal and if each one of us does their duty, it will make her life a bit better and her job more enjoyable.
I hate how people expect teachers to be „naturally talented“, always cheerful, accommodating and not to do it if they are not happy. Guess what, 90% of them will leave then.

You’re right it wasn’t nice , I deleted it, can you delete it here too