I've been thinking about the last post I wrote "Thanks God". I have a question for you. How would YOU feel as a parent if your child was in my care and you read my last post...talking about how I don't exactly love what I'm doing, and when it gets to be too much I even feel like I hate it.Please be completely honest - I love honesty...even if it's brutal.
Thanks!
Love,
Tracy
4 comments:
Ok, I see the rest of your buddies chickened out on answering...(except Lori). LOL So I'll give it a shot:
First of all, as a parent, if my kid was at your house, my first impression is I wouldn't want to read what you wrote. But I'm sure you already know that, or you wouldn't have asked the question. :-)
However, knowing you (and Aerie), I'd have no problem leaving my kid with you for a year, or 2, or 10. We all know you're a great Mom. It's really a non-topic Trace. You're awesome.
Regarding the way you feel...you're just human, and normal. I mean come on...who WOULD want to look after other people's kids, day after day?? Except maybe for a LOT of money :-) And really, the money sucks, for the work involved. Of course, if it means that you can afford to stay home with your little guys, and that is what you really want, then I suppose it's worth it. But I bet 99% of home daycare workers...(who are daycare workers MAINLY so they can stay home with their own kids)...feel frustrated, tired, unfulfilled, underpaid, unaccomplished, underappreciated, etc. At least you can admit it. I am sure there are very few people who grow up daydreaming about becoming a diaper-changing, nose-wiping, formula-feeding, toy-picking-up babysitter for 5 other people's kids at a time.
That brings me to my last point. Keep in mind that the internet is a VERY public place. What you say "amongst friends" here, can come back to haunt you...in public, or taken out of context, or in a manner that it wasn't intended for. Example? You have a (God forbid) bad accident at your daycare. A kid is badly hurt. Parent is angry and sues. Lawyer Googles "tracy biafore" and finds this post...
Maybe it sounds far-fetched, but it's reality. You were asking me the other day as to why I signed my post as "anonymous". It's for the reason I just mentioned. In my case, I have hundreds and hundreds of clients, and I also operate a message board with thousands of members who in their normal course of due-diligence like to "investigate me" (via search engine). So, I think it's important to be careful what I say in a public forum. Hope that makes sense :-) I've had to deal with several issues where I neglected to conceal my privacy. Now that I've come out of the closet as your confessed blogger-watcher, I'll simply sign as "andre". :-) Obviously your case is a little different...nobody's reading your post to investigate you. But...you should still be careful what you leave on here.
Oh wait, that wasn't my last point. Turns out I have another! LOL I have Sarah in a school daycare. I don't know what you call it, but it is the kind that is not a home daycare. We did have her in a home daycare, and the lady was great. Real great. Sarah was just 1-2 years old at the time. Sarah was happy, and so were we. But then the daycare lady started to miss her old career...and even though she still was a great daycare lady, you could tell the enthusiasm just wasn't the same. She was starting to drift.
So that got Lisa and me thinking about a public daycare, where the people that work there ACTUALLY DO DREAM OF TAKING CARE OF KIDS...and did go and get educated for it, and (hopefully) love what they do. We also got the benefit of very organized activities, and very structured setting, along with the benefit of a place that has many more kids...money to spend. They have very nutritional and diversified menus, huge playgrounds, incredible fieldtrips (really), the latest educational stuff etc...all things the home daycare couldn't/didn't provide. Anyway Sarah has been there a year, and she is having the most amazing experience, and developing incredibly well, and she is getting primed for the real world (of interacting with many diversified people), and rules, and structure, etc. Maybe we just got real blessed and got with a great daycare (Children's Castle.... Bank & Hunt Club), but we wouldn't trade it for anything.
The only downside is that she doesn't get any Bible stuff taught to her (she does at home...thanks Mom). And for example, they celebrate stuff like Halloween and all the other secular stuff. It's really too bad there isn't a Christian version of this Daycare. I'd even pay more and drive further to send her there, if there was one.
Anyway, these are just thoughts Trace. If any of it bugs you, well you know I've teed you off far worse I'm sure. ha! :-)
Wow, this was heavy. I really liked your comment though - and it made me think. And I do thank you for you advice. Aerie tells me all the time how naive I am...and I didn't even think about that. But I'm not sorry that I wrote what I wrote - not at all. Almost every person I know dislikes certain aspects of their job & we all go through bad days. I just happen to be sharing my bad days with everyone. But yes Andre, I'll be careful :)
Public Daycare vs Home Daycare...I can't say which I think is best - they're so different and it really depends on what the parents want for their children. I think it's awesome that Sarah is thriving at her daycare! And if she is coming home excited and happy everyday then that is so awesome!
I don't know what Sarah's previous home daycare was like, but in our daycare there is structure, rules, nutritious meals, games, circle time and learning. We don't have a huge playground in our backyard or access to the "latest" educational stuff, and we don't do incredible fieldtrips, but these kids have fun, and they have made lots of friends. I personally think that kids will be "primed" for the real world in due time - no need to rush it. We have to remember that these children are just that - children.
This is not a debate :) I am just pushing your buttons to get you to comment again!!! But really Andre, I really appreciate your comment. I'll get your cheque for this one in the mail ASAP too! HE-HE-HE!
I think every parent has a bad day or bad week every so often - I know I do, and with my own two kids, with my job... You count your blessings, you keep on going, and the bad feeling pass.
If I had my child in your care and happened to read this, I would probably think that you must be having a hard time with some of of the children in your care - but not mine, cause mine are perfect little angels.
If a parent whose child is in your care did happen to read this and thought any less of you for having these feelings, in my opinion, is a total hypocrit.
Don't worry about it, Trace. You're only human...I think (he he)
Isabelle
Is:
I was reading your comment and I was like, hmmmm...Isabelle who? And then I got to the bottom and read "Don't worry about it, Trace. You're only HUMAN...I think(he-he)" I had no doubt after that HUMAN comment!!! He-he!
It was so nice to hear from you...and I'm so happy you left a comment. Feel free to do that as much as you want! Like even everyday! Well, okay not everyday...how about twice a week?
But yeah, I know you're right. Like we all have our bad days/weeks.
Anyway, we are due for dinner & a movie!
Trace
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