working IN a daycare?

simplestella11

Do any Moms work IN daycares? Its my plan, just because I was left with my grandparents so much as a child that I tell everyone they raised me - I dont want that with my child. At least this way, I'd be close by. Any opinions/tips?

Maybride2

Do you actually have any professional experience/education in child development? 

At both daycare centers we have used, they didn't allow mothers to be in the same class as their children - they moved the moms to a different room to avoid it.  So it's a very good possibility that you wouldn't be in the same room as your child, and if you're actually doing your job you shouldn't have tons of time to run back and forth to see your child in the other room......not to mention that the care providers in the other room would probably beg you not to do that anyway because it's so disruptive to your child and the rest of the class. So yeah, you'd be "close by", but would it really change anything? 

Or are you considering opening your own in-home daycare?

I don't know what your situation was growing up, but I highly doubt that my children are going to think or tell people that daycare raised them.....no more so than their schoolteachers raised them.

jf198400

I worked at a daycare one summer in college.  I just wanted to point out that DC teachers make very little money and contrary to popular belief they generally do not get free daycare for their kids.  You do get a small discount, but I honestly can't see how it could be cost effective to work there and send your child there.

BLykins16

I agree with the PPs. You probably will not be allowed to be in the same room with your child while working. At my son's daycare they get an 80% discount off of the tuition rate after the child moves up to the toddler room, but I think their discount is higher than a lot of other places.

You will also need some education/experience in Early Childhood education. I talk with the director of our daycare all the time and she was telling me that she was getting resumes for an open position from people with no experience or education and she was basically throwing them out.

If this is something that you are seriously considering, I would look into what credentials daycare centers in your area require and what kind of pay they can offer. I worked as an assistant in high school through a paid internship (I was working on a scholarship through an Early Childhood Education program that required 3 years of classes and an intership) and I made minimum wage.

You could look into taking care of children in your home, but again I'd look into taking some classes on child care and child education. Also, if you go the home daycare route, you should look into licensing requirements for your state.

 

simplestella11

If I worked somewhere other than a daycare, I wouldnt put my child in daycare (personally) cause of cost, my MIL (living next to us) would help. Thats how it was with my grandmother and I just dont want her or my child thinking I was just letting her take the reins. I do have my CDA. It took 2 years to get. I knew I'd get a discount for my child working in a daycare I just wasn't sure of how much. I just hate working hard for my CDA and not using it but here, daycares are the preschools unless you work for a government funded preschool and here, the budgets for those programs are being cut & so is pay. Just gotta go a lot of checking around.

jgb2000

Our director has two girls and one of them (1 yr old) goes to our daycare and the older one (around 3 or 4 yrs old) goes to the other 'branch' down the road. The reason is b/c she can't see her mom and not expect her mom to sit and spend time with her.

So consider whether your kid would flip out every time he/she sees you and you can't stop and hold them or say hi.

HTH!

MrsBalletStar05

Last fall I was looking for a change in work, asked about the same thing and got the same responses you are.  Yes, I wanted more time with my boys, but I was also seriously interested in childcare and seriously interested in a career change! 

Currently I am working at a drop-in daycare facility for the YMCA.  I get to bring both of my children with me, free of charge.  I work about 20 hours a week.   I am bringing home the same amount of money that I was when I was working full-time and paying daycare for 2.  What's great is that I LOVE my job.  The kids absolutely make my day.  I get hugs and cuddles.  We play and have fun.  The kids say crazy things and it's so much less stressful than my previous job.  When my kids are in school, I may consider getting more training and starting a home daycare or working more hours in a regular childcare center, probably with the babies.  I really enjoy it. 

And no, I had absolutely no previous childcare experience.  Even working in a regular daycare you can be an assistant teacher with no training.   I've known of several people just out of high school (or even still IN high school) who's first jobs have been in daycares.  It probably depends on where you live and the daycare *market*, and  but I've known a few people who have worked at daycare centers and their children have attended free of charge.  I also know that here in my state, staff's children over the age of 5 are not counted against the allowable amount of children a center may have enrolled (therefor they are not losing a paying customers place to have your child there).  Just some info. 

The great thing about working at the Y is that I get free membership there as well, so I've been working out a lot more :-)  I'd encourage you to look into working at the Y or another gym with drop-in childcare.   Another avenue I've also considered is working in a church nursery (usually just Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings). 

jesspacatc

We have a few of the staff members have kids in our daycare, but like PP said, they have been shifted around classrooms, etc.  Just food for thought as well, a lot of daycare jobs are being taken by people who have their B.A in childhood or elementary ed because there just aren't the teaching jobs.  K's teacher in her "twaddler room" 12-18 months, was a 3rd grade teacher previously and couldn't find another elementary job

jtwin1

I work in a center and I actually had my son in my classroom for 8 months, and he actually did very well, it did get a little tough at times, but I enjoyed having him in my room, he was very independent and never really got upset when I was dealing with other children.  My director gave me the option of switching rooms when he transitioned to my class, but I wanted to stay in my room. If he had had issues I would have had to switch classroom, but it worked out. I do get a great discount too!

vagirl06

jtwin1:

I work in a center and I actually had my son in my classroom for 8 months, and he actually did very well, it did get a little tough at times, but I enjoyed having him in my room, he was very independent and never really got upset when I was dealing with other children.  My director gave me the option of switching rooms when he transitioned to my class, but I wanted to stay in my room. If he had had issues I would have had to switch classroom, but it worked out. I do get a great discount too!

I'm glad that worked out for you but if that were the situation in my dacyare, I would be PISSED!  No way would I be ok with my daughter's teacher having her own child in the room.  I have a hard enough time with various teachers at my daycare being related to the Director.

Valerie120408

I don't work in a daycare but the daycare where my kids go has a teacher who has two kids there and she has worked in the room with one of them (they are in different rooms due to age). She is great with all the kids and she has managed to have her LO with her without it interfering with her job (at least from my perspective, I don't know if it's really hard to be in the same room with your LO and not being able to hold them because you're holding another baby, etc). But she is my favorite teacher, the other kids love her, DS1 talks about her, so I think she's doing all right

MrsBalletStar05

vagirl06:

jtwin1:

I work in a center and I actually had my son in my classroom for 8 months, and he actually did very well, it did get a little tough at times, but I enjoyed having him in my room, he was very independent and never really got upset when I was dealing with other children.  My director gave me the option of switching rooms when he transitioned to my class, but I wanted to stay in my room. If he had had issues I would have had to switch classroom, but it worked out. I do get a great discount too!

I'm glad that worked out for you but if that were the situation in my dacyare, I would be PISSED!  No way would I be ok with my daughter's teacher having her own child in the room.  I have a hard enough time with various teachers at my daycare being related to the Director.

 

Why specifically?  You can't possibly be upset JUST because they are related, can you?  They must be doing or not doing something that bothers you, otherwise you're being ridiculous.  If the teachers are doing their job, it should not matter if their child is in the classroom.  

I know my situation is not exactly the same, but it's not like my children get favored over the others!  In fact it has been so much the opposite, that I've recently had to readjust my behavior towards them in order to be more fair. 

As far as if jobs are out there or not, it REALLY depends on your area.  I know that just today I passed two centers with *now hiring* signs out and usually see several ads on craigslist and in the newpapers each week. 

BeccaMarie

I just skimmed posts, so I apologize if I missed something, but OP, do you have childcare experience outside of that that was required for your CDA?

This is just my personal opinion, but I do not consider a CDA to be on the same level as someone with a degree in early childhood education, and I would not accept a CDA as the extent of training for someone who was my child's teacher.

I think it is great if you want to pursue a career in early childhood education - just make sure that your true motivation is that you want to work in early childhood education, not that you want to be near your LO during the day.  I can spot the teachers who are working the daycare just to be near their LO in two seconds flat, and they never last.

Either way, good luck figuring something out that works for your family.

(and FWIW, I used to have a center-based infant/toddler CDA)

financialdiva

amy052006:

simplestella11:

Do any Moms work IN daycares? Its my plan, just because I was left with my grandparents so much as a child that I tell everyone they raised me - I dont want that with my child. At least this way, I'd be close by. Any opinions/tips?

This is totally the attitude I look for in a child care provider!  I am sure you will be super successful!

I'd totally let her raise my kid while watching her own!!