Missing co-workers

Hi Forum! My name is Joanne and I have been doing home daycare for nearly two years and love it! I knew going into this that I would miss co-workers and the social benefits of work and that is just what I am doing! My own children are grown, so I don't have much in common with my daycare families and like to remain professional anyway. I'd like to touch base with other providers and share ideas and experiences. I live in Cambridge, Ontario and my daycare focuses on infants and toddlers only (you feel my need for adult conversation!). Joanne

Hello Joanne,

I too care for infants and toddlers, and get lonely sometimes, but my parents call and chat with my 'babies'! They love the little ones, and my toddler comes with me sometimes to visit my parents (kinda gives me a break too!).

Miss the time to have a break with co-workers in the centers, but working in centers made me stress too much, so in the long run, I'm better off caring for children in my own home. AND, I'm my own boss!

Question: I have a 13 month old who does not like to nap! HELP!!!

Totally know what you mean 'play and learn'! I started with 3 tots the same age and went crazy! All 12/13 months at the start, and this is the first time I'm doing daycare after working in offices all my life! I'm down to 2 now...it does get a little lonely with no other adults around but I try to make play dates with neighbors/kids.
As for your 13 month old, is he/she still on 2 naps a day?

13 month old is somewhat still on two naps...I try to push it to the afternoon as he doesn't usually nap long. He finally fell asleep an hour ago (thank god!). I need my sanity and rest!

I have felt the same way about missing co-workers. What I did was hire an assistant for a couple of hours a day. Her and I don't gab. She really does attend to the children with me, but just having her there makes all the difference for me. For my sanity, the cost to pay her is worth it. Then if you need her to tag team with you for the one not sleeping...it's an option. (that doesn't work if it keeps other children up though :) )

Things like yahoo chat groups and forums such as this become a daycare providers sanity solution. It is so nice to find people that can totally understand what you are going through.

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Originally Posted by ceECE

I have felt the same way about missing co-workers. What I did was hire an assistant for a couple of hours a day. Her and I don't gab. She really does attend to the children with me, but just having her there makes all the difference for me. For my sanity, the cost to pay her is worth it. Then if you need her to tag team with you for the one not sleeping...it's an option. (that doesn't work if it keeps other children up though :) )

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I don't have enough children to hire an assistant - only will take 3 children max to keep ratios low. Luckily, hubby and I are not in it for the money. The one p/t and one f/t pay for our mortgage, and we're happy with that! I own a dance school too.

I sometimes miss co-workers and the 'working world' but also wouldn't give up what I'm doing for anything. I am my own boss, as someone mentioned and the best part is I get to be home with my own kids. Yes, it's stressful somedays and I feel like I don't want to do it anymore, but I take a breather at night and have learned to outweigh the goods with the bads.

I feel the same way as most of you. I miss lunch outs with co-workers and morning chats, however love my daycare, the kids and love to be the one raising my son (and I will be raising the baby on the way!). I find it more difficult in the winter as the possible interactions with others are limited, however, in the summer, outings to the park and being in contact with parents or other providers fullfills part of that need. I am so thankful for this forum though... it really feels like it created a new world of possibilities.

I think the winter is the toughest- by far once the weather starts to get better I find it a lot easier.

Hi....I have had an inquiry about play dates and wondered if any of you had this experience or know someone who did. The question was related to the fact that I wrote (see above) that I used to have play dates and was inspected, and the Prov. allowed them...as long as they weren't too frequent. The same thing happened last year and I was told that they were forbidden (with the usual caveats re: numbers of children and adults we all discussed above). Am I the only one this happened to??? Has anyone else had this experience?

Playdates are a no go unless the number of children between both of you is not over 5. If you look on the CCPRN website and there was an article in one of the newsletters that the ministry was contacted and they put in writing the "rules". I think in the past it was a case of they sort of just turned a blind eye unless there was a complaint. But after that drowning at a caregiver playdate last summer they have made it clear that playdates in private homes are no longer allowed. The CCPRN had a petition going to get the ministry to lighten up on the rules.

I agree mamaof4, winter months are much more isolating. In the summer we go to a park with about 6 - 9 other caregivers and it is so nice. We meet up at the local splash pad and have picnic lunches with the kids, etc.

My daycare families are all told in the summer our focus isn't on education activities, but switches to being outside as much as possible and gross motor and prosocial skills. This benefits the children as much as it does me because it then means I can socialize with my friends too.

I have worked in centres too and do miss the socialization. But working in a centre it was a different kind of socialization, more the fact that I knew someone was there vs being able to chit chat. The centres I worked in we weren't even allowed to stand near each other let alone talk. If the director caught us together and talking about something not related to the centre, oh boy we were in caa caa. Where being my own boss, if I want to sit on the bench with my friends and chit chat while watching the children play at the park, I can. But when we are in daycare it can be challenging, occassionally, I will call a friend, earphones are amazing, I have my hands free, still run daycare, and talk on the phone. Don't do it all the time, but there are just days when I need that adult conversation during free play.