Life Goals of a DCP

[playfelt]

I think it is good to have goals and options. Asking yourself the "what if..." type of question might help you start towards a new potential career. Such as what if I hurt my back and had to stop daycare what could I do - what skills do I have, what area of interest would I look into, what kind of training might I need to do that area of interest - something you could do now just to give yourself a social/adult outlet but also a security blanket for the future just in case.

Once your own children are in school all day do you want the option to go to lunch with friends - actually have the time to cultivate some adult friendships or do you want to have other small children around all day. Would you consider following your child's development and switching to just before/after school and doing something else for you in the daytime.

Hobbies that can turn into either part time or full time careers are awesome. I know some caregivers that have taken up photography or cake decorating or quilting and using the courses and training now for the social aspects and to master their craft with the idea of selling their wares when the hobby becomes the primary source of income.

I just turned 54 in February and have been doing daycare since 1984. My hubby has three years till age 60 which is when the military retires you out. At that point I am considering doing less if any daycare and building up my educational felt business allowing us to travel to sales around the province, etc. The ideal would be part time daycare Tues - Thurs leaving me Fridays and Mondays to get ready and travel to and from craft fairs, homeschool conferences, daycare workshop days etc. What I am doing now is just enough workshops and events locally to get my name known, working on a website, expanding the products offered by creating some of my own learning items that compliment the felts or using the felts in different way. When the time comes I hope to be able to offer a lot.

Now having said that - remember that it is not wrong to change, modify or abandon a dream in favour of something new.

[Sandbox Sally]

Nicely put, Judy.

I think it's human nature to want to look ahead and try and "improve" ourselves. Sometimes, it's just not necessary! That question, "is this it?" will likely surface at some point in ALL of your life components - your marriage, your career, your parenting, your LIFE. And when you realize, as Judy says, that YES this IS it, sometimes you mourn, and sometimes you rejoice. Sometimes you do one, then the other.

[Momof4]

I'm at the stage where there's more behind me than ahead of me. Now that's harsh! But I had two other careers and college education, all the while raising 4 children as a single mother. It was freaking rough! So this daycare business is my last career and I love being home every day and choosing wonderful families to be a part of my daycare life because it isn't something you just turn off at the end of the day.

[treeholm]

I'm just starting in September, but I've had other careers (university professor most recently). I'm thinking that running a daycare is my retirement career LOL. I've been providing care for my granddaughter for 2.5 years, and it has astonished me how much fun it is, and how much more patient I am with little ones at this age than I was as a busy Mom. Although I achieved my career goals, when I got there, it wasn't satisfying. I was shocked at the politics in academia, the snobbery, the backstabbing, the gossip etc. I have never met such rude people as the other professors in my university. Not all of them, of course, but I remember coming home from my first meeting as a "real" faculty member, and telling my husband I couldn't believe I wanted to belong to that group so much... only to get there, and find out the people were awful.

I am looking forward to this new career. I may be naive, but I figure the worst day with whiny children won't be as bad as being constantly demeaned by people with PhDs who believe that the only way to feel good about yourself is to play the "I got published last week, what are YOU doing?" game....

[jec]

Good luck on your new venture treeholm!

[Naftafia]

Oh boy! Reading this thread is hard on my emotions! I personally have no idea if this "is it" or what is next. I am an occupational therapist in training, however the career I use to have no longer exists (long story short worked with motor vehicle accidents clients and insurance company... and since the legislation changed time and time again, my job has changed significantly). My kids are 3 and 1 and I love doing this, however I don't know if the motivation or drive will be the same once they are both in school. Alhough my clients are lined up for the next years (even babies that are not yet conceived )
All my friends and family kind of expect that i will be returning to the "real world" (as they put it) after this... but I simply don't know.
This being said, it's hard to set any type of goal! I guess for now it's to be the best mom, wife, caregiver I could be! I also want to start finding out more about me and potential hobbies.
So happy for all of you that have it figured out!

[treeholm]

Thanks jec!

[Momof4]

This career came to me quite by accident but it was the best thing that ever happened in my professional life. My daughter's home daycare that was lined up told her the space was gone and I had been sitting in my home wondering what kind of job I could find where I didn't have to deal with backstabbing co-workers. Now, I know I will be doing this until I can no longer move or people won't bring their children to an old lady any more.

Treeholm, I think I'm a lot like you and could NOT have done this job as a young mother. For some reason I was ambitious and climbing the corporate ladder and taking educational courses and always wanted to be somebody 'important'. Now, I look back on my life and realize that I already have the most important job of all. My name was Mom at age 19 and Grandma at age 38 and that's the best part of my life.

So ladies, don't stress out about your goals, they may find you and fit into place perfectly if you are open to them. But here's a tip I used. Sit back and relax and think about this, if you are not happy, what do you need or want to be happy? Once you figure that out - do it! I put it off for way too many years and the stress almost killed me.

Also, great hobbies are necessary to be happy in life. Mine change all the time, but it's really important to have your own social time with your friends once in a while or a date night with your husband. It can't be all about children all the time for you.

[samantha3]

Wow, this thread really hits home! This is how I have been feeling lately... that being said I have enrolled in some courses that I will be taking in the fall.

As of May 2013 I will no longer be a childcare operator and will be in school full time... eek! Very excited and nervous!!!