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....