Quote Originally Posted by Judy Trickett View Post
Nope, I don't get attached. This is my job. These are not my kids. I realize that every kid I have can leave me tomorrow if their parents so choose. WHY would I put myself in that position?

Sure, I can like people and not be attached to them. The lady I see at Starbucks way too many times a week is nice to me and I am sure she "likes" me but I am also pretty sure that even if she heard I died she would give a momentary, "oh, dear" and then move on in 5 minutes. And that's if I DIED! LOL!

I don't drive by the school on the last day every summer and see a group of blubbering teachers huddled together with tears running down their cheeks. Shouldn't be different for us.

In fact, I can go even further.

((Judy goes and gets flame retardant suit))

I don't even think a provider needs to LIKE kids to do well at this job. ((putting suit on now)). I know lots of people out in the real world who have strong work ethics and always do everything to the BEST of their abilities but don't particularly like their jobs or the people they work with - but they still do a great job and they are good at what they do.

I really believe this - that you don't have to like kids to be a great dcprovider. You just have to have other talents and characteristics and personality traits that allow you to work very hard and do a great JOB.
I agree with you in the not liking the kids thing. For me, it's my son. I have a little boy right now who isn't bonding with my son. And I go back and forth - if I'm doing this for my son and my son doesn't like him (the little boy is really rough with him), then I should let him go. But on the flipside, that would be really unprofessional and I should just stick it out until I know for sure whether or not he can bond with my son.

HOWEVER, liking the kids and bonding with them make this job SO MUCH easier. This job is difficult enough and stressful enough without liking the kids. Last week, I was heading for nervous breakdown. The little boy I've had forever wouldn't sleep and spent a lot of his half days crying, and the little girl was becoming increasingly disruptive. Last Friday was her last day, so that brought me down to 4 boys, and I put my foot down and told the little boy's parents that half days were not longer an option. I know it's only Tuesday, but this week just FEELS so much better. All the kids I have, I bond with, I like and they all like each other. Even yesterday, the little boy who is rough was running around with the two youngest kids and LAUGHING! He is very shy and hasn't done that yet. I think with me being less stressed, and hating my life less lol, they feel better too.

I'm a firm believer in loving what you do. There's no sense in bringing home a paycheck if you don't love, or AT LEAST like what you do. You only have one life, why spend it being miserable?