Birthday Idea for a Mom

[Judy Trickett]

Wow! Once again, I didn't ask for opinions, I didn't ask to be judged. I asked for some craft ideas. We all run our business's differently. Different parents look for different things. Thank you for clarifying what Judy's off handed comment refered to. It's unfortunate that she throws her opinions out there, but is not will to debate anything.

I find the fact that you think I don't debate anything laughable. I think that if people here were honest they would say I do plenty of debate. The problem is whenever you truly debate anything someone always runs off crying that I was too harsh or too mean. Seriously, sooooo over that.

Okay, you want a debate? HERE IS WHY I WON'T MAKE A CARD.........


Daycare has always been a minimum wage job (or very close to minimum wage). It doesn't matter if you did in home daycare in 1970, 1980, 1990 or 2000. If you break it down, after you pay out expenses, considering you are FULL all the time you are still earning minimum wage or less.

Now, I also realize that Tim Horton's has always been a minimum wage job. So, has McDonald's, most retail and many other jobs. BUT, back in 1970, while earning minimum wage the Tim Horton's worker or McDonald's worker sold donuts, hamburgers and coffee. It is essentially the SAME job they do now. They are earning the SAME wage (minimum wage) to do the same job. In essence, their job responsibilities in 1970 still match the job responsibilities and the proportionate wage that they do today. NOTHING has changed for the Timmie's or McDonald's worker in over 30 years.

BUT, take the daycare worker, babysitter, it doesn't matter what you call her, and it HAS changed for her. In the 1970's the babysitter kept kids fed, let them run around in the back yard all day or even had them sit in front of the TV. Parents were happy to have a happy, alive kid upon return from work. In the 1980s came the boom of 'early childhood education" and that same babysitter was now expected to follow a few government rules and offer a little bit of the alphabet and basic numbers. TV was starting to become "bad" for kids to watch all day. Then came the 1990s and now all kids needed to be wearing sunscreen all day, not be in the direct sun more than a few hours, TV was the "bad" babysitter, and they were expected to follow a curriculum and TEACH kids things during the day. Then came the 2000s and then suddenly every child expert said that not only were kids NOT to be in front of the TV all day, wear sunscreen, be fed three times a day in a nine hour period, but they were also to be "emotionally developed" through NO discipline and stupid shit like time-outs, gentle voices, a hands -off policy to discipline. And on top of that we were to make sure they are kindergarten ready. There was to be no plastic toys, God-forbid a kid lick something and die from BPA exposure , cloth diapered, be outside no less than an hour a day, have an ECE credited provider. AND, of course, during all of these years and with increased responsibility and more WORK for the provider the wage did not change. The provider in the 1970s was making minimum wage just the same as the provider in 2000 with a LOAD more that was expected of her.

My point is......WHERE DOES IT END??? If you ask a certain segment of the working population to keep giving and giving and pile more on their plates but never financially reward them then OF COURSE there are gonna be rogue providers who stand up and finally say ENOUGH!!!!!

I won't make a freaking birthday card for a parent because I already do ENOUGH. When does it end? Today it is the card. Tomorrow it will be something more. And every time a provider says that those "rogue" providers are bitter or mean or lazy or confrontational about making something like a card it sets back any progress the daycare profession has made. When a provider steps into the camp WITH the parents it makes our jobs harder. I am not saying this is an "us against them" situation. I don't think that at all. But from a SOCIETAL view the proof is in the pudding - we ARE and HAVE BEEN expected to do more, take on more responsibility and no one has ever stood up and say that for that additional work we should be paid more. No one can refute that point - it's fact. We still make the SAME income, proportionately, that we did 40 years ago.

I really do NOT understand why providers do not SEE this! It's not rocket science. So, YES, it pisses me off when providers come on and poo-bah a few providers who stand up and say "that is not my JOB". And it makes me angry that a parent would pile more on our plates.

Where does it end?

If providers want to be respected and seen as professionals then THEY have to do the work to make that happen. The provider has to stand up and say NO to a parent. We don't have to be mean about it. We can do it kindly and professionally but it still needs to be done. We are not babysitters or nannies. We are not a parent's personal assistant. We do IMPORTANT work and we deserve to be respected for it. And, sorry, but being asked to do, yet another, job that is a parental (or, in this case, spousal) responsibility reeks of the disrespect we see in this profession. I would NEVER ask a child's teacher to make sure she took time out of her teaching day to ensure my kid made a birthday card. So why do we ask a dcprovider? And, furthermore that teacher would look at you like you had two heads. But, oh, no, the provider just does it.

Where does it end?