Reality Check!

[playfelt]

.... Also Bill 143 really turned me off too and it made me feel very depreciated and honestly I just feel hurt about the whole thing. I know now that I won't do this forever like I used to think, I think I am just going to start planing for the future and take some courses etc.

I think you have totally pegged what is eating at a lot of us. In one fell swoop with Bill 143 our whole world is potentially being taken out from under us and all the planning/training we did to get to where we are and all the plans we had for our future are in jeopardy.

I can look at this from a very different place than most of you because I already have 28 years invested in home daycare, my own kids are grown, hubby retires from the military in March 2015 at age 60 and thus I am in the daycare could end tomorrow and life would be ok stage - I'll still want something to do but it wouldn't have near the urgency it would have had 25 years ago when my daycare was part of the family income plan.

It is as if we knew we were at the lowest end of the childcare system, very undervalued, and now basically unconsulted, but it has taken Bill 143 to bring it to the forefront for a lot of us. We are questioning in my case why did I do it, was it worth it really - and yes I think it was but going forward I realize so many of you are being put into a very negative place by all that is happening now. Even for those that don't live in Ontario and won't be directly effected by this bill it still makes you stop and think just where do I belong in the scheme of life.

Taking courses is a great way to get some adult interaction and realize we do still have a mind that can comprehend something more than the answer to what sound do cows make and how many pompoms can fill a yogurt container. I used to take one course a session from the local municipal activities book that fulfilled an interest and that was great too be it a craft course, cooking class, home décor whatever. Then the kids got older and busy with their own activities and we ran out of nights - I keep telling myself that is what retiring for is for right. I know it costs per course but even just taking several intro to .... type courses might help you find the one you really like. It just feels like someone suddenly put pressure on us all to state what we plan to do with the rest of our lives without giving us time to think about an answer. It is a scary topic anyways cause really no one wants to think about the unknown future. I so appreciate this forum where we can sound out our ideas and get help to see what direction we can go.