Petty complaints...

[5 Little Monkeys]

I agree, one person's job is not harder than another, just different circumstances and requirements. Have you had a hdc to compare the two though? Not saying it is absolutely necessary but it would shed some light on both options of this career and give a better view of the two for one to compare. It is hard to compare one to the other if you haven't experienced both to some degree.

Hands down, I would pick my hdc over working in a centre any day! I loved my time in centres but I am MUCH MUCH happier now I love that I get to be boss, have final say on the rules and policies and which children I enroll. I love the smaller, intimate group and relationships. I love being able to show the children affection with hugs and kisses. I love that I get to work from home and see my fiance during the day because he works evenings. I love the freedom I have with choosing my holidays. I love that I don't have incompetent coworkers anymore :P haha

There is so much to love about my job but just like any other job, there are disadvantages too. I don't get a set break, I don't get a time away from a screaming child, I don't get to avoid a difficult parent by sending them to the director, I don't get to avoid the late payments or skipping out on payments (thankfully I haven't had this yet but I'm sure my time will come!), I don't get to take a day off or leave work early without inconveniencing a handful of families, I don't get a change of scenery and get to work with different kids from time to time, I don't get to have a coworker that knows a particular child in great detail and knows what I'm complaining about etc.

Just like not every dc centre is the same, not every hdc is the same and painting us all with the same brush isn't fair.

I agree with you about the issue of children being there in operating hours but out of their regular hours but that doesn't mean that I don't think other dcp's don't have the right to be annoyed with that. They just run their business differently. As far as the behaviour issues go, again it will depend on your centre but the 1st one I worked in had a director that would step in and take the difficult child out of the situation and away from the audience until they were calm enough to rejoin the group. This was fantastic!! But not something I can do here in my hdc and not something that another director in another centre I worked in did. We also took turns being in this one room with a child who cried ALL DAY for months!! No doing that in hdc....we get to listen to it all day with no break and no one to tag team us out!

Centres and hdc's are similar in the service we provide but so entirely different in how we provide the service that it is almost unfair to compare the two IMO.