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  1. #1
    Starting to feel at home... Sunflower's Avatar
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    What did you do prior to opening a daycare?

    I would love to hear what you all did before deciding to open your own daycares,what you miss the most (if anything) about your previous employment and what you miss the least.

    I used to work in a call center ( very stressful!) So what I don;t miss is having to answer to someone allllllll the time. What I miss the most is getting to dress up. I could live in heels

  2. #2
    Starting to feel at home...
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    I was the director of a Nursery School/Preschool. When my fist child was born five years ago I left work to stay home. I know live in a different province. I miss the freedom but love being home.

  3. #3
    Starting to feel at home...
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    Prior to marriage I was going to be a police officer. I passed all the prereq testing and just had the psych exam left (hahaha, maybe it would have ended for me there anyway?!). Then I met DH, whirlwind romance, engagement, marriage and baby immediately.

    From there I worked in a call center taking inbound calls (much nicer than outbound sales). After my 2nd child was born I went back to doing what I did through college: bartending and restaurant management.

    After my 3rd child was born I did consulting work from home for various insurance companies. It worked OK but didn't allow me the time with the kids that I wanted. The natural next step was home daycare.
    ~ Mama to 4, Dayhome provider ~

  4. #4
    Expansive... Play and Learn's Avatar
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    Hey! I took my ECE, then went on to do my BA while coming home during the summers to work at daycare centers (any age group). After I graduated (tried to get into teachers college 2 yrs in a row then gave up), I became a nanny to 3 school-aged boys for a year. Then decided to go back to school again for Office Administration. I planned a wedding that year and on my Fridays off i was a nanny to a 2 and 4 yr old!

    Graduated and couldn't find work close to home, a family friend was in a bind and needed childcare, so once again became a nanny to a 1 yr old girl! Got married, hubby built a playroom/dance space in the basement. And once that was done, I opened my daycare and dance school. I'm loving it so far, and cannot wait to have children of my own.

  5. #5
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    before getting married I skated professionally around the world..met my husband then we settled down to start a family. After settling down and before baby #2 I managed a retail store.
    I miss talking to people and selling. I don't miss the schedule, the commute (even though it wasn't far) and I never experienced, but I know I couldn't have handled getting my kids up at the crack of dawn, taking them to someone else's house to be raised, getting home in time to throw dinner on the table, bathe them and say goodnight before getting up to do it all over again. NEVER could have done it. That's why I'm here.

  6. #6
    Euphoric !
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    My training is as an elementary teacher and I have taken ECE courses. My hubby is military so we have lived in Nova Scotia, Alberta and several places in Ontario. Cracking the lineup in teaching is very hard when you are basically just passing through. When we moved to Calgary I was almost 8 months pregnant with our second. When she was 4 months old we moved off base cause they took off the rent controls and put in house buying incentives. Shortly after that I started with a neighbour's child after she had a childcare crisis and then is just sort of spread from there. I did join an agency in Alberta in 1987 for the supports while getting started. Tried an agency when we moved to Ontario thinking it would be the same but it was awful so I have been private ever since 1990.

  7. #7
    Shy Amateur Owner's Avatar
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    hello all...it's wonderful to see so many people with the same interest here and different backgrounds!!! I myself am from BC and have been in daycare for a whooping 6 months! I've worked in offices my entire adult life and decided to do this after baby #2 and missing out so much on baby #1's life while I was at 'work'!
    I love the fact that I get to be home with them, drop my older boy to school and not have to take transit! However it does get a little overwhelming when you haven't had much experience with many tots at the same time or situations that are new...which is why I find this forum to be extremely helpful!
    With the aspect of learning outcomes, I'm trying to teach myself what I can teach the little ones and with the amount of information on the internet I don't know where to start! They mostly play, we sing (I do anyway!) and play music and read! Try and color, lasts for a minute or 2 at the most Some days are frustrating for me and some days they're so good! I don't know how you do it with more than 2-3 kids...hats off to you! I'm hoping one day I'll have the patience and courage to take that on

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Amateur Owner View Post
    hello all...it's wonderful to see so many people with the same interest here and different backgrounds!!! I myself am from BC and have been in daycare for a whooping 6 months! I've worked in offices my entire adult life and decided to do this after baby #2 and missing out so much on baby #1's life while I was at 'work'!
    I love the fact that I get to be home with them, drop my older boy to school and not have to take transit! However it does get a little overwhelming when you haven't had much experience with many tots at the same time or situations that are new...which is why I find this forum to be extremely helpful!
    With the aspect of learning outcomes, I'm trying to teach myself what I can teach the little ones and with the amount of information on the internet I don't know where to start! They mostly play, we sing (I do anyway!) and play music and read! Try and color, lasts for a minute or 2 at the most Some days are frustrating for me and some days they're so good! I don't know how you do it with more than 2-3 kids...hats off to you! I'm hoping one day I'll have the patience and courage to take that on
    it depends on their ages and dynamic. Sometimes I actually find more easier than less, since they entertain eachother!

  9. #9
    Shy Amateur Owner's Avatar
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    gcj - I suppose that would be something to look at...I'm finding it hard to secure older kids as I have young ones (18 months) and the parents want someone their kids age...any advice, anyone?

  10. #10
    Shy Amateur Owner's Avatar
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    I can totally relate to the dressing up part - I loved to dress up for work! I find if I slap on some make-up in the morning I feel better about myself somehow! But always feel the parents must be wondering if I'm crazy :P

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