13 Ways to Avoid Burnout in Childcare
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Why do you think burnout in childcare or daycare is so high? It is hard work, long hours, and little pay. Why do we do it then? For more on running a home daycare, click here.
And for more daycare tips for providers, click here.
Why do people do it then? I do it because it’s my passion. Personally, I feel every child deserves a great place to be. I feel that just because they were born into this world, they deserve to be built up, nurtured, and loved.
Many other providers I know feel the same way. Most of us are in it to love kids and no other reason. And you have to know your limits as a home daycare provider.
Daycare teacher burnout
One time I worked a job where my boss was constantly berating the workers. She was relentless. I dreaded going to work every day. The other workers and I had some sayings about feeling queasy and things like that. I won’t share them here. One of my co-workers developed a drinking problem from the stress of it all.
I remember every Christmas we got a week and a half off because we worked at a University and school was out. It would take me over a week to calm down from the treatment I received there to relax and I’d get one or two nice days and it would be time to go back again.
I loved the work I did there, but I was totally burned out. I came up with excuses to call in, even ones that weren’t true.
At that job, we could get paid for our annual leave when we left and a coworker was like, “you’ll get a nice big fat paycheck when you leave if you stop using your vacation days.” I was like, “I’ll be dead by then, I gotta take them off, I hate it here”. She was like, “oh”. She understood.
Stress in child care workers
Burnout comes from years of not feeling appreciated or cared about by the parents whose children we care for. Picking up late, not paying on time, and not bringing needed supplies are some ways to show disrespect.
We have a life outside of childcare and when a parent is consistently late, it feels like they don’t respect us. Or how would it feel if every payday you had to go into your boss’ office and BEG them for your check? Some providers have to deal with that every week. I forgot my checkbook. You’ll have to wait until next week. Do their bill collectors wait? Mine don’t.
It means a lot to a provider when a parent says a kind word. “I appreciate what you do for my child. And I see that you work hard. I want to make sure I pay you on time. Wow, this is a cool activity. I love that you do such and such with my child every day. They are learning a lot.”
Anything that can encourage the provider is worth saying. It’s nice to be appreciated. I have always had a lot of parents who went out of their way to say they appreciate me and it means a lot. This helps keep providers from burnout. For tangible ways to appreciate your childcare provider, check this out.
Daycare burnout
The #1 rule in life is to take care of yourself so you can take care of others. There is no avoiding this. You HAVE to make time for you. You have to do the things you love every now and then. Your whole life cannot be work. You will definitely experience burnout in childcare if you don’t ever focus on anything but the daycare.
Relax! Do some stretches, meditate, pray, write, or read something you love.
Take care of your body! Get enough sleep, get exercise, and eat healthy foods. My grandpa always said, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” It’s always worked for me. It’s a great way to avoid burnout.
Learn how to say no. Don’t let people talk you into doing things you don’t want to do. If you know it will make you miserable or you just can’t do it, just say no. Overcommitting is a huge cause of burnout in childcare.
Put down the electronics for a few minutes each day and take a technology break.
Be creative and let your creativity flow. It’s a great way to center yourself.
Be social regularly. It helps you be fulfilled emotionally. You desperately need it when you give so much.
Is working at a daycare hard?
You bet it is! Long hours, little pay, lots of responsibility. So how can we keep it more enjoyable.
Laugh, a LOT. Make other people laugh. My kids crack me up and I enjoy those moments. I also joke around with them and make them laugh. It makes getting barfed on or leaky diarrhea diapers not so end of the world.
Be accountable. Make sure you are doing your best to be reliable for your parents, they need someone they can depend on. And if you make mistakes, own up to them. Everyone makes them, but an “I’m sorry” goes a long way.
Breathe. Take a minute to breathe deeply and center yourself.
Talk to others who understand. Networking is an important part of staying in a mindset of loving your job.
Treat yourself. What is something you really like? A new pair of jeans, a piece of chocolate, or a long drive with the windows down? Make some of these sweet orange lotion bars and pamper yourself. Whatever you like, let yourself have a little indulgence.
Take a Vacation! I see providers all the time who say, I don’t take vacations, my parents need me. They do need you. As long as you give them plenty of notice, it’s better for them to have to find care for a week and have you come back recharged than for you to have burnout in childcare and quit completely. Or for you to try to provide care when you are miserable. This is never a good thing!
We all know that burnout is super real in the current crisis we are living through. For more strategies for the present circumstances, check this out.
Home daycare provider burnout
Something I heard from Tom Copeland, a great advocate for family childcare, has stuck with me for years. I use it to gauge situations in my life that need adjusting and prevent home daycare provider burnout. It works for any job. These are your three choices in life. Be happy. If you are not happy, then change what you are doing. So, if you cannot change it, then quit. If you cannot quit, then BE HAPPY! There is nothing else. Think about that. Click here to find more ways to deal with stress!
And finally, should you be doing childcare or whatever job if you’re burned out? Maybe it’s not the job for you or maybe you need a change. It’s DEFINITELY not for everyone. If you find yourself dreading Monday every Sunday and vacation doesn’t help that, maybe it’s time to look at doing something else. And find out here what qualities it takes to be a GOOD provider.
If you are miserable from burnout in childcare, everyone else around you probably is too. And if you work with kids, that’s especially not a good thing. So think about something else you might like to do. If you decide to keep doing what you’re doing, LOVE it! And give it your all. Don’t be “queasy” about working every day!
If you’re ready to start kicking it every day, check out these tips for productivity.
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