'Daycare' Isn't a Four-Letter Word

I'll be honest- I cringe when I hear my classroom or my group of students referred to as a 'daycare.' And then I get mad at myself for feeling that way.

I know for certain that there are many, many wonderful men and women out there who run quality in-home daycares or who work at lovely daycare centers. Some are career providers while others are like the Teach for America of childcare- they do it only for a few years but do it well. But I also know that I'm not the only one who listened to her neighbor screech ineffectively at her own children for years and then watched her take in other children as a way to supplement her family's income.

My mother tells me that when she was in high school, if an aptitude test failed to identify any obvious career path or talent in a girl, that girl was encouraged to pursue work in childcare. Like all "woman's work," childcare has a history of being devalued- there is the unspoken notion that it is facile and unimportant. If a woman can do it anyone can do it, right? It's just something that allows the REAL work to be done, right?? Of course, from the inception there are those that have challenged this assumption but such a cycle is hard to break.

So not only do I have a problem with the word 'daycare,' but I have a problem with myself for contributing to the devaluing of the word, and also with those who perpetuate the negative connotation by doing a poor or mindless job taking care of children.

More and more parents require some form of childcare to supplement the time they can give their children. And children require the space to move, to create, and to be inspired. Not anyone can create and maintain such a space. Not anyone can help children develop their character and to develop as life long learners. It is challenging, ever-changing, important work. So let us re-define 'daycare' to reflect its complexities and it's worth.

Is there one, inflexible combination of character traits and educational experiences that makes a person qualified to work with children? Of course not.  Should the person who chooses to work with children exhibit intelligence, self-reflection, kindness, and patience? Yes. Should they be proud of what they do and want always to do it better? Absolutely.

To be proud of something you have to take ownership of it. Embrace it.

I do daycare.

But I want to change what that word means.

Chicken or Egg?

It was my intention to come home today and start uploading photos of wonderful art projects, recipes for savory snack ideas, and educational philosophies broken down into compelling and easy-to-follow nuggets of wisdom. But it wasn't that kind of a day. Not even a little bit.

To be fair, we actually do have a wonderful art project going (yarn owls), we did cook a great snack (homemade pasta sauce using our own homegrown tomatoes- yay!), and when a group went up on the nature trail and worked together to build a fort, I handily referred to it as am "U'macha," (the traditional home of the Coastal Miwok) which tied in nicely to our walking field trip to the Petaluma Historical Museum planned for tomorrow.

But you don't get to hear about any of that. Because the cloud that hung over everything that went on today is that I was in a terrible, horrible, no-good, I-found-myself-standing-with-one-hand-on-my-hip-wagging-a finger-at-a-student-and-actually-saying-the-words-"I-am-VERY-disappointed-in-you-we-do-not-give-wedgies-in-my-classroom"-in-a-clipped-voice-while-glaring-menacingly BAD MOOD. And I don't think it was all my fault. But it did bring out the worst in me, which I believe then brought out the worst in my kids. But they started it! :) Which brings me to the only philosophical question I can wrap my head around right now: Which comes first: the cranky-ass teacher or the pain-in-the-rear students??

We've all had those days (right?? Please tell me that we all have those days?). But why?? I like to think that I'm so consistent and calm that it had NOTHING to do with fact that my usual second-in-command was out sick and we had a series of other wonderful- but different- teachers fill in (but of course it did). I KNOW it had something to do with the fact that I was so hell-bent on getting the pasta sauce put together and the owls cut and tied that I sort of FORGOT TO EAT. But what I wish I knew better was how to find the mental space to pause, regroup, and start being the educator I want to be.

What do you do? What are your triggers? How do you pull yourself together? And do you ever manage to pull it off- successfully transforming from Miss Viola Swamp back into Mary Poppins- without the children looking reproachfully at you with that "I know you're full of baloney" look in their eyes?? Or worse- gulp- with tears in their eyes, and then it turns out the reason they are giving atomic wedgies is that they failed to eat their lunch and you failed to double check before they left the table?

I know that Child Mind-er doesn't have any followers yet but the me of today is asking the you of whenever you stumble upon this post to please commiserate... help to remind me that, at the very least, I can be superwoman again tomorrow.

Welcome.

It's said that it takes a village to raise a child. In this world of working parents, long-distance families, teams, classes, and clubs, who would argue?  But in this village there are some days that it feels like an accomplishment to fill the brita filter and there are others that you feel like superwoman- reading the best books, thinking up the best projects, and doing it all with clean, shiny hair. 


The one constant is that you intend to treat the children in your life with respect, and to help them feel confident and successful.  From finding a story to share with your child as a cozy up under the covers to researching styles of education that are in line with your own philosophies, Child Mind-er is here to lend a hand. Or at least to give you a space to ask the questions. I'm a credentialed teacher, but I don't do my work in a traditional classroom. I'm not yet a mom, but I feel a responsibility to parent the children in my care. I'm an after school childcare provider, and thinking up ways to inspire and support you and your kids is my job. 


Childcare, education, and parenting. Whether you agree that they are constantly evolving or you believe that what was good enough for your grandparents is good enough for you (and hey, that may occasionally boil down to the same thing!) they are the most challenging and most important jobs out there.  Don't we all want more superwoman days? Let's work together to get it right.