Child Care Professional
Setting and maintaining professional boundaries with the parents you work with is hard any time of the year but can be especially hard during the holidays. They often want schedule changes, ask for exceptions to payment policies, or push the limits in some other way. You want to help, you want to accommodate, however, you […]
There’s something special about the “in-home” caregiving environment. It’s not meant to be a substitute for a daycare or preschool. It’s meant to be a home where a trusted caregiver pays particular attention to a child’s learning and developmental needs. Here are just a few of the reasons why your workplace is so unique and […]
Burnout can be a struggle for caregivers throughout the year however, during the holiday season, it becomes a bigger challenge for many. We all know to take great care of the kids we love, we have to take good care of ourselves and that starts with keeping burnout at bay. Here are a few ways […]
Money is always a hard subject to talk about, and it can be especially challenging for caregivers. Often we feel we shouldn’t be focused on how much money we make when our job is focused on caring for and loving kids. That’s lopsided thinking. You can be both focused on your bottom line and be […]
For some parents, their childcare schedule never changes. They start and end care at the same time every day. For other parents, they may not need childcare for all the scheduled hours for a variety of reasons; Mom gets off work early, Grandma decides to take the kids to the park for the afternoon at […]
As an in-home caregiver, you’re the direct communicator with your employer or client. There’s not a department or 3rd party there to share information, field complaints, or work through issues for you. It falls on you. There are a lot of communication tools that can help, and one of the most helpful ones is the […]
It’s great when both you and a parent recognize a specific challenge a child is having (e.g., managing their emotions, breaking into groups on the playground) and work to support change. However, it can be hard to pass along your tips and strategies to parents in a way that doesn’t feel bossy, judgmental, or condescending […]
Having a collaborative relationship with the parents of the kids you care for is an important part of providing care. That relationship allows for easy transitions, open communication around behavior challenges and developmental needs, and helps keep the business end of things aligned. Here are three ways to help build and keep a good relationship. […]
Saying no to things you don’t have the time or energy for, can’t help with, or simply just don’t want to do for whatever reason is a simple concept that’s hard to execute. As caregivers, we often say yes because we don’t know how to say no in a professional, respectful way. The saying “No […]
Having a work/life balance can be hard when you’re an in-home caregiver. It’s easy for things to get out of whack. You don’t notice the creep, then one day you realize you’re working, working, working and don’t have the time or energy for much else. You know you need to change things but don’t have […]
Self-care and wellness practices are too often seen as things we do before or after work. As caregivers who often work long days, that means on many days we never get to them. The things that help us feel healthier, happier and more balanced become just more things that hang out perpetually on our to-do […]
We all know it’s best for kids when their parents and their caregiver are on the same page around behavior challenges. But does that mean as a caregiver you should loop the parents in on every issue that comes up during the day? As a professional provider, you have the know-how, tools and strategies to […]
