Closet Full of Surprises!
10.A Little Appreciation Goes A Long Way…
Do the special people in your life get the appreciation they deserve?
As a parent, you willingly chose to do a job that involves taking care of your children and all your family’s many needs. In addition to this, the stress on parents that work outside the home, yet are still responsible for all their family’s needs, can push even the most organized and energized parents to their limits. For all you do in caring for your family, how often do you actually hear a “thank you” or “good job” from your spouse or kids? Yet you continue to take care of your home and family, endlessly washing and folding the same clothes, shopping for and preparing meal after meal, and vacuuming and mopping the same crumb-covered floors, without complaint, because it’s what you signed up to do. You may not even expect to be appreciated for it anymore, but imagine the joy it would bring you if your spouse walked in every now and then with a small gift of appreciation and thanked you for all your hard work…or your kids gave you a hug and kiss and told you how much they appreciated all you did for them. Knowing you are acknowledged and appreciated for all you do would probably help you do your job with more love and joy instead of grudge and gripe!
When was the last time you thanked your daycare provider for all the hard work they do for you and your children? If you have to stop and think about it, then it’s probably been too long. Your provider should be treated with appreciation and respect; after all, they are caring for your most important possession, your child! Find out their birthday, and make them feel as special as they strive to make your child feel every day. Acknowledge them for the little things that tend to go unnoticed as busy days pass us all by. As daycare providers, we can assure you we don’t mind the long hours, the busy and chaotic days or even the unpleasant parts of the job, and trust us, there are many. What we do mind is when our hard work and efforts are not appreciated or acknowledged by parents. While you are gone, we work tirelessly to care for your child’s every need, to entertain them, to love them and to teach them to love others. We also educate them, direct and re-direct them while we help them learn all of life’s little lessons. When our efforts go unnoticed, we are just a little more offended and hurt because we are not dealing with a project or a power point presentation that will help a company to succeed; we are working with your children to help THEM succeed. If it weren’t for the passion, love and dedication providers feel for the children they care for, they couldn’t continue to do their job each and every day with the continuous enthusiasm and smiles the children have come to expect from them. A little appreciation from parents every now and then really would go a long way…
What’s the Word?
Through the years, families that have had to move on from my center for different reasons have written the kindest letters to my staff and I. This kind gesture has meant more to us than they could ever imagine. Sometimes, I pull these letters out just to re-read them and get that warm heartfelt feeling all over again. There is so much power in words either spoken or written. Words can make a world of difference to someone about the way they feel about themselves, their job performance, their various roles, and on the overall meaning their life has in this world.
One of the first families that enrolled when I first opened my center over 13 years ago left me this letter upon leaving:
Dear Rita,
My son’s last day will be December 27. I have decided that it would be in his best interest if I stay at home and explore the option of becoming a licensed home daycare. I cannot tell you how much I have appreciated the care that he’s received from your wonderful daycare. All of your employees are heartfelt and compassionate in their work and it’s clear to see that it “trickles” down from its owner—you. God has given you a gift to work with children and it’s pleasing to see you motivated to exemplify that gift.
Thank you again and God bless you
With Gratitude,
D.A.
Having never done daycare before, I wasn’t sure of my ability to successfully pull this business operation off, but what I did know is that I had a passion for loving children and wanted to offer a loving environment in which they could learn, be loved and have fun. After receiving this letter, it confirmed to me that I was on the right track and that when your heart is in something and you’re doing it for the right reasons, you will always succeed (it may not always be in a monetarily way). So if you feel you don’t have much to give, your words of kindness, appreciation, motivation, inspiration and love are valued above all else.
What’s a single word that someone can say to you that would light you up and make you shine? Is it beautiful, charming, sweet, smart, awesome, amazing, irreplaceable, lifesaver, incredible, talented? It’s amazing what a single word can do for a person. It’s easy to point out what didn’t go right, and that’s fair, but now and then all we really need to hear is THANK YOU!
Potty Training…Who’s Training Who?
Potty training children in daycare can be an extremely challenging thing to do. Children are ready to potty train at different ages and at their own pace but many parents think that if they are ready to be done buying diapers, then their children should be ready to be potty trained!
A little boy was attending a home daycare with about eight other children. He had just turned three but had no interest in using the potty and it was driving his mother crazy. She insisted that she was done buying diapers and he was going to wear underwear and use the potty no matter what! She brought several pairs of underwear and extra clothes in, and insisted no more diapers! Now, this may have seemed like a great idea to his mom but the daycare provider ended up having to clean up several huge messes each day, not to mention wasting a lot of time changing a child who was simply not ready. She told the mom every day that he was not ready but the mom insisted her way was best and still no diapers could be worn. At the same time, she would get extremely upset about the soiled clothing that was being sent home every night and often complained about it.
One morning as the mom arrived at daycare with her usual bag of clothing and underwear for her child, she sweetly said to the provider, “I have a present for you.” Feeling pleased and happy that the mom had actually noticed her struggle and hard work with her child, the daycare provider excitedly opened the bag the mom had given her and much to her amazement it contained a bottle of stain remover! The mom smiled and said, “I bought this for you so you could get the stains out of my son’s underwear before sending them home”.
I think in this situation it is fair to assume how the daycare provider felt. Part of a daycare provider’s job is to follow the wishes of a parent as much as possible, but parents need to realize the provider is busy with many other things as well. In many cases, providers end up spending more time with kids than their parents do, so what we have to say should really matter and be valued. Also, if parents are not willing to deal with the “dirty work” of being a parent then no one else should have to either. A little “thank you” goes a long way at the end of the day. In fact, it’s probably the most important thing a parent can ever say to a provider, and if you feel a gift is necessary, flowers are always nice too!
A Little Text with a Big Message
When we live in a world where people are always rushing and everything is expected to be delivered fast and perfect, we forget how lucky we are…to have our health, our children, our families, a roof over our head, steady income, clean water, and abundance of food and technology at the tip of our fingers. We hardly ever communicate in person anymore – even birthday wishes are done through Facebook or text. It’s the world we live in, and we accept it, but what’s hard to accept is why it is so much easier to complain than it is to show appreciation. Maybe it’s because we feel a sense of entitlement when we are paying for something, and forget that we should still be grateful that someone was willing to do the job and provide the service that we required in the first place…
Daycare providers can receive many texts and emails daily from the families they serve…my child won’t be in today, my child needs to be picked up after school, I need a receipt, please save lunch for my child, keep my child up during nap, my child is missing his mittens, how is my child doing, reminder about my child’s medication today, Dad will be picking up late today, etc.. In any given day, there can be a slew of messages and reminders coming in from all sorts of directions, and providers are used to this and handle each and every one of these requests.
One afternoon, amidst all the normal chaos, a center director was receiving several texts from a parent concerning her child. Just when she thought the situation was handled, suddenly she received yet another text from that parent. But this time, the text simply said, “By the way, I really appreciate everything all of you do.” Such a simple message that meant so much. She stood there and smiled for a minute, then wrote back, “Thanks. We appreciate your appreciation.” J
Just a little token of gratitude can make such a big difference in someone’s attitude.
Closet Full of Surprises!
It’s always nice when someone is shown appreciation and noticed for their dedication and hard work. The few times a year that daycare providers are likely to be shown appreciation from parents are at Christmas time and occasionally on their birthdays. When appreciation is shown on Mother’s Day, we know that we have a special place in the hearts of those families and they consider us to be more than just daycare providers.
A home daycare provider was caring for a new family who lived nearby that had a five-year-old boy and a new baby. They were a great family; the provider was happy with the arrangement and adored the kids. One day the parents told the provider that they would be home if she needed to reach them as they took the day off to have a garage sale. After naptime that afternoon the provider decided to take the kids on a walk and let the older kids ride their bikes to the sale.
As the provider walked up to the garage sale with the kids, she immediately noticed a beautiful red armoire. She thought it would be perfect for her home and considered purchasing it, but when she asked about the price, they told her they were selling it for their neighbor and it came with a high price tag. The provider quickly forgot about the cabinet and the kids enjoyed riding bikes and spending time at the sale on such a warm sunny afternoon. Later she returned home with the kids and they went about the rest of their day as usual.
Several weeks went by and Mother’s Day rolled around. The provider was enjoying a lazy day with her husband and kids when suddenly there was a knock at her door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see her daycare family standing there with big smiles on their faces. She was also surprised to see a huge trailer backed into her driveway with the beautiful red armoire loaded onto it! “Happy Mother’s Day!” they all screamed and the provider’s eyes filled with tears. What an honor it was to be celebrated not just by her own children on Mother’s Day, but by other’s children as well!
There is no greater feeling for a childcare provider than when a family realizes the impact the provider has on their child’s life and considers their opinion to be that of a second mom. Being appreciated on Mother’s Day is a great honor for childcare providers, and being appreciated and shown how much they mean to a family at any time of the year is priceless!