I am NOT a Baby Sitter

I'm really not.  I do not sit on the babies.  Ever.  I will do what is needed to use a nasal aspirator or get prescription eye drops in on occasion, but still not sitting on the babies.  The higher ups in the child care industry make frowny faces when that happens.

I have been caring for children for most of my life, and I have to admit that the only children I ever sat on were my brothers, when I was a child myself.  And since my momma only ever said to take it outside...  Fair was fair.  :)

I was a baby sitter (no sitting on the babies, though) through most of my teenage years.  There were two families whose children I watched most frequently, and it cemented knowing what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be with my life.  I got my start teaching my second brother how to write the word 'horse' before he even knew what the letters were, or could spell his own name.  I think he was three, and I would have been about 11.  But he was so proud that he could write horse by himself, and know what it said.  It was a great feeling for me as well, to see him learn and know that I had helped him gain this skill.  Now, through the power of Facebook, I can still see the accomplishments of those other children, and it is an awesome feeling to think that I may have had some part in helping them become the young people they are today.  (Although it does make me a little sad to still think of them as the little munchkins they were, and know that they are actually 13-19 now.)

I have been a professional child care provider for about 10 of the last 13 years.  I got a work study job on campus while I was in college, working at the on-campus child care.  It was a great first experience, and I learned a lot about professionalism and helping children learn there.  I was at another center a few years later, and it was a culture shock for me.  Not in a bad way, just in that the campus child care had resources this one didn't.  It was still a great experience for me.  Now, I have been with my current center for 7 years (just had my anniversary yesterday!), and specifically an infant teacher for over 6 years of that.  I love it.  For me, I have the best job, wonderful children, great co-workers, and terrific bosses. Yes, there are days that are more difficult than others, but I can never see myself being anywhere but where I am.

As part of my job, I am required to continue my education in child development and teaching.  This would be one of the biggest differences in babysitters and professional care givers.  Both can care for your child, and do a great job.  But a professional has that training and education to back them up.  One of my biggest concerns when beginning in child care was that I was younger than so many of the parents that were clients of the center where I worked.  Why would these parents feel that I was worth listening to, when, at the time, most of them were several years older, and had several children?  Because I had my education and professors to back me up.  I could cite information that I'd learned if a parent came to me with a concern.  I could mention to my director a concern that I had about a child, and state why I thought there was something to be worried about.  Being able to have that education and training made (and still makes) all the difference.  Being able to keep up with the latest research and theories on child development allow me to catch potential problems much earlier than someone who just doesn't have that option available to them.

Another part of this educational difference is being able to be a 'specialist' in your area.  For me, this means focusing on infants, infant care, and infant development.  For another, it might mean toddlers or preschoolers.  For still others, it might mean being able to know all three, and how to integrate them into a (mostly) harmonious care setting.

To me, and others I am sure, another big difference is knowing the professionalism that needs to go into being a professional care giver.  It's in how you dress, how you communicate, how you respond and react to any given situation, how you handle personal or confidential information.  There are rules and policies in place that make it less confusing for us as professionals, but it's still A LOT to remember and keep straight.

Part of being a professional care giver is also making yourself into a resource for children and families.  You have to know when to offer your knowledge, and when to wait for them to ask.  You have to know, have a general idea, or know who to ask about the programs and community resources available in your area.  Being part of a child's village is an awesome thing, and being able to help parents know who else they can turn to in their child's time of need is an important tool for the family.

So, when you are looking for child care, go in with a list of what you want to know about us.  We want you to ask questions and make sure that we are the best fit for your child and your family.  We come to care very much for you and your child; professional child care is definitely not for everyone.  But to those of us who are called to it, it is definitely a labor of love.