Childcare Professionals Day - April 24 - Work Smart. Live Smart.

Childcare Profession Burnout

I find it very sad when I see someone who was dedicated and enthusiastic about their job leave because of burnout.

This is often the case in the childcare profession. It is not uncommon to hear of young, eager grads who were full of ideas and energy become worn-out and discouraged.

Burnout

Is a state of fatigue, while feeling frustrated, overworked and unappreciated. It combines physical, emotional and mental symptoms. It occurs when a person persists with a cause, or way of life that fails to produce the expected reward, and exerts too many demands.

Idealistic and unrealistic expectations along with the lack of control over their job can lead to fatigue, uncertainty, frustration, and reduced motivation. Burnout tends to occur most in organizations, where there is low pay and status, with little social support, little chance of advancement, and with demanding clients.

Workplace Stress Leading To A Burnout

Workplace stress and burnout is very high in the childcare profession due to the stress of managing multiple children and their behaviours, the relationships with parents and peers and often there is a lack of recognition and appreciation for what should be seen as such an important role in our society.

Beverly’s Hot Tips for Celebrating Childcare Professionals Day:

As a childcare professional be aware of the problem and recognize the danger signs of burnout, then…

Take care of your health – eat properly, exercise daily, drink plenty of water.
Ensure adequate sleep.
Learn long-term and short-term relaxation and stretching strategies – breathing, deskercises, massage, aromatherapy, muscle relaxation, visualization, yoga, time-outs.
Ask for help from peers and management.
Be realistic about goals and expectations. Set limits.
Get good at problem solving – break issues into small pieces.
Develop strong communication skills and strategies for dealing with children, parents and peers.
Develop activities that are separate from work.

As a parent whose child is looked after by a childcare professional:

Remember that parenting isn`t easy at the best of times, neither is looking after someone else`s child. Not everything will be perfect or dealt with exactly as you would like it to be.
Let go of minor annoyances and deal appropriately and respectfully with those issues that must be addressed
Give praise and positive feedback often

My children are many years out of their daycare setting, but they still have warm feelings for their childcare providers when they see them in person or when we look at pictures from the past. So to Sara, Kelly, Julie, and Darlene – many thanks for taking good care of my boys.

If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!