Because it's a thankless job, ridiculously stressful, the level of stress staff are put through doesn't match the meagre wage they receive, staff are expected to put the nursery before their own family and health, and the staff are treated like slaves. From an ex nursery worker of 17 years.
I have been in childcare for over 38 years now. Nothing has changed because I was always thought of as a glorified babysitter. I got my SNNEB in 1986 but I am now seen as unqualified. This is dispute continued training and keeping up to,date with everything. Parents see us as gems and value us but employers don’t and don’t seem to worry if staff leave. I love teaching children and encouraging them to grow.
Thank you for all those years of hard work Janis! You are so right, and it's so disheartening to hear that you feel like nothing has changed - but there are good employers out there! We just need even more of them.
There's a big reason why childcare has the highest number of drop out. The hours are so long that you don't even have an opportunity to have a life. Most shifts I've worked are 7-6 every single day. The staff are treated like garbage and only paid minimum wage for such a high intensity job whilst the nursery bags 2000 per month from every child in the nursery. I get the staff are stressed and overworked but that doesn't give them the right to bully people out of the job because they believe they're doing less work than them. On a 6 hour shift I wouldn't even get a break which is ridiculous. Every day I'd be tired and stressed out from the amount of work I need to do in the nursery. It isn't an easy job and management don't make it any easier. I had a nursery (Busy Bees Finchley) try and pull a fast one on me and say I need to wait 2 months to get paid which is bullshit because you work a month and get paid at the end of the month. It shows management don't respect their staff members and just want to line their own pockets. Theirs a reason why most nursery are filled with majority agency staff. And don't get me started on the parents. If our job isn't hard enough they love to make it just that much harder. I can see why it's a dying industry and why the government are literally paying people to work in childcare yet never consider uping the wage of childcare staff?
It’s a hard job. Long hours, rubbish pay. The children have getting more and more complex in their needs. And we are having the parent both the children and parents. It’s a real tough career and most people don’t realise that
Ofsted will come into your home and threaten prosecution just because you haven't quite got to grips with the newest version of the ever changing early years framework. Iv been inspected by a few inspectors that were on huge power trips and because my nerves made me stutter and fumble over my words they were on the verge of striking me off the register (meaning i could never work in childcare again) despite not ever doing anything wrong or unsafe. It’s terrifying and stress inducing and just not worth it. The funding hourly rates are laughable too, most minders cant even make minimum wage.
Because it's a thankless job, ridiculously stressful, the level of stress staff are put through doesn't match the meagre wage they receive, staff are expected to put the nursery before their own family and health, and the staff are treated like slaves. From an ex nursery worker of 17 years.
spot on. I hope one day things change enough for you to come back 🙏
Totally agree. Xx
I have been in childcare for over 38 years now. Nothing has changed because I was always thought of as a glorified babysitter. I got my SNNEB in 1986 but I am now seen as unqualified. This is dispute continued training and keeping up to,date with everything. Parents see us as gems and value us but employers don’t and don’t seem to worry if staff leave. I love teaching children and encouraging them to grow.
Thank you for all those years of hard work Janis! You are so right, and it's so disheartening to hear that you feel like nothing has changed - but there are good employers out there! We just need even more of them.
There's a big reason why childcare has the highest number of drop out. The hours are so long that you don't even have an opportunity to have a life. Most shifts I've worked are 7-6 every single day. The staff are treated like garbage and only paid minimum wage for such a high intensity job whilst the nursery bags 2000 per month from every child in the nursery. I get the staff are stressed and overworked but that doesn't give them the right to bully people out of the job because they believe they're doing less work than them. On a 6 hour shift I wouldn't even get a break which is ridiculous. Every day I'd be tired and stressed out from the amount of work I need to do in the nursery. It isn't an easy job and management don't make it any easier. I had a nursery (Busy Bees Finchley) try and pull a fast one on me and say I need to wait 2 months to get paid which is bullshit because you work a month and get paid at the end of the month. It shows management don't respect their staff members and just want to line their own pockets. Theirs a reason why most nursery are filled with majority agency staff. And don't get me started on the parents. If our job isn't hard enough they love to make it just that much harder. I can see why it's a dying industry and why the government are literally paying people to work in childcare yet never consider uping the wage of childcare staff?
It’s a hard job. Long hours, rubbish pay. The children have getting more and more complex in their needs. And we are having the parent both the children and parents. It’s a real tough career and most people don’t realise that
Did anyone come from the nursery nurses instagram ?
Yeah I did. I am a qualified nursery nurse myself so work in early years myself xx
Yep
Ofsted will come into your home and threaten prosecution just because you haven't quite got to grips with the newest version of the ever changing early years framework. Iv been inspected by a few inspectors that were on huge power trips and because my nerves made me stutter and fumble over my words they were on the verge of striking me off the register (meaning i could never work in childcare again) despite not ever doing anything wrong or unsafe.
It’s terrifying and stress inducing and just not worth it. The funding hourly rates are laughable too, most minders cant even make minimum wage.
This is so true