Natalie Grebe
Children are crying, arguing, and not using their inside voices. Your director says your assistant called out sick. A parent wants to know where Anthony’s sweatshirt is. Your lesson plans are due, and you spilled coffee on your new shirt on the way to work. Individually, these are all easily handled situations. But when they occur day after day, hour after hour, and things just are getting worse, you can begin to feel stressed. Add in a national pandemic, mask requirements, enhanced cleaning procedures, and an increased worry for your own children, and a childcare provider can easily become burned out. We have all heard about the increase in teachers leaving the profession due to increased pressures. For those that are still working, it is important to recognize the triggers as well as why you are feeling the way you are. Then, find ways to prevent those triggers if possible, and react to the feelings in a healthier way.
Even prior to COVID, long hours, low pay, and situational stresses made working in childcare a tough job. In the last few years, as the world dealt with the pandemic, everyone was more on edge and stressed out. Childcare providers are surely feeling the burden, and when any of us are overly stressed, it affects us and everyone around us, as well. To prevent complete burn out, here are a few suggestions:
- Stop and do a mental check of yourself. Recognize your feelings. Tiredness, irritability, lack of patience, feeling anxious or helpless, and even depression are all valid effects of too much pressure. Do these feelings get worse at a certain time of day? What may be setting you off? Talk to a coworker or friend about these feelings. If you can narrow down the triggers, choose one and work to remedy that situation.
- Try to prevent the stressful situations before they occur. Of course, working with children always brings unexpected situations, but there are some things you can do so you are better equipped to manage them. Overtired? Change your bedtime routine to get more Zzzz’s. Struggling to feel motivated to teach? Think back to why you became a provider in the first place. Reharness the excitement you feel when a child accomplishes a task. Focus on what IS going well.
- Take care of yourself. Getting exercise, even just a walk around the playground or chatting with a friend while walking around the neighborhood will help your body to feel better. Eat well, drink water, and find time to spend on a hobby you enjoy.
- Find a community. You are certainly not alone in your feelings, and it may help to talk to others going through the same situation. If you find yourself depressed, consider talking to your doctor or a professional therapist. There is no shame in getting help, so you have more tools to continue teaching.
- Make time for yourself at home. As much as possible, leave work at work. In your free time, spend time playing a game with your kids or watch a movie. Read a book or invite friends for dinner. When you are at work, prioritize what must be done and take time to smile and laugh with your class.
If you have tried to prevent stress and are still feeling constant pressure, step back a moment and breathe. Put the situation in perspective. Deal with the priorities and take time later to reflect and think of ways to avoid the situation in the future. Remind yourself the importance of taking care of your physical and mental health and look for the positives in each day.
Resources and More Information:
Avoiding Burnout for Daycare Providers – Where Imagination Grows
5 Easy Steps to Helping Early Childhood Educators De-stress | Harvard Graduate School of Education
8 Proven Ways to Overcome Teacher Burnout and Love Teaching Again | Prodigy Education (prodigygame.com)
