Bored?

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I read this blog post: http://www.justthebabysitter.com/201...e-boredom.html and began to wonder. Does any daycare provider feel bored?

I have never experienced boredom. I feel like there are too many things to be done in the day and perhaps that is because there are only two allotted times per day (close to 3 hours total) that the children actually do Center Time and engage in play by themselves. The remainder is spent assessing, at recess, working on kindergarten prep activities, doing a craft, doing two Circle Times, eating, resting, etc. I am never bored. I wish I could be bored. It's the Preschool assessments that drive me the most batty. I dislike them with a passion.

[Cat Herder]

IMHO, It is referring to mental boredom. I can do my entire day with little to no mental effort. I have to seek new information out.

"Use it or lose it" scares me some days.

I shudder to think that at some point my most complex thought of the day will be "blue or green cup".

[littlemissmuffet]

I'm a very busy provider and try to kep things interesting and creative... but the reality is, I can definitely relate to everything written in that blog post.

[EchoMom]

Very very true. It's PHYSICALLY exhausting!!!! And the business side of things is mentally/emotionally taxing. But it's true, once you're estabslished, it's all second nature and requires very little though... I'm bored, that's why I'm on here so often!

[cheerfuldom]

I absolutely agree with this blog post. I am rounding the corner to 6 years at daycare and over that time, I have worked hard to get everything to run smoothly. Its not easy, but it doesnt take the effort it used to. Right now, fighting boredom is a big part of my job...not going to lie about that. I do have some hobbies and other things I enjoy doing to break up the time. Sometimes I definitely get cabin fever and feel stir crazy if I have to blow one more bubble or pick up one more crayon.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I'm honestly relieved to hear that it won't always take so much effort.

[Sunshine74]

I wish I could be bored. 12-17 preschoolers a day, several of them with special needs, I don't remember the last time I was bored at work.

[countrymom]

I agree, with cheerfuldom and glenechogirl. I've been doing this for a while, everything falls into place, every once in a while things go crazy but usually the only thing I have to think about is---which of my kids has an activity tonite and whats for dinner. I find that when I start to go stir crazy I have to leave the house, like a mini vacation, even if its for the whole day, just so I'm not home, then I feel better.

[Heidi]

I thought it was just me!

Taking classes helps, comming with activities helps, but honestly, anything repetative is tough for me anyway, so yeah...definately bored (and lonely) at times!

[Blackcat31]

Bored? ABSOLUTELY!!!!

I have been doing this job now for 2 decades. My day is robotic and routine. All my DCK's are so used to being here and knowing what they can and can't do that I rarely have issues that make my day hard.

It IS a physically demanding job and I am sometimes completely worn out by the end of the day but my brain is completely bored.

There is no mental challenge in this job for me. I sometimes feel the need to exercise my brain and do something that will at least wake it from it's constant state of drifting in and out of being almost comatose. LOL!!

That was partly the reason I went back to school. I HAD to do something mentally stimulating. Of course, now that I am done, I am thinking of going back to pursue another degree because I am really missing the "thinking" aspect that college brought.

Daycare IS boring and I AM bored but the way I look at it, I think it is better that I am bored than the kids be bored....kwim?

[Crystal]

It's the monotony of things, I beleive. Doing the same routine, every. single. day. does get boring. When I get bored, that's when I gotta mix things up a bit....change the environment, find new music, read a good book, etc.

[Blackcat31]

It's the monotony of things, I beleive. Doing the same routine, every. single. day. does get boring. When I get bored, that's when I gotta mix things up a bit....change the environment, find new music, read a good book, etc.

:: That is so true Crystal.....but so dangerous too!

I mean if it's not broke, then don't mess with it right?

If I tried to mix things up just because I was bored, then the kids would be craaaazy and honestly as long as it isn't the kids who are bored, then all is good.

I do read (just got a Kindle happyface) but sometimes that is boring too.

It is the monotony and the weather right now. Just waiting for snow. I have quite a few cool winter activities planned.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

WHEN did your kids finally grasp the rules? Mine have been here from between 3-7 months and the whining is constant, the tattling (even though it is redirected and we say, "What did you tell your friend?") is constant, fighting over toys happens daily, etc.

[cheerfuldom]

WHEN did your kids finally grasp the rules? Mine have been here from between 3-7 months and the whining is constant, the tattling (even though it is redirected and we say, "What did you tell your friend?") is constant, fighting over toys happens daily, etc.

I think it is more about the provider knowing how to handle these things
and building a tolerance for it rather than the kids magically being different at a certain point. It may be that you have some trouble makers in your group or just the wrong mix of kids but more than likely, you will learn over time how to handle things.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I think it is more about the provider knowing how to handle these things
and building a tolerance for it rather than the kids magically being different at a certain point. It may be that you have some trouble makers in your group or just the wrong mix of kids but more than likely, you will learn over time how to handle things.

When I have a certain 2 children absent, we run into no issues throughout the day except for little bitty ones which are more OOPSIES instead of defiant behavior.
Hitting, pushing, tackling, biting, etc. are my biggest issues with an older child and a 3-year-old.