Around the world, mothers in 4 out of 10 homes juggle work with duties at home. Balancing a career with family life is no small feat for busy mothers, who may feel guilty having to divide attention between the job and children. It’s a common struggle that many of us face, but with organization, a lot of to-do lists, and a good support network it can be a rewarding path!
While many of us would love to be stay at home mothers, it’s just not feasible in many circumstances, and we have to look at work at, or outside the home environment.
One potential way to aim for the best of both worlds is to launch a career in childcare. If you already love spending time with children, becoming a child carer can be a natural fit. In fact, this is a very common profile for child care workers. Many new moms take a couple of years out to take care of their own children, and find this work so inspiring that they decide to take the plunge and switch careers.
Flexible work environments
There are a number of environments where you might find employment as a child carer, whether it’s in a corporate nursery, a private preschool or from the comfort of your own home. If you have small children of your own, going this third route may make the most sense because you can spend time with them while taking care of others at the same time. Becoming a childminder is no easy feat as any childminder will tell you, what with education authority regulations and all and you’ll need to be sure that your house is fully compliant with a long list of things you wouldn’t even necessarily think of for your own children.
In addition to childcare courses, you’ll also need to complete a first aid course and a criminal background check. The exact requirements will vary depending on where you live, but it’s important to jump through these hoops to launch your home business. You may need to work irregular hours to accommodate client work schedules, but you also gain some level of flexibility when working from home.
Enhancing parenting skills
There are benefits to earning a childcare qualification that go beyond just being able to find a new job. As a parent, you’ll gain a wealth of new skills that will help you better understand and interact with your own children. You may already be a natural when it comes to keeping your child happy, healthy, and entertained – but it doesn’t hurt to learn more about developmental stages and learn some new strategies. From boosting reading skills to learning about behaviour management tools, studying for a career in childcare carries over into the home by giving you some new ideas to try out. I know I find child development to be a really interesting subject, and it helps to know why your four month old has been so attached, or your two year old doesn’t want you to leave the room – it makes it easier to cope with when you know it’s just a developmental stage.
Getting started
Whether you want to start a nursery from your own home or find employment in an established childcare environment, it’s helpful to first earn the right qualifications. If you’re starting your own nursery, having custom branded uniforms can make you look more professional. If you want to gain hands-on experience while you are studying, many nurseries and preschools welcome part-time volunteers to help with the children in the classroom. You can search resources like the Cert iii in childcare – or Google to find institutions in your country. If your child is already enrolled at nursery, this can be an ideal way to spend time with them while furthering your own career prospects. It also gives you an “in” should a position open up in the future! Also, make sure you highlight your past experience in a well written resume. “Selling” ourselves is sometime incredibly difficult, so use a resume service if you have to, but make sure your skills stand out and value yourself enough to make you shine to a prospective employer.
If you love working with children and want to continue spending time with your own, pursuing a career in childcare is one way to strike that elusive balance between a job and family. Parents place their trust in you and the weight of that responsibility needs to be supported with the protection of day care insurance services.