For the past 17 years I have run Patty Cake Preschool, a family child care business. It's been a great ride! I LOVE my job, my career, and all that it entails! I've learned alot over the years and it's time to give back. In 2005 I wrote From Babysitter To Business Owner: Getting The Most Out Of Your Home Child Care Business (Redleaf Press) and since then I've been traveling the country to present at child care conferences and share this information. My main goals are to help other providers gain the appreciation and respect the deserve and give them the tools to make their business successful for years to come! This year I released a new book, Because I Loved You: A Birthmother's View Of Open Adoption (Goblin Fern Press) and began to add speaking engagements at adoption agencies to my list of activities. Balancing the daycare, the writing, the speaking and my family has really become tough so I've made the difficult decision to close my daycare and focus on writing and training.
So, that brings me back to this blog. My goal as a writer is to bring child care professionals the books they need. That means hearing from you! What is tough for you? What parts inspire you? I want to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly! By staying connected with you I can provide not only the books you are looking for, but the trainings as well. I attended alot of hours at conferences in my career in child care and I know what bugged me and what I loved. How about you?
Join this discussion, share your stories, and let's find a way to keep going in this Kid Biz that we call child care!
2 comments:
Hi Patricia! I followed a link here from Ask Moxie's site and find it very interesting. I've been a family cc provider in Dayton, OH for 6 years, and have long lists of what I love and hate about it. I love: the kids; their parents; that it helps teach my own kids about sharing, patience, the importance of maintaining control, and provides social interaction for them; teaching them wonderous new things about the natural world; being silly with them; naptime. I hate: the difficulty of taking vacations and sick days; losing income due to turnover without notice; cleaning; when I feel a parent isn't comfortable with something but won't tell me. I can't wait to read your book. I have run my business as professionally as possible from the beginning and count among my clients pediatricians, teachers, and lawyers, among others. I have not yet gone through any accreditation processes due to the cost of doing so. I forsee continuing as long as my children are small (they are currently 6, 4, and 5 mos.), and we may have one more, but I've also been keeping notes and am storing up advice in hopes of possibly writing or helping newbies get started in the business someday down the road. Would like to be of any help I can be to you in your information- seeking stages of any future new books you may be working on.
Hi. I found your site because of your birthmother designation (I am an advocate of open adoption, too).
My cousin is in the child care profession in Ohio. I'll send your info to her.
Best wishes in all your endeavors!
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