MIMI = Child Care Provider

     After contemplating my time and energy into these blogs I realized, for someone who has nothing to say, I  sure do say a lot!


      Where to begin... I can share a little about myself and then maybe work my way up to the top in these next few weeks. Let's start with the name MIMI in the title:


   The name MIMI is something that has caught on over the course of Seven years. I have been caring for others children since out of high school. The little one's could never say Melissa, so they all started resorting to MIMI. At first, I found it a little annoying trying to make them understand my name.. but to a one year old who is learning to talk, it is much easier to go along with what they have to say because in their heart you are so much more. 
  I started out working in a preschool that was minimum wage. After realizing that no living human being could afford to pay "real" bills with this, I decided to start my first in home day care. This turned out to be a fantastic idea. It also allowed me to go back to school for my Child Development Practitioner degree. Then we moved and I took on a nanny job for 1 1/2 years (more to come) with a wonderful little boy that still breaks my heart I had to leave. In doing these jobs,  I learned a lot about myself and the people around me. I learned what I wanted to do in life and where I want to go.  
 First off, Child Care is a job.. I repeat, Child Care is a job!  Just like others who have amazing careers and get paid triple digits, have vacation, and sick leave, we too deserve those options. Parent's on the other hand, look for a reliable robot (maybe too much Jetsons?). They believe that as the sole provider we aren't allowed a vacation day or sick days. Though, it can be stated in a contract, it still causes controversy for whatever reason. Lesson #1 from experience: Never take advantage of your child care provider. Always have a back up and don't blame them for being sick or needing one day off. They do so much for you that you may not even realize.. Hence, your child is still alive and very happy! 
  Happy is where the satisfaction of being someone's MIMI comes in. Seeing their smiling faces every day is rewarding enough in itself. Knowing that you have a title to a child that sticks long term is even more rewarding. Hearing the name MIMI always brings a smile to my face and makes me picture that little girl who started it all. This is what it is about, the children being happy and healthy. This is what makes me love my job so much more. 
  Mostly, I know that Child Care does not pay amazingly, but I do know that I love what I do. Sometimes people who choose career paths or is some cases career's choose them without knowing what the future holds. Sometimes you love taking care of children without knowing what the future holds when you want to have your own (Blog to come). Sometimes you can't control what happens in your life, but others will make decisions based on your life situations. The best thing you can do is move on and remember what your job is all about. Parent's need child care and your job is about the children and how happy you make them. Entertaining, feeding, and keeping them safe on a daily basis.