Post # 1
Member
408 posts
Helper bee
Ok Bees,
I need your advice! For the past couple of months I have been thinking about changing jobs. I went to school in 2008-2009 for Dental Assisting but haven’t gotten a job yet, I have currently been looking again because that is what I really want to do.
In the mean time…
I have been working as a Preschool Teacher for 2-3 Year olds. For those of you who haven’t been in daycare, I really think it’s a much more exhausting job then everyone thinks! I’m just done with that age group, I feel like I end up yelling all day long because they are constantly so testy at that age group! I don’t enjoy the kids as much as I want to. I think it’s also because this winter we maybe got outside twice and those kids NEED to get out their energy, they were all crazy and totally wore be out 🙁 I’m just in need of something else.
About a month ago, one of then Mom’s that brings her children there, also a great friend of ours (We, my husband and I, babysit for them all the time, asked me if I would nanny for her. She would save money and I would make about the same as I do now. She has 5 kids ranging from 8 Months-13 years. They are all pretty well behaved, even when they aren’t I still love them. I would have the same schedule, she knows I want to start TTC in the fall and I know Nannying would benefit me there. She also knows I’m looking for a dental job. I just don’t know if I should leave the Preschool to be a nanny. I could so whatever I wanted with the kids this summer, where at the Preschool I couldn’t. The family has a pool, and lives very close to a few parks and she wouldn’t mind be driving them anywhere. The 13 year old would be helping me out as well.
I guess I’m just afraid to leave the Preschool. What if I get bored with her kids? What if I miss the adult interaction at the preschool? AHH! I don’t know! She also wouldn’t take out any taxes, which is a good and bad thing.
I don’t know…..just let me know what you Bees think!
Thank You!
One more thing about the preschool, I could possibly move up to an older age group this summer, but I won’t know until May/June 🙁
Post # 3
Member
3176 posts
Sugar bee
As someone who worked at a daycare for 2+ years I hear ya. It was hellish, I hated it and wanted out from the moment I started. I worked with all the age groups, even moving up your going to have a lot of the same problems. If I were you I’d weigh out all your pros and cons. One of the girls I worked with was a nanny before coming to the daycare and she hated it. I can’t speak from personal experience on that though.
Also, I know at my daycare if you left and took a family with you, you could be sued. Since you are basically in a position that allowed you to “steal” paying customers…just something to think about.
Post # 4
Member
6009 posts
Bee Keeper
@stbMohror: I don’t know about your particular situation, but I will advise you to push for them to pay taxes, if you decide to take the nannying position. If they don’t (well, first off it’s not legal) and secondly, you’ll be hit hard at tax filing time. My sister nannied for a couple years making about $15/hour, about 30 hour weeks, and she owed 15k in taxes at the end of one year. Not to mention that if they are paying you “under the table” so to speak, you (and they) can be fined a pretty big chunk of change for working/employing illegally. It’s just not a good situation, for you or for them.
Post # 5
Member
545 posts
Busy bee
I have worked at both. I worked in the 3/4 year old room of a daycare for a year. And I’m now working as a nanny. I personally prefer the nanny job. It’s just one set of parents I have to make happy instead of 10 or 12, I get to know the kids really well. There are some downfalls, like you won’t have co-workers (though this could be a bonus as well, it just depends). But you are just going to really weigh the benefits of both and decide, that’s what I did.
Post # 6
Member
4546 posts
Honey bee
I’ve done both. And really I didn’t love either of them but for different reasons. Nannying was fun at first, but JUST as exhausting as preschool…maybe more so. There’s a dynamic with the family that makes it a bit more exhausting. And I did miss adult interaction. Teaching preschool was exhausting but I had benefits and my taxes were paid. As a nanny I paid my own benefits and paid a TON in back taxes! Trust me, not taking out taxes is NOT a good thing. Also, if you’re planning on buying a house/car in the future, it’s moew complicated to get a loan using a job that doesn’t give you a W-2 (aka doesn’t take out taxes). And as another person said, if they’re not taking out taxes that’s illegal.