The Balancing Act
Care About Quality was published by the California Department of Education in 2000.Congratulations! You now have more child care information than you ever knew existed. Know the life you are entering into may be overwhelming at times. You’re going to be balancing work, household duties, and child care. That’s a lot! You’ll have times when life runs smoothly, then out of the blue, your child is sick and your car breaks down. That’s when you start to scramble. It’s easy to get angry and want to quit. It’s at these times you need to stop and look at the big picture. Your life may be more rewarding by providing for your children, learning new job skills, and being counted on as a vital part of the work force. At the same time, your children can learn, play, and socialize with others every day at child care.
If you need help, ask your child care provider, ask your friends, ask your co-workers. It’s amazing how people are willing to help.
But first, you must ask. Although it may be hard to reach out, it is the only way to build a support system and back-up plans that work. The only certainty about being a parent is that nothing is really certain at all. So when you’re working, you need child care options, especially if your provider is unavailable or your child is sick. The right support system and back-up plan may make a difference in your success at work and as a parent.
Parenting takes a lot of work. Factor in a job, family life, kids, more kids, schedules, summer vacations, car pools, and bills, plus all the other bumps in the road, and it’s amazing what we do manage to accomplish.
After all is said and done—after you’ve read and listened to all the suggestions of others—trust your own instincts. You know best the right child care arrangement, the one that meets your needs so that you can keep on working, learning, parenting, and smiling.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. — Robert Fulghum
You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself. — Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. — Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
When you teach a child something you take away forever his chance of discovering it for himself. — Piaget
Care About Quality Table of Contents