It is common for childcare providers to hit burn-out. In fact, many childcare providers hit burn- out and begin to lose interest in their role as a childcare provider.
There are many reasons why providers will hit a season of burn-out including: working 12- hour days, caring for a variety age group of children, not taking enough days off and many other reasons. Whatever the reason may be for burn-out, you know you are at a point of burn-out when the passion that you once had for your business is starting to fade away.
There are many steps that a childcare provider can take to prevent burn-out and they are as follows:
- Only conduct childcare business during the hours that your business is open, with the exception of routine store errands.
- Relax when the children are resting. This include reading a book or listening to relaxation music.
- Plan your day and don’t overload your day with a long to do list. Do what you must do today.
- Get 30- minutes of excercise a day. Exercise helps the body to naturally fight off stress.
- Have fun with the kids. Tip: 15- minutes of pounding and squeezing playdoh is a stress reliever and it gives you a mental break.
- Take a 1-week vacation a year or several 3-4 day weekend vacations a year. A vacation is a great way to take a break from the business of childcare and it will allow time for more creativity to flow for new childcare business ideas.
- Schedule regular Pamper me days such as: monthly massage appointments, nail salon visits or spend a day with your friends at the mall for some retail therapy!
The tips above are simply suggestions and are meant to help you to avoid burn-out. When you choose to start incorporating many of the suggested tips above, you will last longer as a childcare provider and you will have more fuel to feed your passion for young children.
The Child Care Business Owner Institute 
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