Don’t Let your Childcare Center Drain all Your Energy

Avoid childcare burnout

The work at a childcare center is never done! Each day brings with it a new level of challenges. Some of these challenges may be easy to resolve while others may require a great deal of thought and energy. Facing challenge after challenge can deplete your level of energy. So what level of energy are you running at: maximized, stretched thin, burnout? If you were a smartphone, would you need to be plugged in quickly before you would automatically shutdown? Or do you have enough power left that you could work for many more hours?

As a childcare center Owner or Director, we oftentimes find ourselves stretched too thin. Having run on empty for extended periods of time I was determined to make changes in my work life. If you have ever experienced burnout from running on empty too long then you know how hard it is to bounce back.

During a recent expansion project I pushed myself too far and ended up getting really sick because my body and mind couldn’t take any more pressure. It was during that time where I looked at how I managed my time. There are valuable small alterations you can implement which will keep your power source on full.

Power up with these five energy savers:

1. Delegate – recognize the talents of the staff you have on hand AND utilize those talents. Be creative by coming up with creative ways to compensate those that help you. Maybe it’s one task that you can reassign to one of your teachers.

2. Analyze– look at your workload and the variety of tasks you do throughout the day. Are you duplicating work just because that’s the way it’s always been done? Maybe you create a report that no one even really looks at? Ask yourself if what you’re doing affects the financial performance of your center?

3. Recruit – there are times bringing in an assistant or part time worker may be cost effective. Paying someone to do more remedial task work may have a much larger effect because of the time that is freed up in your schedule.

4. Technology – don’t be afraid to consider new technologies to create efficiency’s in your work. There are a lot of different shortcuts that can come from the right technology. Don’t recreate the wheel however! Network with other center leaders on what does or does not work. Utilize a specialist in internet marketing to help in areas of technology you may feel less confident in. Jut make sure to connect with the right people and consider technological efficiency’s that save time in your work load.

5. Schedule – we oftentimes underestimate the power of scheduling. To be an effective multi-tasker, which is a requirement at a childcare center, it’s best to schedule your entire day. I understand that in the childcare industry we must be flexible for the craziness that could come at any point during the day. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t schedule your time. I encourage you to schedule your breaks, your billing time, the time you reach out to current families, prospective families, etc. Hold yourself accountable to that schedule!

Consider implementing one or more of these power saving strategies. Don’t wait until you reach burnout before you make a change. A minor alteration to one or more of these areas will have a large impact on how quickly you will lose your energy.

For further counsel contact us to setup a strategy meeting. We have a lot of time saving, energy saving techniques that are proven to work at your center.