Childcare workers play a vital role when it comes to working with children.
When parents go to work, it is childcare workers who watch over children of all ages.
Infants all the way through school-aged children are often under the watchful eye of a childcare program.
If you love children and want to be a part of their formidable years, it pays to understand the various pros and cons of becoming a childcare worker.
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Pros of Being a Childcare Worker
Becoming a childcare worker can offer a number of benefits beyond simply being able to work around kids.
Learning about what they are can help to decide that this is the right career path for you to follow.
1. Minimal Training Required
There is not a lot of training that goes into getting started as a childcare worker.
Most daycares and childcare centers will simply ask that you have a high school degree.
Then, they will spend a few days showing you around the classroom that you will be in.
This allows you to get started in your career quickly and without having to invest in higher education.
2. Career Opportunities are Endless
The career opportunities are endless once you realize that you love working around children.
You can choose to get a degree in Early Childhood Education.
This can make it easier for you to get into advanced positions within a childcare facility.
You may also decide that you want to open your own center, allowing you to determine what goes on inside each classroom.
As you continue to advance your degree and build your experience, you can work with children of any age.
3. You Get to Have Fun Every Day
Most childcare facilities work with kids between the ages of six months and five years.
No matter what age group you work with, you will get to have fun as you work to keep their minds stimulated.
You can sit on the floor and play with toys, engage in arts and crafts, and do so much more.
It will be like reliving your childhood again and again.
4. You Get to Shape Young Minds
You are the one teaching little kids about the basics of life – reading stories, teaching colors and shapes, and even how to be kind to one another.
It can be extremely rewarding to see how the kids pick up on various concepts and apply them to real-life scenarios.
It is also rewarding to see how kids mature year after year, especially once they come for visits to thank you.
5. Benefits are Usually Good
Many childcare facilities will offer benefits to you.
While the pay may not be as high as you might like, there are plenty of other benefits that you can enjoy.
This includes paid vacation and sick days, health insurance, and more.
It can help to offer compensation where it matters the most.
The benefits can vary based on your employer, so it is always a good idea to see what the various places in your area are offering.
6. Work Schedule Stays the Same
You will be able to enjoy a consistent work schedule from week to week.
As a full-time childcare worker, you will likely be working Monday through Friday, during the full hours that the childcare facility is open.
This gives you the weekends off so that you can enjoy a high work-life balance.
Additionally, you do not have to worry about the hours changing on you, making it hard to plan for your life.
7. Job Stability is High
There is a significant amount of job stability for you to enjoy as a childcare worker.
You will have the same responsibilities each and every day.
As long as you do what you are asked to do, you can expect to keep your job.
Most childcare centers are always looking for quality workers.
It means that you can look forward to staying employed.
Additionally, even as computers work to eliminate certain positions, you are safe because of offering the human touch that is necessary for child development.
8. Finding Employment is Easy
You can find work as a childcare worker in a variety of different places.
Look for childcare facilities that cater to babies, infants, toddlers, and even after-school programs.
You can choose to work for a small center out of someone’s home or a large facility where there are dozens of classrooms for kids.
Virtually every city has a need for childcare, so you can decide what opportunity is right for you.
9. Jobs are in High Demand
In virtually every city and every state, the need for childcare workers is high.
People need to be able to place their children into a care facility – and one that is going to offer education and socialization.
Particularly if you have experience as a childcare worker, you will always be able to find work.
The job outlook according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the job growth to be 8%, which is in line with many other careers.
10. You Receive Ongoing Training
All sorts of training are available for you as a childcare worker.
Some of these may be in the form of training from the state.
Others may be available as offered by your employer.
As new studies come out to show what kids at certain ages need, you can learn about them and determine how best to implement them with the group of kids that you are responsible for.
Cons of Being a Childcare Worker
Before you make any decisions about whether being a childcare worker for you is right or not, learn about the cons.
It will ensure you can make an educated decision.
1. Pay Is Not Always Good
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for childcare workers in 2020 was only $25,460.
Not only is this not a lot of money, but it also means that many will end up working a second job in order to make ends meet.
Of course, it is possible for you to earn more as you raise your skill levels.
2. You May Get Sick a Lot
Children are known for carrying a lot of germs.
They have not learned how to blow their noses or wash their hands, so you will be doing a lot of that for them.
It will take some time for you to build up your immune system when you work around these germs.
As such, you may find that you get sick a lot – either with the common cold or with other issues.
3. Working with Children Can Be Stressful
Depending on the age of the children you work with, it can be stressful.
Sometimes, kids will throw temper tantrums for no apparent reason.
Other times, children will bite you or a classmate because they are acting out.
The entire experience can be stressful if you do not learn a few management tips along the way.
4. Curriculum Can Get Tedious
The curriculum does not change very often, so you will be teaching the same thing to students year after year, assuming you stick with the same age group of kids.
In some instances, the curriculum can be challenging as kids will not always pick up on the concepts.
You will need to go over the same subject manner, again and again, to ensure that every kid in your care is successful.
5. Cleanup Can Be Gross
Young children can be gross because they do not have full control over their bodily functions.
Depending on the room you work in, you could be changing diapers, cleaning up potty accidents, or even wiping up projectile vomit.
Since you are working around the children, you are responsible for cleaning up all of the messes that they create.
This includes the other messes, like spilling paint, food fights, and more.
6. Parents Can Be Demanding
Parents often want the very best for their children.
In their effort to communicate this, they can be very demanding.
Parents may yell and scream at you because their kids have not learned a certain skill or social construct yet.
Other parents may demand that you do something about another parent’s child.
You will need to practice patience and understanding as you deal with each and every parent.
7. Opportunities Vary Depending on Your Education
The opportunities may start with just a high school education, but they will start to wane if you don’t continue to increase your education level.
Some of the higher-paying jobs will require that you have a degree in early childhood education.
This means that if you are not willing to go to get a college degree, you may find yourself stuck in one of the lower and more demeaning aspects of childcare.
Pros and Cons of Being a Childcare Worker – Summary Table
| Pros of Being a Childcare Worker | Cons of Being a Childcare Worker |
|---|---|
| Minimal Training Required | Pay Is Not Always Good |
| Career Opportunities are Endless | You May Get Sick a Lot |
| You Get to Have Fun Every Day | Working with Children Can Be Stressful |
| You Get to Shape Young Minds | Curriculum Can Get Tedious |
| Benefits are Usually Good | Cleanup Can Be Gross |
| Work Schedule Stays the Same | Parents Can Be Demanding |
| Job Stability is High | Opportunities Vary Depending on Your Education |
| Finding Employment is Easy | |
| Jobs are in High Demand | |
| You Receive Ongoing Training |
Should You Become a Childcare Worker?
If you love working around children, becoming a childcare worker can be extremely rewarding.
It is a chance to help kids grow and thrive.
You can have fun and exercise your creativity each and every day.
As long as you can deal with the bickering of kids who do not get along and their demanding parents, it can be a great career choice – and one that will most certainly always keep you employed.
