Breaking the Cycle of Insanity

Today I am going to quit my current job that I've only been at a month now. It is pure hell on earth. I am an Assistant Director at a K********* I already knew going into this job that the company itself doesn't have the best reputation but geeze I never expected what I have experienced. I was told going into the job that this center has had a lot of problems keeping staff and that my position has been vacant for almost a year. I thought I had the strength to go in there and help the situation-but all that is happening is that I have been coming home every night crying to my poor husband and becoming very depressed and anxious over it. Now I know why. Everybody at this center is unhappy, including the poor kids. Teachers are yelling, fighting with each other in front of the kids, teachers are constantly coming to me to tell on each other and ask that I solve their issues with each other like kids themselves, teachers blatantly disrespecting ME who has done nothing but try to make them happy, they even yell and talk so mean to the little kids as they have no healthy coping skills for their own anger. It is a disaster. I would never take any child of mine to a place such as this. People are selfish and rude. My co-director comes and goes from the center as she pleases, leaving me with the long hours and grunt work which is to be shared. Some of the parents are a mess as well. Complaining about things that are not in our control and asking us to do things that are against licensing policies. I have had to counsel many irate, furious parents and by doing so hopefully helping them to see how they are really doing their child a disservice by leaving them at daycare from 6:30am to 6:30pm. One day they will look back on their lives and regret not spending more time with their babies. I mean, you only get 1 year of each of your child's life to throughly enjoy their infancy! 1 YEAR-that flies by! That's IT! I can't believe some people! Asking ME for advice, (which is really common sense) about HOW TO RAISE THEIR kids when first of all I have no kids of my own yet. Sure I have my BA in Child Development, 4 years of teaching and I've been reading Parents Magazine since the tender age of 8 but still! That's all books, not the experience of raising my own yet. Here's an example- One mother comes in the other morning YELLING at me that she is so furious that her 7 month old boy is starting to scream and cry at her. She says he is learning it from the other babies and that it hurts HER feelings. She says that every time a baby cries, the teacher should take that one baby out of the room to calm down and then bring it back! HOLY CRAP BABIES CRY!!!!! What a newfound discovery! I calmly had to explain to her that this was a developmentally appropriate behavior for her child. It's his way of communicating to you when he is angry, uncomfortable, hungry, ect. She says that is hurts her feelings and that he should be PUNISHED! I told her that it is not right to even try to punish a 7 month old baby. I told her he would not understand and she would just make the situation worse. I also told her to realize that this is just the beginning. As he gets older the tantrums will start. And that is normal too. OMG!!!! Why oh why do some people have kids? WHY? To put them in the care of people who know what they are doing and then complain about it? WOW! SO that's right kids, 6 month old babies left for 12 hours away from the real mommy. I just couldn't take it anymore. I cannot be a part of it anymore. I tried and I cried. It's not happening. I feel like a failure. But you want to know the real failure? SELFISH people who decide that having a LEXUS is more important than staying home and raising their own children. I realize people HAVE to work, but leaving your BABY for 12 hours each day?!!!! I believe that this is the cause of the breakdowns of families in our society and the reason so many children are suffering. It is too sad to see. Goodbye messed up system.