flowlow Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 First day back and already wondering if I need a holiday. Is it me or is it just getting harder and harder to be a manager? It really shouldn't be this hard or stressful I am sure it shouldn't and it is only day one!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Believe me I feel your pain and completely empathise with you totally. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsp Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 I know what you mean and don't start until tomorrow!!! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowlow Posted January 4, 2016 Author Share Posted January 4, 2016 I am trying really hard not to moan all the time or be negative, I even hear myself and think of for goodness sake just shut up already lol but the truth is I am really struggling. In truth it is the little things that are almost too much, but today I just thought 'why am I here?' 'Why am I still doing this?' at the risk of repeating myself it shouldn't be this hard. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 I am trying really hard not to moan all the time or be negative, I even hear myself and think of for goodness sake just shut up already lol but the truth is I am really struggling. In truth it is the little things that are almost too much, but today I just thought 'why am I here?' 'Why am I still doing this?' at the risk of repeating myself it shouldn't be this hard. Oh lovey I could have written this myself. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 I am trying really hard not to moan all the time or be negative, I even hear myself and think of for goodness sake just shut up already lol but the truth is I am really struggling. In truth it is the little things that are almost too much, but today I just thought 'why am I here?' 'Why am I still doing this?' at the risk of repeating myself it shouldn't be this hard. Snap... For the first time in my entire life I am actually thinking of visiting the Drs due to the stress. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tish501 Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Same here first day back....ahead of our local sessional settings....and the phone (with no exaggeration...)has rung ALL day wanting spaces when we are full.....8 new children....one a screamer( calmed down after 30 mins).....and my late so 10 hrs ...non stop.....going to have to get another Lev 3 not because we need it but because it will lighten the workload for all of us xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 I had one member of staff hand in notice before Xmas with nothing to be done over hol, opened a letter this morning to find another has, both leaving end of month....great start :-( One very long standing just had enough of all that's expected now and another very short standing, recently qualified L3 shocked at what a job in early years actually entails compared to training ....says it all really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowlow Posted January 4, 2016 Author Share Posted January 4, 2016 (edited) Oh I feel for you all. I have similar tales. I want to hand in my notice truth be told but I have built my place back up after so many knock downs, I don't want it to go under and I do feel a huge loyalty to my staff, especially one long standing member who I know needs the job but is not really coping and I think would hand in her notice if I did as I think it would be her last straw. My deputy is fab and amazing and I have trained her from day one, she has just taken on a new house so again needs the money and is so good what she does. If I leave it feels like pulling the rug from under her, particularly if others follow. I would not want to do this to her as again she is like my protege and I want her to do well, she deserves to. I think it is the build up over all the years, you never quite have enough time off to fix the deficit completely so you start from bigger and bigger minus points until you are just burnt out. I think my new committee might be quite good but don't know if I can hold out long enough to find out and they will all stand down again in October. The hall committee are a pain the A*** and one thinks it is completely fine to invade my house at weekends for hours and I mean hours at a time as she rants and raves. She does nothing but pick fault we either clean too well or not well enough there is always something to moan about including that we may have stolen teatowels or put the upstairs cups and cutlery in the downstairs kitchen, which is a big no no, to name but a few complaints. The cost OMG it is so high and we do not get our monies worth and it keeps us poor and we may now go under, they will not give us any room on rent at all despite knowing we literally cannot make any more money, there is just no way of us to grow. It gets harder and harder to meet Ofsted requirements in the hall we have and now there is no satisfactory I worry if we will pass at all (the big O due soon) I feel frustrated for myself and staff as we work so hard and yet what we do with the kids seems not to matter, in the face of everything else. It would be unjust if we go needs improvement. All around us settings are getting outstanding and don't get me wrong they deserve it but there are things we do better but it never matters as it always comes back to the same old stuff and the hall not being good enough, they have their own building etc.... Pack-away settings wear you out basically. The minimum wage going up means I have to make a choice either I pay unfairly, go under as we can't sustain paying fairly, or let someone go. The member of staff that could go wont go for so many reasons I wont bore you, so again I may lose the goods staff for the bad. No matter how hard I work I never catch up or feel I do anything well and so many things today could have been avoided if only others had done what they should, to say nothing of many parents wanting to change hours almost immediately so the register which always takes ages now needs redoing and it is only day one. Oh and so much more... Oh shut up already lol see told you!!! Edited January 4, 2016 by Johanna1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Johanna1 think you have written exactly how lots of us feel particulary committee run, packaway run settings - think the writing is on the wall for a lot of us, costs are too high at the end of the day for most of us; both within our settings and our personal lives which are suffering too much. Take care, think of the new years resolutions of being HAPPY & HEALTHY! :1b 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsp Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Had a lovely first day back today. All was calm, new children settled well and staff were happy. Then my alarm woke me up at 7am!!! Lol. Actually it was not too bad and the new children did settle well. 1 out of 3 is good! It started to go downhill when I started chasing fees -again! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Well this was day two for us - I use my phone as an alarm - somehow, the battery died overnight alarm therefore did not go off - never in 20 odd years have I overslept - managed to scrape into nursery just as deputy was opening the doors to the children - staff absolutely lovely but took the p*** a bit! New children a dream yesterday todays not so much! 2 howlers, decided to call parents back, and would you believe it, both children then calmed down! Still let parents pick them up though, at least they went home happy, rather than upset. They are both back in on Thursday, hoping for better for them ! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeytg Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 We had a training day today and two parents turned up with children 'oh I didn't know you weren't open today'!! Notices on the board for the full 2 weeks before we broke up plus an emailed newsletter reminding everyone.... I really despair!! I am ready to give it all up, I have been trying to buy the business for 2years and just hit one obstacle after another plus a Parish Council who think they rule the world ..... is it really worth it. (but I know tomorrow when the children are back, I'll be reminded why I do it?). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 My first day back today - not too bad - did have one 'howler' - knew it would happen - he had been sent in patently unwell at end of last term and I had to ring home to get him collected - that would be his last memory of pre-school....... He 'howled' - I gave him space to vent his fury - he then went on to have a great session....... One newbie expected tomorrow and two more on Friday - hope it all goes smoothly :1b 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Two newbies so far and they have been amazing. I more at the end of the week. Children all seem calmer and in better health since returning. Two difficult conversations with parents had already, one about outstanding fees and another about making her child attend so that school will not be totally traumatic in September. Little bit of paperwork completed and slowly but surely nearly got the committee through DBS, DBS update and EY2!! Really is quite a process now isn't it. Still have an enormous to do list and it seems to get longer everyday. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 slowly but surely nearly got the committee through DBS, DBS update and EY2!! Really is quite a process now isn't it. Feel your pain still struggling with committee myself Do you know if we still have to do EY3 forms to Ofsted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredbear Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Oh yes you do still compete a EY3. It just takes so much time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Oh goodness what is EY3?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Ignore that I know what it is, just had a panic for a moment!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 I was going to say - it's Friday evening now breathe......however I have a weekend TDL so perhaps i can't chill just yet :blink: ::1a 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsp Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Me too! Ssssh don't tell anyone - it's left over from before Christmas! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Me too! Ssssh don't tell anyone - it's left over from before Christmas! Shhhh - so is mine! :lol: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Me too! Ssssh don't tell anyone - it's left over from before Christmas! Still have a couple of things (SEF ) from my summer TDL! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Still have a couple of things (SEF ) from my summer TDL! I don't think updating the SEF will ever be ticked off my TDL!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsp Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 How does it go Zigzag - it's a working document! Maybe ours is a work in progress document. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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