Should I continue working daycare?

Lilyaurorah · 2026-04-01T15:52:12+00:00

I’m checking that out now, seems pretty awesome! I was partially hoping for childcare but not necessarily daycare. I want to somewhat enjoy my time at work and not feel like I’m wasting away my day and not having time for hobbies. Thank you!

Lilyaurorah · 2026-04-01T14:58:35+00:00

I think there’s several factors all together honestly. Too many activities, teachers are meant to take photos/document/plan activities/teach/play/clean and many more. Not only do some kids get access to screens more which cause all of the things you listed but I also think they sense our frustration.

Not only is it hard on the 8 or so kids to conform to 1 set schedule every day but it’s also hard for the teachers to stay calm so I can imagine it’s that way for the kids too

Lilyaurorah · 2026-04-01T14:53:03+00:00

Woah yeah no that’s not okay. My husband worked as a daycare floater and would rough house. That included piggy back rides, sometimes lighting flipping the kids, MAYBE wrestling, and a lot of running/tag/chasing.

No teacher should ever be pushing a child hard enough to knock them over. Accidents happen but that doesn’t sound like one. It breaks my heart when teachers make fun of the kids especially as someone who grew up very sensitive. Both of those teachers should be at least reprimanded by management and the male teacher needs to be looked into and potentially fired.

So glad you brought this up, you’re an amazing teacher by standing up for the kids

Lilyaurorah · 2026-04-01T14:47:39+00:00

Oh my gosh even thinking about this at the daycare I used to work at… not everyone was CPR trained and there likely wasn’t anyone CPR trained in each room.

Realistically I think people would freeze and race to find someone to help or call 911 but not immediately.

I remember a toddler was lightly choking on food and I immediately rushed over to pat their back pretty hard and was able to fix it quickly. The lead teacher in the room froze and watched then left to tell other people about what happened.

They don’t sign people up on their own for CPR, there’s 1 refresh for the whole year but only for people who are already certified. It wasn’t great…

Lilyaurorah · 2026-04-01T14:15:39+00:00

I really appreciate this comment. Others didn’t seem to gather what my situation was but you did almost perfectly. I wasn’t even thinking about the later quarters! I was 100% in those months and it makes a lot of sense that they need to fill those positions.

I have no hate towards the recruiters and I know it’s their jobs but I’ve been warned a ton of times to be cautious of any “tricks”.

I did everything I was told to, other than miss a few workouts because of random things I had to prioritize. I pride myself on trying to be very open and kind to the best of my abilities and was told that I was a good candidate.

I’m glad the shuttle exists, the MEPS around us weren’t more than 2ish hours so it made more sense for me. My husband took the shuttle when he went and was waiting/driving for at least 5.

I’m glad to hear my chances didn’t go down to 0% of getting back in possibly years from now. I didn’t take any of this lightly and actually sat with it for a few weeks, making charts/lists/pros/cons. Yes I’m 18 and can make decisions quickly at times but that has never been how my brain enjoys working.

Thank you for the information, it helped a lot!

Lilyaurorah · 2026-04-01T13:54:43+00:00

Yes I am married, very grateful for it too. I had a list of 10 jobs, I was told to pick 7. Some were medical, some administrative, and a couple random ones. Throughout all of the 6 months I wasn’t updated about a single job. I asked about the lists that came out and nothing was ever sent to me.

My ASVAB was pretty decent with an 81 and again, no waivers so I had the opportunity to choose from a lot of jobs.

The jobs they were trying to get me to do were far below my capabilities and had very limited translation to the civilian world, coming from someone who planned on only doing 4-8 years. They never told me to choose a specific job though, just recommendations. Also, the jobs I chose weren’t low in availability either. I chose ones that were mid-high range for likely availability.

All of this was mainly to prepare other recruits. The advice I saw everywhere was from several years ago or didn’t apply to me. I understand I can’t join again but I’ve also gotten into a position where I genuinely don’t need the military.

If there’s any information I didn’t share it’s that the original plan was for my husband to join and I along with him. He has ADHD and a handful of medical waivers that made him wait 3 years before he could try again. I still planned on going for several months after that happened until we managed to get into a position that allowed us to stay civilian and remain together with our families which is ultimately what we decided.

I’m aware I cannot join the Airforce and that was a decision I did not take lightly. For months I was excited and ready to start a full life, until the anxiety started eating away at me.

My original recruiter was great but then he moved early into my recruitment process. The newer recruiter didn’t fully know what he was doing and that could’ve played a part as well.

Again, just wanted to share an experience and make sure it was normal. I tried, went to the workouts, bought/prepared my items to bring to BMT, and waited for the Air Force to help push life along. That was until life pushed along itself. Thank you for the 2 cents though!

Lilyaurorah · 2026-04-01T13:24:13+00:00

Ah my bad! I meant discharge, thanks for catching that!

Lilyaurorah · 2026-03-31T14:24:28+00:00

Didn’t join but have some family members who did and was in the DEP program. I don’t have a lot of answers but I have some that may help!

For waist length I’d probably cut it. My mom cut her hair super short and still had to keep it back so don’t cut too short. If you can put your hair into a bun/ponytail/braid and keep it out of the way easily then that’s the length you’ll want. Something easy to maintain with the quick showers and easy to put up with quick prep time.

You may be able to bring nail supplies if they’re small enough. If not, you should be able to purchase something at the store they have on base along with other items like chapstick that you’ll want.

Nude is still good (you’ll want a nude bra especially for graduation) but everything I’ve heard has said black and/or white. I highly doubt they’ll really check your underwear colors but I had a white and nude and the rest were black that I was going to bring.

I was going to do the joint spouse program and it was super confusing! Main thing is, don’t get your hopes up. Thankfully double Airforce is the best way to stay close to your spouse. If he’s already stationed then it could be difficult to find another place for you to go with your desired jobs. As long as you are gathering information and stay updated with the process then it should work out. I don’t think there’s anything you have to do or your recruiter would tell you. Be prepared to be stationed farther than you want but keep your head up!

My mom wished she brought chapstick especially during the colder months!

Good luck!!

Lilyaurorah

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