Horrible upbringing, did I miss the boat? (long)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don't know much about the world a daycare or preschool job will be a safer and more educational start for you. Nannies who don't have experience with contracts or taxes are probably going o be taken advantage of one way or another. Just look at all the frustration of nannies on this board; from not being paid for each hour you work, to holidays and sick pay there is so much negotiating for nannies. A daycare or preschool job will follow the law and provide these things without taking advantage of you the way even nice, well meaning families probably will.
You should let people who interview you know that you were raised very isolated and your mom suffers from mental illness and you've spent your teenage years caring for her instead of working on your life and following your dreams, and now your working on you! You can let people know after they trust you about the cult because for many it is creepy and not cute. Mental illness in your family is something that many people deal with and being honest about it will cause people to be more understanding about your situation. Best luck in life, and here in California it's not all that uncommon to have been brought up in a cult and come out of it a freethinking and independent adult, but as you know it's a lot of work and soul-searching.

Strongly disagree with this poster! Do NOT tell people your mother is mentally ill. Friends? Sure. People you want to work for? Absolutely NOT. That is personal, NOT professional. OP, keep solid boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don't know much about the world a daycare or preschool job will be a safer and more educational start for you. Nannies who don't have experience with contracts or taxes are probably going o be taken advantage of one way or another. Just look at all the frustration of nannies on this board; from not being paid for each hour you work, to holidays and sick pay there is so much negotiating for nannies. A daycare or preschool job will follow the law and provide these things without taking advantage of you the way even nice, well meaning families probably will.
You should let people who interview you know that you were raised very isolated and your mom suffers from mental illness and you've spent your teenage years caring for her instead of working on your life and following your dreams, and now your working on you! You can let people know after they trust you about the cult because for many it is creepy and not cute. Mental illness in your family is something that many people deal with and being honest about it will cause people to be more understanding about your situation. Best luck in life, and here in California it's not all that uncommon to have been brought up in a cult and come out of it a freethinking and independent adult, but as you know it's a lot of work and soul-searching.

Really? I've lived here 30 years and never met anyone who was raised in a cult. I guess it depends on your circle of friends.

[Anonymous]

I agree that working with others is a better plan as you will get to observe how to structure a child's day, how to communicate with children and parents, how to set limits, how to enforce reasonable and age-appropriate consequences, etc. my best suggestion would be to look for a mother's helper position (where you would help with kids and household tasks while parents are home) or for work as an assistant or substitute for home daycare. What is your degree in? If you want to work with kids, I hope you are educating yourself on development, discipline strategies, etc. either formally through your education or informally through reading books.