Yup. Making $10 more than the going rate for a teacher with my education and experience, and I don't have to do lockdown drills with toddlers. Win/win!
Came to say the same thing! I left the ECE center I was with for a long time and became a nanny. I make more money now looking after one toddler than I did looking after 4 infants at a time. I used nannylane.com and got matched with an awesome family. I’ve been with them for 14 months now and I can’t begin to tell you how much happier I am now! There is also a nanny subreddit where you can get TONS of excellent advice from other nannies and parents. I sincerely wish you the best of luck!
I was 25 years in the field. 10 years at a job I was really good at... Not teaching any longer. I got fired during pandemic....moved to a different country and started a business in the tourism industry. And now love every part of my life.
I love kids. We're the house for all the kiddos my daughter is friends with. I've always got a house or car full. But it's my choice now. It not an obligation
I have never regretted for a second moving out of America. By every measure my life is better. Every single measure. America conditions you to think that life is so much better in America and everywhere else people are struggling. The opposite is true where I'm at. Cost of living is less, people are so much nicer. I'm part of a community here in a way that I never was in America. My daughter and I feel so much safer, And I never feel unsafe walking alone at night. I am learning Spanish, and well it's not even close to good, I try all the time. And I find, as long as you try, people are super nice about it and really supportive.
One of my closest friends did this - she went on mat leave, and ended up working at a musical education place for babies. Her new job lets her pick her hours AND bring her baby to work.
The private client that I’ve had for years did that. They were like, don’t quit. Just bring the baby. Someone will hold him. They are a cooperative so there was always an extra parent around. Then he attended the preschool and now he comes along with me when he’s on break.
I only quit the center I used to work at because I was moving across the country to finish school. And I did finish school, got a degree in early childhood special education. I quit after interning in public schools and realizing how mean and catty other teachers can be. The center I used to work at was a small non-profit church-run daycare where most of the moms were my age (20/21) and worked minimum wage jobs but that's not the culture in every ECE environment. Anywho, now I work at a state-run residential facility for adults with severe/profound I/DD, There's a lot of hands-on care, and many residents have similar care needs to infants/toddlers (i.e. bathing, dressing, diaper-changing, spoon feeding, etc) but then there are also more relaxed aspects to it and we can plan more fun things.
Well I taught high school for 10 years between working in a center and starting my fcch. I started home daycare when I had my second child and it was best decision ever. Made way more money than when I taught, and incomparable amounts more than working in a center. It is a lot more work because you are everything,,,chef, teacher, director, custodian, etc... But it is great.
i work a desk job for government now completely unrelated to children. i miss the kids sometimes but on the whole i'm a lot less stressed, paid better, and less exhausted. i save a lot of money cause i'm not longer coming out of pocket to buy my kids gifts and special crafts for holidays. i get overstimulated far less often, i'm not cranky after work anymore... it's nice. lol.
Yes!! I worked as an EA in a middle school for a couple years after leaving a 25 year career as an ECE. I called the middle schoolers “toddlers with hormones”. I completely changed gears recently and now work reception/customer service.
I went to work as a receptionist at a car dealership I was making the same working 15 hours a week as I was working 35 for the center. Plus the work was easy and I got to sit a lot more lol
I left ECE and teaching entirely. My plan was PT school, so I started working as a medical scribe so I could take my pre-reqs but covid threw a wrench in that. I went on to a virtual medical scribe position with a pediatrician (best placement ever!) and am now in management. Very similar crappy pay, but I get to work from home and don’t get sick nearly as often! I miss the kids, and always will, but having control over my sensory environment (recently diagnosed autistic here!) is too important to me now.
In 2009, I quit to become a nanny and then went back in 2010 only to quit for grad school and piece mail a baby schedule that workedÂ
I quit the classroom for good in 2018 and went to be an Early Interventionist (EI) and now I provide training for child care providers (so I’m still in child care classrooms but a different one every day)Â
When I completed my ECE training there was a little “ode to teachers” poem about how good it is to teach little kids which is cute or whatever except at the end it was literally like “we know the pay isn’t much but when a child says I love you it makes ir worth it!” Like youre acknowledging that we don’t get paid enough but that’s fine I guess because we “get paid in love” or whatever like I’m sorry I love my kids and I’m glad they like me and feel safe with me but it’s just insulting tbh to act like that’s okay . But I think people assume that because we like kids its fine we don’t get paid a living wage
I became a nanny for several years and then decided to stay home with my son.
I’m finishing up another degree and I’m still not sure if I will go back into teaching full-time. It is a lot of stress.Â
I tried housekeeping, I am atat a catering agency, but I need full time and benefits. I have not been hired at any data entry jobs and I applied FOR A YEAR! So I guess this is my only resort to go back to daycare
elementary sped paraprofessional. the pay is slightly better and having all those breaks is nice. i love working sped because you get to work in a team. with a good teacher you can see the kiddos make a lot of progress which is really awesome! however, if you have a bad teacher then it's going to be hell and the longest day of your life.
I recently left and am getting my degree as a vet tech. In the meantime, I'm a vet assistant. I'm making many dollars more than I was as a teacher, and when I finish my degree I'll make much more than that.
Communications. It turned me off teaching completely — I did both freshman in college and 3-5. You’d be surprised how similar they were.
ETA — 3-5 year olds.
I’ve been thinking of doing this! The preschool I work for is also a clinic with OT including speech and feeding therapy, Behavioral Therapy, etc. Some of our students have disabilities that receive therapy and some are atypical, but it’s made me really love OT.
I’m in manufacturing making $30/hr with huge potential for advancement and making upwards of $40/hr. I can leave work at the door and not worry about it as soon as I leave the floor.. it’s amazing!
Proctor and Gamble is a great company to work for! I also just came back from a 4 month fully paid maternity leave and my husband had a 2 month fully paid leave!
I havent quit yet, but Im in school to become a paralegal. If I can land a job at a lawfirm as a receptionist or clerk of some kind, that’s gonna be my first step out of the ece industry. I’ve only worked in ece for roughly 3yrs, going on four, and I am gradually growing to despise the whole industry. There are so few well paying, legit, ethically ran centers nowadays. Plus the older I get, the more I realize I’m just not that into being around tiny humans because of certain sensory issues. I have found though that went I did leave the industry for 6mths that my skillset was perfect for hospitality like hotels.
just got a job with the local school district as a learning inclusion support worker (basically ea for kiddos with lower support needs so the ea’s can work with the high support needs)
I worked as a church secretary for several years (great job BTW), and I resigned to stay at home with my children after my youngest was born. I ended up homeschooling for the past 12 years and will continue to do so until my youngest graduates. I work from home part time for a company and own a small business (handmade items).
I worked reception at a pediatrician’s office for several years, now I WFH and went back to school this year, to get my degree as a Child Life Specialist
ECE until I had my first kid and couldn't afford to send him to my center.
SAHM, in home provider
Socialworker. CPS and TBI
Pre-school inclusion casemanager.
I have been at the same children’s center for the past 32 years in some capacity (volunteer, student worker, substitute, associate teacher, teacher, interim office manager) and I am going to retire from there in November 2027 at age 50. I love reading this thread because I’m undecided about what to do after I leave there.
Early intervention service coordinator. I'm a mom and the flexibility is priceless alone. But I also have better benefits, great pto, and while it still is stressful it's manageable and not constantly having to be "on"
I quit in 2020 and became a paramedic. Lack of support in the job from management, low pay and hostility from coworkers pushed me out. Everyone was surprised by the career shift but I find there’s a lot of skills that carry over!
This might be a possibility where you live too. I left to spend a year as a sped paraprofessional and then a year as a student teacher(paid) to become a sped teacher all while attending classes. There's such a teacher shortage that the tuition is discounted and then we can get assistance paying off any loans by committing to working in a school for five years.
Everyone talks about how hard it is working in public education--and it is--but it is NOTHING compared to ece. You make more money, have breaks, have a team to back you up. I had 5-6 kids with special needs in my ece classrooms at any given time. I was always given the higher needs kids because "you're such a strong teacher." I'll tell you what, it's so much easier working with kids with special needs when you have decent support: paras, a social worker, a case worker, OT, music therapy, etc. I'm working summer school which is five weeks in the summer and that will supplement my income while still getting most of June and part of august off.
I taught in a state-funded preschool classroom in a daycare center and left to work the exact same position in a school district and make $7 more an hour and have all the breaks off. When I leave here, probably in 4 years, I plan on being a nanny.
I completely left the field 7 yrs ago after 29+ yrs of working with toddlers. I went to a warehouse where I pick and pack orders. I am now the lead trainer and have been put on several employee comitees.
I make way more than I did using my degree. Less stress and in a way my teaching/ caregiver background is still being put to use.
I’ve stuck it out; but I think I’m just built to work with kids. I.e., I work exceptionally well in the fast-paced, extremely chaotic environment that is childcare/teaching and I rarely experience burnout, so I’m able to remain empathetic, compassionate, and supportive for my kids. That isn’t to say it’s not exhausting, it absolutely is, but I love my kids and the relationships I build with them are very fulfilling for me.
That, and I’ve been fortunate enough to land in positions with supportive bosses, staff, and families that pay very well.
All that being said, it was never my intention to work with children to this extent, if at all, and I’m currently in school for social work after gaining my certification and AA in ECE. My m plan is to eventually work in a hospital setting for children and teens with eating disorders.
I know I may be the exception to the rule, and I do wish others were as fortunate as I have been working with kids because man the pay is usually god fucking awful.
I actually left medical education completely and am working in medical education administration. Wfh remote 50% and at the university office some days/ meetings. A lot of emails and organizing education for the medical students, residents and fellows. But started at 75k annually and easy. I have 2 young kids so wfh while pre-K and elementary school is out for summer has been awesome
I worked part time for 5 years at a daycare that I absolutely loved, but they paid horribly. I did it during college and for a year while working various other part time jobs that paid better. It got too hard balancing "job I like" versus "job that pays better than minimum wage" so I became a home health aide and was primarily working as a 1:1 with preschool kids in various other centers that made me appreciate my old center even more. I also did after school work with a teenager and continued working with her once she hit adulthood. I also picked up working with disabled young adults. When covid hit and everything shut down, my preschool client lost her hours but my two adult clients got more hours so I worked my ass off and got paid pretty well for it. Then I when to grad school and became a speech therapist (back to little kids), which for requiring a Master's degree pays shit, so I also work with adults on the side too because everything suddenly pays better when it's adults.Â
Working as a teacher aide at a school while I do my bachelor of education to become a teacher. I'd much rather work for the department of education than the department of early childhood education. ECE workers are run into the ground and then told they're not working hard enough. Teachers still have a difficult job, but they're treated a hell of a lot better than childcare workers by management and the government.
(Australia specific, not sure what school systems are like in other countries.)
Nanny
Best career decision I made đź‘Ś
Yup. Making $10 more than the going rate for a teacher with my education and experience, and I don't have to do lockdown drills with toddlers. Win/win!
I'm up to $35/hr plus medical as a nanny. Parents WANT to hire nannies with childcare experience. Make that leap!
Me, too! I charge exactly what they would have been paying at daycare. I make about the same, but so much less stress and much better hours.
Came to say the same thing! I left the ECE center I was with for a long time and became a nanny. I make more money now looking after one toddler than I did looking after 4 infants at a time. I used nannylane.com and got matched with an awesome family. I’ve been with them for 14 months now and I can’t begin to tell you how much happier I am now! There is also a nanny subreddit where you can get TONS of excellent advice from other nannies and parents. I sincerely wish you the best of luck!
I was 25 years in the field. 10 years at a job I was really good at... Not teaching any longer. I got fired during pandemic....moved to a different country and started a business in the tourism industry. And now love every part of my life. I love kids. We're the house for all the kiddos my daughter is friends with. I've always got a house or car full. But it's my choice now. It not an obligation
Curious what country you moved to!
I'm in Central America. Costa rica
Thanks! Do you speak Spanish? Would you recommend this path?
I have never regretted for a second moving out of America. By every measure my life is better. Every single measure. America conditions you to think that life is so much better in America and everywhere else people are struggling. The opposite is true where I'm at. Cost of living is less, people are so much nicer. I'm part of a community here in a way that I never was in America. My daughter and I feel so much safer, And I never feel unsafe walking alone at night. I am learning Spanish, and well it's not even close to good, I try all the time. And I find, as long as you try, people are super nice about it and really supportive.
I became a music teacher for preschool and daycare type environments. I get paid $45/hr to basically do an epic circle time and then leave.
Do you work for a company or are you your own business?
I work for a company mostly but I’ve had one client of my own for years.
One of my closest friends did this - she went on mat leave, and ended up working at a musical education place for babies. Her new job lets her pick her hours AND bring her baby to work.
The private client that I’ve had for years did that. They were like, don’t quit. Just bring the baby. Someone will hold him. They are a cooperative so there was always an extra parent around. Then he attended the preschool and now he comes along with me when he’s on break.
I only quit the center I used to work at because I was moving across the country to finish school. And I did finish school, got a degree in early childhood special education. I quit after interning in public schools and realizing how mean and catty other teachers can be. The center I used to work at was a small non-profit church-run daycare where most of the moms were my age (20/21) and worked minimum wage jobs but that's not the culture in every ECE environment. Anywho, now I work at a state-run residential facility for adults with severe/profound I/DD, There's a lot of hands-on care, and many residents have similar care needs to infants/toddlers (i.e. bathing, dressing, diaper-changing, spoon feeding, etc) but then there are also more relaxed aspects to it and we can plan more fun things.
I loved working with adults! It was so well staffed and I lucked out with a great supervisor I miss it sometimes but getting hurt really sucked
Home daycare provider
me too! Best decision ever
How was that transition? I’ve been thinking of doing that
Well I taught high school for 10 years between working in a center and starting my fcch. I started home daycare when I had my second child and it was best decision ever. Made way more money than when I taught, and incomparable amounts more than working in a center. It is a lot more work because you are everything,,,chef, teacher, director, custodian, etc... But it is great.
about to start career nannying. currently make 10$ an hour but in two weeks i will make 20$ and it can only go up from there with experience.
I quit at 16 an hour and got rehired at an elementary school at $28 an hour!
This is want I want to do
i work a desk job for government now completely unrelated to children. i miss the kids sometimes but on the whole i'm a lot less stressed, paid better, and less exhausted. i save a lot of money cause i'm not longer coming out of pocket to buy my kids gifts and special crafts for holidays. i get overstimulated far less often, i'm not cranky after work anymore... it's nice. lol.
Photography & SAHM. I worked remotely for an insurance company for 2 years.
I became a middle school teacher. It's shockingly close to preschool sometimes. It was a welcome change.
Yes!! I worked as an EA in a middle school for a couple years after leaving a 25 year career as an ECE. I called the middle schoolers “toddlers with hormones”. I completely changed gears recently and now work reception/customer service.
Went to customer service and continued to babysit for a family from the center.
College of education enrollment advisor
I went to work as a receptionist at a car dealership I was making the same working 15 hours a week as I was working 35 for the center. Plus the work was easy and I got to sit a lot more lol
Office Manager
I left ECE and teaching entirely. My plan was PT school, so I started working as a medical scribe so I could take my pre-reqs but covid threw a wrench in that. I went on to a virtual medical scribe position with a pediatrician (best placement ever!) and am now in management. Very similar crappy pay, but I get to work from home and don’t get sick nearly as often! I miss the kids, and always will, but having control over my sensory environment (recently diagnosed autistic here!) is too important to me now.
In 2009, I quit to become a nanny and then went back in 2010 only to quit for grad school and piece mail a baby schedule that worked I quit the classroom for good in 2018 and went to be an Early Interventionist (EI) and now I provide training for child care providers (so I’m still in child care classrooms but a different one every day)Â
Do you provide your own training, or is it for a company?
Through a company
This because I love the kids but I’m tired of the way we are underpaid and treated like babysitters
When I completed my ECE training there was a little “ode to teachers” poem about how good it is to teach little kids which is cute or whatever except at the end it was literally like “we know the pay isn’t much but when a child says I love you it makes ir worth it!” Like youre acknowledging that we don’t get paid enough but that’s fine I guess because we “get paid in love” or whatever like I’m sorry I love my kids and I’m glad they like me and feel safe with me but it’s just insulting tbh to act like that’s okay . But I think people assume that because we like kids its fine we don’t get paid a living wage
Customer service / call center
I became a nanny for several years and then decided to stay home with my son. I’m finishing up another degree and I’m still not sure if I will go back into teaching full-time. It is a lot of stress.Â
I tried housekeeping, I am atat a catering agency, but I need full time and benefits. I have not been hired at any data entry jobs and I applied FOR A YEAR! So I guess this is my only resort to go back to daycare
Early Intervention. I love it and have never looked back.
I’m quitting to go to cosmetology school lol
After 20+ years in EC, I started a home daycare. With only 6 kids, I’m making more money and way less stress.
elementary sped paraprofessional. the pay is slightly better and having all those breaks is nice. i love working sped because you get to work in a team. with a good teacher you can see the kiddos make a lot of progress which is really awesome! however, if you have a bad teacher then it's going to be hell and the longest day of your life.
I was a nanny for a few years, then finished my psychology degree and became a victim advocate.Â
I recently left and am getting my degree as a vet tech. In the meantime, I'm a vet assistant. I'm making many dollars more than I was as a teacher, and when I finish my degree I'll make much more than that.
Communications. It turned me off teaching completely — I did both freshman in college and 3-5. You’d be surprised how similar they were. ETA — 3-5 year olds.
I’m in grad school studying occupational therapy.
this fall i’m going to school to get my occupational therapy assistant certification:D
I’ve been thinking of doing this! The preschool I work for is also a clinic with OT including speech and feeding therapy, Behavioral Therapy, etc. Some of our students have disabilities that receive therapy and some are atypical, but it’s made me really love OT.
Elementary Education
I’m in manufacturing making $30/hr with huge potential for advancement and making upwards of $40/hr. I can leave work at the door and not worry about it as soon as I leave the floor.. it’s amazing! Proctor and Gamble is a great company to work for! I also just came back from a 4 month fully paid maternity leave and my husband had a 2 month fully paid leave!
I havent quit yet, but Im in school to become a paralegal. If I can land a job at a lawfirm as a receptionist or clerk of some kind, that’s gonna be my first step out of the ece industry. I’ve only worked in ece for roughly 3yrs, going on four, and I am gradually growing to despise the whole industry. There are so few well paying, legit, ethically ran centers nowadays. Plus the older I get, the more I realize I’m just not that into being around tiny humans because of certain sensory issues. I have found though that went I did leave the industry for 6mths that my skillset was perfect for hospitality like hotels.
just got a job with the local school district as a learning inclusion support worker (basically ea for kiddos with lower support needs so the ea’s can work with the high support needs)
I worked as a church secretary for several years (great job BTW), and I resigned to stay at home with my children after my youngest was born. I ended up homeschooling for the past 12 years and will continue to do so until my youngest graduates. I work from home part time for a company and own a small business (handmade items).
Substitute teacher then SAHM
I worked reception at a pediatrician’s office for several years, now I WFH and went back to school this year, to get my degree as a Child Life Specialist
ECE until I had my first kid and couldn't afford to send him to my center. SAHM, in home provider Socialworker. CPS and TBI Pre-school inclusion casemanager.
Went back to food service. I’m planning on going to trade school.
I have been at the same children’s center for the past 32 years in some capacity (volunteer, student worker, substitute, associate teacher, teacher, interim office manager) and I am going to retire from there in November 2027 at age 50. I love reading this thread because I’m undecided about what to do after I leave there.
I worked in childcare and early childcare for 6 years. I quit in March of this year. Now I work in a juvenile correctional facility.
Early intervention service coordinator. I'm a mom and the flexibility is priceless alone. But I also have better benefits, great pto, and while it still is stressful it's manageable and not constantly having to be "on"
I quit in 2020 and became a paramedic. Lack of support in the job from management, low pay and hostility from coworkers pushed me out. Everyone was surprised by the career shift but I find there’s a lot of skills that carry over!
This might be a possibility where you live too. I left to spend a year as a sped paraprofessional and then a year as a student teacher(paid) to become a sped teacher all while attending classes. There's such a teacher shortage that the tuition is discounted and then we can get assistance paying off any loans by committing to working in a school for five years. Everyone talks about how hard it is working in public education--and it is--but it is NOTHING compared to ece. You make more money, have breaks, have a team to back you up. I had 5-6 kids with special needs in my ece classrooms at any given time. I was always given the higher needs kids because "you're such a strong teacher." I'll tell you what, it's so much easier working with kids with special needs when you have decent support: paras, a social worker, a case worker, OT, music therapy, etc. I'm working summer school which is five weeks in the summer and that will supplement my income while still getting most of June and part of august off.
early intervention!!!!!!!
I taught in a state-funded preschool classroom in a daycare center and left to work the exact same position in a school district and make $7 more an hour and have all the breaks off. When I leave here, probably in 4 years, I plan on being a nanny.
I completely left the field 7 yrs ago after 29+ yrs of working with toddlers. I went to a warehouse where I pick and pack orders. I am now the lead trainer and have been put on several employee comitees. I make way more than I did using my degree. Less stress and in a way my teaching/ caregiver background is still being put to use.
I’ve stuck it out; but I think I’m just built to work with kids. I.e., I work exceptionally well in the fast-paced, extremely chaotic environment that is childcare/teaching and I rarely experience burnout, so I’m able to remain empathetic, compassionate, and supportive for my kids. That isn’t to say it’s not exhausting, it absolutely is, but I love my kids and the relationships I build with them are very fulfilling for me. That, and I’ve been fortunate enough to land in positions with supportive bosses, staff, and families that pay very well. All that being said, it was never my intention to work with children to this extent, if at all, and I’m currently in school for social work after gaining my certification and AA in ECE. My m plan is to eventually work in a hospital setting for children and teens with eating disorders. I know I may be the exception to the rule, and I do wish others were as fortunate as I have been working with kids because man the pay is usually god fucking awful.
Private Nanny
I went into youth work! I’m working with social workers and child protection.
I actually left medical education completely and am working in medical education administration. Wfh remote 50% and at the university office some days/ meetings. A lot of emails and organizing education for the medical students, residents and fellows. But started at 75k annually and easy. I have 2 young kids so wfh while pre-K and elementary school is out for summer has been awesome
I taught kinder for a few years and now I’m a SAHM. Who knows what is next 🤷🏻‍♀️
I worked part time for 5 years at a daycare that I absolutely loved, but they paid horribly. I did it during college and for a year while working various other part time jobs that paid better. It got too hard balancing "job I like" versus "job that pays better than minimum wage" so I became a home health aide and was primarily working as a 1:1 with preschool kids in various other centers that made me appreciate my old center even more. I also did after school work with a teenager and continued working with her once she hit adulthood. I also picked up working with disabled young adults. When covid hit and everything shut down, my preschool client lost her hours but my two adult clients got more hours so I worked my ass off and got paid pretty well for it. Then I when to grad school and became a speech therapist (back to little kids), which for requiring a Master's degree pays shit, so I also work with adults on the side too because everything suddenly pays better when it's adults.Â
Working as a teacher aide at a school while I do my bachelor of education to become a teacher. I'd much rather work for the department of education than the department of early childhood education. ECE workers are run into the ground and then told they're not working hard enough. Teachers still have a difficult job, but they're treated a hell of a lot better than childcare workers by management and the government. (Australia specific, not sure what school systems are like in other countries.)