Working in the child care industry, our strength and courage are tested daily, but now they are even more so as we navigated through these difficult, uncharted times of Coronavirus. And if you’re the owner and leader of your school, these last few weeks may have made you experience some of your most stressful, darkest days. However, I want to remind you that we can make it through this storm and some of us have already begun our journeys towards shore. What’s the secret to making your way to shore? Your mindset.
To offer a little perspective on this situation, I’m going to share a personal experience that I’ve been able to create a comforting analogy out of during this time…
Last year while on a whitewater rafting trip in Colorado with the Empire members of the Child Care Success Academy, I was tossed into a 40-degree river. It was terrifying – I hate the water, and I have a heart condition that doesn’t mix well with stressful situations. I had to ride the rapids of the river for over a half mile before I was thankfully rescued by my friend and fellow Academy member Joe Lawrence. Had I not stayed calm during that and kept my heart rate down and I may not have survived that situation. (While speaking on stage last year at The Child Care Success Summit, I shared my full river rafting near-death experience and the perspective that it was able to give me as a business owner. You can watch the video below to hear the full story.)
With the effects of COVID-19 hitting every child care center in the world, many believe that we are all in the same boat right now, but we’re not. While we all might be in the same category 5 hurricane, I disagree that we are all in the same boat. Having been coaching child care owners through this COVID-19 crisis for about five weeks now, I continue to find that everyone’s boat varies drastically from others.
Some owners are in a rowboat, being tossed around clinging to life as the boat they are riding in gets ripped apart by the sea. Some of these clients were in states that were hit hard with a lot of cases or had grueling, lengthy mandatory closures.
Other center owners are riding the hurricane in an aircraft carrier, barely moving up and down as the force of the storm crashes on its deck. These businesses had substantial cash reserves, or live in a state with very few cases.
Some center owners have had a mutiny and teachers have refused to return to work, while others have not had to lay one teacher off.
Some center owners have underlying health conditions and are afraid to leave their own homes, while others are young and healthy and have no fear.
Some center owners have had to find time to homeschool their own children while still trying to keep their business afloat, while others have extra time to catch up on a good novel.
Some center owners have had to watch a loved one get sick and die from this virus while others have been fortunate enough to not know anyone who has been sickened.
No matter what boat you are in, we are all weathering the same storm. It’s up to you whether you let panic and fear take over your mind or you remain calm and strategically navigate your way through. And always remember, before we cast judgment on others, we must first realize that even though we are all in the same storm, some of us did not pick the boat we got stuck in.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Child Care Success Academy or how working with our team can be of service to your child care business, we invite you to schedule a free 45-minute Coaching Call with one of our Coaches!
