For challenging my childless aunt on this?

[Sienna333]

I was telling her about my friend who runs a crèche and who also used to be a nanny. She said "That's the life isn't it? Just playing with the kiddies all day. Not much to it. Girl has the right idea.' I challenged her as that's such a narrowminded comment to make is it not?

It's just something your aunt thinks would be a great job or am I missing something?

Really? That isn't worthy of a second thought not to mind worthy of a thread

Not sure what her being childless has to do with it. Plenty of women of a certain age with kids would feel the same.

What's her being childless got to do with it? Plenty of people have that opinion of what a childminder does.

I used to work in childcare and it gets my back up how often people say how easy it is. Looking after other people's kids is NEVER easy.

Well she has a point.

Looking after other people's children is much easier than having your own.

I work in childcare and this wouldn't bother me, yes it's hard work but rewarding, it's a joy to see children play and to play with them when they let you. I'm sure your aunt realises it's not all fun and games, it was probably just an off hand comment made in conversation. Let it go.

She doesn't have a point! Very hard work. But she doesn't know and you don't have time enlighten her.

Shrug, ignore.

Again, why is her being childless relevant?

When I was a community midwife I had a few older relations who clearly thought my work entailed drinking cups of tea and cuddling babies.

Just smile and nod.

Love the irony of calling someone 'narrow minded' just after calling them 'childless' and adding it in as if it clarifies the op's point...

Maybe I shouldn't have put childless, I just find her genuinely clueless when it comes to how hard childcare can be.

"Challenge" just sounds so unnecessarily aggressive. Particularly if you're planning to return to the subject long after the moment has actually passed.

I used to work in this area, lots of people thought it was an easy job including parents. They were surprised when you talked to them about OFSTED inspections, curriculum and paperwork.

I'm childfree and might well have commented that working in childcare would be my idea of hell. Would you have found that more or less narrow-minded?

This is the same as my mum saying she'd have loved a job like mine
She's never done any job like it so she has a rosy view
sometimes I gently point out she doesn't know what it's like and it's easy to say, but that's the end of it surely?

no, its not narrowminded, she has a point, that is what it is, at its best.

Maybe she is actually well aware how hard children can be hence why she didn't have any herself?!

Or maybe she IS clueless because most people who have never done x (especially for 40 hrs/wk) will not know "how hard" x can be.

Or maybe she's just trying to make polite conversation with her DNiece and doesn't give a shiny shit about children or the care thereof?

Hard to say really. Is your aunt generally a decent sort? Do you think you might be projecting? What sort of job do YOU think would be easy?

Childless seems very relevant when her comment was about child care. If she has never experienced the relentless noise and needs of pre-school children then she is not in a position to comment on how easy or otherwise running a creche would be.

My dcs nursery employed someone like her (for very short time). Her experience was as a HV advising other people how to look after their dcs, and when she retired she thought she'd try a part time job in the 2-3 years room. Lasted one week

Empress: I'm childfree and might well have commented that working in childcare would be my idea of hell. Would you have found that more or less narrow-minded? Ditto! And a good question. What do you say, OP?

Childless seems very relevant when her comment was about child care.

Only if you believe the narrative that people without children have don't pay any attention to their friends when they talk about their children and spend no time at all with any children. And they all have no empathy or imagination.

Did you have children when you started working on childcare, OP?

Purple put what I am saying in context. She thinks child care is playing with kiddies all day, so obviously somewhere along the line she has missed a few basics.

In the nicest possible way, I doubt your aunt cares much about what your friend does, and was just fishing around for something, anything to say. She thought she was complimenting your friend on her career choices. I (who have no interest in babies or children) may have said similarly witless things when searching for something innocuous to say when someone talks about childcare.

You seem very defensive about the subject of childcare - are you one of these people who wants everyone to acknowledge that parenting is THE HARDEST AND MOST IMPORTANT JOB IN THE WORLD?

A lot of people also say that working with kids is their idea of hell. That doesn't offend me, we are all different. I don't actually think ANY job is easy but when you work with kids, you need endless patience, a ton of empathy,imagination and it is noisy and hard work. Not everyone is cut out for it but I know many would run for the hills if they were forced to look after a group of demanding 2-3 year olds.
My aunt isn't a decent person, no. She is bitter and bitches about everyone so I shouldn't really take any notice.