Child Care Is Not Okay

We break down the newest NAEYC workforce survey data and call out the real reason child care keeps teetering on the edge: the money does not match the expectations. Then we get practical about leadership restraint, parent trust, messy staff conflict, hiring for reliability, and policies that keep you out of legal trouble.

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Transcript

Welcome And What’s Breaking

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to Stumbling Through Work where Educators Figure Shit Out. The podcast for educators and anyone who ever walked into their program and said, Nope, not today. I'm your host, Jared Huff, here to unpack the wild stories, broken systems, and to call out the chaos. Let's get into it. Hey team, welcome to another episode of Stumbling Through Work where educators figure shit out. Just letting everybody know that NACI, and if you don't know what NACI stands for, it is the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Just dropped their 2026 workforce survey brief, and let me summarize it for you real quick. Everything is getting more expensive, funding is going down, families can't afford care, and programs are barely holding it together. So basically, we are not okay. But let's talk about it. This is an opinion. This is thousands of educators across the country, over 7,000 saying the same thing. Costs are rising across everything. Food, supplies, insurance, wages, facilities, public funding is either stagnant or decreasing, and families are becoming less financially stable, which impacts enrollment. And educators, they're burned out. They're leaving and they're actually questioning staying in the field. Get this. Out of over 7,000 participants in this study alone, about 22% said they plan on leaving the field within the next year. 22%. That's almost 1600 educators. However, though, many said that they would stay with higher wages, better benefits, and more support. And that's reasonable. And here's the line that matters most. There's a gap between what families can afford and what programs need to survive. That's it. That's the whole episode, really, to tell you the truth. But we're going to break it down anyway. This doesn't happen by accident. This is what happens when you build a system that depends on private tuition, requires high staffing ratios, has increasingly regulatory expectations, and then doesn't fund it properly. So what do you get? A permanent mismatch. Let's make this real for you. Many leaders read this report and they're saying, Cool, it's not just me. You know, sometimes you like when you feel validated to say, I'm not crazy. It's not just me. Cool, okay. Their costs have gone up across the board, just like the report says. They are trying to hold tuition steady, but they can't. So they raise tuition. Then families struggle more, just like the report says, and enrollment becomes unstable, staff starts leaving, just like the report says, and now centers are in survival mode. And someone somewhere goes, Why isn't this center performing at a high level? Because we are running a system that is structurally underfunded. That's why. Let's strip this down to what the report is really showing. Costs are up, funding is down, families' ability to pay is down, workforce stability is down. That's not a cycle, that's a collapsed pattern. And here's the part people don't say out loud. Childcare is being asked to function as a market solution to a public need. And it doesn't work. The report even connects this to broader sequences: programs closing, educators leaving, reduced access to care, economic impact on families and communities. This is bigger than just your center. And let's ground this in research, okay? So this guy wrote in a book titled Best Practices for Center Program and Activity Directors, has a chapter titled Focus on Children and Families. The NACI report actually reinforces this chapter that I wrote because families and educators are both struggling. This is not a conflict, this is alignment. Families can't afford care, programs can't afford to provide care, same problem, different angle. So stop treating parents like they're the issue. They're in the same system we all are in. Now the harder part because leadership right now means being honest about pricing. And you know, being transparent about challenges. We cannot operate at a loss just to pretend the system works. The report tells us the system is broken. Cool, got it. But you still have to run your centers today and tomorrow. So here's what you do. One, run your numbers like a business because it is one. A lot of times we forget in this field, we get so wrapped up into the education aspect, into the quality aspect that at the end of the day it is a business. So number two, stop apologizing for tuition. The report literally confirms the costs are real. Three, build operational systems, not reaction cycles. There's a difference. Be proactive, not reactive. And four, use this data, use this information when you're talking to families, when you're talking to staff, when you're having conversations with stakeholders and policymakers, because now it's not just your opinion, it is national data. So here's our takeaway from the National Association for the Education of Young Children's 2026 survey. This is not a you problem, this is not a parent problem, this is not even just a workforce problem. This is a system design problem. And until that changes, you're going to keep doing what every director in this country is doing right now, holding it together, anyways. That's what everyone's doing. They're just holding it together. And that works for now because that's leadership. And we'll be right back after the break. Okay, quick break. If you're a teacher or a director who's currently stumbling through work, and I mean that literally, figuratively, or spiritually, you need to check out our new merch. We've got shirts that say exactly what you want to say in staff meetings, what you want to say to parents, mugs for caffeine that hold your entire personality together, and gear so you can walk into the building already announcing, Nope, I don't have time for this today, without even opening your mouth. These are perfect for the classroom, the office, or the car where you sit for 12 minutes pretending you're going to quit. Again, grab your shirts, your mugs, and your survival merch at abbreviatedlearning.com because if you're gonna stumble through work anyway, you might as well look good doing it. Welcome back. It's time for our This Is Why You're Struggling section, and today's topic, restraint. Because you're getting yelled at. Yeah. Because at some point, if you are a director, you are going to get an angry parent, a frustrated staff member, someone cussing you out, someone threatening you, someone trying to make a scene in front of the entire lobby. It's gonna happen. And in that moment, you're gonna want to respond. You're gonna want to match that energy. You're gonna wanna say, you got the wrong one today, but here's the problem: you don't get to do that. Let's be clear about something. Conflict is not a possibility in leadership, it's a guarantee. If you're running a center long enough, you will deal with public confrontations, emotional outbursts, people who feel disrespected, ignored, or wronged, people who are just having a bad day, and you're the closest target. And here's the part that hits directors the hardest. Sometimes it has nothing to even do with you. It really doesn't sometimes. You just happen to be the person that just gets the business that day. You are just the face of the system. You are the person standing there when something goes wrong. So all of that frustration, it lands on you. I've dealt with enough police officers, I've dealt with enough parents, I've dealt with enough uh social workers, I have dealt with it all. That's part of it, and you have to have that restraint. Now let's talk about what happens when you react emotionally, because everyone says, stay calm, but no one tells you what happens when you don't. So here it is. You raise your voice, now it's a fight. You get sarcastic, now you look unprofessional, you match their energy, not everyone watches, everyone watching is sitting here thinking, like, oh, this center is messy. And here's the worst part: the audience. Because when conflict happens in a childcare setting, it is rarely private. You've got other parents watching, staff watching, random other kids nearby, and you know what, just because of the way that it turns out, licensing walks in right at that moment as well. And in that moment, you are not just responding to a person, you are performing leadership in real time. And really think about that. Let's redefine something first because people hear restraint and they think, oh, so I just have to sit there and take it. No, no, I did not say that, nor have I ever just sat there and just took it. Let me be clear about that. That's not what that is. Restraint is strategy. It is choosing not to match that tone, it is choosing not to escalate the situation, it is choosing not to react emotionally. Even when everything in your body is telling you to do it, because here's what actually happens when you stay calm. The other person starts to look unreasonable, now they look like the crazy person. Bystanders begin to side with you, the energy in the room drops and the control stays with you. You don't win arguments in leaderships, you control the environments. And I really want you all to think that we've all been in those situations where it just went left. But if you stay calm, if you control the conversation, if you control the energy, you always are gonna show and appear that you're in charge. Now let's get operational for a second. Because when conflicts happen, let's step one, let's pause. Not for them, but for you. Take one breath. That is the difference between reacting and leading. Step two, neutral tones only. Not nice, not rude, just a neutral tone. Let's step into the office so we can talk. That's it. No attitude, no sarcasm, no pettiness, none of that. Step three, you want to remove the audience from the situation. Never argue in public. Ever. That's just tacky. Don't do that. Because public conflict equals a loss of control. And then step four, focus on the issue, not the behavior. That happens a lot. You focus on the behavior, you've got lost in the sauce. Focus on the issue, not your being disrespectful. Instead, let's focus on what happened so we can address it. And then step five, body language matters. This is where a lot of directors mess up. Don't cross arms. Cross arms say you want to fight. So don't cross your arms. Don't roll your eyes. Rolling your eyes saying, I don't have time for this shit. And don't sigh loudly, because that's gonna get you uppercutted. Because even if your words are calm, your body will snitch on you. I have been cussed out so many times, I've lost count over the years. I've been cussed out in person, I've been cussed out on the phone, I've been cussed out through emails, I've probably been cussed out through smoke signals. I've been cussed out enough. There is nothing new under the sun. I was even once cussed out by an interpreter by an interpreter of one of our deaf parents. I did though tell the interpreter that she was real petty for repeating that because I was like, you didn't have to repeat them words to me. You made a choice, and you chose that today. This is where professionalism continues, people, because after the situation, do not vent publicly about it. Don't be like, girl, let me tell you what happened when she walked up in here. Don't do that, don't gossip about it, do not make side comments. Because guess what? People will assume it's about them just letting you know that. And what I mean by that is when you say something randomly off side cuff, they're automatically going to think that you're talking about them. Don't do that. And see, when you do that, now you've created round two. Instead, what you should do is document the situation, debrief with your leadership team, with your admin, or whoever was involved, that's your staff, and then you reflect on it privately, or you go home and have a drink and talk about it with whoever lives in your house. Ask yourself, what was the real issue? Because a lot of the times what ends up happening while the person flipped out wasn't really the real issue. Really get to the bottom of what the real issue was. And then ask yourself, did you stay in control? If you did, good job. If you didn't, we'll try again tomorrow. It happens, nobody's perfect. I'm not great to sit here on this podcast and act like I have not been there. I've had a little issue once or twice in the beginning of my career, and I've learned from it, and I've grown, and I'm not telling y'all about it. And then also ask yourself, what system failed that allowed for this to happen? What was the breakdown? What was the issue that created this problem or allowed this problem to fester? Those are things you really need to ask because when someone is upset, there's usually something underneath it, whether it's fear, frustration, confusion, lack of communication, you are not just managing behavior, you are managing emotions in a system. Restraint takes more courage than reacting, it really does. Anyone can snap, anyone can match energy, but leadership is staying composed when it will be easier not to. The key is to not take it personal. It's hard to do, and I'm not gonna I'm not gonna say, I'm not gonna BS y'all. I'm really not. It is hard to do. So here's the reality: you will get tested, you will get pushed, you will have moments where someone tries to pull you out of character. It is somebody that's gonna pull you back into the old you that you have grown out of and said, I don't want to be that person anymore. But in that moment, your response becomes your reputation because your staff is watching, your families are watching, your program culture is being built in real time. And the question is simple: are you reacting or are you leading? And we'll be right back. So, are you an educator watching everyone else get promoted, watching everyone else get raises, or even get their recognition for things you've literally have been doing forever? That's why we offer educational career development coaching designed for teachers, directors, and leaders who want to move up, earn more, and actually get the credit for the work they do. We work on interviews, resumes, salary negotiation, leadership confidence, communication skills, and how to stop letting your admin gaslight you into believing you're not ready yet. You are ready, you just need the strategy. Book your session at abbreviatedlearning.com and start moving towards the title, salary, and respect you deserve. Because stumbling through work is funny, but stumbling through your career is not. Should I give this daycare a second chance? We brought our six month old daughter to daycare for the first time on Wednesday. We called at noon to check in and they said everything is good. Then when we picked her up at four, the teacher in her room said she had a really rough day, cried for hours, and didn't want to eat anything. We realized when we got home that they hadn't taken out the travel disc from the bottles, an insert that prevents the formula from leaking out while it's in the diaper bag. I know that could be an honest mistake, and I also know that it's normal for babies to not eat the first day of daycare, but we're concerned because one, the teacher didn't realize that the formula was not actually going into the nipple of the bottle and just assumed she didn't want to eat. And two, they didn't tell us she wasn't eating when we called in to check on her. In addition to this, we were concerned when we pulled up and saw a note on the door that said, due to staffing issues, we cannot accept any more kids until 9 a.m. Then the next day, we got an email saying that they had to cap students again due to staffing shortages. So I'm thinking I'd like to move her to a different daycare. But I'm not sure if it's overreacting. It just seems like they are understaffed and not reliable and not paying close attention to our children to realize why she's not eating. Oh, sorry, not playing close enough to our child to realize why she's not eating. Ooh, well, one girl, you use the word daycare like 15 times, and if you're new to the podcast, you know I hate the word daycare, but okay. So the short answer is it depends. The long answer is let's break this situation down because there are multiple things happening here, and not all not all of them mean the same thing. Let's start with the biggest emotional trigger for me. A six-month-old didn't eat all day. Now, clinically and operationally, here's the reality of that. First day in childcare, crying is normal. Not eating well is also normal. Being overwhelmed, overstimulated, refusing bottles, very normal. So if the story stopped there, I'd say give it time. But it did not stop there. This is where things shift for me because the issue isn't just you know that the baby didn't eat, it's why the baby didn't eat. They left the travel disc in the bottle, the little circle that goes right underneath the the uh nipple to stop it from leaking. That means that baby physically could not eat. And see, here's the real concern. Not that you know mistakes happen, but the concern is that no one caught it. And let me say that no one noticed that the milk wasn't flowing to the nipple of the baby. So that tells me one of two things. The staff is inexperienced or the staff is stretched too thin to observe properly. Either way, that's not a small miss. That's a basic care awareness issue. Now let's talk about the phone call. Parent calls at noon. How's everything going? The center says everything is good, but later we find out the baby has cried for hours, the baby hasn't eaten. That is not good. That's we didn't want to deal with this conversation from the director's standpoint. That's what I got. I don't feel like it, and I'm busy, and I ain't got time to go check on your child. That's what I heard. And that's the bigger issue for me than the bottle. Because now we're talking about trust. Parents don't expect perfection, but they do expect accuracy. And I think we really need to really dwell on that for a little bit. It's the accuracy of it that was missing. And now we layer in the last piece. Turning kids away at the door, capping enrollment midday and emailing about staffing shortages. Let me translate this. They are understaffed. And in childcare, understaffed means less observations, more mistakes, slower response time, higher stress environment. So now all three issues connect and they actually make sense to me because the baby wasn't observed properly, communication was not accurate, and there's staffing instability. That's not random, that's a pattern. Here's the balanced answer yes. If the center acknowledges the mistake. State clearly. I think if they explain exactly what happens and they show how they're fixing it, and if they can stabilize that staffing quickly, then I'd say yes. But then I'm gonna go with no. I'm gonna go with no if they minimize the issue and like it wasn't an issue and kind of brush it off and they take no accountability. Um their communications continuously stays vague and staffing continues to be inconsistent. Because here's the truth you're not reacting to one bad day, you're reacting to what the day revealed. Every child struggles on day one. That is normal. But what matters is did the adults recognize what was happening? Did they commute did they communicate honestly? Do they have the staffing to do the job correctly and efficiently? Because childcare isn't about perfect days, it's about consistent systems. And if the system looks unstable on day one, that's not panic, that's information. But I'm gonna move on to the next one. Okay, y'all. One of my co-teachers got in a huge fight with our director. Then our director tried to get me involved by telling me she didn't care that I was laughing at her. I wasn't, and it was very uncomfortable. And then when my co-teacher tried to leave after the argument, she blocked the door and wouldn't let my co-teacher leave. What do we do to move on? Girl, if you don't put out some applications at other jobs and ignore this whole mess, let's break this down clearly. A co-teacher and director get into a huge argument, just tacky as I'll get out. Just janky. The director tries to pull another staff member into it, so now messy. Then she makes some accusation, creates discomfort and pressure and pressure, then blocks the door to stop the co-teacher from leaving. Let's pause right there. Blocking someone from leaving? Like, that's not just unprofessional. That that's that like crosses into like serious misconduct. That's like adult napping. We're not gonna say kidnapping because you're not a kid, but that's like adult napping. Like, this is no longer like bad communication or a stressful day. This is like a loss of emotional control and like a loss of like this is just a misuse of authority. This was wild. Like I read it four times just to make sure like I wasn't crazy because I was like, there's a whole adult blocking another adult from leaving the office or the room or the building, or I don't care what room they're in. You just stopping a whole nother human from stopping. Now, what gets me is thinking about this, people would try to minimize this. They'll say, Well, everyone was just heated. No, ma'am, let's be clear about leadership standards. Directors are responsible for de-escalation, they're responsible for emotional control, maintaining safety, physical and emotional. And in this situation, the director did the opposite. She escalated the conflict, involved uninvolved staff members, and created a hostile environment, and restricted someone from movement. I can't get past that shit. That last one alone. That is a serious problem. Here's where people mess up with something like this. Like, situations do go left and get out of control. One, don't pretend it didn't happen. Because that builds resentment and distrust with whomever it happened with. Don't gossip your way through it, because now you've got multiple versions of the story and more conflict happening throughout the center. Do not pick sides publicly. As humans, we do pick sides, let's be honest, but we don't do that publicly because that just escalates the environment even further. And you don't normalize it. That is not normal. This is not just part of the job. So let's get practical. One dear person, lady, ma'am, sir, whomever, document everything. Write it down. Write what you saw, what was said, and what time it happened. Not opinions, but what happened, facts. Because you never know when you're going to need it. Obviously, you were pulled in, so you're gonna get pulled into some more mess. Do not engage in future arguments. If conflict starts again, just remove yourself out of the situation. Just go. You are not required to participate in dysfunction and chicanery. Address it through the correct channel. Depending on your structure, if that's an owner, HR, a corporate office, because this is something that you can't handle internally at like the classroom level. This is complete, you know, escalation. And protect your own professionalism. Even if leadership is out of control, which it is, you don't get to be. You stay neutral, you stay calm, you stay documented, and evaluate the environment. This is the uncomfortable truth. If this is a pattern, not a one-time incident, you need to ask, is this a safe place to work? Is this leadership stable? And is this something that you can continue long term? And I hope you love yourself enough to say no, because you cannot outprofessional a toxic environment. And I just want to say that for everyone listening. You cannot outprofessional a toxic environment. So here's my takeaways from this Tom foolishness. You don't move on from this by ignoring it, you move forward by addressing it correctly because leadership sets the tone, and when leadership loses control, the entire program feels it. Your job is not to fix the director, your job is to protect your professionalism and your environment. I will be looking for a job somewhere else and leave this shit for them. Homie blocked someone from leaving the room. Like, wild. I can't get past that. I'm gonna be still thinking about that when we come back from the break. You know that moment in your day. The one when you stop, stare into the fluorescent lights, and think, there has to be a better way than whatever nonsense way we're doing right now. The best practice series is that better way. Cause these books, they're short, they're friendly, they're written in plain English, and not that education jargon sprinkled with fairy dust language. Hand them to your team and say, Please just do it like this so I don't lose my last good nerve. We've got guides on tours, policies, communication, safety, programming, and all the daily madness nobody warns you about. And the best part, your team will get it, families will feel the difference, and you get to breathe like a normal human again. Grab your copies at abbreviatedlearning.com or just risk another week of someone asking, wait, what's that procedure again? It is time for our interview corner for today. You're interviewing someone and you ask the question, if you had to choose one, are you more of a big picture kind of person or detail-oriented person? And they respond with, I'm a visionary, I don't really do task. Don't hire them. Do not hire them. One, don't hire them because they can't follow directions and answer the question. But you know what? Some of y'all still will hire them because you hire out of desperation. Because they applied for a job where the entire job is task. Now, on the surface, this question sounds harmless. It sounds like a personality question. It's not. This question tells me how you think, how you work, and how much supervision you're going to need. So let's break it down from my side of the table. Let's start with what immediately is going to disqualify you. Because people get real creative sometimes with these questions, just like if they said, Well, honestly, I'm neither. I just kind of go with the flow. Oh, good. So now what you're telling me is that you have no structure, no planning, no consistency. You are not going with the flow. You are creating problems for everyone else. Or if they said something like, I'm both, I do everything perfectly. No, you don't. And now I don't trust you. Because people who say this usually overestimate themselves, underestimate the work, and can't actually explain how they operate. Then you have that person that actually makes a choice and says, Well, you know, I'm big picture. Details slow me down. That's why that's a wild thing to say in childcare. You're telling me that ratios are optional, medication logs just vibes, licensing compliance? We'll circle back to that. No, ma'am. Details don't slow you down. Details keep the program open. Then you have that person that says, Well, I'm detail oriented, I don't really worry about the big picture. Oh, so you can fill out forms beautifully, you can organize binders perfectly, but you have no idea why you're actually doing any of it. That's how you get a center that is technically compliant and operationally broken. Let me translate this for y'all. Because I'm not actually, like I said, asking about personality. What I'm asking is how do you function at work? Here's what I'm evaluating. Can you prioritize? Do you understand what matters most? Can you execute? Can you allow flow through, you know, on task without being chased down? Where are you going to struggle? Because everyone struggles somewhere. And I need to know are you going to miss details or are you going to get stuck in them? How much support do you need? Because if you're a big picture only, I have to manage your execution. And if you're detailed only, I have to manage your adapt adaptability. And then do you just understand the job that you applied for? Because especially in early childhood education, you need both. You need to understand the big picture, which is understanding children, families, and program goals. You need to understand details, so licensing, safety, documentation, communication. So when I ask this question, I'm testing your awareness, not your preference. Now here's the answer that makes me lean forward instead of checking out during your interview. If they say something like, if I had to choose, I'd say I lean more towards being detail oriented, especially when it comes to safety documentation and making sure expectations are met. But I also understand that the big picture matters, especially in childcare, because every decision impacts children, families, and the overall environment. So I try to use the big picture to guide my priorities and then rely on being detail-oriented to make sure things are actually carried out correctly. Let me tell you why that worked. They chose one, they followed my directions, then they justified it, they didn't just label themselves, they explained how they show up, they connected it to the job, they made it relevant to child care and not just some random generic answer. And they showed a balance. They didn't just pretend to be perfect, they showed awareness. When you answer this question, well, here's what I'm thinking. Okay, they understand structure, they know detail matters here, or like they won't ignore compliance, or they can still think beyond just task. That's what I want. Not perfection, predictability. Because in this field, I don't need someone exciting, I need someone reliable. So the takeaways from this interview, that question, big picture or detail oriented, is not casual, is not filler, it's a filter. And your answer tells me how you think, how you work, and how much of a risk you are going to be to hire. So next time you hear it, don't try to impress me. Don't try to don't just show me you understand the job. I'm a visionary and I don't really do tasks. That answer is wild and unacceptable, and don't hire them, but I bet you some of y'all will. Listen, if your center or program is currently held together by tape, caffeine, and vibes, you might need consulting, and that's where abbreviated learning comes in. We work with childcare centers, studios, and youth programs that are doing their absolute best while simultaneously drowning in staffing issues, quality, enrollment gaps, and with that one parent who emails 14 times a day. We help you streamline your systems, fix the operational chaos, train your teachers, and get the program functioning like you're not just winging it every morning at 6 a.m. Whether you need policies, tours, staff development, or someone to just look at your program and say, okay, here's how we unjanky this. We're here for you. Visit abbreviatedlearning.com to book consulting for your center or program because stumbling through work is funny on the podcast, but not in real life. It is policy time, and remember, something became a policy because someone done messed the shit up for all of us. Today's policy reference checks. Here's what the handbook says All references requests go to the director or HR. No one else is allowed to respond, and when the company does respond, they only confirm the dates of employment and their last job title. That's it. No opinions, no stories, no, well, between us, and I know what you're thinking. That feels cold, but good. It's supposed to be. Cause let's break this down. Because this policy didn't come out of nowhere. At some point, somewhere, a supervisor got a call and said, Oh yeah, Brenda, she was terrible. Always late, attitude problem. I would not rehire her. And guess what happened next? Brenda didn't get the job. And then Brenda found out, and then Brenda said, Oh, you cost me employment, and now lawsuits are aflowing because here's the issue. When you give a reference, you are not just sharing your opinion, you are representing the company. And if what you say is inaccurate, biased, emotional, or even just poorly worded, you can be accused of defamation, interfering with employment, retaliation, and now your casual phone call has become a legal problem. Alright, let's talk about Brenda. Because you know, Brenda is always involved. If you're new to the podcast and you've never heard of Brenda, buckle up. So Brenda used to work at your center. And listen, Brenda was a lot. Brenda was carrying. You know, Brenda was late every other day. She called out consistently. She argued with co-workers. She once told a parent, you know what? And that's not my problem. So when Brenda leaves, you're like, Whew, good luck to your next place. Fast forward a few weeks later, you're in your office, the phone rings, and it's another center. And they say, Hi, we're calling for a reference for Brenda. And you trying to be helpful. Yeah, I'll be honest, she struggled. Attendance issues, professionalism concerns. Oh, you just go on. Now you just carrying. And then you hang up. You feel responsible. You feel helpful. You feel like you just protected another center. Now let's fast forward again. Brenda doesn't get hired. Brenda calls that center and asks why she didn't get hired. And then they say, We heard concerning things from your last employer. Yes, they didn't put you on blast. So now Brenda is sitting there like, Oh, really? Now she said, I got the heat and smoke for y'all. And here's where it goes left. Brenda requests her file. Brenda starts documenting things and going through the documents, and then Brenda starts to file a complaint with whomever. And suddenly now you're being asked, Did you provide a negative employment reference? And now you're explaining, Well, I was just being honest. People, let's be clear. This policy is not about being nice, it's about reducing liability. Because the company cannot control your tone, your wording, they can't control your bias or your memory, they can't control your emotions about the about employees. So instead of risking all of that, there's a blanket statement where they standardize it. Dates, title, done. No interpretation, no opinion, no risk. And here's where directors mess up. They think, but I have a responsibility to warn people. No, you don't. You have a responsibility to follow policy. Because once you step outside of that, you are no longer protected. And here's the reality: the next center, they have their own hiring process. They have interviews, they have observations, they have probation periods. You are not the gatekeeper of the field. That little handbook policy, it exists because someone before you said too much and it cost the company something. Your job is not to fix Brenda's next job. Your job is not to warn the industry or to share your personal experience. Your job is to protect the organization, follow the policy, stay in your lane because in leadership, restraint isn't just about conflict, it's about what you don't say. That's the work, that's the standard, and that's the stumble. Well, that's all that I have for you guys on this episode. This week I want you all to not block doors and stop allowing people to leave the room. I told y'all I was not gonna move past it, and I have not moved past it since the break. That was wild. Don't be that person. And then other than that, have a great week and talk to y'all soon. Bye. Alright, that's another episode of Stumbling Through Work where educators figure shit out. If today made you laugh, think, or just say, Wow, that's my life, go ahead and subscribe and leave a review. Or share this with another educator who's one licensing violation away from quitting. I'm Jared Huff. See you next time, probably stumbling, but still showing up.