10 qualities you need to work in a daycare (2024)

If you want to get work in a daycare you’ll need to show the child care coordinator that you are capable of ensuring the health and safety of the children under your care. It will help if you’ve got a certificate in early childhood education, but you still need to have these essential qualities:

1. You love caring for children. For you, children are people who deserve care and respect, no matter their background or behaviour.
2. You have a lot of patience. Children are sometimes turbulent, and at daycare, some days are harder than others. You are able to handle all sorts of attitudes and behaviours without losing your cool, and you never get bent out of shape over those infamous “no” and “why?” phases.
3. You are responsible and well-organized. You can stay on top of all the details of daily care and keep the children’s environment healthy, safe and educational. You can respond to the needs of several children at once, which means you can multitask without batting an eye. You can organize a variety of activities and resolve problems quickly.
4. You are creative and imaginative. You know how to capture the imagination of children and develop new activities that stimulate and entertain while they inform and educate.
5. You have excellent listening and communication skills. You understand how to listen to children in order to hear what’s behind their behaviour. You can give clear directions and offer a sympathetic ear. You also know how to listen to parents about their concerns without getting defensive.
6. You have well-developed emotional literacy. The children under your care trust you to be fair and kind, even when their behaviour may be prickly. You can deal with challenging behaviours and attitudes, including aggression, cultural prejudice and challenges to your authority.
7. You are open-minded. Working in a daycare involves meeting people with different cultural practices and social values than your own. You can appreciate these differences and interact with children and parents regardless of their backgrounds. You are fair and just, even if you feel less affinity for some people than others.
8. You have a sense of humour. You have the ability to diffuse tense situations with laughter, and you have a playful attitude with the children whenever it’s appropriate.
9. You are dynamic. You know that children rarely stay still for long, and so you're ready and willing to move and run with them. You can also react quickly and with strong leadership in an emergency.
10. You are self-confident. You know that sometimes a situation calls for a decision, and you aren’t afraid to make one. You aren’t shy about leading and interacting with children even in the presence of colleagues, employers and parents.

One last quality you ought to develop is the ability to receive constructive criticism and questions. That’s because when you work in a daycare, you will always be required to reflect on your teaching methods and adapt them as needed.