Hello hello, my fabulous educators.

I almost quit. As someone who encourages educators to keep going, that feels strange to say out loud. But if I'm going to tell you to keep going, I owe you the honest story of what almost made me stop.

It wasn't one moment. It was everything at once: my PhD, my aging parents, home, finances, work across multiple institutions, and the weight of what is happening in education right now. One night I asked a question I never thought I would ask: was choosing education a mistake?

In this Real Talk episode:

• What was really happening when quitting felt like the answer
• When the doubt gets loud
• What made me stay, and the sticky note on my mirror
• Why I need you to sit in it and not rush to the end
• Thriving, not just surviving
• What made me come back

If you are in it right now, you are not alone. Your contribution to education is not measured by how much you can endure without support.

Tell me your almost quit moment. DM me @ispyrtoeducate on Instagram. I read every one.

Connect with me: @ispyrtoeducate on Instagram, or info@ispyrtoeducate.com

The Inspiring ECE Podcast by Ispyr to Educate, hosted by Marcia Nicole.

Is child care worth it? It is a question I hear from parents, from educators, from owners and supervisors, and honestly, sometimes from myself. Ontario just extended its child care agreement for four more years, so it felt like the right time to have this conversation.

In this episode, I share what I looked for as a mom and an RECE when I chose child care for my youngest, what fees and waitlists really look like right now, and why the quality of child care always comes back to the quality of the educators. I also speak to the educators who love this work but are wondering if they can afford to stay, and to the owners, supervisors and dreamers who want to open their own centres.

In this episode: (0:42) Is child care worth it? (1:21) When I was the parent looking (3:27) Parents, let's talk about the money (5:03) Families who keep their children at home (5:57) What makes care worth it: the educators (7:44) Educators: can I afford to stay? (9:45) Owners, supervisors and dreamers (10:50) So, is it worth it?

Is it worth it for you? Send me a DM @ispyrtoeducate with the words "worth it" and share your story. I read every one. 💜

Resources: Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (sign up for their newsletter): https://www.aeceo.ca Care Counts Rally, Thursday, October 29, 12 PM, Queen's Park South Lawn (RSVP): https://events.aeceo.ca/2026_rally Questions for candidates in the 2026 municipal elections (OCBCC): https://childcareontario.org/questions-for-candidates-in-the-2026-municipal-elections/ Find an EarlyON child and family centre: https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-earlyon-child-and-family-centre Ontario child care and early years funding guidelines: https://www.ontario.ca/page/child-care-and-early-years-funding-guidelines

Sources mentioned in this episode: Canada and Ontario's four year child care agreement extension (Government of Canada): https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2026/09/canada-and-ontario-agree-to-four-year-extension-of-canadaontario-canada-wide-early-learning-and-child-care-agreement.html Child care arrangements in Canada, 2025 (Statistics Canada): https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/251021/dq251021c-eng.htm AECEO and OCBCC response to the extension: https://childcareontario.org/advocates-slam-agreement/ Long term impacts of universal child care (Baker, Gruber and Milligan study): https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20170603 Educator qualifications and the quality of early learning (research review): https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654319837540 The economic returns of affordable child care in Canada (Centre for the Study of Living Standards): https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/CSLS_Childcare_June_2026_Final_v3.pdf

Listen and connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IspyrEducate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ispyrtoeducate/ Website: https://ispyrtoeducate.com/home Email: info@ispyrtoeducate.com

Hello, my friends. I'm back, and it feels so good to say that.

In this Season 4 opener, I share why The Inspiring ECE Podcast went quiet. Life kept happening: family responsibilities, job insecurity, a business to run, a PhD, teenagers stepping toward their futures, and aging parents who need more of me. We decided to move, and we've faced financial hardship, like so many of you. I needed to pause, and this episode is about what that pause gave me and why I chose to come back.

In this episode: - Where I've been and why I paused - The moment I stopped saying "I'm fine" - Deciding what deserves your capacity right now - What I missed most, and why I'm back - Why sometimes the best next step is simply to start

If you've had to step back from something you love, or you're wondering how to begin again, this one is for you.

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IspyrEducate

Connect with me Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ispyrtoeducate

Website: https://ispyrtoeducate.com/home

Email: info@ispyrtoeducate.com

If this episode spoke to you, share it with an educator who needs it and follow the show so you don't miss what's next.