Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Ann McGrath of Royal Oak

Ann McGrath shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Ann, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
I think childcare in general, has a lot of misconceptions especially for early childhood. I run a home preschool which also falls under the umbrella of daycare. Most of the misconceptions I personally have come across are people that think we “just play with kids all day”. Don’t get me wrong, I would love if we could just play with kids all day, but there is so much more to it. I don’t think many realize just how much goes on behind the scenes, especially now that I am not just a teacher but so many other roles. My work day starts an hour before I open in the morning and an hour after I close, plus many weekends. Early education teachers are already teachers, nurses, referees, cheerleaders, lesson planners, comforters, problem solvers and so much more! Now running a home preschool, I am all of that plus accountant, director, cook, cleaner, advertiser, curriculum planner, handyman, public relations, and social media person. I absolutely love what I do and am truly living my dream but there is a lot of responsibility with no lunch breaks lol

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, my name is Ann McGrath. I run a small home preschool is Royal Oak, MI. It has always been my dream to open my own program and that dream became a reality April 18, 2022! I care for up to 7 children per day and have truly had the best families help me make this dream everything it could be! I was new to Michigan when I opened my preschool and was so worried it would be hard to find clients to trust someone whose references and experiences were all in California. I couldn’t have asked for a better turnout in interest and the ability to find the absolute best families. Almost all of my current families have either been here from the beginning or were recommended from current families. I am truly so grateful for this life.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I was raised to always work hard and to do more for others than you do for yourself. I am grateful for the strong foundation my family gave me to always try my best, have resilience, honesty and pursuing goals. But something I needed to learn when starting my own business, was that I cannot always do more for others. I need to also look out for my own interest because no one would do it for me. At first, it felt very unnatural and a little selfish to be honest but like every new skill it takes a little practice. One way I have done this, is taking vacation days to reset and turn off my brain for a few days. I have also closed on Fridays which I went back and forth on for longer than Id like to admit. I felt so guilty and felt like I was asking too much, but it has made a huge improvement in my work/life balance. I am now able to end my work days at 5:30/6PM instead of 8PM because I can now do all the administrative work on Fridays instead of after work.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
To be kinder to myself. To learn that it is ok to make mistakes and I don’t have to be perfect. The fear of failing held me back from trying a lot of things and taking risks. So, I would tell myself that I am proud of who I am and all I’ve accomplished. Stop listening to other people’s opinion and worry about how you feel about you.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Child development has many different theorists and methodologies. In this field, many strongly believe that a specific one is the only correct way and everyone should follow it. Personally, I believe that there is value in all of the different theories/ methodologies and each teacher/ provider should create a system that works best for them. What I do is not necessarily what anyone else does but I respect and truly believe each teacher knows what works best for them and their students. I hope new providers feel confident to not just parrot what they have seen when gaining experience but try out and truly find what works for them specifically.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
That I was kind, thoughtful and truly made a difference in their children’s lives. I am lucky enough to get to care for these kids each day and hope they always remember how much I love them, and how proud I am of them! I get to see and foster their joy of learning and exploration. I keep every thank you note and hand drawn picture I am given. I remember all of my students from over the years and hope I have made an impact even if its small in all of these kids lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://msannspreschool.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msannspreschool.royaloak/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/MsAnnspreschool-AndChildcare/100078238651567/
• Other: Email: [email protected]