A person really has no idea what is going on in the lives of others.
In the daycare world, I see my families for those moments when they drop off and pick up their children. Sometimes it is only a brief encounter. Other times it is a more relaxed pace and the parents and I talk at length. Depending on the relationship I have with the parent, I may have very little insight as to what is going on in the families I work with.
There have been a few times (that I've been made aware of) that the parents have been going through relationship troubles. And the moment the confidence is shared with me, it seems to immediately explain some recent issue that has come up.
Kids are such sensitive little souls. They pick up our happiness, our stress, nervousness and the ease in which we live.
Even when a person feels like they are doing everything in their power to protect their children, I think they feel what we are feeling. Even if there are no words exchanged.
I know private issues are private. But it makes such a difference in knowing what I am dealing with sometimes, when I'm taking care of someone else's child ...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Unexpected Schedule in the Childcare World
I have come to expect the unexpected in my world. The comings and goings ... the new arrivals and those that leave ... the many changes in the schedules in my families ... sick kids, kids in recovery from one thing or another ... the 'real life' happenings in and around my families ... job changes/life transitions ....
It is endless. But the only thing one can count on (in the daycare world) is that nothing remains constant.
The one thing that I think we can all control to a greater extent is vacation time. I take the same weeks off in the summer each year and take time off between Christmas and New Years. I have the dates written in my daycare policies that I give to new families and I write them on my white board, newsletters and our daycare blog about 6 months in advance. I know that in most cases, people do have to book their holidays well in advance. So my request as far as parents taking holidays goes is to "please give me as much notice as you have; 2 weeks notice is required."
95% of the families give me lots of notice, others I have to quiz because they don't think to tell me what is going on. Then there are the repeat offenders. People that continue to forget to tell me until the last minute. Of course these would be people that pay me by the day, so this surprise notice really messes up my budgeting. Especially in the summer when I'm working on about 1/2 of my normal wages.
To me, this equates to your boss coming up and telling you that you must take the next 2 weeks off. With no notice, no pay and no apology. It is simply a non negotiable fact.
It just happened again. The timing couldn't have been worse because my budget is stretched beyond the max. This unexpected change means I simply don't have enough money to pay all of my bills this month.
The one thing I wish for is to be given the same consideration that people expect themselves. I don't really think that is too much to ask for.
It is endless. But the only thing one can count on (in the daycare world) is that nothing remains constant.
The one thing that I think we can all control to a greater extent is vacation time. I take the same weeks off in the summer each year and take time off between Christmas and New Years. I have the dates written in my daycare policies that I give to new families and I write them on my white board, newsletters and our daycare blog about 6 months in advance. I know that in most cases, people do have to book their holidays well in advance. So my request as far as parents taking holidays goes is to "please give me as much notice as you have; 2 weeks notice is required."
95% of the families give me lots of notice, others I have to quiz because they don't think to tell me what is going on. Then there are the repeat offenders. People that continue to forget to tell me until the last minute. Of course these would be people that pay me by the day, so this surprise notice really messes up my budgeting. Especially in the summer when I'm working on about 1/2 of my normal wages.
To me, this equates to your boss coming up and telling you that you must take the next 2 weeks off. With no notice, no pay and no apology. It is simply a non negotiable fact.
It just happened again. The timing couldn't have been worse because my budget is stretched beyond the max. This unexpected change means I simply don't have enough money to pay all of my bills this month.
The one thing I wish for is to be given the same consideration that people expect themselves. I don't really think that is too much to ask for.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Transition Week - From Holidays to Kids in 60 Seconds
As I have been easing back into my life with children after 2 weeks of quiet self indulgence, I've rediscovered the one part of this job that is hardest for me. Noise.
Where there are kids, there is noise. Happy chatter, clatter of legos, rummaging through toys, movies, computer, screeching, tattling, running .... noise.
A person does become acclimatized to it when you are in it all of the time. As long as the noise is of a positive nature it becomes a backdrop to the day.
There are certain sounds that grate badly on my nerves. Screaming is one. There is no need to scream unless your life is in danger (or close to it). Voluntary screaming as part of a game drives me a little bit crazy (and I would think my neighbors would agree). Tattling is another. There are some things that I really need to know. If someone is doing something that puts themselves or someone else in jeopardy, I want to know this. But the tattling that is simply to get someone else in trouble or to tell on someone else to make themselves look better or the one who instigated a fight comes and tattles on another when all the second party did was retaliate ... I don't want to hear this. The dumping of a complete box of toys is yet another sound that grates on my nerves. The person who takes 10 seconds to dump a box of toys is usually the same person who will spend half an hour to pick it up.
Then there are the sounds I enjoy. When I hear kids talking amongst themselves as they are immersed in play, it is music to my ears. No silliness or vying for the spotlight by being the goofiest one. Just chatter. Happy talk. I love the 'table talk' at lunch when they start talking about things that matter to them. Things about themselves and their lives. No silliness or inane chatter just for the sake of making noise.
My first day back from holidays was really good. Everyone was happy to see each other and the chatter and play was all upbeat and fun.
The second day back, I had an overtired child start the day by pulling a pouting routine as she was dropped off. Then it only got better from there. The bickering, the pettiness, the sulking took root and that felt like the theme of the day. I packed them all up and took them to the park as an act of self preservation. But 2 of them couldn't even share the same sidewalk without arguing. The chatter at the lunch table was utter silliness and once they get started on that vein, they don't know how to stop it. Quiet time was not quiet, because my son had a friend over and they were playing, up and down the stairs and playing in areas that interupted the sleep of a napping child. Of course this would be the day that the last child of the day was picked up late. Not that he was any trouble. But I simply wanted to cocoon myself in the quiet of my after-kids-life. I wanted the day to end so badly I could have cried.
Yesterday was the third day after my holidays. Kids were back on better footing. Less bickering and silliness. Quiet time was quiet. Most were gone early and my son got an interesting game going with the water guns with the last that was left here. They played together happily and I got to make supper and put it in the oven so we were ready to eat when we were alone again at last.
Complete and utter exhaustion claimed my body this week. This morning I woke up before my alarm for the first time all week. I can actually place one foot in front of the other and move forward without it literally taking all that I have to take that step. Is it because it's Friday? Is it because I'm getting back into the routine of my life? Is it because I actually have plans tonight? Or is it because I had red meat for supper last night? Could I simply be low in iron??
Whether the condition is physical, emotional or a combination of the two, a person who tends to kids all day every day really needs to feel at their best in able to do the job we have set out before us each day.
Where there are kids, there is noise. Happy chatter, clatter of legos, rummaging through toys, movies, computer, screeching, tattling, running .... noise.
A person does become acclimatized to it when you are in it all of the time. As long as the noise is of a positive nature it becomes a backdrop to the day.
There are certain sounds that grate badly on my nerves. Screaming is one. There is no need to scream unless your life is in danger (or close to it). Voluntary screaming as part of a game drives me a little bit crazy (and I would think my neighbors would agree). Tattling is another. There are some things that I really need to know. If someone is doing something that puts themselves or someone else in jeopardy, I want to know this. But the tattling that is simply to get someone else in trouble or to tell on someone else to make themselves look better or the one who instigated a fight comes and tattles on another when all the second party did was retaliate ... I don't want to hear this. The dumping of a complete box of toys is yet another sound that grates on my nerves. The person who takes 10 seconds to dump a box of toys is usually the same person who will spend half an hour to pick it up.
Then there are the sounds I enjoy. When I hear kids talking amongst themselves as they are immersed in play, it is music to my ears. No silliness or vying for the spotlight by being the goofiest one. Just chatter. Happy talk. I love the 'table talk' at lunch when they start talking about things that matter to them. Things about themselves and their lives. No silliness or inane chatter just for the sake of making noise.
My first day back from holidays was really good. Everyone was happy to see each other and the chatter and play was all upbeat and fun.
The second day back, I had an overtired child start the day by pulling a pouting routine as she was dropped off. Then it only got better from there. The bickering, the pettiness, the sulking took root and that felt like the theme of the day. I packed them all up and took them to the park as an act of self preservation. But 2 of them couldn't even share the same sidewalk without arguing. The chatter at the lunch table was utter silliness and once they get started on that vein, they don't know how to stop it. Quiet time was not quiet, because my son had a friend over and they were playing, up and down the stairs and playing in areas that interupted the sleep of a napping child. Of course this would be the day that the last child of the day was picked up late. Not that he was any trouble. But I simply wanted to cocoon myself in the quiet of my after-kids-life. I wanted the day to end so badly I could have cried.
Yesterday was the third day after my holidays. Kids were back on better footing. Less bickering and silliness. Quiet time was quiet. Most were gone early and my son got an interesting game going with the water guns with the last that was left here. They played together happily and I got to make supper and put it in the oven so we were ready to eat when we were alone again at last.
Complete and utter exhaustion claimed my body this week. This morning I woke up before my alarm for the first time all week. I can actually place one foot in front of the other and move forward without it literally taking all that I have to take that step. Is it because it's Friday? Is it because I'm getting back into the routine of my life? Is it because I actually have plans tonight? Or is it because I had red meat for supper last night? Could I simply be low in iron??
Whether the condition is physical, emotional or a combination of the two, a person who tends to kids all day every day really needs to feel at their best in able to do the job we have set out before us each day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)