"I Want a New Babysitter"

This was how my week ended. When the mom of one of my long-time 'regulars' picked up her son at the end of the day, he told her that he wanted to get a new babysitter.

These weren't his words. He is a parrot of the most dominant person that he has last been in contact with. Yesterday, it was a 7 year old girl that only comes on school holidays. A little girl that has an older cousin (that I took care of for a while one summer), and I could hear the cousin's words come out in this 7 year old back then ... and I heard them again yesterday.

Thankfully, the mom's reply to her son was, "You are not getting a new babysitter - we need Colleen too much!" This mom and I have a good rapport and we understand each other on many levels. I know that we aren't in 100% agreement on everything, but on the things that are important ... we concur.

I run a very tight ship around here. My expectations never change. The kids know the many phrases that I repeat to 'keep order' and I hear my words coming out of their mouths on many occasions. The true test of how your words sound, are when they come out of the mouths of children. And when I hear my many refrains repeated in the kids, I don't cringe.

Yes, I have a lot of rules and expectations of the kids. But when I listen and watch the kids at play, I see the rewards that we are all reaping. There isn't a lot of screaming, crying, fighting or over the top behaviour. I've had parents comment on how impressed they are, when they come to pick up their kids. Everyone isn't running wild and they all get along so well. Yes, I am strict. Yes, I have rules. Yes, if I was a kid I think that I would think that I am a big meanie. But ... in the long run, I believe they are being taught appropriate behaviours and manners and that you don't have to be screaming to have fun.

I have had very few injuries worthy of mentioning to a parent in my 10 years of providing child care. I believe in 'playing safe'. In kid language, that probably equates to me being overly strict. Accidents will happen but I would prefer that they not happen on my watch. So yes, I am pretty firm with the kids.

Now back to yesterday ...

I had a new child come for 3 hours. A child of a mom that runs a licensed daycare from her home. Immediately I was feeling unreasonably worked up about this scenario. What are the expectations of care when you are tending the child of some one who tends children for a living? What am I doing, accepting another child that will come Mondays and Fridays ... casually and sporadically? I have recognized that this situation is one that creates a lot of grief for me.

But ... everyone has a story. This mom has been in the hospital for over a month on complete bed rest, on orders from her doctor (due to complications with her pregnancy with twins). The dad and grandparents have been taking care of this little boy and they just need someone to take him occasionally, so that they have some time to get their jobs done. So ... how could I say no, when I have 2 days of my week that are predictably quieter than the rest?

Add this to an over-tired me, work that feels like it is piling up and the end of a 9 day marathon of doing/going/thinking/working/ running that has taxed my resources to the max. Do you know what? If I was a child that attended my daycare the last few days ... I think I would want a new babysitter too.

It is time to take a day for myself and recharge my batteries. I need to take care of 'me' before I can do justice to my job of taking care of others.

Out of the mouths of babes ... whether it is them parroting words they hear from me or words they hear from another child that comes here ... they speak the truth.

When children speak ... listen.