Well it's official. On Wednesday, September 26, 2007, I quit my job at Kiddieland. I won't go into all the gory details but it was NOT a happy ending. Maybe someday I'll tell the whole story but for now I really don't want to even think about it, let alone write about it. The question now is: what happens to this blog?
I'm not sure, is the short answer. I hardly had any readers here anyway, so I'm tempted to just close DCD down. On the other hand, if I get a job at another day care center it might be fun to keep a day care blog going, maybe in a different form, though. And I've thought about making a blog just about my views on children, parenting, and families without any connection to my work. In fact, DCD was becoming something like that, with several of my posts being about children and/or parenting in general, and not about day care.
I think I'll keep this blog up for now. I probably won't be posting on it again until I land another job. If that job's not in the day care field then DCD will almost certainly become a general children/parenting blog. If my next job is in day care, then DCD will continue as is...or maybe not. I just don't know. I really don't know.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Sleepy Baby Aaron
This goes on a bit too long but it's still adorable. I've never understood why babies fight sleep so hard. Good thing baby Aaron had big brother for a pillow, or he might have never given up the ghost!
Monday, September 03, 2007
A Family of Five
It sounds unbelievable but it's true: I've got five babies now! Since Texas law allows only four babies to one caregiver I now have an assisstant; her name is Lena. And you know what? I was her caregiver when she was a little girl. Lena attended the after-school program I worked for back in the '90's. Now she's grown and has a daughter of her own--and works with me at Kiddieland. What a small world!
I really like my two new babies, Tina MayLee, 3 months and Kaytrin Faye, 7 weeks. They're the youngest babies in our little "family", which now consists of two girls and three boys. Arnie is now the oldest, a fact that I'm still getting used to, and so is he. :0) Anyway, back to the girls. Tina and Kaytrin are very precious girls. They're both so small compared to my boys; when I pick them up it's like picking up air. It's been a few months since I've had babies this young. It's a nice change of pace. I was worried that the girls would upset the boys' nap routine but they fit right in. T and K actually require less intense care than my boys, two of whom are mobile and constantly getting into everything. And they're soooo cute!
Tina reminds me of Maya, my favorite baby in my first class, when she was Tina's age. In fact, when I saw Tina I instantly fell in love with her because she looks so much like Maya. She has the same chubby cheeks, straight hair, and pretty round head that Maya had. Now that I've been with Tina for a couple of weeks I'm starting to love her for herself, but she's got a special place in my heart because of her resemblance to my beloved Maya. Kaytrin is a different story.
Kaytrin Faye is cute but she also has a...unique look. When I first saw her she reminded me of the elves in the christmas cartoon "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". Now I think those elves are cute but when I called Kaytrin my little christmas elf in front of her Dad, he wasn't too happy. He would've really been upset if I called Kaytrin the other cartoon character she looks like, Arnold the football head boy. I know, it's a stretch from christmas elves to Arnold, but they aren't the only fictional person Kaytrin resembles. She also looks a little like Gollum in the "The Lord of the Rings" movies, but a cute Gollum. Really. Ok, don't believe me, but it's true. A cute Gollum.
That's about all I have to say about my new babies for now. They're both so young that they don't do much but eat, sleep and poop, oh, and Kaytrin pukes BIG TIME. But I'm glad they've joined the fold. Welcome to the family, Tina and Kaytrin! I love you!
I really like my two new babies, Tina MayLee, 3 months and Kaytrin Faye, 7 weeks. They're the youngest babies in our little "family", which now consists of two girls and three boys. Arnie is now the oldest, a fact that I'm still getting used to, and so is he. :0) Anyway, back to the girls. Tina and Kaytrin are very precious girls. They're both so small compared to my boys; when I pick them up it's like picking up air. It's been a few months since I've had babies this young. It's a nice change of pace. I was worried that the girls would upset the boys' nap routine but they fit right in. T and K actually require less intense care than my boys, two of whom are mobile and constantly getting into everything. And they're soooo cute!
Tina reminds me of Maya, my favorite baby in my first class, when she was Tina's age. In fact, when I saw Tina I instantly fell in love with her because she looks so much like Maya. She has the same chubby cheeks, straight hair, and pretty round head that Maya had. Now that I've been with Tina for a couple of weeks I'm starting to love her for herself, but she's got a special place in my heart because of her resemblance to my beloved Maya. Kaytrin is a different story.
Kaytrin Faye is cute but she also has a...unique look. When I first saw her she reminded me of the elves in the christmas cartoon "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". Now I think those elves are cute but when I called Kaytrin my little christmas elf in front of her Dad, he wasn't too happy. He would've really been upset if I called Kaytrin the other cartoon character she looks like, Arnold the football head boy. I know, it's a stretch from christmas elves to Arnold, but they aren't the only fictional person Kaytrin resembles. She also looks a little like Gollum in the "The Lord of the Rings" movies, but a cute Gollum. Really. Ok, don't believe me, but it's true. A cute Gollum.
That's about all I have to say about my new babies for now. They're both so young that they don't do much but eat, sleep and poop, oh, and Kaytrin pukes BIG TIME. But I'm glad they've joined the fold. Welcome to the family, Tina and Kaytrin! I love you!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Three Cheers for Walgreens Diapers!
In the 10 plus years I've worked in day care I've bought many supplies for my kids. When I've been in the infants' class I've bought baby food, blankets, clothes, baby powder, corn starch, baby wipes and, of course, diapers.
I like to keep at least one package of diapers in my class to serve as a back up in case one of the babies runs out. I always buy store brand diapers. Dollar General (DG) and Family Dollar (FD) were the usual stores I purchased diapers from but, about three weeks ago, I just happened to buy some Walgreens diapers. I was in the store and suddenly realized that I wouldn't have time to stop by GD or FD for diapers and make it back to work on time. So I decided to buy the diapers at Walgreens. I'm so glad I did!
Of all the different store brand diapers I've bought Walgreens' are the best. They look and feel like the expensive name brand diapers. And they don't run big, which is good because they fit Arnie just right. Arnie is whom I was buying the diapers for. He's under weight and the other store brands tended to run big and didn't fit Arnie snugly. In fact, the size 3 diapers from DG and FD were so big that they comfortably fit Jessa who's 3 months older than Arnie! But Walgreens' diapers treat Arnie just right.
The price for Walgreens diapers is a little higher than other store brands, but lower than the name brands. And you get the same quality. So I say, "Three cheers for Walgreens' diapers! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!"
I like to keep at least one package of diapers in my class to serve as a back up in case one of the babies runs out. I always buy store brand diapers. Dollar General (DG) and Family Dollar (FD) were the usual stores I purchased diapers from but, about three weeks ago, I just happened to buy some Walgreens diapers. I was in the store and suddenly realized that I wouldn't have time to stop by GD or FD for diapers and make it back to work on time. So I decided to buy the diapers at Walgreens. I'm so glad I did!
Of all the different store brand diapers I've bought Walgreens' are the best. They look and feel like the expensive name brand diapers. And they don't run big, which is good because they fit Arnie just right. Arnie is whom I was buying the diapers for. He's under weight and the other store brands tended to run big and didn't fit Arnie snugly. In fact, the size 3 diapers from DG and FD were so big that they comfortably fit Jessa who's 3 months older than Arnie! But Walgreens' diapers treat Arnie just right.
The price for Walgreens diapers is a little higher than other store brands, but lower than the name brands. And you get the same quality. So I say, "Three cheers for Walgreens' diapers! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!"
Friday, July 27, 2007
Do I Really Belong In This Job?
Well, this is the second Friday since I returned to work from vacation. I was going to post last week about how being back at work was going, but I'm kind of glad I waited until today. I think I have a better perspective on my job now than when I first went back.
I'm really starting to wonder if I belong in day care. I need a new job for financial reasons but I also feel that I need a new one for deeper reasons. I'm not fulfilled in day care. Don't get me wrong. I love my babies dearly, and the thought of being away from them and having someone else caring for them really hurts. Too, their parents trust me with their most prized possessions and I feel that if I quit I'll be letting them down. But everyday the feeling that I'm wasting my life grows more and more intense.
There're a couple of causes of this feeling. First, I don't get any respect on the job. My co-workers and my boss think that my class is easy because the babies are so cute. None of them appreciates how hard my class really is and nobody does anything I ask them to do when they're in my room. When I went on vacation I specifically asked that the babies not be rocked to sleep or spoiled in any way. Guess what? When I returned to work the babies had been rocked to sleep and spoiled. And I wasn't supposed to notice. That's how dumb they think I am. Either that or they think that since the infants' class isn't a real class it doesn't matter if what I request gets done or not. And there's more.
I constantly get stuck with the phone when my boss is out of the office. That's right; I'm expected to play secretary while trying to care for four demanding infants. When I complained I was told that the phone was left with me because my room was, get this, the quietest room in the building! Another time I complained I was told, "How hard can it be?" That let me know how little my boss understood about just what goes on in my class. It was another dose of we-don't-have-to-take-you-seriously-because-you're-just-the-infant-teacher syndrome. I'm sick of that! I may be "just" the infants' teacher but I work hard. I'd like to see my boss take two of my babies into her office for two or three hours and care for them while doing all of her office duties. Of course, that won't happen.
Another reason I think I'm wasting my live in day care is that there's no intellectual challenge in it. I get great emotional highs caring for my babies, but there're no intellectual highs to match them. I didn't realize I was missing that until I was talking with my friend about my job and she said she wished I was using my brain power at work. It was like a light bulb went on over my head. That's when I realized what I was missing at work.
Taking care of four babies is physically challenging and emotionally rewarding but it requires no mental effort at all. Keeping little babies clean, dry, fed, and entertained isn't rocket science, as the saying goes. At the end of the day I feel like I've accomplished nothing. That's a miserable feeling. And no amount of hugs, smiles, laughs, and funny faces from the babies compensates for that. I don't know what to do. There's no way for me to get intellectual gratification at work. Getting puked on and wiping snotty noses just don't get the mental juices flowing.
So I'm at a crossroads. I want and need to change jobs/careers for a few important reasons, but my love for the babies--and their parents--is holding me back. I can't stand the thought of "my" parents or the babies feeling abandoned if I leave, but I need to have my own life. That's another thing I realized about my job; it's an obstacle to me having a life of my own. By caring for their children I'm giving up my own life so "my" parents can live theirs. That seems so unfair. But I got myself into this situation and it's up to me to get myself out.
So I guess the answer to the title questions is no, I don't belong in this job. I don't know what job I do belong in or when I'll find it, but day care is not it. Admitting that makes me sad. I hate the thought of not seeing my babies everyday; I love watching them grow, reach their milestones, and learn new skills. I don't know how I'll cope with not having cute, chubby faces to snap pictures of all the time. But I'll learn because the pay off will be having my life again. And that'll be a wonderful pay off indeed.
I'm really starting to wonder if I belong in day care. I need a new job for financial reasons but I also feel that I need a new one for deeper reasons. I'm not fulfilled in day care. Don't get me wrong. I love my babies dearly, and the thought of being away from them and having someone else caring for them really hurts. Too, their parents trust me with their most prized possessions and I feel that if I quit I'll be letting them down. But everyday the feeling that I'm wasting my life grows more and more intense.
There're a couple of causes of this feeling. First, I don't get any respect on the job. My co-workers and my boss think that my class is easy because the babies are so cute. None of them appreciates how hard my class really is and nobody does anything I ask them to do when they're in my room. When I went on vacation I specifically asked that the babies not be rocked to sleep or spoiled in any way. Guess what? When I returned to work the babies had been rocked to sleep and spoiled. And I wasn't supposed to notice. That's how dumb they think I am. Either that or they think that since the infants' class isn't a real class it doesn't matter if what I request gets done or not. And there's more.
I constantly get stuck with the phone when my boss is out of the office. That's right; I'm expected to play secretary while trying to care for four demanding infants. When I complained I was told that the phone was left with me because my room was, get this, the quietest room in the building! Another time I complained I was told, "How hard can it be?" That let me know how little my boss understood about just what goes on in my class. It was another dose of we-don't-have-to-take-you-seriously-because-you're-just-the-infant-teacher syndrome. I'm sick of that! I may be "just" the infants' teacher but I work hard. I'd like to see my boss take two of my babies into her office for two or three hours and care for them while doing all of her office duties. Of course, that won't happen.
Another reason I think I'm wasting my live in day care is that there's no intellectual challenge in it. I get great emotional highs caring for my babies, but there're no intellectual highs to match them. I didn't realize I was missing that until I was talking with my friend about my job and she said she wished I was using my brain power at work. It was like a light bulb went on over my head. That's when I realized what I was missing at work.
Taking care of four babies is physically challenging and emotionally rewarding but it requires no mental effort at all. Keeping little babies clean, dry, fed, and entertained isn't rocket science, as the saying goes. At the end of the day I feel like I've accomplished nothing. That's a miserable feeling. And no amount of hugs, smiles, laughs, and funny faces from the babies compensates for that. I don't know what to do. There's no way for me to get intellectual gratification at work. Getting puked on and wiping snotty noses just don't get the mental juices flowing.
So I'm at a crossroads. I want and need to change jobs/careers for a few important reasons, but my love for the babies--and their parents--is holding me back. I can't stand the thought of "my" parents or the babies feeling abandoned if I leave, but I need to have my own life. That's another thing I realized about my job; it's an obstacle to me having a life of my own. By caring for their children I'm giving up my own life so "my" parents can live theirs. That seems so unfair. But I got myself into this situation and it's up to me to get myself out.
So I guess the answer to the title questions is no, I don't belong in this job. I don't know what job I do belong in or when I'll find it, but day care is not it. Admitting that makes me sad. I hate the thought of not seeing my babies everyday; I love watching them grow, reach their milestones, and learn new skills. I don't know how I'll cope with not having cute, chubby faces to snap pictures of all the time. But I'll learn because the pay off will be having my life again. And that'll be a wonderful pay off indeed.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Quotable Quotes: Family
"Where does the family start? It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl. No superior alternative has yet been found." Sir Winston Churchill
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