As the oldest of four children, and countless cousins, I've always had a way with small children. In high school, I was selected my junior and senior year for a child guidance program where I was able to work with 4- and 5-year-olds. So, it was only natural that after I graduated I worked at a daycare. I loved it in the beginning. Spending hours of my day with sweet and funny children was all I could ask for. As the months turned into years, it really became a reality. I was spending about six to eight hours of my day with kids who had been there longer than I had. As I spent more time with these kids, I got to know them. I know their likes and dislikes. I see them when they are sad, happy, naughty, and sweet. I teach them new things about the world around them. Things that they could be, and sometimes should be, experiencing with their parents. Small children need time with their parents -- families are so important.
I've worked in a daycare for three years, and it truly never gets easier. Kids come and go, spending eight and sometimes even 12 hours a day, five days a week, with strangers. There is a part of me that does understand that some people can't help it -- they don't want to put their children in daycare, but have no other choice. I do realize and sympathize with single parents, or parents who are trying to make ends meet. It's hard, and some people have no other choice. What breaks my heart is the parents who dump their kids off because they don't want to deal with them. About 75 percent of the children in my class don't spend time with their families. I see them more often than their own parents. You can tell which parents care more than others, which sounds just as harsh as it is. Some parents care more than others. I work with 18-month- to 3-year-old children primarily. Children that cry and ask me where their mom is. "Where's mom?" "When is she coming?" What do I say to that?
It's hard to watch one child, let alone four or up to 10 children at once, by yourself. Someone is always getting hurt or sticking rocks in their nose. Yes, it happens to every kid, but when you are in charge it can be a real defeat when you miss something like that.
I really care about my students, but I know there are many teachers that don't. We see their stories on the news all of the time -- abuse, neglect, and sometimes even death. If you have to put your children in daycare, it pays to really do your research and to ask the tough questions.
I love my job, and I'm glad that I get to be apart of these children's lives. I hope that one day, the need for daycares isn't so great. I hope that more parents stay home with their children and give them the stable foundations they so deserve.
