Day Care...
I loved working in the daycare. The kids were absolutely awesome. The funny things they said, their wide eyed shock at my silly antics, the ease of being with little ones who simply love life.
I was especially drawn to the "trouble" kids. For some reason they likes me and saw me as more of a friend than an adult. When no one else could get them to behave, I could. Some how.
I do have a few incidents of memory that either delight or freak me out completely. The first daycare I worked in was not the nice one in town. It was the more slummy, old, and not so terrific one where the elite DID NOT send their darlings. The ladies who worked there were hard and not-so-nice. I particularly remember "Joy" who was absolutely no joy to the children, whatsoever. I watched several times as she grabbed kids by the arms, yelled, and her eyes bugged out in a really spooky fashion. (No wonder the kids liked me, huh?) I was 16 and on the work program. Alot naive and a little stupid but nice. While I never saw any out right abuse- I did suspect that when "Joy" dragged kids who misbehaved from the group into the kitchen-kicking and screaming... they were not getting treats.
I decided VERY early on that MY children would NEVER go to daycare and guess what- they NEVER have.
Every afternoon, just before parents started picking up the kids, we all went into the big room and watched cartoons. The kids were always rowdy and rarely actually watched the stupid TV. Commercials were especially intense- they for sure did not watch those and the crowd went wild! One day a little boy saw an antiperspirant commercial come on and got really excited to show his buddy his "anti-deodorant". He chased his friend around with his arm up screaming- "SMELL MY ANTI-DEODORANT????? MY DAD GAVE ME SOME!!!!!" Hilarious. Kids are so nuts. Another day one of our mentally challenged fellows decided to escape out the back door... ( I think he might have been downs syndrome altho I am not sure. Whatever is issue- he was certainly not a well cared for child and knowing what I do now... I suspect he was either mistreated or neglected.) I was asked to retrieve the rather large fellow... He was very close to my size and he was only 10. When he saw me in pursuit he made like a monkey and got on top of the Jungle Gym. He then proceeded to expose himself and then proceeded to try and pee on me- while STANDING up there. I almost had a heart attack! He was waving his tackle about and singing something in a taunting fashion... I BEGGED him to come down lest I have to go and get "Joy"!?!?!?!?? Dear God save us all! Unfortunately, I did eventually have to get "Joy" before he killed himself. I got the stink eye when I returned without him. I had to explain what had happened and I saw Joy's eyes narrow and a big vein in her forehead pop out and bulge purple. Parents were pulling up in plain view of the back yard where Mr. Tinkle was performing and Joy was not amused! Yep, just as I had feared...he was escorted into the "kitchen". Who knows what happened then. I was directed back to the TV watching room. YIKES.
There were other things... snot, stinky diapers, puke, and still I loved those kids! I had several who adored me and I would have gladly taken home to keep. Others, not so much, like another 2 year old little boy who called me "bitch" on a pretty regular basis. He was a real sweetheart. But, those are the horror stories. Their were sweet little kids whom I loved... Samantha the black haired, blue eyed doll, Alex the quiet, shy, little fellow.... Lots. I really only worked there for a short while. Before long I went across town to the nicer Day Care- where there were no "Joy's". It was clean, fancy, and much nicer to work at...I felt a little bad to abandon my kids though. I wonder if I might should have reported the other daycare, but then, like I said- anytime I have ever gone with my conscience and reported anything, it was for naught.
What do you think?
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