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Aug 27, 2004 You see them every where. They come in various sizes and colors. There is no way to escape. You may think the cute ones are okay, but don’t be deceived. They crowd the malls, are crammed into shopping carts and are bursting out of fast food restaurants like bunnies in Spring! You guessed it . . . other people’s children! Who in their right mind would ever want a job taking care of this portion of the population? That’s where I come in. I am your Day Care Provider. My home is my office and my clients are your children. Before I started my child care business I was a little apprehensive. I’d been to super stores and seen children bawling in the isles with fruit punch stains around their lips. I’d been witness to a few screaming matches in the grocery check out line. And who could forget the time my daughter slid down the slide at the local “pizza-games-and- big-mouse-puppet- restaurant” into a lake of pee. I mean . . . really! I enjoyed my job in the “real” world before I had my children. I contemplated returning to work after my first son was born. It took me about 1.2 seconds to know that for me, leaving that little ball of slobber wrapped in a diaper and micro-fleece was not humanly possible. With a slight tick in my husband’s right eye he agreed that it would be a good idea to work at home so I could stay with the “little man.” I knew to stay away from the Advertisements that stated you could earn $10,000 a week by licking stamps and I was already watching a neighbor’s little boy for pocket change. Joining the world of licensed day care providers took about 6 months, several classes, and an FBI background check of me and my husband. It was a process I enjoyed as much as doing taxes, but equally as important. Word got around and before I knew it, I was in charge of 12 little hands. They may be little hands but that in no way hampers their ability to unravel the tape from my sing along cassettes, climb up all six shelves of my food pantry and use dirty diapers as hand grenades. “You must be crazy” or “Wow, you have a lot of patience,” is what comes out of most people’s mouth when I tell them what I do. Little do they know, I have the greatest job in the world! The commute is a breeze, (simply dress and skip down the stairs). Children are the best clients you could ever have. They give you wonderful hugs and kisses. (Even if they’re covered in peanut butter) they don’t care if your make-up isn’t perfect and they forgive you 100% of the time. Making silly faces, blowing raspberries to chubby tummies and giving “underdogs” on the swings are just a few of my responsibilities. I get to see the light turn on as a child sounds out a word for the first time or gains self esteem by tying their shoe. I am surrounded by amazing little people that radiate joy, excitement and love. Sure, they smell sometimes, but don’t we all? My first week on the job, I thought for sure the children were going to end up in the emergency room and I would be admitted to the mental hospital. I soon discovered that busy children are happy children. A structured day full of crafts, music, food, learning and fun created an upbeat and positive environment; and, let’s not forget the most important part of the day, NAP TIME! This break in the day is just as important for me as it for the children. It allows me to refocus and enjoy the most beautiful sound in the world, silence. Mind you, I do love the sound of all those little voices; it’s just when they reach octaves that have dogs within a 5 mile radius barking. Parents sometimes have a more difficult time adjusting than the children do. One first time mom had a tearful experience leaving her daughter. I cried too knowing how she felt. In a perfect world, we would all be independently wealthy and spend all our time with our kids traveling the world. Until then, we all do the best we can. I can even sympathize for the single father of two kids under three. After kissing his kids goodbye he looked at me and in a desperate tone said, “Good luck”! I have learned that running my own daycare business requires much more mental and physical work than any of my other jobs put together. Extremely challenging . . . Yes! Absolutely worth every second . . . Yes! No business owner gets their feet off the ground without support. My husband and children helped make the final decision to invite others into our home. We could now earn the much needed second income and even make it to Disneyland before we have to pay adult prices on our children. Not to mention, be debt free and loving life more than a dog at a fire hydrant convention. Even with all the ups and downs I have been an eyewitness of first steps, first giggles, first food fight and first loves. Could I ever trade it in for a closet full of designer suits and a full eight hours of no whining? That’s like asking if I don’t mind having my heart any more. My children, other peoples’ children, are now a part of me that I could never live without. ------------ Email Jennifer Florentin: Jflorentin@comcast.net Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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