This is parts of an

This is parts of an email to a friend who wanted to know how my new job at the daycare was going(I am so tired I dont have the energy or words to put it all down for you again here so I am cheating!):

I still didn’t work a full 8 hours today, I worked 8:30-3:00. I talked to someone today who has been there a while and she was hired on full time, 40 hours, but she says she never gets more than 25-30 hours a week. I don’t know why anyone would put up with that, but she does. I’ve said something both today and yesterday to my boss that if I don’t get 40 hours or close to it then it’s not going to work and she keeps assuring me that this week is just different. But the story from the employees is that they never work the same schedule every day and barely work full shifts. I am going to try to hang in there in hopes that I will be getting a full shift soon, but Dean’s upset about it already. Me, I am just glad to be out of the house and doing something, and since I’ve been w/ Caleb both days it’s not too bad. I enjoy the job although it is very tiring on me. But I cant imagine how watching 6 toddlers isn’t!?

So much prayer is still needed that things begin to make more sense for us. It was a very clear, at the time, that this job was where I needed to be, everything fell in to place so quickly and only after constant prayer on my part. Now it seems it might not be exactly what we need right now, but it might just be too early to tell. I don’t like some of the things Caleb will be doing, as in just playing all day w/ no structure. And they barely feed them adequate meals and don’t offer substitutions if the child doesn’t eat. So Calebs only eaten anything for lunch both days because I have been in his room and offered him what I had for him in his diaper bag, but this is not what the center likes to do. They don’t want them to have any food from home. So if he didn’t eat other things today all he would have had for lunch was corn? And yesterday he didn’t eat their food at all. Everyone who works there says he will get used to the food there, but if its things he doesn’t like I don’t see how that will be possible, and he’s not a picky eater. And I don’t want my son to get used to not eating lunch, or a measly little amount of it.

Just a lot of little things like they don’t support potty training at his age, which I don’t think is right at all. I can see not encouraging it but not enforcing it in a child that is already in the process is not helpful at all to us or them when he at age3 isnt potty trained because we missed the window of opportunity.

I just don’t like how things will be for Caleb, especially at the price we are paying. Well now that I’ve typed it all out I’m tired just thinking about it, it’s been a stressful two days and I’m handling it well emotionally for once. Its just the physical drain right now is more than I thought it would be.

Other helpful info:
*I was hired on as a full time, 40 hour/week, but have not worked close to 6 hours a day considering they make me take a lunch break for one hour and 15 minutes
*I have been in Caleb’s room at the daycare these two days since that is where they were lacking staff
*I am phsyically drained of all energy at the end of every day and I havent worked full days yet
*In a positive note, the kids love me, one little boy, Noah is his name, cried both today and yesterday if I left a room and another litlte boy who is known for his screaming and fit throwing all day long every day was nothing but a perfect angel for me all day and he and Caleb truly loved being together all day which says lots for my ability as a mom and a teacher and says nothing for how good the care is at the center before I got there
*the staff doesnt want to go outside so we dont? Not sure how that fits into the teaching process cause I thought for sure outside play was an essential part of learning and growth for kids, guess only if the teachers that are there are motivated which most dont seem to be
*the boss is a scatterbrain and often makes mistakes, both firsthand I’ve experienced this already and have been told from others, although I like her some times and other times her fakeness drives me mad, and it’s only day 2
*having a child is expensive and parents that just leave kids here are horrible! I dont like to judge but if I was paying what these parents pay I would demand higher quality care and that the staff get treated well
*now that i’ve made it seem like this place is horrible, I’d like to point at that this is like most other daycare centers. Parents you just dont know what those teachers and aides go through to endure a job they love to do but dont get paid enough or even respected enough to do. It’s a job that requires lots of love, skill, motivation, knowledge, etc to do and it takes special people to make a good teacher or aide and there are lots out there, but it’s a job that goes unrewarded and the pay if not adequate based on the things one must endure, even if it is out of love for the children, it’s still hard and definitely worth a good paycheck, but sadly no one understands that. I would love to care for children all day and if I could afford to I’d help out single moms and offer low cost childcare out of my home, but it’s hard to pay the bills that way. It’s even harder to work in a childcare center and pay the bills, The center charges the parents ridiculous amounts of money per week and in return the teachers still get paid barely about minimum wage. God help all childcare workers and let their love for children and desire to serve outweigh their financial burdens. God help us all realize how special our children are and how important their well being is for us and our future.

I am thankful for my beautiful son and wonderful supportive husband and I hope they know how much they are loved and recognize the sacrifices being made to insure their happiness and well being.