Kimoni Harris, Staff Reporter
Here I am preparing to clean baby Adrian. Peta-Gaye Clachar Photos
The fact that I do not have any children and have not been around kids for the longest while, made me a little anxious when I was told that I had to be a babysitter for a day.
I think babies are adorable, but it's when they become toddlers that I have a problem. The only time I want to spend with them then is when they are asleep. No, I am not selfish, just realistic.
I began preparations for my day when I started searching through my wardrobe the night before my assignment. I searched for dark-coloured clothing to suit the task. I chose black because it would have prevented those footprints and hand stains that I was bound to get, but this didn't make much of a difference as I would realise later on in the day. My hair was well-combed and I deliberately didn't wear hanging earrings as I was expecting the kids to pull them, which I know would have annoyed me.
Chatter
A normal day at the nursery begins at 6 a.m. However, my shift began at 9 a.m. and ran for eight hours. At approximately two minutes to 9 a.m, I entered Kiddies Dream Care in Passage Fort, Portmore and was greeted by the constant baby chatter, drum playing and singing that continued throughout the day.
The first words or rather questions I heard from several babies were "Hi, what is your name and who are you?" A three-year-old girl named Abigail Blackstock then introduced herself to me. She proceeded to introduce me to the rest of her peers. She also made it her duty to explain whose bag was on the table and who would arrive later in the morning. I really enjoyed her company as she made sure I was well adjusted and knew my way around.
Unforgettable moment
About 15 minutes later, it was time for devotion followed by outdoor games. It was during this that I had an unforgettable moment. One child, Tiamoy Thomas, did her own rendition of Rihanna's Umbrella, while her peers backed her up by playing their toy guitars and piano.
Thirty minutes later, during indoor activities, I met Tiyanna Smart, a two-year-old who reminded me so much of myself. We bonded immediately. Tiyanna was jealous and did not want any of the other kids to touch me or anything that belonged to me. At one point, she demanded that another child, Jehu-vin, return my pen and notebook which he had taken up. I was beginning to enjoy myself so much I simply smiled to myself saying, "this job is exciting, trust me."
She obviously enjoyed my company as she stuck with me for awhile. However as the day went by, she lost interest and started playing with her real friends.
After all the playing, storytelling and snacking, it was bath time. I started preparing myself for the splashing. However, bath time was not so eventful. Aunty Christine accounted for the orderly way in which all 20 babies got to take their bath.
Mealtime followed. While most of the babies were independent and wanted to prove to me that they could feed themselves, a few allowed me to help them.
'Me finish'
"Me finish aunty," one child proudly said to me. Another quickly responded; "...Me too aunty." It went on like that until all had finished their meals.
Overall, the job was not difficult, I felt like I belonged there, loving all these babies and responding to their every need. My job ran smoothly even when I had to wipe up soup and noodles from the tables and the floor after mealtime. A sad moment occurred during the day when Jordan came crying uncontrollably because he squeezed one of his fingers in a door. I hushed him and treated his finger by kissing it. Soon after, he was happy again, playing and laughing with his friends.
I never wanted to mention the moment I saw Adrian smiling and went to take him out of his crib. Oh Lord, a stench hit me. Trust me, I had put him down immediately and called Aunty Nadine to give me his diapers. Luckily, I was spared because Aunty Nadine did not want me to clean him. After he was cleaned, he was my 'hand baby' for quite awhile. He just would not leave my arms. Aunty Christine reprimanded me for allowing that: "You have to discipline them. Let him stay and cry, that way you will break him out of that habit." I knew all that, but he was so adorable, I just had to hold him.
For the day, I went through the whole routine of playing outdoors, devotion, breakfast, mid-morning meal, storytelling and bedtime. Bedtime lasted for about two hours and it was during this time that we ate lunch, straightened the play room and prepared the evening meal.
Two hours after the babies woke, they were dressed and given their evening meal in anticipation of going home. For some of the babies, saying good bye was not something they looked forward to, while for others, they were happy to see their parents. My day should have ended at 5 p.m., however, in reality it ended when the parents eventually picked up the babies. I left there thinking of all the adorable babies and fully well knowing that working at day care is a full time job.
Some of the babies during their naptime at the Kiddies Dream Care, Passage Fort Drive, Portmore.
Work Hours: Babysitters working in a nursery have a eight-hour work day. A normal day begins at 6 a.m. and ends any time after 9 p.m.
Days: 5 days per week, (Saturdays optional)
Qualifications: Early Childhood Education - Level 1, NCTVET and a natural love for children.
Benefits: Meal allowances
Salary: Minimum wage
THE STAR today continues one of its latest features A DAY AS A ... Our reporters will spend time doing jobs such as garbage collecting, vending and farming. If you didn't before, now you will know what it's like to be in these jobs. Reporter Kimoni Harris spent her day as a baby-sitter at a day care centre in Portmore, St Catherine.
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