Any working moms out there? A friend of mine just wrote something about her frustrations with her daycare facility, and I really liked it so I thought I’d share it.
Hope you enjoy! The article was originally posted on imagine2050.net.
My Daughter’s Childcare Prison
By Nicole Hallengrogg
My three year-old daughter, Samantha, has this strange habit of hiding pieces of the playground in her pockets during outside time at school. I have the pleasure of finding these little treasures at about 12:00 am when I’m lying awake wondering what the hell I put in the dryer and why its making odd scratching sounds at each revolution. I get up to find sand and wood-chips scattered evenly on every piece of Hello Kitty underwear and Dora tee shirt. It happens way to frequently, since I, being the busy, absent-minded single mom that I am, I never remember to check her pockets before a wash.
This little quark of hers reminds me of a book I once read about a man who dug a hole inside his prison cell. Being the careful minded person that he was, he took the time to remove the debris, hiding it in his pockets, and dumping it in the yard when they were allowed to go outside. I imagine Samantha, hands dug deep in her pockets, finding an inconspicuous corner of the playground to unload her labors of the day. Looking around to make sure none of the teachers have caught her, she finds a place in the sandbox and settles in for play.
I would like to say that my childcare facility does not remind me of a prison, but in fact, there are some pretty close similarities.Do I drop her off unwillingly? Yes. Does she beg and plead for me not to go? Yes. Do other children want to be there? Not Really. Must the children fall into line in order for the facility to run properly? Yes. Is it heavily gated and are there strict security policies? Yes. Well, you get the point. One major difference being that I pay for childcare out of pocket instead it coming out of my taxes……..(click on title to read the entire article…hope you enjoy
Filed under: Culture, Life, moms | Tagged: childcare, daycare, Life, moms, playgrounds, prisons, thoughts
