Been asked tonight what lead me to childcare, and loads of typical answers came to my head that are actually all rubbish!! No one goes into childcare for the money, cos there's no bloody money in it! Love of children, typical, broad, meaningless answer, etc etc.. I actually felt a bit stumped as to what my true answer was!! Runs in my family, wanted a big family so might as well get some relevant qualifications and experience for the future while earning money, bla bla.. I remember being at uni, watching cbeebies, squiglet to be precise, and I thought I really want to look after kiddies, yep that made me consider being a nursery nurse (I prefer that term to nursery practitioner - that doesn't sound warm enough!) but what was it that made me follow that path and actually enjoy it???
And then it clicked.. Even before I was a mummy myself, I empathised with the poor parents who had to work and leave their baby in a childcare setting. I wanted to make sure that the kiddies whose parents had to do this, felt love and warmth and laughter and kindness like they would in the arms of their mummies. If they could not be the ones who could rock them or stroke them to sleep for their nap, I would do it lovingly for them, if they could not be the ones to give their little one their breakfast, I would do it with a smile on my face, singing nursery rhymes to settle them in for the day. If they could not be the ones to take them outside to dig for treasure in the sand that day, or get really messy with some paint or baked beans or cornflour, I would do it and get messy with them!! I wanted the parents of the children I would care for to feel completely relaxed and happy that their child was in my care for the day. I wanted to show them that their child was happy in my care with loads of photos and personalised daily diaries, not the generic crap that is often produced!
Over the years I had forgotten this to a certain extent, in the way that I no longer felt that I wanted to be the one at work while somebody else looked after my children because (with the exception of a very few amount!) I haven't found a nursery nurse who I believe went into the profession for the same reasons as me! Now, as a parent, I believe even more that this is why I followed this path and I have been lucky enough to have felt that I did fulfil my reasons for going into this job! I have had one parent who was umming and arring about returning to work and what nursery/childcare setting she should leave her baby in, who, after having a chat with me actually went into the office at my setting and told the manager at the time that I was a big part of why she was choosing our nursery! That was such a massive boost to me at the time, that I was right where I was supposed to be, doing exactly what I was made for! Other parents I know have felt safe and secure and happy in the knowledge that their child is with me for the day from the feedback I got at my most favourite place to work. I'm not bragging I'm just feeling extremely overwhelmed tonight by the question I was asked and needed to write it all down!
All this has really made me look at going back to work in September with new (or rather my old!) eyes and views! I'm only going back for 2 days a week so my 3 will only need the before and after school club/longer days at pre school and days with auntie GG for 2 days out of a 5 day week, but in those 2 days when I am sent to a setting I'm going to remember my reasons for wanting to do this job and follow this path and I am going to love it!!
