Hi friends, and happy Friday! I’m excited to be back today to share some unexpected favourites. Honestly, I had no high hopes for this week—working over our preschool break and doing my work placement for my studies didn’t exactly scream ‘fun!’ But this week has surprised me in the best way, and I’m so happy to share some favourites from what I thought would be a not-so-favourite week!
After working at the same preschool for 27 years, I felt nervous about going to a new centre. New faces, new routines, new environment—yikes! Luckily, I didn’t have to travel far, as it’s only a ten-minute walk from my house. Even closer than my current workplace—what a bonus! When I arrived, the director was so warm and welcoming. She showed me around the centre, explained the routine, and introduced me to the staff. There was so much information to take in that my slow-processing brain couldn’t quite keep up!
This week was all about working with 0-2-year-olds, and after spending so many years with 3-5-year-olds. I had forgotten how much I loved working with babies! Oh, my goodness, they are so cute! Sticky, snotty and sometimes a bit smelly but so incredibly adorable! The educators in the nursery were great, too. Once we got past the initial awkwardness of me being a stranger in their room, we had fun conversations and started to click. And by the end of today, we were laughing about a bunch of random things that happened during the day.
One of the things that really struck me is how incredibly young the educators are! In fact, all of them are young enough to be my kids! And I couldn’t help feeling like a bit of a dinosaur!
Haha! For instance, today, one of the oldest educators in the centre—the 28-year-old—was reminiscing about her childhood and saying how old she felt. The 21-year-old educator asked her if she had a black-and-white TV back then. I burst out laughing and said, ‘Uhm, no, that would be me!’ Then, when I told them I existed before the internet, you should have seen their eyes nearly pop out of their heads! They were like, ‘What did you do back then?’ I replied, ‘Oh, I just watched the grass grow! we all burst out laughing, but I could tell they thought I was so old that I probably had one foot in the grave! It was so funny!
I loved my first week, and the sweet classroom leader said she was sad that next week, I would be moving to the other room to work with the 2 to 3-year-olds. I’m sad, too, as I’ve had such a great time getting to know the babies and the educators. I even felt extra sad thinking about next Friday when I’ll be saying goodbye to the whole centre for good. I never expected to feel this way—not in a million years!
After such a surprisingly fantastic week, here’s a list of unexpected favourites
- Working with babies meant spending most of the day sitting on the floor. I’m so excited that I can still get up off the floor—phew!
- The daycare centre is beautifully decorated, and now I’m feeling inspired about how I can share some of these ideas with my colleagues
- I got to cuddle babies!
- I learned some new songs, and now I have a whole playlist looping around in my head. It was good, but not so helpful when I was trying to fall asleep!
- I loved seeing the energy and passion of the young educators—it was contagious in the best way! It’s inspired me to bring back my own zing, which has been a bit zapped after all these years working with kids.
- I got to see how a privately owned long daycare centre operates. Having only ever worked in a non-profit centre, I’ve heard some not-so-great stories about facilities that focus on profit. However, I have nothing but high praise for the quality of care from this centre.
- The educators truly love the children they care for, and I loved seeing them not only meet their physical needs but also genuinely shower the kids with so much affection!
- It was so good to get out of my comfort zone in such a big way.
- I’ve always appreciated my shorter working hours, three paid term breaks a year, as well as annual leave. But this week really reminded me how lucky I am, especially knowing that educators in long daycare centres don’t have these benefits.
- I finally took my husband up on his offer to cook—I can be such a goose, always wanting to do everything myself!
When I got home Wednesday afternoon, Steve had a lovely glass of wine as well as cheese and crackers waiting for me.
He also made roast pork with vegetables and gravy for dinner. To top it off, he whipped up some sweet treats! What a champ!
Vanilla slice
Butter cookies
An extra big one just for me!
I think he expected me to be feeling down about having to work over the break, and he knows that food always makes me happy!
I’ve had an amazing week, but I’m feeling pretty tired, which makes me even more excited that it’s the October long weekend—yay! Working with babies and getting to know the young educators has been fantastic. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually looking forward to next week in the 2 to 3-year-olds’ room—ha! Who would have guessed? Not me, that’s for sure!
Thank you so much for being here, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Linking up with Andrea and Erika
So glad to hear the new workplace is going well. It sounds like those teachers will keep you young! That is encouraging to see good teachers around you. Getting up and down all day from the floor is quite an accomplishment these days for me, so good for you for being able to do that. Enjoy your weekend!
It sounds like you had a great time on your placement and what a bonus being able to cuddle the babies. Aww!
Well done your husband with the cooking! Those vanilla slices and cookies look amazing. x
That sounds like an unexpectedly lovely week. Gosh, I haven’t worked with babies since my sister and I worked in the same infant room back when my husband and I were building our house nearly 23 years ago. It sounds like the long daycares are more like all the ones I’ve encountered here in the states. I don’t know of any not-for profit ones run here; most are either privately owned or they are overseen by a corporation for their workers.
What a nice post to read! I enjoyed hearing about your placement and that it went well, I had no doubt it would! And to hear how your lovely husband greeted you with homemade goodies, that’s the way to my heart too 🙂
The babies are cute to work with. I enjoyed the one day I spent with them. But then I was sick afterwards for like a month, lol! Also funny about watching the grass grow before the internet!