Autumn didn't last long - at least not where I live. As I sat sipping my coffee during nap time yesterday I looked out the window to see the fluffy white stuff falling from the sky. I'm not really sure what was more horrific; the sight of snow in November (albeit better than last year when it made its appearance a month earlier) or the nightmares my mind played back to me as nostalgia of past winters came into view.
There was a time that each and every day I did a school run, seven kids in tow. School runs are the bane of existence of any daycare provider who is forced to load up five or more children and get them all to a specific destination on someone else's schedule. Let's be honest. School runs are hell.
I always tried my best to simplify the process as much as possible. I would warm up my van ahead of time in an attempt to save the donning of as many hats, mitts, and boots as possible. My thought process was that if I was taking a child from house to van from the confines of my garage then fewer clothing items were necessary. And this ideal does work as long as daycare parents don't have notions of their own.
It would never fail. Sometime during the winter, often after Christmas, some child would arrive with the most detested daycare piece of clothing imaginable - the one piece snowsuit. Of course, we can all assume that no parent in their right mind would purchase such a monstrosity. Surely this was the work of an evil, ill-intentioned grandma. Better yet was the fact that knowing the child had another winter coat you could deduce that the snowsuit was only used for daycare purposes. No mother with any sense at all would ever take the twenty minutes needed to shove the child into the suit when she could whip on his coat in a fraction of the time. No, the one piece was a special treat just for me. How lovely.
When a child has a one piece snow suit is imperative to dress him last. I would not want to bear the responsibility for his dehydration as a result of his twenty degree rise in body temperature while he waits for all his friends to dress. Of course, he will be the first child loaded into the car as it allows you to make a better estimate of the remaining time left to get to school once you are done with him. Putting a snowsuit clad sausage child into a car seat is nearly impossible. Having lost the ability to bend the child sits in the seat like a piece of lumber propped up against a wall. With the best of my abilities I buckle the belt and hope for the best. God forbid we hit a bump; he was bound to shatter into two pieces. Well, at least then the stupid one piece would no longer be an issue.
While we're on the topic of ridiculous kids fashions; who comes up with these ideas for footwear anyway? It never fails. There is always one little girl whose parents care more about fashion than comfort or practicality. In the door she arrives with knee high lace up boots I would liken to those worn by a dominatrix. Do shoe manufactures really think that four feet of laces in a two year old's boots is a good idea? Who, exactly do they think is going to deal with those laces? Oh, crazy me, the designer probably has a daycare provider too. What was I thinking? And you all know that the dominatrix boot clad child has a parent who, when wearing those boots, says good bye at the door and does not even attempt to remove the footwear and put it on the mat. Nope, no time for that. Must get to work. Well then, "come on over Vixen, oops, I mean Vivian, and Miss Judy will take those off for you.". Geesh people.
Winter can be great. I love the crisp air and the silence winter brings with it. In fact, there are times when the noise in here gets a little too much and I will slip on my garage shoes and step outside for a moment of peace and a breath of fresh air. And then I go back in to put on ten mittens, five hats, eight boots, two items of dominatrix wear, four coats and one one piece snow suit. By the time I'm done I hardly need a coat myself I am so hot and sweaty. Wait, that's not my sweat I smell. Oh, crap, someone pooped. Goody for me. It's the kid in the one piece. Sigh. Here we go again.
For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca
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