Age Is Not A Number It's An Insanity Predictor

Every person has preferences. We all have things we like and dislike, prefer or not prefer. Preferences are what make us individuals and different from one another. And, in daycare, like any other area of life daycare providers have preferences too.

Age preference is subject to the individual provider. Any provider might, at any given time, have different preferences with regard to the ages of children she cares for. I like all the ages but prefer to not have a mixed group. It is an all or nothing scenario with me. I simply do not have the patience or fortitude to deal with a mixed aged group of children.

Whenever I have an upcoming daycare opening I stress about the age of the child I am seeking out to fill that spot. There are pros and cons to each age group. The key is to figure out what age you need now, in the present, with regard to the group you currently care for.

Infants have definite plusses. They are sweet, unassuming and innocent. They demand little more than cuddles and regular feedings. All these attributes make them wonderful little souls; and then they cry. Oh, Lord! Is there anything worse than the inconsolable cry of an infant? Listen to those screams for a few hours and you will rethink their innocence!

Infants also sleep a lot. Day after day you are velcroed to your home because one child naps two or three times a day. You find yourself going haywire with cabin fever that even the crazy neighbour lady who complains about all your Little Tikes toys askew in your yard looks like an appealing tea time guest. And if you start to look forward to home time not to get rid of your charges but to fulfil your adult conversation quota then perhaps you might want to rethink the infant. Yes, infants are cute but they harbour a secret motivation of committing to insanity those who care for them.

Toddlers are my personal favourite age group. However, this little group holds its own difficulties. Yes, for the most part toddlers are not red-faced, forlorn little screamers but they know how to make you insane nonetheless. Is there anything more trying than answering the question, "what are you doing?" from the same child for the 576th time that day? Or how about their defiance in anything power driven? If you have ever knelt down face to face with a toddler who adamantly refuses to put on his shoes you know that size matters not in a battle of wills. Yes, little powerhouses that they are, Toddlers, can show you that heavy weight champs win because of mental stamina and not physical force.

School-aged kids are by far, the easiest group to care for in regard to the amount of work a daycare provider puts forth in the earning of her pay cheque. This age group comes with one deadly fault - their ability to form words and their comprehension of language. In short, they talk. And they talk, and they talk and they talk, talk, talk. And in their talking they relay their day. And no, I do not need the subject of their family dinner to be what websites their child saw me viewing while 'working' or the fact that I spent ten minutes on the phone and shushed them all to watch their after school cartoons. In short, I like working alone. I do not need a virtual army of adults monitoring my every move with their eight year old spy-like agent who can not remember to bring his backpack on the school run but can remember, in infinite detail, exactly how many loads of laundry I folded that day.

It seems that regardless of what age group a provider decides to service the work is the same. We will all find ourselves in the kitchen preparing more food than a short order cook. We will all have to listen to either screaming or talking and undoubtedly we will all come out a with a little less sanity than we started our journey with.

Now on to that Kijiji ad I have been meaning to put together. All I have to do is decide what my preference is.....screaming, questions or talking..........sigh.....maybe I'll just start a doggy daycare.



For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca