Wednesday, January 4, 2012

A case of 'back to the future'


Back in another life, I ran a child-care centre. Prior to that, I had been a primary teacher. The child-care was when my own children were aged up to 6 or 7. As before and after school care was involved, I had a couple of assistants enabling me to run some children to and from school. One cannot work those hours, at that level of intensity for too long. I note too, that I have a Diploma of Teaching, my undergrad degree is in Early Childhood, and I have a Masters of Educational Administration.

So what does all this have to do with the price of bread, I hear you cogitate?


I've had two wonderful days this week. Last year, I used to play with my grand-daughter, Alannah, each Wednesday morning from early until after lunch. Well, this year, that playing is happening at my house, where we have the wonderful courtyard. In addition to the Wednesday, Kirsten is working up a couple of part-time jobs which have grabbed her imagination. Once she recovers from her second jaw operation next week, she is hoping to work 4 days per week. Durng our traumatic 2011, Alannah was going to day-care two and sometimes three days per week. Now she had dropped down to two days at child-care, one day shared between Grandad and Ma (me), and another day, where she comes to my place all day. It strikes me that this is a wonderful mix.

We are learning about buses, trucks, cars and motorbikes. By the end of next week, I suspect she will be able to identify each vehicle type by sound!

I was up bright and early this morning, sweeping leaves, checking for spider webs, cat poos, and making sure the equipment was out and books were scattered around the living room. By next Monday I hope to have solved the problem of afternoon heat in the courtyard. I need a heavy drum to sit my garden umbrella in. But all is working wonderfully well at this early stage.

10 comments:

brattcat said...

lucky, lucky alannah.

s.c said...

Great colorful and happy pictures. Like them.

Ann said...

Glad its working out. She seems quite happy with the cat as well.

Joan Elizabeth said...

You are not only a grandma but a qualified one! I just muddle along when there are kids in my house and grateful they have rarely been entrusted entirely to my care and never for the length of a whole day.

Cassmob (Pauleen) said...

It's very special to be able to spend time with grandchildren, get to know them and help the learn. Seems to me you have more time to notice what they do than with your own kids. Not only is your cat (and granddaughter of course) adorable, he/she is more tolerant than mine...he "heads for the hills" when they arrive and comes out to see them off...and they've never been mean to him.

Kay L. Davies said...

I thought I had commented on this one. I was looking at the photos all day yesterday. Alannah is so precious, and dare I say precocious? She's in good hands with you as her Ma.
Luv, K

Julie said...

Not sure she is 'precocious', Kay. I don't get to see her in compariaon with others of her own age very much. However, from qwhat Kirsten relays to me, there are some things she is ahead in and other things were other kids are ahead. That strikes me as pretty normal.,

diane b said...

You are certainly well qualified for the job academically. How are you coping with the physical demands . I bet you're bushed by the end of the day. You are doing a great job by the looks.

Julie said...

It is interesting, Diane. I am not as bushed as you might expect. I am probably more tired after a day over at Kirsten's place, than a day here, doing essentially the same thing. I do not take her outside the gate. I am simply not strong enough, nor agile enough to do that. But that is the role Grandad takes: and he says that he goes home dog tired after an arvo at a park. I also get the two hour sleep that Alannah still has in the middle of the day.

I do enjoy it, and have chairs out there to sit down on. Now that I have her for just about the same length of time as 'say-care' has here, I am keen to implement 'programmes' so that what I do is not simply baby-sitting.

I have only had her here for the first week thus far, and passerby are already sticking their head over the fence to see what we are doing.

Julie said...

I am finding it interesting all the discussion about the new day-care and preschool requirements, and how they will push up the cost of care, and mean that mothers will not re-enter the workforce. I have very strong views on this.