To keep or not to keep?
Let me start off by immediately acknowledging that I am *incredibly* priveledged when it comes to work. Both in the fact that we can survive if I don't as well as the fact that I am spoiled rotten by the people I work for (yesterday one of the Moms actually asked me if I *minded* that the baby would be asleep the whole time I was there).
All that being said, I'm not so sure about my new job. The mother is *very* nice, the little boy is sweet (but *very* busy) and it's not much trouble to get to and from their place. I think the trouble boils down to the fact that it's a somewhat hectic pace. Not only is he not able/willing to play on his own but I also have a list of things I'm supposed to do to... enrich him.
This kid has been in preschool all morning-- in my parenting style that's already a lot of enrichment. On top of that I'm supposed to work as much English as possible into the afternoon, improve some of his gross motor skills(to help with his Judo training) *and* make sure he plays educational games. All in the space of about three to four hours.
I belong to the let-kids-be-kids school of thought. Not the schedule-every-second-of-their-day one. I don't understand why parents need to have an agenda when it comes to playing with their kids and it drives me crazy when they sit there and direct the playtime. I wish more parents understood that it's a gift to have that time and it's much more beneficial to the child if THEY are the ones that get to call the shots. I don't mean the times when boredom rears it's ugly head -- of course some guidance is helpful-- I mean the times when the child is happily playing away and Mom or Dad completely takes over. "Let's play Starbucks! Go make Mommy a Latte!" (and gods do I wish I was kidding about that one)
I don't know. It's not like she's an ogre or anything and the money is good. I just wish it was a more relaxed setting.
M.
All that being said, I'm not so sure about my new job. The mother is *very* nice, the little boy is sweet (but *very* busy) and it's not much trouble to get to and from their place. I think the trouble boils down to the fact that it's a somewhat hectic pace. Not only is he not able/willing to play on his own but I also have a list of things I'm supposed to do to... enrich him.
This kid has been in preschool all morning-- in my parenting style that's already a lot of enrichment. On top of that I'm supposed to work as much English as possible into the afternoon, improve some of his gross motor skills(to help with his Judo training) *and* make sure he plays educational games. All in the space of about three to four hours.
I belong to the let-kids-be-kids school of thought. Not the schedule-every-second-of-their-day one. I don't understand why parents need to have an agenda when it comes to playing with their kids and it drives me crazy when they sit there and direct the playtime. I wish more parents understood that it's a gift to have that time and it's much more beneficial to the child if THEY are the ones that get to call the shots. I don't mean the times when boredom rears it's ugly head -- of course some guidance is helpful-- I mean the times when the child is happily playing away and Mom or Dad completely takes over. "Let's play Starbucks! Go make Mommy a Latte!" (and gods do I wish I was kidding about that one)
I don't know. It's not like she's an ogre or anything and the money is good. I just wish it was a more relaxed setting.
M.