Kind Words

One of the teachers in the 2-year-old room at the daycare has been out sick the past few days. Since I just have a one-hour shift early in the morn, I was asked to pick up her shifts.

I'm pretty familiar with the kids but there's a lot that goes into taking care of those kids, which takes time. Since I'm relatively new, I'm still figuring out the routine and details that go with the job. Like with any job, it can get a little overwhelming. Throw in the fact that you're in charge of taking care of someone else's human and you've got a party!

In the past few days I've learned that two-year-olds are difficult. They're like "almosts" of childhood. They almost understand grown-up talk but not entirely. They're almost fully-coordinated. They're almost potty-trained. I'm not going to lie - it's been rough.

But it's all worth it when you make a breakthrough and the kiddo opens up to you. I walked in the room this morning and was greeted by a chorus of "Miss Megan!" One of them even ran across the room to give me a big bear hug. Hearing those words was a great pick-me-up at 8 AM.

Later during nap time, one of the full-time teachers and I were talking about the day thus far and general life things. She asked me about school and what I was studying. I asked her about her baby-on-the-way and her experience at the daycare. During our conversation, she told me I was doing a good job with the kids. My inner people-pleaser rejoiced!

Even though I know I'm far from perfect in my job it was still awesome to be recognized for hard work. Just a few kind words like that can really turn someone's day around. We're always commending children for a job well done, even if it's something as mundane as pushing in a chair or saying "please" or "thank you". And that's great - it encourages them to continue that behavior. But grown-ups need some encouragement sometimes, too!

I'm going to try to compliment someone everyday. It might seem silly and probably a bit hippie-ish but if it makes people feel better about themselves, who cares?

More than halfway through the week, folks! Hope everyone had a great Wednesday :)