Have I mentioned that I love my job? I mean I love my job.
Which is a little strange, because I make a whopping $7.40 an hour for mostly changing diapers, picking up the same toy 12 times, and preventing toddler suicide.
But all the same... I love this job.
Believe it or not, I have some really bad days. I get bad grades on exams that I don't study for, I don't make it to classes, I have a messy house, and there are a lot of situations that I cannot control or predict at the moment.
But man, am I good at child wrangling.
There are days that I just need to know that I am good at something - even if that something is wiping noses, reading Cat in Hat and sanitizing toy dinosaurs.
I wanted to share this with you, but I'm pretty sure I'd have to pay you much more than $7.40 an hour to come and see it for yourself - so I will bring Child Watch to you.
My favorite moments are when words come out of my mouth, and then I look at my coworkers like - "In what world should I be saying that?"
For example:
"Please stop licking the floor."
"Take your hands out of your pants."
"Take that car out of your mouth."
"Stop playing in the toilet."
"Did you throw up in the box of dinosaurs?"
"Stop hanging on the door."
"Stop climbing in the windows."
"Do not eat the crayons! You will puke!"
"Please stop licking the window."
"Have you seen this baby's thighs?"
"Put your dress down."
"Pull your pants up."
"Did you pee in your shoes?"
"Please stop licking your brother."
"Yo sé que usted está jurando en español."
"Is that poop? No, he just puked up brown crayons."
"No, I can't marry your dad."
"I am not your mom."
"No, I will not take your children home for the weekend."
This place is crazy. It is made for crazy people. Small crazy people. And I've realized this month (sadly enough it did take me this long) that this place is where I do ministry.
There are kids that come to the Y for their only hug that day, there are little girls who don't have moms to braid their hair, there are parents who feel like no one else cares about their "difficult" kid, and there are foster kids who hate where they live.
A lot of people are looking to be loved in Child Watch. And sometimes I am 1000000000% there and I'm ready to go, but some days I am tired and I am grouchy and I don't want to pick up any more vomit.
Last week I was talking to a toddler, I was saying something about how pretty her hair was and then this little girl named Emery pipes up "Am I pretty too?" And then I remembered: little girls are listening.
I can't control what happens to Emery any where else, all day long. I can't even decide if she is ever going to come back to Child Watch, or if I'm going to see her tomorrow. But I get to love her while she's with me. Of all the crazy things I say all day long, more of them should be out of crazy love.
I don't know where you work, and I don't know how you feel about your job - but I am positive there are people you are over looking. There are people who need to be loved. Chances are the people you work with are not adorable six year olds, I'm guessing they are a little more difficult. But I encourage you to start looking for them. It will make your job way awesome.
Even if your job is toddler suicide prevention.
With Love,
Emily LeVault
