I interrupt my regular updates on mission to bring you a moment from my day.
Every Tuesday night college has a dinner. There is a creche provided for the students attending dinner. Other students are rostered on to help out at this. Tonight was my turn to help out.
Picture this:
within minutes of parents signing their kids in, they start screaming. A room with around 20 or so toddlers and 4 adults (me and 3 guys). I return one of the kids even before the dinner had started as he was so distressed. I return to find another kid screaming. One of the blokes hands toddler N to me after he had been screaming for about 20 minutes. It takes around 10 minutes (quite possibly one of the longest 10 mins of my life) to settle toddler N. For the next 30 minutes, every time I try to move from sitting with him on the ground he starts screaming again. By this time, IronOrr and I were anxiously awaiting 7pm and the parents return - but it was only 6:30.
So I'm sitting there quite happy to wait the next 30 mins out - just as long as toddler Boy N didn't start screaming non-stop again (he kept crying intermittently every 2 minutes).
WHEN, toddler Girl A and Girl B walked up to the bloke next to me and announced that they both needed to do poos. The blokes look at me and say: "you're the only girl, its your job" to which I replied: "I'm sorry, but I don't do toileting, we can get their parents".
Toddler A looked up at me and said: "I really need to go poo-poo. --- NOW"
So carrying toddler N, still upset every time I moved, I took A and B to the bathroom.
Having never participated in a child's toileting before this time, Toddler Girl A gave me instructions as to what I was meant to do (ie, hold door shut, get toilet paper for them and help wash hands)
Thankfully one of the blokes who has kids had told me that if they are old enough to go to the toilet they don't need you to wipe - phew!!!
But here I am standing in the bathroom, on one foot, holding N on hip with one hand, holding one door closed with one hand, whilst holding the door next to it closed with my foot.
I get them both flushed and washed and return them to creche, only to have toddler girl AS tell me that she also needed to do a poo - arrrgggghhhhh - Lord help me!
I got her fixed up and returned. Toddler N's dad had been found and relieved me of this burden.
Almost immediately, toddler girl Am started screaming, so rocking and patting her back, we starting singing nursery songs which eventually soothed her.
7pm came - finally!
parents arrived, and I almost start crying.
There is a reason why I want to do youth ministry and not children's ministry.
I never thought the day would be here so soon when I would have to deal with another person's poop.
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3 comments:
Ah, welcome to the world of other people's poop.
I'm kinda hoping that it will be a while before I have to see another child/person's poop again!
although i know that i won't be exempt from dealing with other people's poop in life :)
I think I must be strange - I actually really like creche - even with crying kids. My tip is always to take the child when they are crying - that way you can't loose - if they stop crying, you are a hero, and if they don't the parents still appreciate you for trying!
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