sigerson: (Default)
sigerson ([personal profile] sigerson) wrote2004-09-03 09:14 am

ltlbird, you are my hero

I never thought temping would be like this.

Bouncing from receptionist job to receptionist job, yes. And that's the majority of it. Thankfully, on the week before Labor Day, calls are few and far between. Funny, everyone seems to be "out of the office" or "at an off-site meeting".

But yesterday, I got a very different temp job.

I worked at a daycare.

Just for an afternoon, in order to provide the state-appointed number of adults in a room at any one time. And most of it was naptime. I was in the infant and toddler room.

What have I learned from this?

1. I don't know what to do with a kid. I don't know how to get them to do something, or to stop doing something. I don't know how to stop crying, or get them to go to sleep, or bring a shy child into a group. I have zero knowledge of this. None. Absolute bupkis. I don't even know how to hold one properly.

2. I like kids. I can't deal with them, but I like them. I loved babbling with one of them, then realizing I could understand what he was saying. I like making them grin or smile or look fascinated. I like watching them try things out, and I like seeing what they do know (we hold on to the rope when we walk) and what they don't (if I move fast with the rope, the other person holding it will fall).

Okay, don't freak out. I have no plans of immanent spawnage. Nor even plans in the next five years. But I think this was the first time I didn't run screaming from the idea of having a kid.

Which may be the scariest lesson of the day.

Worldcon update once I'm through with my games...

[identity profile] ltlbird.livejournal.com 2004-09-03 02:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Tee hee. I hardly think I qualify as a hero, but it is nice to know one's work is appreciated. There are loads of people who are not great with kids at first meeting. I am lucky, because kids seem to sense something in me that helps them to open up as well as listen, but for most people dealing with kids takes practice.

Glad to hear you are at least open to the possibility of spawning someday. :) With all the morons out there reproducing, intelligent, fun, wonderful people like you can really improve the gene pool. There's nothing wrong with deciding not to have kids, of course, but I would love to see the awesome traits of my friends passed on. And like [livejournal.com profile] kassrachel, I am curious about how some of the offspring would turn out.

[identity profile] 2h2o.livejournal.com 2004-09-05 01:32 pm (UTC)(link)
This reminds me of a project I once undertook to describe the results of various improbable pairings from a different group of friends. In that spirit, what would the following be like?

1. [livejournal.com profile] haak0n+[livejournal.com profile] wavyarms
2. [livejournal.com profile] osirusbrisbane+[livejournal.com profile] stealthmuffin
3. [livejournal.com profile] sen_no_ongaku+[livejournal.com profile] eeblet
4. [livejournal.com profile] thomascantor+[livejournal.com profile] ltlbird
5. [livejournal.com profile] sigerson+[livejournal.com profile] stealthmuffin

I'm sure you'll have more ideas....

[identity profile] ltlbird.livejournal.com 2004-09-05 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Hee. By "results" do you mean offspring or just crazy relationship stuff? Assuming the former, I hypothesize the following:

1. = a young expert on the history of ballpark organ music
2. = (not sure about this one, but I'll go with) the kid who brings burrito flavored muffins to the bake sale
3. = a kid who plays like Tori Amos, only naked
4. = I'm frankly at a loss on this one - certainly a child with pale skin and glasses...
5. = a Pokemon addict who likes to write about pants