Calling all parents- we need someone to watch your child’s classroom while we treat the teachers to a “Teacher Appreciation Lunch”, from 1 to 3 on Friday.
Guess who signed up? Me.
Right now, I am sitting in Marcel’s classroom, watching the kids nap while the teachers are having their special lunch. I’m not sure what I have gotten myself into! Two hours, no teaching experience, or even any experience taking care of more than 2 kids at a time. I have my phone and the intercom at my disposal. I have been told that if I have any problems, I can bring a child “to the office”. Ooooo. Will I have to be “Mean Mom”?
They are all pretending to sleep, but I see them looking at me! Oh great and it has only been 5 minutes. . . They are peeking at me and trying to get me to let them get up… Somebody tooted. This is going to be interesting! They are all 4 and 5 years old, but they have such personalities! I can see them sizing me up, trying to figure out if they can convince me to let them up to play.
1 hour 45 minutes to go- Could it be, they are actually drifting off to sleep! Oh, no... I just saw a head pop up. Marcel just looked at me with these “mommy why aren’t you coming over to hug me” eyes. Aww. Looks like 3 down, 5 to go…
Ahhh nap time. I wonder what our adult lives would be like if we had nap time at our jobs. Would we awaken rested and happy after a mid-day nap, our stress from our morning gone? Would our stress levels be lower at the end of the day, or end of the week? Would we be friendlier? I think a break in the day for some rest would be good for me, help me to re-group, get focused. I have been so scatterbrained lately; I forgot to put on deodorant this morning for the second time this week. A nap sounds wonderful to me. But, I guess in a way I do the opposite, work out during lunch, to achieve the same effect. It works, but the idea of a peaceful nap with classical music playing in the background…Must s t a y a w a k e.
1 hour 30 minutes to go- I see some legs have stopped moving. Two have conned me into letting them go to the bathroom. I know they just went before I showed up, but I definitely don’t want to be known as the parent that “wouldn’t let me go to the bathroom”. I can’t imagine how that would sound to a parent when there kid comes home from school. “Daddy, Marcel’s mommy wouldn’t let me go to the bathroom!”
5 down, 3 to go. Oh crap, I was wrong- 4 down.
My own son is attempting to take advantage of me now! He is telling me he has to go to the bathroom now. I just cheated and showed favoritism toward my child by giving him 10 kisses and a hug. How can you restrain yourself?
1 hour 45 minutes to go. I have said “lay down please” like a hundred times already. And I have had to use my stern voice. I think I would be a terrible teacher. I am resisting the urge to tell them how lucky they are to have a nap during the day, and how they should relish this time…. One day, they will wish they could nap….4 down, 4 look like they are never going to nap. One is my son.
I want a candy bar. Or some caffeine.
I appear to be doing better with the class that the parent next door though, there is some crazy commotion going on there…
1 hour to go. I am no longer saying please, just “lay down”. I mean business. I just used to the old “do you want to go to the office?” line. My god, I sound like a crotchety old woman.
I see some granola bars in the cubby. Would anyone notice if one was missing? Ah, I see a bag of goldfish….mmmm….
45 minutes to go. The parent next door appears to have lost control of nap time. I am sick of saying “lay down”. If I say it again, I am going to get a headache. I just said to a child who was doing a puppet show with her stuff animal “shhh… this isn’t the theater”. Did I really say that??? Oh man. I’m gonna let them get up. We can all sing songs or something.
Jennifer
