Eight Little Reasons

 Greetings my Diva Darlings! Welcome to another post by your favorite diva. Blogging from the tablet on this chilly Wisco afternoon before leaving for babysitting. This entry outlines my decision which I do not regret in the least. 

I posted recently about a position at my job that I was considering applying for. If you have been following the blog (you should be because it’s fun, I love blogging and you never know what I’ll post from my story to wrestling to beauty things) there’s something for everyone here. What I’m about to say I’m sure that many of you will relate to. 

After I considered creating the cover letter and sending my resume to apply, I couldn’t go through with it. Eight reasons, one in particular, are the reason for the decision, and the rest are professional related. While I have the background and the education for said position, my tenure at the school is short-I literally started and one of my bosses had a baby that same week, so I was not properly trained on school procedures and/or expectations. (While this may seem minor, every school is different, although the provision of a safe environment for children following DHFS rules is the same no matter where I work). Had I been there longer, I would’ve considered it. The second thing is that this position would’ve taken me out of my classroom and away from my current class. 

Eight reasons and one in particular. Consistency and structure, both of which go hand in hand. My classroom has not had a lot of both before I got there, and I have a little one who needs my consistent presence for behavior reasons, while another needs me for emotional support due to lack of outside consistency. The others need me as well, just as I need them. 

He is a sweet, affectionate child working through some things. Shaggy curly hair and constantly moving, he is a handful and difficult to understand from an behavioral context. He loves music, runs to me at full speed to show affection in his special way, and seeks me out when he his hurt or upset. “ ‘Are you ok?’ “ he asks me when he’s hurt. “ ‘I need a hug’ “, he says as he jumps into me for a quick squeeze before running away. Nap time is our challenge, as can be parts of the day. He loves watching the videos of both Stella (my kitten) playing with her unicorn or my cousin’s Great Dane as a puppy chasing the cat. This calms him before nap time. We developed a routine with certain activities, including jumping to the alphabet followed by a tight swaddle in his weighted blanket. The waterfalls start, and he lays quietly with his eyes closed. I found what works and doesn’t work, and so far it’s been successful. 

They are busy, curious, energetic, fun, sweet and sensitive. They have not had a lot of structure or a consistent routine, and are still getting used to the changes implemented within the last two months. Structure and routine are everything in the early childhood classroom, and while we have a long way to go, I have everything where I want it to be for now and that’s all I need. 

This position was everything I wanted. Eight little reasons are what I want during my day because no matter how challenging their behavior, they mean the world to me. 

His grandma picked up on Thursday. I let her know about his day, and that we had a great day. “ ‘Thank you Dani, for everything you’ve done with him so far, especially for being here’ “. 

That was all I needed to hear to know I made the right decision not to apply for said position, even though I wanted it. 

The little things (and people) mean so much, and it’s easy to forget. 

With crayons and love, 

Dani