Parents forget that although my day to day job is raising other peoples children, I too was a mother of three children. The juggling act as a working family is only relaxed because I don’t leave my house. The challenge, or should I say struggle of getting my own children ready and dressed for the day is equally challenging, so when children come to daycare in their pyjamas, wearing mismatched socks, etc…. I understand and don’t judge.
One winter day a mother comes into daycare completely flustered, pushes her daughter Suzy into the entrance, looks at me with desperate eyes as I come to greet them, and says, “Can you take her winter gear off, I am late”, she pauses and says “Please don’t judge me”, as she rushes out the door.
Suzy is smiling ear to ear, wearing her snow pants, jacket, boots, toque, mittens, full winter gear. I don’t think anything of it, bewildered by why this Mother was so concerned about me judging her. So I take her jacket off, and turn to hang it up in the closet as Suzy continues to take off her winter gear. I turn around to grab her snow pants and there stands Suzy wearing nothing but a one piece swimsuit.