Mariah's Dayjob

Many people have been asking us lately how Mariah has been doing at her dayhome, and the only way to answer that question accurately is to say ‘she has her days!’.  Veronica has been very patient with Mariah’s transition into the dayhome, and it seems like every time we all start to think Mariah is finally settling in…she proves us wrong.  Whenever Mariah attends consistently, she seems to understand the routine and feel comfortable during the day.  However, any small schedule changes – like winter holidays, sick days, or long weekends – seem to result in Veronica needing to start from scratch with Mariah’s training. 

Most days Veronica finds the time to e-mail parents about their child’s day and some of these anecdotes have been so priceless that I thought I would try to summarize them into this blog entry.  To give you a bit of background, Veronica has 4 children at her dayhome during the day, as well as her own to children before and after school.  In addition to Mariah, there is a little boy a few months older than her, and two girls aged 3 and 4.  The girls adore Mariah and have always been gentle and nurturing to her.  And the little boy seems content to have a new ‘bud’ close to his own age.  Now, how Mariah treats the children and Veronica depends on what side of the bed she woke up on.

On her bad days…

Mariah seems to think that the dayhome is a show that’s put on in her honour.  She makes it clear that her role is to be the ‘baby’ and declares that Veronica must not pay any attention to the other children.  On these days, Mariah wants Veronica to carry her all the time, and she throws a tantrum if Veronica talks to the other children or even tries to feed or change them.  When she doesn’t get her way, Mariah screams, throws toys, knocks food out of Veronica’s hand, and simply acts like a rebellious little monkey.  These days also usually involve 10-20 minute naps abruptly ended by a stubborn Mariah who decides she would rather continue being a bully than waste time sleeping.  I truly don’t know how Veronica survives these rough days and am terrified that it foreshadows the jealousy that will appear when Mariah meets her baby sister in a few months.  But I’m also hopeful that the dayhome is giving Mariah a good opportunity to learn some social skills and realize she can’t always be the centre of attention before she acquires a sibling.

On her good days…

Mariah is a completely different baby.  She plays well with the other children and even treats Veronica a little kinder.  She dances around energetically and sometimes falls over laughing at the small things she finds funny.  Mariah shows her affectionate side by sharing hugs and kisses – which are welcomed by Veronica and the girls, yet taken with an awkward caution by the boy who isn’t quite sure how to get away.  In fact, one day Mariah made herself quite comfortable in his lap and when he tried to squeeze his legs out from under her, she just scooted back over until he gave up and sat there helplessly.  Aside from being overwhelmed by her touchy feely side, this little boy does seem to enjoy her company.  When Veronica takes the clan for a walk, Mariah and the little boy sit together in a wagon and babble to each other, laughing at each other’s ‘jokes’ the whole way.  On these good days, Mariah eats well, and when Veronica puts her down for nap time, she just gets comfy in the playpen and sleeps for a couple of solid hours. 

Although it’s hard to hear about her rough days (and I’m sure it’s even harder for Veronica to experience them), I would like to think that they’re getting fewer and farther between.  Mariah’s many good days leave Ivan and I feeling content at work, knowing that she’s having a ball and not being too much of a handful.  Fingers crossed that it continues to go in that direction!