A Little Story Why I became a Childcare Provider

 When I was a little girl, I used to go on different Christian missions in many parts of the country with my mother. I would watch her working and assisting people especially families with young children, sick, poor, or needy. As a child, then, I didn’t understand what she was doing or why she was doing it or why she had to bring me along with her, but as I become older, I realized that my mother was imparting in me something that I can never deny and should always strive to have: Empathy. 

My mother had this open-door policy for people, in such a way that even at our dinner table, there was always an empty chair with a plate and spoon ready, just in case somebody happened to visit us on a given day. My mother had managed to find time to serve the church, and the community without failing her obligation to raise her eight children by herself in the way we should all be. She used to say: “it’s not about what you gain, but it’s about what you do differently, I am not doing these things for my sake but for my children’s well-being.” I must say, her deeds have truly produced fruits in each and every one of my brothers and sisters’ life, including me.

It is with that spirit of gratitude and empathy that I have become a daycare provider. I have a daughter but, in my mind, I have many daughters and sons. That’s how I consider the children who come to my program, they bring overwhelming and inexplicable joy to me, a feeling of “forever young” it’s the best way I can describe it and I try really hard to reciprocate this feeling toward them. I dream dreams for these children. I envision not only great plans for them but beyond measures. Every day we plan our goals, as little as a goal to try to “be kind to each other” for the whole day, it is certainly a starting goal to have. My vision for these children is that through their selfish ways they can only see themselves but through sympathy, they can also see others like them.

Although my regards for the children in my care are profoundly sincere, I know they didn’t come on their own. It is also as important for me to build trust with the families as it is with the children. I form a partnership with all the families to provide a safe and respectful environment, and I collaborate with them about their needs and their children’s needs and successes. Parents feel comfortable leaving their child in my hands because no matter what time they come to pick up their child, he or she has not only learned something new and relevant but has enjoyed the day to its fullness.

To conclude, when I look at each child in my care, I see a man of honor, a woman in authority, a teacher, a visionary, a man, or a woman of the future. Therefore, in the words of my mother, I am not doing this for my own gain but for my sons and daughters’ well-being.

With all my heart,