Dear Blog-Reading Friends,
Today is usually the day for TNT (Try New Things) Thursday, but I had an epiphany this morning at 11:45 am ET in the stall of the women’s bathroom. It was such a profound epiphany that I felt a tweet and a FB status would not be enough. It deserved a blog post, at least. If Oprah was around, she would’ve applauded me for my “Aha!” moment and at least featured it in her magazine. At the same time of this amazing epiphany, I also came to the realization that Thanksgiving is next week and the Thanksgiving tree I was going to put up in our house for us to do with Ninjette is still nowhere to be seen. Someone must’ve cut it down. My intentions were good, though, right?
Anyway, I was in the stall of the women’s bathroom this morning because one of our toddlers from my toddler program needed to use the potty. It’s usually a quick since little kids can’t really hold that much pee, but today, it wasn’t just pee, it was also a lot of poop. As this little boy was pooping on the potty, the smell overcame me and that’s when it hit me. I have to say thank you to all the teachers, daycare providers, babysitters, grandmas, grandpas, friends, Sunday School teachers, and anyone else who has ever had to wipe my kid’s butt. So, THANK YOU. It’s a thankless and unglamorous job that we often forget and overlook. It’s a part of being a caregiver to a small child or baby, but if you are a parent, you just do it. I mean, you sort of have to do it. The caregivers are there by choice. They are choosing to have wiping butts as a part of their job description and for that, I am so grateful.
I love Ninjette so much, but I definitely am not a fan of wiping her butt. No thank you. Plus, I am still boggled at how her little body can produce so much poop. Oh, and the smell. Wow.
We entrust these people to care for our kids like we would care for them. I can tell you that I love all of the toddlers that come to our program and do my best to care for them at the highest standard. I share the excitement of the kid who is in the midst of potty training and is able to use the potty in public. Even more kudos and high fives to the kid who is able to poop so freely. I applaud it and let them know how proud of them I am. I let the parents know how awesome the potty training is coming along. So I’ve been there, but I’m also there at the perspective of the parent.
I love Ninjette’s teachers because they care for her like I do and they are wiling and choosing to spend their days with her and helping her wipe her butt clean. It is easy to forget to say thank you and to appreciate all the little things that they do – from wiping noses, giving them comforting cuddles, and helping them form into generous, kind, and caring people.
But next week is Thanksgiving and I have thankfulness on my mind these days. Of all the things that I am thankful for this year, I am most thankful for my child’s teachers and caregivers – the other grown ups that love and care for her.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. It is a tremendous blessing to me and I am so grateful that you are there to be another loving adult in my child’s life. You are a big part of my village as Ninja and I try to raise her in this crazy world. There aren’t enough words, Starbucks gift cards, and baked goods that could express how thankful I am to all of you.
Thank you.