The author begins working at a daycare center located in her church after her high school soccer season ends. She is initially placed with the preschoolers and two-year-olds, where she helps care for and entertain the children. Two boys in particular, Noah and Austin, are very clingy after their naps and often cry for their mothers. The author works to reward good behavior. For the summer after her senior year, the author's hours are extended and she is placed with the toddlers, which she finds more stressful but also very rewarding as the toddlers put a smile on her face daily and helped her appreciate life.

1. Cheryl Brydges<br />David DiSarro<br />English 125<br />9/8/10<br />The Children Who Changed My Life<br />It was around a year ago when my home church began making renovations. They put new carpet in the sanctuary, and in many of the rooms in the back. They moved the nursery and painted the walls. They had decided that opening a daycare in our church would help us reach out to the community. Everyone put many Saturdays and weekdays into the process. When we finally finished, the renovations, they opened the daycare. It was small, but still growing. <br />I was a senior in high school and was committed to the high school soccer team. With school and soccer, I knew I wouldn’t have the time to have a job, but I really wanted to work with the kids. I filled out my application and gave it to the director, Amy Marine. She gladly took it and looked it over. She knew I couldn’t work until after soccer was over, but she told me she wanted to hire me. I had watched her children before and worked in the nursery at my church, so she knew how I was with children. <br />I loved working with little kids, normally babies and newborns. I told her that is where I wanted to work and she said she would do her best but couldn’t promise anything.<br />After the soccer season ended I started working at the daycare! It was October by then so school was still in session. The daycare was only open from 6:30a.m. to 5:30p.m. so I could only work after school, from about 2:45pm. to 5:30p.m. It was not much but it paid and I got to be with children. <br />When I began working at the daycare Amy had tried to put me with the infants, but she had already had someone in the room, so she put me with the preschoolers and the two’s. I would take them outside to play and to the restroom to wash their hands. I always got them right after nap so they were still a little bit grumpy. But, it was cute! We always washed our hands before snack! And after snack we did a craft. <br />There were two little boys in particular that were extremely whinny after nap almost every day. Their names are Noah and Austin. Noah and Austin were so cute, but they whined so much that it made me crazy! They are both mommy’s boys and so when they woke up, they would always cry for their mom’s. We would make little deals with all the kids, if they were good and didn’t cry or whine or break the rules they would get little treats. Sometimes they would get to be line leader, or see their mom before it was time to leave and sometimes they would get to help pass out the craft supplies. The children really loved being rewarded!<br />As my senior year came to a close things changed at the daycare for the summer. I now had longer hours to work and I was working with the toddlers instead. I had been wanting to work with them for a while so I was pretty excited about the changes! I had begun working four days a week. I worked 8a.m. to 5p.m. two days a week and 7a.m. to 5p.m. the other two days. It was a huge change for me. But I embraced the change and made it for the best.<br />Working with the toddlers was much more stressful than working with the older children. They really do not understand what you say and so sometimes it got a little crazy! The toddlers were the highlight of my summer though! I never knew how much, such small children could impact someone’s life. Those super cute one year olds put a smile on my face every day and I smile every time I talk about them! They softened my heart and made me realize how precious life really is! I will never forget them!<br />