I am a stay-at-home mom to twin daughters. I take them to a playgroup once a week in our small town. There is one little girl there who is 3 years old, the same age as my twins. Her parents are divorced, dad lives far away, and her mom has a full-time career. She comes to the playgroup with her daycare caretaker and the caretaker's own children.
Here's what not being loved all day looks like:
- I often see her playing alone.
- When it's snack time, no one makes sure she has a snack, and if she's wrapped up in her play, no one reminds her that she should eat. As a result, she's often very hungry at the end of the playgroup.
- During ball playtime, I offered her one of our balls, as she didn't have one. Her caretaker said, "that's okay-she doesn't need one."
- Finally, at story time, she sat by herself staring down at a book with no one to read to her while all the other children sat on their mothers' laps with books.
I couldn't stand to watch her being neglected any longer. I pulled her onto my lap with my twins and the three of us read story after story. I decided to take her under my wing and care for her every time I saw her at the playgroup.
The following week, she wasn't there. I found out that her mother found another daycare closer to her job. I knew she was going to be unloved all day once again. The whole concept takes on new meaning when you see this in action. I was never a fan of daycare to begin with, but my resolve has increased after this experience.
Jana
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