About Me :)

I got married and made aliya five and a half years ago, all in the space of 3 days. And that is where this blog begins

יום חמישי, 15 בספטמבר 2011

Does Diaper Equal Daycare?

My little boy, who just turned three, entered gan this year. A real gan. Tables, chairs, activities, 35 kids. All is going well. He's having fun, playing with friends, learning about the upcoming chagim. He is wearing his tiny tzitzit like the other boys in his gan. On the face of things, he is just like all the other kids. But, there is, as it so happens, a distinct difference between him and the others at this point; he's the only one in the gan who is not at all toilet trained. Riveting subject matter, I know.

Let me state right here, right now, that his current diaper status is not for lack of trying the big-boy underwear alternative. We run around naked. We have timed potty visits. We sit. We just don't... let go. Yet.

I mentioned his lack of potty skills to the saya'at (teacher assistant) at the orientation meeting. Her smile became a tight-lipped line, and she said "Ooooh, that IS a problem". She proceeded to tell me that I would have to drop everything to come change him if he needed a 'major' diaper change. We're talking number two. Wanting to be an easy breezy mom who doesn't complain, I shook hands and signed on the dotted line. No problem.

Well, yesterday, I was called upon to perform the messy little task. My husband has been doing the diaper runs until now, but he wasn't around, and so, by default, it was my turn.

I had to leave work a bit earlier than expected. I had no car, so I had to walk all the way from work, in the heat, at a steady clip. Half an hour later, I arrived. I went to his drawer, the one with the ice cream cone sticker, and I found the neat little supply of diapers and wipes that I had left there earlier in the week. Then I had an eye squint, head swivel, mommy 'aha' moment. These diapers and wipes were here this whole time. During bathroom time, the teacher and assistants attend to alllll other children, sitting them down, assisting with wiping, and cleaning up 'misses' (which can take  just as long if not longer than a diaper change). I promptly approached the teacher and mentioned this to her. She proceeded to gloss it right over, repeating her stance that 'this is not a daycare', and therefore, 'all children must be toilet trained by the time they enter gan (at three years of age).' I replied (yes, I did say this) 'Sorry. My son didn't read that chapter in the brochure.'

So there you have it. Of course I won't leave my son in a soiled state, so of course I will come to change him, as long as they keep calling me to do so. Am I being punished for my failure to train him? I think so, yes. And the only thing I could do about it, was to write about it. And pray that by Sunday, he'll be donning his big boy tidy whities. Amen.

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