Before I came to Oklahoma, I ran the kitchen at the HeadStart in Iola. HeadStart is an Early Childhood program of SEKCAP (South East Kansas Community Action Program). Sekcap is funded through a variety of sources including local, state and federal grants, as well as multiple types of donations and support. So yes, I actually worked for the government. HeadStart serves income eligible families and their children from ages 0-5 at no cost to the family. Children with developmental disabilities, special needs, and “high risk” families are common in this program, and it is there to provide every child the “head start” they need in life to excel as they get into school. HeadStart required a lot of training and especially after being in other daycares and preschools, I highly respect their ways of doing things. I loved my job and adored those kids. One of the worst things I have had to do was tell my kids that I was leaving on my last day after being with two years’ worth of preschoolers/daycare children and their families. I knew every one of them by name. I spent all day with them, five days a week. I knew what they ate, what they would not touch, and what they wished they were eating. I knew what made the kids open up, and what conversations to avoid. I knew these kid’s family’s, and through it, a lot of their backgrounds. I enjoyed my daily hugs and playtime. Yes, I got paid to play with toys with the kids. It was awesome. Looking back, I gained so much from working there. Daycare prepared me so much for college. Preschoolers taught me so much about college kids. Preschool forced me to learn to have a schedule – and love it.
Kids need structure and schedules in their life. They ask for them in the most unloving of ways. When on a normal time schedule, they notice when something is not right… as do college students. I have always known I was one of those people who love schedules and lists, but college is where it becomes important to apply. Preschool prepared me and taught me to apply them early on. It also put me on an early morning wake-up time which I desperately needed to learn to get into, but equally hated. Preschool taught me to work and lead at a higher level. I went from having the five people in my house around me every day to having over a hundred people in my life on a daily basis. The germ factor became a problem for a while. However, leading the kids… many of whom are not disciplined consistently until they are with you teaches you how to lead in ways you have not done before. It pushed me out of my comfort level big time, and on more than one occasion pushed me down and forced me to look up and say, “I can’t do this on my own.” I soaked up all the training I received. I LOVED in-service, preservice, random training days, all of it. You may not believe this, but I did gain some people skills during that time. ;) I tried to learn as much as I could on a daily basis. My coworkers and the children alike had so much to offer and I could gain something from them every day, even if it was nothing more than some encouragement that I needed at that time. Without that period of growing, it would have been more difficult to make the leap into college life. I continue learning the same things here, just at a deeper level. Preschool taught me to love people of all background and ages in a unique way. I love people. However it gave me a deeper passion for kids. Many of the ones I was blessed with were from low-income families, broken homes, or rough backgrounds. Many also had developmental disabilities, or needed leadership in their lives. However looking at the majority you would never guess it. Knowing their background, it taught me to look beyond their actions and appearance even more. I taught me how to be a blessing to families with rough backgrounds by seeing them every day. I not only learned how to better look beyond where they come from, but also look for the backgrounds of people. Everyone has a story. Everyone has a reason they respond in certain ways. Everyone has their own “culture” they were raised in. I invested my life into that job, and I believe that everything it taught me prepared me for the bus ministry, and to work in children’s ministries, or the families that make them. I pulled things from every training session that either solidified why I do things, or that I knew was why the world disregarded the Bible. Preschool taught me about people. Those same preschoolers eventually grow up and become college students. The foresight helped when I walked onto campus and questioned the world’s existence with certain people’s actions… certain CHRISTIAN’S actions. Preschool emotionally prepared me for the stressful situations to come. My job was fast-paced and high-stress. It was intense. Looking back, I do not know how I did it some days. I served two classes breakfast, three lunch, and two snack. Each at set times, with a certain number of children, certain dietary restrictions and requirement, and specific ways of preparing and serving the food. Everything was recorded. There was an overwhelming amount of paperwork to do, yet nothing compared to what the teachers were given. I got the food, made the food, served the food, cleaned up, and did it all over again. I systematically and specifically took menus, made shopping lists and food orders, went shopping, and put the supplies away – all while there was still classes going on that I needed to make food for. Food activities and PACT night (Family activities where I would then make food for 100 people or so along with my already packed schedule.) Breakfast was scheduled for me to take out less than half an hour or so after I arrived in the morning. Preparation the day ahead was necessary. It was crazy, but I loved it. It was all for the kids. Once I got to college, work was a breeze. The responsibility level is nothing. I pour my heart into the Cafeteria here, and try to make sure it is the best it possibly can. The Caf is my home. I practically live there. It is my life. But I am grateful for it. College is stressful though. Right now, classes have not even started, and yet this past week has been one of the most intense weeks of my life. Preschool prepared me for it. Preschool taught me that college kids are really just preschoolers with an older age. College students are just like preschoolers. They both need supervision. No, really. I do not know if freshmen should be allowed to have such responsibility. Just kidding… sort of. College students make just as much if not more of a mess in the cafeteria. I have worked with both. Preschoolers take their dishes to the dish pit. Preschoolers wipe their spot at the table. Preschoolers do not make as large a mess on the floor. Just saying. ;) Preschoolers just want security, love, direction, and acceptance. Same goes for college students. My kids taught me a lot. They taught me to delight in the little things in life. They taught me that even if everything is going wrong during the day, a hug will make it all better. They taught me the power of a smile, and to love unconditionally. They taught me to look beyond the outside, and if you complain about it, do something to fix it. They taught me to tolerate grilled cheese, and realize that raw zucchini and parsnips were edible. They taught me sacrifice, and that you ALWAYS have time to play. I still love them, pray for them, and I am thankful for those little people who, if only for a little while, were MY kids. So if I learned one thing from them it is this: College students are just older preschoolers.
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Lizzy parkerMarriage.
Motherhood. Ministry. Missions. Archives
January 2023
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