"Are you mad?"

This is the question a couple of the parents at nursery asked me last week when I told them I had done a language degree but had then decided I really couldn't live without working with children!

This always amuses me because I always assume that the parents would think it'd be great to spend the day surrounded by kids. Then again I always think it's weird when my friends tell me they have no real interest in children or even go "bleugh" and shudder when I talk about them. This is just far too hard for me to understand because I have always had a deep interest in childcare and have been broody since I was, I dunno, about 10.

Of course, saying that, I think I might be a bit crazy for working in a day nursery - or more specifically the one I work at now. Today was a bit of a nightmare at times. We had a new baby of 3 months old in the room and the regulars who range up to about 1yr old. There were 4 staff and 10 kids which is actually a good ratio. But the babies were all really grumpy for some reason today and it seems as if there wasn't more than maybe 5 minutes at any one time when none of them were crying - my ears feel like they are ringing, you know what it's like when you've been to a nightclub or concert and your ears feel so funny afterwards?

Working at the nursery brings a whole new meaning to multi-tasking. This morning I was sat crossed legged on the floor with a baby in my arms, feeding him a bottle. But I only had one hand spare so the arm he was cradled in also had to contort slightly to balance the bottle so he could feed from it. I then had my other arm hooked through the bars of a cot, patting and rubbing the back and tummy of another baby who was screaming because she was soooooo tired but just wouldn't go to sleep. At the same time, whilst both my arms were in rather awkward and painful positions, I had the unit bully (bullies before the age of 1 - it's amazing lol) climbing all over me trying to get the bottle. And one of my feet was then unhooked from the corssed-legged position so I could rock the bouncer that the 3 month old baby was in, as he was getting upset by this stage... and all this time I was singing my heart out trying to calm and cheer them all. Sound confusing?? It was, rather!!

Apparently the big bosses are coming tomorrow because the chef called them to complain about the way things are run. I mean, don't get me wrong, the children are cared for - but only out of sheer determination and sweat from the staff members!! So apparently we're all supposed to go vent our frustrations at the way the nursery is run to these big bosses... however the office is actually a "fishbowl" - completely made of glass right in the reception area - everybody knows when you're in there and then finds out what you're in there for!! The only reason I can think of for this daft designwork is that they wanted it to be open with no secrets. Of course, the fact that we still don't know who the new manager is even though we know that head office and HR have already appointed them and that the unit co-ordinators (who both went up for the position) both know what is going on. I was making milk in the milk kitchen the other day and one was saying they couldn't trust us not to blurt it out to the parents who aren't to know until the paperwork is through. I mean, come on, can't trust us?? We have a right to know who is in charge!! And for that matter, so do the parents!! The other unit co-ordinator pointed out that we knew the old manager was leaving long before the parents did and we didn't let it slip and we should be trusted... but the first is far too controlling to let that happen and the second one knows it! The scary thing is we think that the position may have been split between the two of them... now that really does worry me...

Like I said - I may not be mad choosing to work with children but I might just have to be quite literally insane to work at this nursery!