The Baby Room

The Baby Room

I work for a daycare/preschool. Most days I spend chasing toddlers, giving copious high fives, and reasoning with four-year olds. Every once in a while—not very often--- someone calls in sick and I get to work in the coveted baby room. I love the baby room. The smell of chubby cherub children coated in lavender lotion and baby powder just melts my heart. When the toddlers drive me to another dimension of crazy (there is NO reasoning with a two-year old) I escape into the baby room, swoop an infant my arms and feel the calm seep through my skin. While rocking the baby her heartbeat sets pace with yours; every little worry or angst is drowned out by the peaceful stillness of a sound asleep baby. Rocking back and forth...a rhythm sets in, life feels less about noise and more about the constant,comforting rocking motion. Sure, the babies inevitably vomit up breakfast on my shirt, or suddenly stink of pee, but I love it nonetheless. Only in the baby room is gas considered cute. Each baby has adapted to sharing the attention of the staff, some mightily complain with wails to be held as others blow bubbles and grunt as they attempt to scoot across the floor.

Toddlers often try and “escape” from the confines of their classroom for the infant room. I used to take their hands and force them to leave the babies. Didn’t they understand they were big kids now? I mean we’re potty training people!One day while a particular persistent fellow kept creeping into the room, I realized his intent. He was escaping that day. Just like me, he wanted to feel the calm of lullabies and rockers. Blankies and binkies. So I stopped making the toddlers scram, but instead taught them to ask (one at a time) for permission to visit the baby room. Sometimes they remember, others they just storm in the room. Children, no matter the age, feel chaos as it collides with their routines and lack the ability to advocate for positive ways to cope with said commotion. Like us when we announce on Facebook, I NEED A NAP or MAKE THE WORLD GO AWAY, young ones need the opportunity to escape from dysfunction or have a moment to relax.

Every so often, when work is slow, I take a toddler by the hand and bring a rocking chair into our room. We take turns resting in the rocker reading books, cuddling while watching friends play, or having a good sit because every now and again we all need a quiet moment to share in the comfort of someone’s arms.