Scars
Two days ago, I came home from work covered in scratches. Was I running through thorn bushes? Wrestling a rabid cat? No. Those scratches were from a child.
Since October, I’ve been working at a preschool as an inclusion specialist for children with special needs and behavioral challenges. Let me be brutally honest: every day is a bad day. Every day, I am frustrated, stressed out, or even angry. I am frequently hit, kicked, threatened, and cursed at (by three year olds). There are some days when it feels so normal that it doesn’t even bother me. And there are others days where I just want to give up and go home.
But I don’t. I still come back every day, even though every day is a challenge. I wonder why I have to bear these scratches and bruises and scars for these children, and I realize that Someone else bore scars for me. Many of these children desperately need someone to take the hit and love them anyway. Who knows what kind of pain they’ve seen, rejection they’ve felt, uncontrollable emotions they’ve experienced? I’ve heard time and again that the children who need the most love ask for it in the most unloving ways. And that’s what makes me go back every day.
I have wonderful coworkers that have so much more experience than me, and I can see that same attitude in them as well. We may feel unappreciated at times, but I’m realizing that we are doing a kind of work that few other people are willing to do. But it so desperately needs to be done. So to anyone who works with children, especially those with challenging needs, keep it up! You are making miracles every day!
Since October, I’ve been working at a preschool as an inclusion specialist for children with special needs and behavioral challenges. Let me be brutally honest: every day is a bad day. Every day, I am frustrated, stressed out, or even angry. I am frequently hit, kicked, threatened, and cursed at (by three year olds). There are some days when it feels so normal that it doesn’t even bother me. And there are others days where I just want to give up and go home.
But I don’t. I still come back every day, even though every day is a challenge. I wonder why I have to bear these scratches and bruises and scars for these children, and I realize that Someone else bore scars for me. Many of these children desperately need someone to take the hit and love them anyway. Who knows what kind of pain they’ve seen, rejection they’ve felt, uncontrollable emotions they’ve experienced? I’ve heard time and again that the children who need the most love ask for it in the most unloving ways. And that’s what makes me go back every day.
I have wonderful coworkers that have so much more experience than me, and I can see that same attitude in them as well. We may feel unappreciated at times, but I’m realizing that we are doing a kind of work that few other people are willing to do. But it so desperately needs to be done. So to anyone who works with children, especially those with challenging needs, keep it up! You are making miracles every day!
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