What is the best part about working with kids?
“The best part is being able to build connections and being able to be someone that they can come to whenever they need anything.” Wolfe said. “I didn’t enjoy day care when I was little so I try to make it a place where kids can look back on and actually enjoy it.”
“We saw two of the kids we watched and their parents,” Thomas said. “Their mom and dad told us how good of a job we did. It made us feel really good, like we were actually making a difference.”
“The cutest thing, actually, is seeing the siblings. There are kids who ‘ll be in third grade, and then they’re brother or sister will be in kindergarten.” Harpe said. “It’s so cute seeing them interact, the way they act, and seeing how they are similar to each other.”
“The best part about working at St Francis is the relationships we make with the kids,” Harpe said. “When I have a bad Dakar school I can go to work and the kids will cheer me up just by seeing all of them and having fun together. It just brings joy to my day.”
What do the kids do if they see you outside of daycare?
“When I go to church, I’ll see them in mass and they’ll come up and give me a huge hug. It’s just so cute because they actually remember me.” Thomas said. “I just feel like they recognize me and know that they feel comfortable enough to go up to you.”
“The kindergarten graduation was super cute because they were so excited to see us.” Thomas said. “ They had seen us there and then, we got a picture with them.”
“When you go up to them and their parents are with them, they will act all shy around their parents and it’s a completely different kid than you know. Harpe said. “There was this one time I saw a kid at Target with his grandma and he was like “oh my gosh, grandma, that’s my favorite counselor.”
“We saw a couple kids at the IU football game once,” Wolfe said. “We didn’t see them for long but they got excited and waved and we said hi.”
What are some cute interactions you’ve experienced with the kids?
“Theres this one kid we call Mooshy because if you see him anywhere, he comes up to you and he grabs your elbow and starts pinching it, and he goes, “Mooshy, mooshy,” Harpe said. “So we call him mooshy. We have nicknames for the kids, like cute little things.”
“They actually draw family pictures and put you in it.” Harpe said. “So I’ve been in so many kids’ family portraits. It’s like, Mom, Dad, Miss Charley.”
“Megatop snow cones come at summer camp on the water day and it’s fun.” Thomas said. “We get to shoot them with the water guns and they just think it’s so funny.”
