Week Three with the 3 year olds

Working with three year olds has proven to be very entertaining. In my class of 18 kids and just us two adults, things do tend to get a little crazy. Mondays are usually the worst since the kids have been at home and away from our rules. The percentage of time-outs is higher and nap time is usually extended due to bad behavior. By Friday though, the kids are sharing more, using their words to express feelings, and generally saying "thank you" and "excuse me." It is also very clear why I can't get over my cold.

On Monday, Nathan was in time-out at the teacher table. He was fake crying so we paid him no attention. Finally I did happen to look at him and I saw the most disgusting thing I think I may have ever witnessed. His head was inches away from the table and he was pulling long strings of snot out of his nose and making a pile of it on the table. When I called his name to get him to stop he looked up at me with snot falling out of his nose and gliding off his fingers. I nearly said "What the Hell are you doing you nasty kid?" but instead I calmly told him to get a tissue and never play with his snot again! I had to then clean him and the table.
If that wasn't enough, we have a delightful young girl named Nicole. I guess her parents have decided that verbal skills are not that important. All she knows how to do is point, grunt, and cry. We are constantly telling her to use her words to express her feelings because without them we can't help her. Well she woke up from her nap but stayed face down on her mat. She started crying and grunting but we had no idea what the problem was. Finally I picked her up to try to calm her down and I realized what the problem was. She had forgotten to get up to use the bathroom. This wasn't just number 1! So I had to find some clean clothes and clean her off. I was so grossed out. When my nieces were younger I had no problem changing even the dirtiest of diapers, but I guess since these kids are not related to me and since they are at an age that this shouldn't be an issue, I'm completely grossed out. Even when the kids call me in the bathroom to help them wipe after a messy number 2, I am somewhat disgusted. I guess this is motivation to not stay in childcare my whole life.
They do have their moments when they completely impress me though. Last Friday I was the head teacher and everything went so smoothly. We talked about manors and sharing. I complimented the kids whenever they did anything well and I wrote notes home to their parents about their successful day. When the afternoon teacher came to take my place, the kids all hugged me and said they loved me and would miss me. I left with a very big smile on my face. So this job has it's moments of disgust and pure love, but I still would never make this my full time career.