Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Nursery, Nursery, Nursery!

I mentioned awhile ago that I am now the Nursery Leader in our new ward. My job includes, being in charge of our schedule. You see we have eight Sisters not including me, who rotate weeks. This gives all the Sisters an chance to attend Relief Society and Sunday school twice a month. It also keeps us from getting burned out. I have not yet grasped the idea yet though. I love being in the nursery and I would not want to be anywhere else. I think that the kids need some stability and some routine and I think that it is important for them to have a familiar face every week. I can not leave without Jacob crying historically so I have decided to just be the one who is always there. The problem is convincing the other sisters I serve with to let me do this. I have been there for six weeks straight, and although it has not always been easy, I have loved every minute and I do not see myself getting burned out any time soon. I think that as long as I continue to study and pray on behalf on me and the kids I will be able to handle it. We only have eight kids for goodness sakes. Eight good kids for that matter. I guess the problem that the sisters have is that most of them have kids in nursery and they feel that Sunday is there day off. Well the three hours of church anyway, and how dare them have to serve the kids while they are there. I can not get over it. On top of being in charge of the schedule I have to meet with all the Sisters and give them the schedule. Make sure they are ok with it, and then listen as they try to get out of some of the weeks. The craziest part is the most of them only have to be there for one hour. We have so many that I have split it up so that I am there the whole two hours and the other sisters rotate between being there with me the whole time and coming in for the first or second hour. On top of that the Nursery Leader that was in before me, wonderful person by the way, made the schedule so that each week some one different was in charge of welcoming the kids, setting up snacks , and giving the lesson. We also have a great music leader who comes in for about 15-20 mins. and takes over. I do not want to complain anymore, but my goodness, does anyone else see the problem or am I just being a baby. Help me out.

On another note, we just received a new manual from the Church Leaders that is awesome. It is called Behold Your Little Ones and we were given a letter with it to tell everyone with children that it is a great resource to have in the home. I am so excited to teach it, and have the kids enjoy it. Thanks for listening to me grumble.

4 comments:

Travis and Ashlee said...

Sounds like a pain. I can believe that they would except the calling and then do everything to get out of fulfilling it... weird. I hope it gets better soon that has got to be a pain.

Anonymous said...

i can't believe they would complain about an easy calling so to say, and especially if they only have to be in there for an hour. It's sad to me that parents think that they can get a break just because they are at church. I think your doing a great job. Try and work with them and hopefully they will come around. Good luck. Woman can be so picky!! :)

The Pea said...

I am sorry it is so hard. Just remember you can only do what you can do!! You can't control the actions or attitudes of others and probably in this situation should not try. I would just hand out the schedule and not listen to the complaints anymore. I know it is nice to try to make everyone happy but, that is just not ever going to happen. With with group for sure! You are an awesome person who wants everyone around her to be happy so badly that you forget to make yourself happy too!

I did not mean to go on so bad. But let me say this I am so excited about this new manual I read about it about a month ago and am going to get mine this weekend!

S'mee said...

oy. NO you are not being a baby, and frankly I think someone who has a one hour call every few weeks and then takes advantage of the situation is amazingly lazy.

A thousand years ago I remember a young mom who was put in the same calling. She had one of those crazy BYU wards with something like 89(j/k) kids in the nursery. Any who, she was in there by herself week after week and finally decided to ask each family to send in one parent once every three months or something light like that on a schedule. As with yours, they all agreed, but after the first week everyone began to make excuses and she was again left totally alone.

On the next fast Sunday she walked to the podium and bore her testimony of the Gospel, but also of the Nursery program and how it is not a drop off nursery as in other religions, it has structure and music, lessons and purpose in training these little ones and preparing them for Primary.

When she finished, she stayed there and without batting an eye she informed the ward that for ONE MONTH there would be no nursery. She had tried to engage the parents in a schedule where they would only have to help and assist her in her calling once every three months and no one would comply. She explained that according to state laws, she would be thrown in jail if she were a paid baby sitter or preschool, it was just physically dangerous for one adult to handle all those children alone. So for one complete month the parents would be responsible for tending each of their own children. She closed and sat down.

The Bishop got right up after her and added his two cents in support of her decision and then said if she had any more trouble after that one month in getting regular support, there would be no more nursery.

That Nursery Leader was your mom.