Devil's Advocate

Authored by Olivia

    

        I started working for an after-school program in 2019. When the pandemic hit in 2020, the childcare company was forced to close. Luckily, I could work as a lunch lady for the school before I moved back to VA later that year. When I returned to WA in 2021, I applied for a Montessori assistant position in the preschool of that same private school where I had previously worked.

        My teaching partner often talked about the effects of online learning being forced upon teachers before we could workshop it into something less harmful for the kids. Specifically, she discussed kids having unmonitored access to websites. Even sites that claim to be child-safe or just for kids can harm the child’s development. Don’t get me wrong. I am an iPad kid with a dopamine addiction caused by the rush of seeing something new or personal on the internet. And no plans of having kids.

        My coworkers, who worked before COVID, tell me that the kids whose parents worked from home got used to having someone to care for them one-on-one, and patience has been shortened. I get extremely defensive on behalf of my students. I am the ultimate devil's advocate for my little devils. It has been a struggle for me because I’m always on their side.

        I don’t think adults understand how psychedelic it is to be a brand-new human. These toddlers can barely talk. They are experiencing new feelings every day. Imagine being dosed with ketamine and thrust into a loud, bright preschool. While there, you also have to learn new skills and prove that you’ve mastered them. Terrifying.

        These new humans are prohibited constantly and then dropped off with strangers for up to 6 hours daily. TWELVE hours if the child does before/after school care! Just because these kids don’t bring money into the household does not mean they don’t work the long shift.

        We, as adults, have forgotten what it was like not to know. The curse of knowledge is that you eventually forget what it was like to be without knowledge. Life can be discouraging, pressurized, and scary for kids. When I see those kids, I want them to feel seen heard and loved. Of course, they will learn during this process–just not at the expense of their mental health. I won’t save these kids from ever experiencing mental illness or trauma. But I do my best daily to ensure they are safe, healthy, and comfortable.