Today I thought I had such a smooth day. I left work feeling so good thinking that it's finally the weekend and I could watch the new season of Schitts Creek on Netflix and just take my mind off work. But I was wrong.
My roster was from 8:30 till 1 PM and I was assigned in the 3-year-old room. I am not normally assigned in this room. Today was actually only my second time. So I was out of my routine, and then the new toilets in that room were not working properly. The heavy rain overnight must have done something to clog up the drainage system.
Not that they're excuses for my mistake today which I only found out later in the afternoon when my Director sent us (4 educators that were rostered today, 2 in each room) a text message to inform us that one parent was seriously upset because she picked up her daughter at around 3 PM and her daughter's nappy was very wet, obviously had not been changed throughout the day.
I sent a text message back to my Director and owned up to the mistake and said,
"Oh no! I am so sorry. It was me and Educator C in the room. I didn't even think of taking the girl to the toilet. There's no excuse, I know, but I just didn't think as it is not my routine. I don't know what to say but really really sorry."
Then I sent another text message because the issue really bothered me:
"I am really sorry. I feel really bad about it. I left work thinking it was a smooth day. I feel stupid for not thinking some children still are in their nappies. I was more concerned about A because she always wets her pants so I always asked her, or L because she was showing signs that she might need to go to the toilet. I am sorry again and this won't happen again next time in the 3-year-old room if I am assigned there again."
And even up till now, I am so upset about it. Why didn't I think about it? And here I am thinking I want to have a baby and I didn't think that a 3 year old child could still be in her nappy and needs help in toileting. I feel really stupid.
Anyway, that's what's happened today. I did a lot of walking at work, and when I got home, I cooked this Filipino dessert Leche Flan, which is a caramel milk custard, because like I said I was feeling good about myself after my work so I was in the mood to do something in the kitchen too. But then that really nice feeling easily slipped away after receiving a text message from my boss and knowing that a parent is so upset because it seemed like her child was neglected today. And this parent is a friend from church so I will see her on Sunday and I am just so embarrassed to talk to her. I felt such a failure today!
Image from Pixabay