Some moms tend to nurture everyone else as well as their own children. A handful of working moms recently organized an evening of pampering and beautifying as a gift for the Early Childhood Educators of Color My World Child Care, who take care of their most precious belongings.
On Friday, December 7, the employees of CMWCC were offered an evening of sample-size spa treatments, food, beverages and a private trade show to make Christmas shopping a breeze. More than twenty local businesses also participated, with about half being practitioners and half being trade show venders.
"For me, a box of chocolates and a little card is not enough," said CMWCC mother Heather Wiebe. "How do you say thank you to everyone and make sure that they realize how important they are?"
Wiebe noted that last year's gift to the staff was a Keurig coffee machine. The contributions they received from all of the parents, however, were more than plenty for the gift.
"Everyone feels the same," she said. "We are so lucky to have good child care. To be able to go to work and know not only that your child is learning and growing, but is loved, is the only way I could go to work."
Wiebe and her fellow gift committee members, Abby Kradovill and Tara McKinney, decided something more could be done for this year's staff gift. Brenna Kellar and Jackie Shanks also came on board in November.
"Parents wanted to help," said Wiebe, noting that there was so much food they had to send it home with people that night because of how many volunteered to do baking.
"It was a Christmas gift," said Kradovill. "We wanted them to have a party. Not many gifts can show someone how much they mean to you."
As Kradovill's two children are school-age (and no longer attend), her involvement with the project arose from her position on the CMWCC board, which, she has held since the beginning.
Kradovill is also a Safety Co-ordinator at Miller Well Servicing, which became the eventual venue for the spa night.
"We got more vendors and more services than we thought we would," she said. "So it kind of just became bigger than what the centre would have accommodated."
Of the 17 staff members, 14 were present for the evening of festivities.
Taylor Peterson, an ECE who works with school age children, had not been prepared for what was in store for her and her co-workers.
"It really showed that we are actually appreciated and it was really nice," said Peterson, noting that it was different because, as care givers, they don't normally treat themselves to time at the spa.
The evening gave the staff an opportunity to kick back and visit without interruption as well as to spend time socializing with the parents in attendance.
"Everything is just so busy," she said of the daily interactions the staff members usually have with the parents. "We don't ever really get the time to talk. It happens, but not as often as it should."
Terilyn Schroeder, an ECE of the infant group, took advantage of a number of therapies throughout the evening and, like Peterson, also found herself truly enjoying the time spent with the parents.
"It was just so nice to see all the parents come together," said Schroeder. "It was so nice to get to see, visit and talk with them outside of day care. I know how much all of us here (at CMWCC) love their children and it was kind of overwhelming to have that feeling come back to us."
According to Wiebe, the feeling was mutual.
"To be able to spend a couple of hours with people that you really treasure, what a treat!" she said.
Since showing appreciation is what it was all about, the children had created postcards in advance, naming their favourite things about their designated teachers. The postcards were hung on a Christmas tree for the event and there were so many they were also on walls throughout the venue.
After a surprisingly laid-back evening of enjoying sample therapies, having their makeup and hair done, as well as exploring the various venders, each of the girls went home with stuffed goodie bags as well as beautiful raffle baskets.
Although it was a lot of work, each of the organizers agreed that they would do it again.
"Because it was our first year, we had no idea how it was going to go," said Wiebe. "We had really great help. It all came together, because the girls deserved it."
