The Huron Expositor, 1979-03-22, Page 7THE JAYS OF BABYSITTING r» Linda Huard and Wayne try out one of
the toys. Mrs, Huard keeps in her kitchen to entertain her charges, In ten.
yearsof babysitting, Mrs, 'Huard, has learned, you re. never bored: when
entertaining children, (Expositor Photo);
No traffic, 'snowmobile to work
Bruce Wfliams looks for uranium
For the past two, summers,
Bruce Williams, son. of Ken
and Dorothy Williams,
R:.R.4, Clinton, ,has been
working, with a crew who
are involvedinuranium.
detection. During the sum-
mer months x ,the crew takes
readings over the land and in
winter they are able to drive
Over lakes so ,tests are done
during freeze-up, Bruce
returned to Hatchet Lake in
northern Saskatchewan for__
the winter work: When the
work was completed :there,.
they moved to Richardson
Lake. The following is an
excerpt from a recent letter:
Life is pretty decent in the
bush, frosty some mornings,
but not unbearable. This
morning' it was 42°C and
there was iced- fog, (ice:
crystals'in the air): When we
first got: here,.. our thermos
meter, which only goes . to
-50°C hadn't begun to rise,
so it was really cold. We have.
insulated tents and oil.
stoves, so we do get warm,
regardless of the frigidtem-
peratures, We don't go out
to workif itis 40° or below:
Some days arc quite warm:
One night it got to -2°C and
we nearly died with the heat...
That's like a 30°C day when
-you are, used to 0°C. We
could hardly "sleep, but'.
somehow we "managed.
Work is really nice: Nice
brisk weather ' tramping
through the bush all day on
snowshoes, coming back to a
good hot . meal and warnt
tents to go to sleep. What.
more could you ask for? No
'Araffic..You rideto work on a
snowmobile, no rent, no
_cooking, no cops giving you
tickets for parking - none
T.
of ':the nassies one .has to
put up with in the city. The
Work is tenfold better too.
There's lots to do, you never rtin out; there's only one way Rtmember Mrs oelscher
to do the work and that is by
lr's Nolo This is the third and last
to a series dealing with cbildi rare, pptions
available tt Seaforth 'area 13,4rents,:
Previous stonier discussed ,day care ai*dx
nursery srliciol) �...
1BX AUCIE GIBtg'
in .urban areas, day care centres offer at
least some facilities where working
mothers can;: leave their children, confident
that :they'll receive .adequate care« But r,
smaller centres like 5eaforth, day care is
the exception rather than the rule, "The
Solution for Many working mothers is to
rely On individual irabysttter's to ,care for
their children,
irtdal;Iuard* of Main Street, Seaforth is
something of a veteran, at "sitting" after
!taking children in for the ;last 10 yearS,
flight now, she has only one child under
ber care, but in the past, she's had upto
seven children spending at least 'a "few
[tours. a day in her home.
Mrs, Huard was a young working mother
herself when she discovered how difficult it
• was to find a reliable +babysitter.. Rather
than continuin to work.and worry about
the kind of Bare her childrenwere getting,
Mrs, Huard :decided to stwitch'roccupations.
and stay home perinaneutly. She became a
babysitter and had her first customer the.
day she: stopped her other job.
ADVANTAGES.
Linda Huard, who obviously likes kids,
has discovered a number of advantages t41.
her second career, First, ii'S a good way to
earn additional money without going out of
the house. Also, the children provide
company for her when her own children are
at school and certainly prevent boredom..
Mrs, Huard said, she doesn't even feel
tied down having the children around since
she can handle therm up and take them
anywhere, she goes: in downtown Seaforth.
"1 might :feel tied.down if it was: a' job 1.
didn't want to do," she said'
Debbie Dillon, ,also of Seaforth, started
babysylting more recently, originally AS. a
to our to a girlfriend w..0 was working and+
.,needed• a reliable•place :to care for her
children.
Like Mrs. ,fivard, :Debbie Dillon has a
Wilily Other Own and: this had helped. Her
oldest child, who, is,ahree and a half, was
rhe same age' as rine of her charges, wh
ich.
meant the Iwo children helped entertain
themselves.
Debbie Dillon said babysitting n=it only
'keeps her busy, but the big advantage .is.
that she can work at it in her home.
Linda Huard has looked after r-ldren:
Ram a few weeksold to eight or Pine years;
of age. The babies are "sweet and cuddly,
but older children, between two and four
years old, are much more ,intersting."
Homesickness hasn't been much of a
problem in Linda's experience, particularly
if she is already looking after other children
when the newcomer arrives. Sometimes
it's"iffy" until she and the new charge get
Used to one another, but usually she finds
children cry only until their parents. leave,
LEARNING.TOO
The children often entertain each: other
and when they're in the inquisitive stage,
'"'in the pm -school years, Mrs. Huard said if
she's doing something like dusting, she
often hands them a cloth and they: follow
along with her. That sway, "it's a small
learning experience for them," she said
On the day. the Expositor reporter
yourself.. If you don't do it, it
doesn't- get done. 'No'
requisitions to worry about -
no unions no strike if' you do
something that is riot in your
job description - nobody
bitching. all day about
making less money than
somebody else and asking, or
worrying about a raise
What's money compared.
to peace of mind? For peace
and quiet and no pollution go
north.
Work is nearly over at this.
•camp and thenwe move to
Kernaghan Lake. "I don't
know how long we'll be
there, but we should be done
around April. See you then.
• First Church W.M.S. ladies Scott offered a sincere
met March ' XSth when a prayer. Grace was sung and
silent prayer was observed in
memory of . Mrs. John
Hoelscher a valued »ter%tber,
Mrs. Duke read several
verses -of -Scripture and fol-
lowed by .prayer.: Edith.
McMillan read a poem ''The
robin and the sparrow". The
treasurer, Mrs. Van Rooijen.
gave her report.
Mrs:. Shortreed conducted
the study period, the topic
being'. "Community and the
search for self'. Mrs'. Van
Rooijen read verses of
Scripture from Romans. Mrs.
a lunch of tea and cookies
enjoyed.
THE
UR
• EXPOSITOR,
xis tel Linda .Rims'.she and Wayne, the
presehooler she's been lopktng; after .teY
cently, had just finished Making_ ;iello.
Wayne's learning experience that day was
.the Less the refrigerator door was .one4F
the Sooner the jello would thicken
Neither Pebble Dillon or Liada :Huard,
have found discipline a problem,
Debbie Dillon said she simply treats n11
the children the same and OSliaXly only has.
to speak #a therm once to remind them to.
behave
,,ADWO Th E'
One advantage Debbie Diliion sees in
parents leaving their children with :a sitter
is that the children adjust to being away
from their mother before they start to
school. They also learn how to get along!
with other children.
Linda Huard said the secret to discipline
is to keep the chicken busy so they, don't
get into trouble. She said• she is usually
fairly firm m, explaining to, the little ones
shy they ean•'t 40 :things and it usually
works In her tet+.years of babysitting, she
• hasn't had any held that's been "a really
big problem" to discipline.
To keep her charges busy, Mrs, Huard
said: she- Saves old •ntiigazigtes a
eatalogues for '",cut: and, paste, Witt
pre-schoolers, Mrs. Huard said she os
lot elf table work including coloring and
games, to keep the children, busy*,
Mrs, lf'uard, whe started babysttnn$
teenager, said her Own three children are
now learning the ropes', One'advantageS•.of
babysitting :m a smaller town is .that the
people knew each other,, which LiO,da
fuard thinksmeansboth, that the parents
can trust the sstter:.and . that teenage
baybsitters can learn their "asking
for friends or neighbours.-
Under
eighbours Under the preseht;Day Nursery Act,
sitters can look after f "ive children pr Mine
children, if they're all members of one
family, in 'their home. If they are 'taking,
care of more than`' five. children from
different families, then they most be
licensed AS- a day care center.
Right now, Linda Huard artct"Oebbiu
Dillon are both babYsit4ng only one: child,
.troth sitters said they i! advertised: in the
paper,. and wont¢ be'wtling! to look after
more children„ bur they haven't found
there's a demand for babysitting services
right now:
• ,......"--"i'-': jj..
0
%%'.
•'% %(kIVUuI
-..f.--.....,----...-„,.
•
ales
afor
nday,
Office
r Gyne: Ellis
Pe EHis
Stere Mau ray . 4454112
•
_ ''�` ����`�.:� ,.�ayne Ellis a �:- • �: eg EMS Steve Murray
P
Don Hamilton Preteident of Don Hamilton Real', Estate and Insurance are• residents of the area, are well qualified and are looking forward to
Ltd. is proud to announce the, •appointment. •of three , sale" g -whether buying Or seiti'ng,
assiatiti you with any of your resi:estate need
representatives. in our new Seaforth Ottice. 'Wayne, Pep and Steve
If you.are contemplatin f uvii g o, property 'or se/ring yogi'own, ,please 'contact Wayne, Peg or Steve at our
ftwill office, 52,7-0460, or their residence numbers, lis=p (below
t
tial - cornrnetcl eaV fa M1
We also hove full' insurance coverages to. offer you in outaRtobile � residential �f x �'m and life. We have over
20 insur nce companies ivin us the opportunity to offer you excellent' insurance c , rage at,,,,,very competitive rates:
For courteousreal estate and insurance service please i 'op into our new office
N , at 7 Main St in Seaforth have a coffee and discuss your personal needs.
5274505
5274505' S
•
"We sell the carth and insure eve ything on
Seaforth
7 Main street,
210460
With : offices in
MittheIf, Milverton,
l: towel. Clifford*:
Harriston
i Mt, Forest,