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Mar. 18th, 2009 08:38 pmGuppy parks the car and unstraps Alexander from the car seat. It's a little early, he thinks, to be doing nursery induction, given that the little guy is only the equivalent of six and a half weeks old. But the manager was so keen that he felt inclined to trust the expert.
The inside of Baby Bouncer is much the same as he remembered on his first visit. He is greeted enthusiastically by the manager, a tall man who everyone calls Barney, and the children seem happy and content. As he leads them around, a small group of older and younger children can be seen working together.
"What's that they're doing?" Guppy asks, adjusting Alexander in his baby sling.
"We give everyone a big buddy and a little buddy." Barney says, smiling at the playing kids. "For games and things. We try and make the bigger ones aware that the little ones need to be treated gently by getting them to do fun stuff together. Today the big buddies and the little buddies are making hand pictures together; the big buddies get to paint the little buddies' hands and then they put them on the paper and see how much they grew or are going to grow between their ages."
Guppy isn't convinced that the kids are thinking about that much, but they seem to be enjoying it. Some of the other toddlers come up to look at Alexander, so they crouch down to be at the same height.
"He's little!" says a girl of about three, in a pink dress with Winnie the Pooh on.
"Yes, he is." Barney says. "Sarah, Rowan, this is Alexander, he's going to be coming here soon, and he's a special baby because he was born very early, and so he's very little for his age."
Guppy unstraps Alexander so that the toddlers can see him properly. They reach forward and tickle him gently, making him laugh.
After the induction they step out into the street, Guppy feeling confident that the arrangement will work out just fine. But just as he's approaching the car, a hyperactive border collie dog comes charging up to him, trying to jump up.
"Get away!" he yells, jumping back and using his hands to shield Alexander. He backs away, looking frantically around for an owner, and spots a teenager approaching.
"Hey, keep your dog under control!" he yells, frightened and angry. "I've got a baby here."
"She's not going to hurt you, moron." the teen says sarcastically, calling the dog off.
Guppy watches them go, trembling, comforting the screaming baby, and feels like a failure. Kate was right; he should have tackled this earlier, and it's already affecting Alex.
The inside of Baby Bouncer is much the same as he remembered on his first visit. He is greeted enthusiastically by the manager, a tall man who everyone calls Barney, and the children seem happy and content. As he leads them around, a small group of older and younger children can be seen working together.
"What's that they're doing?" Guppy asks, adjusting Alexander in his baby sling.
"We give everyone a big buddy and a little buddy." Barney says, smiling at the playing kids. "For games and things. We try and make the bigger ones aware that the little ones need to be treated gently by getting them to do fun stuff together. Today the big buddies and the little buddies are making hand pictures together; the big buddies get to paint the little buddies' hands and then they put them on the paper and see how much they grew or are going to grow between their ages."
Guppy isn't convinced that the kids are thinking about that much, but they seem to be enjoying it. Some of the other toddlers come up to look at Alexander, so they crouch down to be at the same height.
"He's little!" says a girl of about three, in a pink dress with Winnie the Pooh on.
"Yes, he is." Barney says. "Sarah, Rowan, this is Alexander, he's going to be coming here soon, and he's a special baby because he was born very early, and so he's very little for his age."
Guppy unstraps Alexander so that the toddlers can see him properly. They reach forward and tickle him gently, making him laugh.
After the induction they step out into the street, Guppy feeling confident that the arrangement will work out just fine. But just as he's approaching the car, a hyperactive border collie dog comes charging up to him, trying to jump up.
"Get away!" he yells, jumping back and using his hands to shield Alexander. He backs away, looking frantically around for an owner, and spots a teenager approaching.
"Hey, keep your dog under control!" he yells, frightened and angry. "I've got a baby here."
"She's not going to hurt you, moron." the teen says sarcastically, calling the dog off.
Guppy watches them go, trembling, comforting the screaming baby, and feels like a failure. Kate was right; he should have tackled this earlier, and it's already affecting Alex.
