Posted: 5/16/06
Day care provider of the year enjoys caring for children
By Jane Palen
Managing Editor
It was the third day in a row that the children in Nancy Diersenís day care were stuck indoors. Even in winter, they bundle up and head outdoors. But rain is a different story.
ìDay care providers hate rain,î said Nancy as she scooped up a toddler. In the kitchen, a movie was playing on a small television as children colored pictures at the table. Later, there will be puzzles to put together, games to play, and clothes to dress up in. Itís not the same as playing in the fresh air, but the kids still seem to enjoy themselves.
Nancy, who was recently named the child care provider of the year by the Houston County Licensed Child Care Association, started to do child care in her rural Caledonia home when her daughter Mary was two or three years old. She wanted to stay home, and child care seemed like a good fit with her family life. After 15 years, she finds that being a day care provider still fits well with her life, and she doesnít plan to stop anytime soon.
ìIíll do it as long as my health holds up and my back holds up,î she said.
Not all the children in Nancyís care are full-time. On a busy day, she will have up to 10 children from one to six years old. She takes care of three sets of twins, and says its fun to observe the way twins interact with one another and their parents. They tend to compete for their parentsí attention, she said.
Nancy said one of the most enjoyable aspects of her job is watching the children grow. She likes to attend their ball games, and see them become friends with the kids they used to fight with. She likes to see the big kids watch out for the little kids.
The kids keep busy at Nancyís house. Nancy helped them pot plants to give to their mothers as gifts. She attends rummage sales to find items the kids can use for dress-up. Every year at Christmas, they get a group picture taken and the parents receive the photo as a gift.
Finding a way to relax
As much as she enjoys the kids, Nancy has had to find ways to decompress after an active day. She said she ìcrashesî in a chair for about half an hour after the last child leaves. She goes to the workout center early in the morning, which she says helps her prepare for the day.
The professional association to which she belongs offers her the opportunity to discuss the challenges she encounters with others who have dealt with the same issues. The association also offers continuing education classes which helps her keep up her license.
There is a need for additional child care providers in the county, said Nancy. A few new ones have started in recent years, but about the same number have retired. In addition to having a special love of children, a day care provider needs to have patience and the ability to not get upset about little things.
Nancy and Jerry Diersen have four children: Chris, Marty, Connie and Mary. They also have three grandsons. Nancy said she debated whether to have her own grandchildren at her day care, and in the end decided it would be better not to. She wants her grandchildren to think itís special to visit grandmaís house.
But for the children who are lucky enough to be regulars at Nancyís, she makes an effort to make every day a special day.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com