Child care assistant

Warringah Mall Childcare Centre employee Rachel Emery says she sometimes sheds a tear when the older children leave for school at the end of each year.

After more than five years at the centre, she has seen some of them progress from nappies to kindergarten.

“I’ve been here so long, I’ve watched some children learn how to crawl [and] now I’m teaching some of those children how to write,” she says.

“Now I’m looking after some of their brothers and sisters.”

The centre caters for children up to five years old with five staff dedicated to looking after 25 toddlers in the preschool room.

“With the older ones, which I’m with at the moment, I’m just getting them ready for school, so teaching them how to write,” she says.

“We’re learning about different countries of the world, they’re learning about Australia and New Zealand at the moment. The subjects change every month.”

As a senior room assistant Emery observes the children and plans activities each week.

“In the older room I might observe a child and see they’re having trouble with cutting. I have to program, for the next week, an activity that will help them develop that skill.”

People often assume the job is simply a baby-sitting service, however there is plenty more to the role, Emery says.

“We’re constantly taking photos, constantly taking notes … there is a lot of paperwork to it that people don’t know about,” she says.

Emery did work experience in two childcare centres while still at school.

After working in an office for two years, when she was 18 she realised how much she enjoyed working with children and applied for a casual job at the Warringah Mall Childcare Centre, where she was offered a traineeship.

As part of the traineeship, Emery attended Crows Nest TAFE one day a week to complete a certificate III in children’s services.

“At TAFE they’d teach me about looking after babies and [children] up to 12 years old and all the paper work for childcare,” she says.

“It teaches what the regulations are as to what you can and can’t do.

“Even with changing a nappy there are lots of regulations on how you have to do it.”

Dealing with children can be trying at times, she says, especially when the “terrible twos” live up to

their reputation, but there are many ways to calm a child down.

“It’s different with every child, you have to try to distract them with another activity or get out the

stickers and stamps. A bit of bribery always helps,” she says.

Emery, who is expecting her first child in three months, says looking after her own child will still be a

whole new experience.

LOVE YOUR WORK

( Q ) How did you get into your job?

( A ) They were advertising casual work and I applied. I didn’t really know about traineeships at all until after they had offered me one.

( Q ) Upside?

( A ) It would definitely be watching the children grow up.

( Q ) Downside?

( A ) It can be tiring and you really need patience to work in this industry.