This is a guest blog from Adeline Dible, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods student and  intern at East 10th United Methodist Children and Youth Center.
I walked into a strange looking building thinking to myself, âI must be in the wrong place,â until I heard the chatter and happy cries of the toddlers upstairs waking up from their afternoon naps. The halls were decorated in the tiny handprints of the 4-year-olds and the painted smears from the 2-year-olds. You could hear the adults cheering right along with the small children.
It was at this moment that I knew that this youth center right was exactly where I belonged.
I currently work for East 10th United Methodist Children and Youth Center (UMCYC) on the east side of Indianapolis. This center provides a safe place where the spiritual, emotional, educational and physical needs of children, youth and their families are responded to in a holistic approach.
Starting last January, I provided as an after-school care program coordinator for school-aged children (5-13 years old) in my community. I work with children as their mentor and their friend. I also help with technical/behind-the-scenes work such as cleaning, preparing snack and making a daily schedule for the children to follow.
Working with children has always been a passion of mine. Ever since I was eleven years old, I have been working with children of all ages.
In the beginning, I believed this job was going to be easy, only to have a rude awakening within the first few days I began. Though I have had plenty of experience working with children, this was quite different. The children who attend East 10th UMCYC come from low-income and poverty stricken homes. You wouldnât think that it would make such a difference on the children, but it does.
The children I work with are begging for attention that they may lack at home. There were so many fights and negativity thrown around from student to student that it was overwhelming at times. This was just a call for help because children donât always know how to ask for what they need. It took a lot of adjusting and learning the right approach for each child. Because each situation was unique, patience and understanding is important while working with children. At the center, we believe that no child is bad, there is only bad behavior, and behavior is something that can be fixed.
After being there now for almost four months, I finally got the hang of it. I know that I still want to work with children as part of my career. Important things to remember when working with children are always having multiple back up plans, being able to think on your feet, and knowing things rarely go as you want them to so be prepared and donât get disappointed.
Though I have had some super tough days, each day I get to spend with the children of East Tenth UMCYC is a blessing. This experience has helped guide my career by reinforcing my dream of working with children.
