In New Jersey: Day Care with a Lot of Caring

By Susan Schnur

For five years Bertha Kimbrough made parade shoes and walkie-talkie packs in a factory. Before that, for 22 years, she folded sheets in a laundry. Now she diapers babies. "Gee whiz," she says, "dozens of diapers a day! Sweet potatoes for lunch! I do a lot of changes, you get dishpan hands."

Bertha works -- and has for the past six years -- with two-month-olds to 30- month-olds at the Mercer Children's Center in Trenton. She has scrapbooks at home with photos of all the children. "When I get home at night, I just jumps into bed and visualizes what a beautiful day I had! When you get a baby young and you work with it long enough, you can tell his dos and don'ts, you can tell each whimper," she says.

6:45 a.m. (infant center opens)

Bertha: Steven, can you get me a quart of milk for the babies' breakfast? Over there, over there. Open the 'frigerator door. Can you open the 'frigerator door? Can you get it? Open the door. Bring it here.

Steven: Here, Bersa.

Bertha: Thank you.

Steven: Was da? ((pointing to a poster on the changing table))

Bertha: That's a raccoon.

Steven: Was da?

Bertha: That's the fire alarm for the fire. The battery's getting weak.

Steven: Somebody gonna fix it?

Bertha: Somebody's gonna fix it.

Steven: Oh, O.K. Was da? ((bringing over a toy telephone))

Bertha: That's Chatter. Chatter Telephone.

Steven: Oh, O.K. Hehwo? Hehwo? Hehwo? Hehwo? I'm firsty. ((He opens the fridge.))

Laurie Noonan, a student-intern from local Rider College arrives at the infant center for the day to observe. "I love talking to thems like this," Bertha explains to Laurie. "You tell them to do things, they responds right away."

10:00 a.m. (activities time)

Scott jumps on Brian, tackles him, pushes his head into a rubber pole and sits on him. Clifton throws Laura at Shanique. Alia and Victoria try to smoosh elastic bracelets into the fish tank; Taneeya climbs up the indoor sliding board and smashes the basement window with a wooden hammer; Paul, not yet , walking, tries to lift himself up against a shelf, and it topples backwards; Laura and Sahar startle and cry; Clifton and Adam take off all their clothes and run around the snack tables in a circle whooping.

Karla ((composed)): Scott, Brian is crying. He doesn't like that. Brian, tell him no.

Owen ((counting boots)): One, one, one, one, six. ((Justin throws boots into toilet.))

Karla: Scotty, Scotty, no pushing. Look at me, Scott. Look at me. No.

Loraine: Someone doesn't smell like roses. Did you do B.M., Alison? Is it yours, Raymond?

Karla: Brian, talk to Scott. No, Brian is talking to you, Scotty. You're the one who is listening now. Brian, Scott wants to talk to you. Do you want to kiss it?

Bertha: Sahar. Sahar. I think she's the one who's smelling.

Karla: Benjamin! What courage! ((Benjamin, 1, has climbed up the wooden slide for the first time.)) That's like climbing Mount Everest! That's how you conquer the world, that's right! That's how you do it! ((Bertha takes a photograph of Benjamin.))

Karla Qazilbash, 44, head teacher at the infant center, was born and raised in Germany, came to the U.S. at 22, married, had three children, then took a course in the psychology of women in 1981, separated from her Pakistani husband and, looking timidly through the help-wanteds, got her first job in ten years -- at the Mercer Children's Center. "This is my calling," she says during a break in the Itsy Bitsy Spider's Sisyphean labors. "This is my chance to grow up."

Noon (lunch)

A candle in a brass goblet burns on one of the little tables. Karla points out the window, hunkers down: "Shhh, children, listen, the church bells!"

Loraine: Michael, I know you're a little upset with me. Talk to me, Michael. Do you want to stand here with your buttocks out? Mommy get you some new underwear for Hanukkah? O.K. Here is your Fisher radio back. ((to Alia)) Quieres buscar la sabana?

Marie: Get him down!

Karla: He has to get down by himself. Marie, show him the steps. ((Benjamin falls off the slide and screams.))

Loraine ((to Ben)): Get scared? ((to Adam and Raymond, pointing to children near the top of a poster of The Peaceable Kingdom)) Yes, those are like the big children upstairs. After the graduation party today, Steven and Marie and Owen will be upstairs with the big children.

Karla: Owen, when you go upstairs, are you going to put your shoes on by yourself? Justin, are you going to put on the Velcro for Owen? What do you say? Pull it over. Push it on.

Marie: I got a boo-boo.

Loraine: When you stop crying and are ready to talk about it, Marie, we'll deal with it.

Marie: I got a boo-boo.

Loraine: On your lip. Well, it didn't break the skin. I'm sorry you got hurt.

Owen ((counting cupcakes for the party)): One, one, hunder, hunder, free.

Loraine ((sniffing)): Did you do something, Brian Bingham? Owen, can you bring Shanique a tissue? Clifton, push in your chair. Do you want to wash off the tables?

Karla: You see a picture of a cardinal? You see, that's a picture of a cardinal.

Loraine: Ay Dios mio, Brian Bingham! You bent over and got it on your jeans!

Loraine Lugo, 23, has worked at the infant center for 2 1/2 years, has tried to conceive a child of her own for at least that long, and is married to a policeman whose workday generally begins when hers ends. "I go home and fall asleep," she says. Born in Puerto Rico, Loraine shared one bed with her mother and three younger siblings. "What counts is giving children respect," Loraine counsels. During potty lineup, she confidently pacifies a concerned Laurie, who has just wrestled four marbles out of Marie's mouth. "They won't choke," she states flatly. "They'll gag and cough them up, or I'll reach in and get them out."

2 p.m. (nap)

The director of the center, Richard Berkman, comes into the room and pauses a moment to look over the daily log:

"Steven vomited this morning.

Scott was bitten on the left hand (top).

Victoria was bitten on the right hand.

Plz make sure the small sponge goes in the yellow bowl in the morning.

Anna will be picked up at 2:45 for a doctor's appt. Please have her ready to go in clean sweat suit.

Steven and Owen can put their socks on all by themselves.

Laura is on green vegetables. Peas and green beans.

Do not give Michael C. fruit that is not peeled."

3:40 p.m. (party)

The staff sings For He's a Jolly Good Fellow to Steven and Marie and Owen. The children don't exactly sing, but at the end of the song they put their hands high in the air: "Yayyyyyy!!!" ((clap, clap, clap))

4:55 p.m. (closing time)

Laurie: Owen, are you going upstairs tomorrow morning?

Owen: No.

! Laurie ((to Steven)): Are you?

Steven: No.

Loraine: Today is today. Tomorrow is tomorrow. Who's left? Ben and Laura. Hey, Ben and Laura! Laurie, Karla, did you ever watch the show Duet? Did you do something, Annie Hartz? Ay Dios mio! Ayudame! ((She hoists two bags of trash over her shoulders and dumps them in the hall.))

Steven: Hey, Bersa! ((He spits two marbles out of his mouth and gives them to Bertha.)) Was da?

Bertha ((laughing)): That's house keys and a big tray of leftover spinach.

Karla: It's just a dance here, just dancing!

Steven ((heading out the door)): Oh, O.K.