Part I
On December 7th, 1994, North America suffered one of the most unprecedented events ever recorded. At precisely 9:17 in the morning, every single male youth between the age of 14 and 18 unexpectedly regressed in age.
Regardless of where they presently were at the time, all young men on the continent lost years of their physical size and shape as they tumbled down the scale to early childhood. Most were in the middle of classes when the event occurred, and could only watch with horror as their clothing came tumbling off their oversized frames.
Fellow female classmates howled with laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation. In large school districts, parents had to wait for hours in traffic and congestion to retrieve their suddenly incapacitated charges. In smaller communities, they simply picked their boys off from school and drove to the nearest pediatrician. In all, some 17 million boys were affected. They would later find at the doctors that their bodies had been rendered almost infantile.
80 percent of the afflicted regressed to a preschool state of about 4 years in age. 15 percent went still farther and ended up about 3. And the smallest group, that 5 percent of the young men went all the way back to toddler hood, becoming barely 2 years old. Interestingly, whenever siblings were affected, the older brother regressed to the oldest part of the spectrum while the younger, without fail, went back to toddler hood.
In Scottsdale, Arizona, one such young man faced a rude awakening when his Mother drove him home. Like many boys across America, families would have some harsh realities to face and some difficult decisions to make in the coming days ahead.
"I want to go to school," Jason whined! Pam Carlson looked down, way down, at her young son and shook her head somewhat resignedly.
"We've been over this, Jason. You can't go to school for the rest of the week. The School Board has to meet to decide what's going to happen to. . .well, you know." It felt so odd to be having this quite rationale conversation with a kid who barely came up to her knee cap. Jason had been one of the 17 million kids who had gone to school today ready to face the world, and come home unable to face the mirror. Physically, Pam had to stop herself from picking Jason up off the floor and sitting him on her lap. But he looked like a 2 year old! He even had the baby blond hair he'd lost at the age of 8, 7 years ago.
"I don't care!" Jason proclaimed and proceeded his pacing around the living room. He was still dressed in the small but still oversized shorts that the school had found for all the young men who had shed their adult sized clothing earlier in the day. Although it wasn't much, at least the shorts had nylon ties to keep them from slipping down and leaving the poor boys naked as the day they were born.
"I'm not going to sit here all day and watch television," Jason continued. "There has to be something I can do," Jason whined petulantly.
"I have some coloring books, if you're bored," Pam suggested. Jason grimaced at her.
"Coloring's for babies. I want to join the class discussion on Romeo and Juliet. I've been following along all week and reading up with the class, now I'm going to miss out!"
"Sweety, I'm sorry you're upset but there's nothing I can do. The School Board has some big decisions to make and in the meanwhile. I've got to get you some clothes that fit you. Let's go to Wal-Mart and do some shopping." Pam began making a quick list in her head and began to bang her palm against her head when she realized just what all she had to buy.
Her boy would need a car seat and probably a booster chair for eating; he was WAY too small to reach the dinner table now. He also needed new clothes and shoes. Food in the pantry was pretty bare and she'd have to stop at Publix on the way back. What else? Then it hit her. Jason was barely 2, if that. She hadn't potty trained him until he was almost 3. Could he even go to the potty anymore? Maybe she'd have to buy some other things while they were out at the store, and Jason would most certainly NOT be pleased.
On the trip to Wal-Mart, she tried to keep the car buzzing with small talk, but the only sound Jason responded with was a pretty sullen mutter, so after a little while, she gave up. In the big store, she automatically took Jason's hand. He tried to shake it off, but Pam persisted. "Jason, there's no way I'm losing you in this store. Keep your hand with mine, please." Jason still looked upset but angrily relented to her request.
The Carlsons made their way to the young children's section. Pam looked around in surprise and recognized some of the women from the P.T.A. club and even a few of the men. She saw that each had a small boy they were attempting to measure for clothes. Smiling in recognition, she waved to Carlie Miller. "Carlie, how are you doing?" she asked.
Carlie shook her head and waved her arms in frustration. "I brought Michael here because I figured it'd be faster than driving all the way to the mall, but I guess some other parents had similar ideas." She smiled down at Jason. "Isn't he just adorable? Is that Jason?! He doesn't look much more than 2!"
Pam simply shrugged. "And where is Michael? I don't see him anywhere," she looked around.
"Oh, he's in the changing room. He asked for a little modesty. As if he has anything that I haven't seen before. After all, I changed his diapers!" Carlie just shook her head in bemusement. "Are you here to pick up some things for Jason?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Pam looked down at her son and couldn't contain a laugh. "I can't say I kept any of his old baby clothes, 'cause I didn't think I'd be needing them again." Pam dragged Jason over to a rack of toddler and small child sized outfits. Expertly, she measured Jason against a pair of pants to get a feel for his size and then began to pick things off the rack.
"Mooommmm, I can pick for myself!" he whined. (His whining made him look even younger than he was) Pam hardly paid him any attention.
"OK, let's get in the stall and see how these things fit," Pam said directing her son to one of the open changing rooms.
"You're not coming in with me, are you?" Jason asked in horror.
"Of course, silly. You didn't think I'd let you go somewhere by yourself, did you? It's much too dangerous for little kids to be left unattended." Pam looked around the shop to prove her point.
"But I don't want you to see me naked! I've been putting on my own clothes just fine without you for years!" Jason exclaimed. He couldn't fathom his Mother actually being in the same room with him when he had no clothes on. It couldn't possibly be any worse than that.
"Jason, you have nothing to be ashamed of," Pam scolded. "Do you see Michael complaining? That's because he knows you have nothing to hide, he's a big boy about it. You're acting like a child."
"I don't care; I don't want you following me into a room to see how my clothes fit. I can just tell you!" Jason couldn't believe this! Just when things seemed to be bad enough, his Mom went and made them worse.
"It's not up for discussion," Pam said with a tone of finality in her voice." Now you can walk into that room on your own or I can drag you in by the hand. Which would you prefer?" Jason realized that he had no choice in this conversation. His Mother was laying down the law, and in his present condition, he had no choice. After all, how could he stop her? She towered over him!
Fuming, Jason led the three into the small closet sized changing room. Pam positioned herself to block the doorway Jason would have some room to move around. She set all the clothes down on the small rack set on the floor, and waited for Jason to undo his shorts. Guiltily, Jason looked down at his shorts, the only real maturity he had left. If he took off his shorts, there'd be nothing to remember the teenager he used to be. He'd be practically admitting he was only a little boy. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his fingers to unlace the drawstrings.
With a mutter of frustration, Pam grabbed the know and undid it with a sharp tug, dropping Jason's pants down to pool at his ankles revealing his naked body to his Mother's gaze. With a yelp, Jason automatically covered his private parts with a blush across his face.
"Jason, stop being so ridiculous," Pam scolded him. "You're a child, now, regardless of how you used to be. We don't know if this thing, whatever it is, will wear off in little while or if you'll be this way for a while, but until it does, there's going to be some changes in our house." Without missing a beat, Pam grabbed a smart navy blue shirt off the top of the pile one with Big Bird prominently displayed on the front, and paired it with pair of darker blue sweat pants. Then she realized what article of clothing she'd forgotten. "Jason, stay here. I mean it, don't leave this room while I'm gone. . .or you won't like the consequences."
Without a choice, Jason waited in the Changing room while his Mother ran out for a couple of minutes. She returned shortly with a pack in her hand. . .of Pull Ups disposable Training Pants! Pam opened the pack up and pulled out a folded Pull Up, holding it out to Jason.
"Here you go, I forgot to get you some underwear," she said.
"No, uh-uh, there's no way I'm wearing those," he whimpered. How old did his Mom think he was? "I'm not a baby, Mom. Get me some underpants." Pam only shook her head.
"Sweety, be reasonable here," Pam condescended. "You're maybe 2 years old, do you think Wal-mart has underpants for 2 year olds? Most of 'em are still wearing Pampers. If you'd rather wear those instead, that's fine with me." Apparently, Jason just didn't get the situation he was in. As little as he liked it, he would have to adjust to the fact he wasn't a teenager anymore.
Jason felt like crying. It wasn't fair! It just wasn't. He'd gone to school looking and feeling just fine, but here he was now dressing up like he was headed for pre-school and his Mom wanted him to put on a Pull Up.
"Jason, it's only a Pull Up," Pam said, trying to comfort her son. "You don't have to use it like it's a diaper, I just needed to get you some underwear that'd fit. Now, do you need some help with it or can you get it by yourself?"
"I can do it" Jason snarled. With a groan, he slid the Pull Up on. It crinkled a little, but overall, it didn't hamper his moments too much. In fact, it felt almost like regular underwear. Just much thicker underwear.
"Now, put those clothes on, kiddo, and we'll get out of here. I need to drop by the store on the way home." Jason dutifully pulled the sweat pants on over his Pull Up (he was glad to see they almost completely concealed the bulge created by the Training Pant) and then dropped the shirt over his head. "Good job, sweety," Pam said approvingly, while she picked up the rest of the clothes from the pile in her hands. "Now, can you give Mommy a big hand and carry the Pull Up's by yourself?"
Although he didn't want the other parents (and especially the other kids) to see him with potty training pants, Jason didn't have any other choice so he grabbed the pack and hefted it after his Mom. As they stepped out of the room, the first people they ran into were Carlie and Michael. "Aren't you Mommy's little helper?" she grinned as she saw the Pull Up's in his hands. "Are those for Jason? Is he big enough for them? Michael still wore diapers when he was that size."
"I think we'll give the Pull Up's a try and see how things go," Pam said, causing Jason to swing around with fear. Michael, quite a bit larger than Jason, leered at his former friend's predicament.
"Noooo!! No diapers, Mom, I'm not wearing any baby diapers, no way." This was the last straw. Bad enough he had to look this small, there wasn't any way on Earth his Mom was going to treat him like it. He'd be damned if anybody was going to put a diaper on his body.
Almost as if she could read his mind and felt like mocking him for it, Carlie only gave him a shrug. "If you were my kid, I'd have you in a Pamper before you took another step." She patted his bottom, affectionately. "That Pull Up is a nice start, but you look like you'd fall in the Potty chair, let alone use it. Anyway, be happy your Mom's a bit more daring than I am." With that, Carlie dragged Michael along to the check out line and Pam took Jason another direction.
He continued to fume the rest of the way through the store, and it only got worse when his Mom also bought a car seat and a Booster seat. It was a loooonnng car ride home.
And it would only get worse for Jason.
Part II
The School Board of Scottsdale set their meeting for Thursday of that week, wanting an entire weekend to be able to set their policies in motion. Invited to attend were all high school parents and a few middle school boys who had been repeated over once or twice, as well as the faculties of all the high schools in the area. It was quite the crowded Hall, a real standing room only affair. But with all the small children sitting in attendance, it seemed more like the crowd attending a Sesame Street production. And that was precisely how Jason felt sitting in one of the aisles toward the front with his Mom right beside. His childish feet were so small they didn't reach the floor so he had to be content to swing them back and forth.
Talk about 3 miserable days.
The Pull Ups had been bad enough, but they were only the beginning. No, once Jason got home, Mom put down the ground rules. Number one, Jason wasn't allowed out of the house unless she accompanied him. Period! Not even into the back yard of their home. Not to the park, not to Andy Clemmon's swimming pool which he'd been swimming in for almost 5 years, not to the gas station down the street. Nowhere!
Number two, now Jason had a curfew, except she called it Bedtime. 7:00! 7:00!?? What the hell was up with that? Last and by far the worst, she wanted Jason to tell her when he had to use the bathroom! So she could follow him in and, get this, "See if you're wiping the right way." Mom even wanted to help. Help!? What kind of help did she think he needed?
He also had to use a child sized Potty chair which she bought before they left Wal-Mart. So, for the past three days, every couple of hours, Jason would have to let her know that he had to make a stop and the two of them would make quite the entourage traipsing into the bathroom. During the time, Jason had forgotten to go two times because he was busy doing other things and had tinkled in his Pull Up. Mom had tsked at him and taken him to get a bath before putting on another.
At least Pam had been given the week off by her employers at the J.C. Penny's. Like the rest of the country, families all over the place were scrambling to make arrangements for their pint sized members. Pam had divorced Jason's Dad right after Jason was born and they never spoke about him. In all intents and purposes, it was only Pam and Jason together in the world. So whatever decisions they came up with, it would be determined by the two of them. At least, that's what his Mom kept telling him. But up till this point, it seemed that she was doing all of the decision making with no input from her son.
Jason stared forlornly at the podium on the stage of the Hall. In precisely five minutes, the School Superintendent would make a ruling regarding where he would spend his days when his Mom finally went back to work. So far, most school districts around the country had made almost identical decisions.
"These are children," they had said. "Very small children. Our campuses were not designed with four year olds in mind for their use. The desks are too big, the doorknobs too high, the stairs will be a traffic jam. In the end, we're afraid alternative educational programs will need to be implemented."
Basically, the schools were saying thanks for stopping by but we can't take you. Go somewhere else.
Jason only hoped that Scottsdale would be different.
"Look, honey, here he comes," Pam shook Jason out of his revelry. Jason watched as Dr. Bill Cunningham, School Superintendent of Scottsdale Schools made his way to the front of the stage. He self consciously straightened his tie and coughed politely into his right fist.
"Good evening, ladies and. . .er gentlemen. I'm sure I don't need to read the articles and minutes for why we're having this meeting tonight. I can see by how many youngsters are here that everybody is pretty much aware of how serious this situation is that this entire nation is facing today." He stopped to cough again. "But be that as it may, a decision still must be reached. For the past 3 days, the School Board had gone over and over exactly what our needs are as a school district and what the needs of our student body happens to be. And we have reached what we hope is a fair and equitable verdict."
Jason wasn't the only set of ears pricked up at this point. He knew that many other boys in the room were all but holding their breaths in anticipation.
"Let me be frank," Dr. Cunningham continued. "We are dealing with children." Jason felt an icy cold grip of fear wrap itself around his chest. "Very small children. And as much as I would love to say that we have a place for all children in our schools, I'm afraid that we do not have a place for these children. At least not now."
"But Dr. Cunningham, where can we send our children if not to school?" someone shouted from the back of the room.
"At this very moment, the United States Congress is passing emergency legislation on that very point.
It's called the Kensing-Haberly Act, but we've started calling it the Daycare Act."
Many people started talking at once, quickly raising the level of noise in the already full Hall. Imagine someone shouting, followed by three people shouting, until an entire room full of people began screaming at the top of their lungs. Then multiply that by 4. It was worse.
Dr. Cunningham raised his hands plaintively above his head. "Please, people, have order. I know this is difficult, but you must understand the position that we are all placed in. Schools are built for a specific size. In this case, most high schools construct their facilities for students of 5 feet through 6 foot five. And as much as we would love to have them, your boys are no longer anywhere near that height."
"Couldn't they be in classrooms downstairs?"
"There are no desks their size," Cunningham answered. "Can they carry the textbooks they would need to class? They can't reach the lockers at above 3 feet in height. The doorknobs are far beyond their reach. What if there was a fire or other emergency? Don't you see," he begged, "these are the very questions the Board has been faced wit for three days."
"But Daycare? Isaac was taking Calculus last week. Are you saying he'll be going back to his 'ABC's'?" That had to be Helen Trample, Isaac Trample's Mom, Jason thought to himself. If there was an over achiever in the senior class, it wore the face of Isaac Trample, His mother must be beside herself with the current state of affairs. Isaac had just been offered a scholarship to Arizona State. Now the only way he was going was if his Mother carried him to class every day.
"Look, I wish there were some other way but be reasonable," Dr. Cunningham pleaded. "How would our teachers be able to work if they have to change their entire practices in the same classroom to fit students with different needs? They can't reach the counters for labs, they can't play sports with the girls or they'll be trampled. My P.E. teachers have let me know they won't start having Play Time with the little boys. As much as I wish it were otherwise, there is no way we can take these children in."
Cunningham continued to feed questions for a few more minutes while Jason tuned the world out.
Daycare? It wasn't possible! They couldn't send all the boys in high school, could they? To do what? What would happen? Would they have to do the same things as the other little kids? Coloring time? Activity time? Music time? (Shudder) Nap time? And when? Pam couldn't stay home form work much longer. As of Monday, Jason needed to be somewhere and she'd let him know in no uncertain terms he couldn't be by himself. So no staying home alone.
"As I was saying earlier, Congress is passing laws to place all your sons in Daycare centers free of charge. They are still entitled to a free and open public education and we know that many of you can't afford to pay for their care. However, for those of you who are able, we sincerely hope you will assist the government in this endeavor."
Cunningham paced to the opposite side of the stage. "The government hopes you will continue to bring your children in for check ups with a pediatrician at least every 2 months. Again, if expense is a problem, let us know and we'll help. We need to get as much information about this change as we can."
Jason shook his head. "Mom, he doesn't mean it, does he? We're not really going to have to go to Daycare are we?"
Pam held a hand to quiet Jason down while she continued to listen to the superintendent.
"As soon as this situation works itself out, we'll be happy to bring your boys back. But for now, this really is the best solution for all involved."
"Better for who?" an angry voice demanded. "You want Johnny to go and be babysat for hours each day so you don't have to puzzle out the details of teaching him in your precious school!"
"Ma'am, I assure that is not the case," Dr. Cunningham scolded. "But let's play just suppose, all right, to assuage your ill tempered feelings? The national average seems to be about 5 percent of the boys regressing the state of two year olds. That includes the physiology of a two year old. The last time I checked, the average age of toilet training was 3 and a half, fully a year and a half after their present state. Now while I'm sure your son is just fine, many other children will not be so easily cared for. And as much as some would like otherwise, my schools are not and shall not become a nursery!"
"May I speak, Dr. Cunningham?" a hand lifted from directly behind Jason. Dr. Cunningham nodded his assent. "Thank you, my name is Linda Caroll. I've been an educator for over twenty years. I'm proud of my job and the work I do. But I'm not a babysitter. I don't get paid to sing songs and kiss boo boos. I raised my two girls and I've changed my last diaper. I'm sorry, will some of those parents be sending a changing bag with them to the school? Will we have five minutes out of each period for a potty check? As I was walking in, I noticed quite a few children with some sort of Pamper on. In fact, the boy right in front of me is wearing one right now, am I right?"
Jason tried to duck his head but the damage was done. Everywhere around the room, people were turning their heads and staring. Worse, many recognized Pam and figured out who "the boy" was. Jason's face continued to turn a beet red.
"My son is wearing a Pull Up, thank you very much," Pam snarled. "And he's only gone pee-pee in it twice this week!" Pam snapped, her voice rising indignantly.
"Mom!" Jason whimpered. All over the room, people started laughing. Even some of the little boys joined in.
"I rest my case," Ms. Caroll said and sat down.
"I think that will conclude us for tonight," Dr. Cunningham finished. "We'll have an official statement for the press in tomorrow's paper, but I thank you all for coming and wish you well."
The room began to break up and as they headed for the exits, Jason felt himself get jostled from behind. "Oh, I'm sorry, are you all right?" a voice asked in his ear. With a start, Jason recognized the voice. Terri Blake, like one of the three hottest girls in the junior class. The only reason she wasn't Captain of the Cheerleading squad was because it interfered with her other jobs at the school paper and on the soccer team.
"Are you OK?" she repeated again.
"Jason? Honey, answer her question," his Mother demanded from behind.
"Jason Carlson? Is that you!? God, look at you, you're the cutest little thing." Terri dimpled at him. "My brother was in your class, but my Mom and Dad wouldn't let him come tonight because it was so late. Man, you're adorable!"
"Jason," Pam prodded from his back," tell her thank you."
"T-t-t-hanks," Jason mumbled.
"Hey, Ms. C., if you ever need a sitter, you know for Jay, let me know. I'd be happy to take him off your hands for a couple of hours. He doesn't need, you know, Huggies or anything, does he? 'cause I heard that some of them do."
Jason thanked whatever God was up there that Terri apparently hadn't seen the moment in the Hall.
"Oh, Jason doesn't wear those things, but I do have in Pull Up's, in case of an accident," Pam answered.
"Oh, I guess you're a Big Kid now, huh Jason?" Terri giggled. "Well, I mean it, if you do need someone to watch him, give me a call. Heck, I'll look after him even he does need a Pamper, just because he's sooo cute!" She waved as she walked off.
"Wasn't that nice of her sweetie?" Pam asked. "Well come on, it's way past your bedtime. Let's go home."
Part III
The following Friday, the newapapers were all over passage of the Kensing-Haberly Act, although almost all of them began to use its pet name religiously. The Daycare Act boiled down to three separate sections, and the morning news spent time dealing with each. As most of the country had already learned, all boys forcibly regressed would be eligible for enrollment into the Daycare of their parent’s choosing. The government was already taking steps to open more centers since the population of those in need had exploded by 18 million virtually overnight. A 1-800 number quickly became available providing information on where and how to contact the appropriate center. The second part of the Act dealt with health care for the afflicted. Many children who had been working to make money in order to support their families were offered a stipend in order to make up for the loss in available income. The last part of the Act was by far the most controversial. Beginning on Monday, December 14, all products for children aged 2 through 7, would be tax free and able to be used as a tax write off on that year’s Income Return. Regardess of what the product might be or where it could be purchased, from here until the foreseeable future, any toddler care item would be sold free of tax.
Around the country, parents began to breathe a collective sigh of relief and a shopping exodus bloomed almost immediately. Malls and supercenters were inundated with parents scrambling up and down the aisles to get this or that piece of equipment for their child. Daycare centers also felt the beginnings of tension as they received thousands of phone calls from frantic parents demanding a placement for their child and refusing to accept no for an answer.
The lucky parents used their work connections and tried to place their sons in the office daycare center. In this case, hospital employees proved the most successful. Unfortunately, many parents and small boys were left freaking out when the day that became known as Black Monday began.
In Scottsdale, Jason woke up Monday morning in a cold sweat. This was it, the day when he would have to actually be seen by multiple people. He couldn’t hide in the house anymore. Mom went to work promptly at 8:00 and Jason was scheduled to begin Daycare at half an hour till.
Around the town, care centers were undergoing severe construction and renovation with the assistance of government loans and subsidies but the construction wasn’t supposed to be completed for another two months. Until then, the School Board had found their “alternative education placement” in the older Warren Anderson High School. For almost twenty tears, Anderson was the place for underage mothers and students with specific educational needs. Its floorplan happened to include a rather large nursery area, large enough to accommodate at least four hundred children, because of a blunder on behalf of the company who’d built it, a blunder which appeared more like a Godsend now.
At least to the parents. To Jason, it seemed more like prison.
The Board randomly selected what children would be enrolled there until the care centers finished their work and Jason’s name had been selected. When his Mom received the phone call Saturday morning, she reacted as if she’d been selected for Publishers Clearing House sweeptstakes.
“Isn’t that great, honeybunch? They’ve got a place for you to go on Monday!” Pam had shouted, picking Jason up off the couch and swinging him through the air.
“Mom, please, you know I hate it when you dooo that,” Jason protested. In the following week, his Mom’s behavior had become progressively more childish in the way she treated him. She had begun to answer his questions in a syrupy voice and refer to him as either “Sweetie,” “Honey,” or (his least favorite) “Pookie.” She’d also begun to order his daily routine with no input from him. “Am I supposed to be happy they’ve found someone to watch me all day?”
“Jason, you know there’s no way I can stay home from work with you. You know that right? I have to work so we can eat, for God’s sake.”
“But why can’t I stay here?” Jason pleaded. “I can look after myself just fine while you’re at work, I know I can. And if I do need you, I can call you on the phone.”
Pam simple stared at her son, and set him down on the floor. “We’ve been over this, Jason and Mommy’s not going to argue with you again. I am not leaving a toddler home by himself; it’s not happening so just get it out of your head!”
And that was that. As was becoming more and more common, Jason’s Mother was relegating her son to the position of idiot, a child incapable of making his own decisions. She told him where to go, what to do, what to eat, what to wear. She acknowledged his questions and requests, but ultimately did what she wanted. And in this case, Jason could only lower his head and follow her demands. After all, what could he do to stop her? It wasn’t like he could run away. How far could a two year old set of legs carry him, after all?
So today, they drove towards the school in silence. Anderson had been built only about 10 minutes from their home so it didn’t take long. The long brick building glowered in the early dawn light with little friendliness. Its red brick glimmered coldly and the windows showed only a few flickers of light. Pam pulled the Jeep Cherokee up to the drive circle and stopped it close to the front door. At this point in the morning, only a few other parents were there with their youngsters.
Pam opened up the passenger door and undid Jason from the car seat, then reached behind him and grabbed a bag . Helping him out of the car, she took his left and hand and guided him into the building. Immediately, they were met by a harried older African American woman with a P.D.T. in hand.
“Hi,” the woman said, briskly striding up to the Carlsons, “I’m Janet Witmore, Nurssery Supervisor. I need to check your son in and make sure we have all his records and immunizations on file.”
“Pam Carlson, this is Jason, how do you do?” Pam said, proffering her hand. Quickly, Ms. Witmore found Jason’s information on the computer and proceeded to affix a colorful sticker to his shirtfront, one which showed Elmo.
“I see that the pediatrician who examined Jason, a Dr. Kelling, measured him at around two years, is that right?” Witmore queried.
“That’s correct, he’s one of the younger ones,” Pam replied.
“Actually, he’s the only younger one we’re getting at Anderson. Most were sent to Ashgrove Daycenter, the rest are at Tiny Tots. All we have here are four year olds and a couple of three’s. I’m afraid Jason is kind of on his own in that respect.”
“Oh, that should be fine. Jason shouldn’t be any trouble to you,” Pam smiled.
“I’m afraid you don’t get it, Ms. Carlson. We usually have 72 children at this center in various ages running from newborns to 4 year olds. Today, we’re expecting an additional 250 children, and although we have the space for them, we don’t have the teachers for them. . .yet.” Ms. Witmore paused to ensure that Pam was listening to every word.
“In order to accommodate all our little ones, we’re separating them by age so we can properly staff them all. Until we get the new center workers we’re expecting in about a week or so, we’re using students here to help us out. We’ll have people to look after your son, but we can’t ensure he gets a teacher, at least not until the help arrives.” Pam waited, taking this all in. “And until that help gets here, I’m afraid we’re splitting the new boys up into age centers. So I’ve placed all the four year olds in the four year old room, same for the three’s.”
“But that means?” Pam looked meaningfully down at her son.
“Jason’s going to be with the toddlers,” Ms. Witmore replied.
“I’m going to do what?” Jason screamed. He was practically apoplexic now.”I have to be with the babies for a week?” he demanded of the women.
“Possibly longer, hon, ya see we’re not sure when the new daycare center workers will be here.” Ms. Witmore smiled reassuringly at the frightened lad and then turned back to Pam. “I need to ask, is Jason using the Potty? We have some diapers here, but I’m afraid if he needs them, you’ll need to furnish your own supply.”
“Oh, Jason wears a Pull Up and I did bring a couple of extras with me, you know just in case,” Pam said, handing the pack over to Ms. Witmore. Now Jason saw what his Mom had grabbed from the back of the Jeep earlier. “He should be just fine with those, but I’ll be glad to bring more if he needs them.”
“Mr. Carlson, I’m sure that’s fine, but you do know that Pull Ups only work if the child has occasional accidents. Should the problem increase, we would have to take . . .different steps.”
“I completely understand, but I think Jason will be just fine.” Pam patted him on the head and kissed him on the cheek. “Have a great day, Pookie. Mommy will be back at 4 to pick you up.”
Jason could only watch as Pam walked back out the door to the car.
“Well, Jason, if you’ll come with me, I’ll show you to your room,” Ms. Witmore said, taking Jason’s hand and leading him to one of the first rooms to the right of the hallway. The sign on the door read in bright, colorful letters:
All Terrific Two’s Welcome!
And Jason’s first day of Daycare for the second time in his life began.