Dear Ms Martin,
As a child, I loved being read to but really didn't get into reading. The books that my school offered were boring for the bright second grader that I was, and it seemed like I would never get hooked. That is, until I stayed late at Children's Courtyard and pulled out "The Ghost at Dawn's House."
I was so enthralled that at eight years old I stayed up until 11:30 reading My parents ended up making me go to sleep and not letting me finish the book because it scared me so much (I showed them, though, I read the last page!). But I had found the series and I was hooked.
Kristy's Great Idea, Claudia and the Bad Joke, The Truth about Stacy, I read all I could get ahold of. Babysitting became my main goal. My dad made a deal with me: since the babysitters' club sitters were 11-13, I could start sitting at 12. I read the tips for sitters two years before that, and I became fascinated with the way kids act.
Furthermore, I began reading. Not just reading, devouring books. I read all sorts of series and some junk books, but also read and fell in love with Greek Mythology, the Ramayana (at 10!), and The Chronicles of Narnia. I also decided I would be a famous...what? Poet? Novelist? Both? Either way, I started writing.
As a babysitter, I was exposed to all sorts of parenting styles (and some abusive parents) and became interested in parenting and child development. As I planned for college, some part of my goal to be a counselor was to help children like those in my care as a sitter.
I continued writing. I took college classes in high school (just like Janine!) and was second in my senior English class. By now I was reading Bronte, Austen, Robin Mckinley, Juliette Marillier, and in love with Tennyson.
In college, I majored in psychology. I wrote one of my final papers, my theory of psychology, stating that everything comes down to development. Throughout this time, I continued babysitting and nannying. I also began writing a novel.
After college, I took a year to figure out what exactly I wanted to do. I worked in child care and became a nanny for another family.
As I pursued my graduate career, I realized my heart still sided with children. I wanted so badly to make their environments safe and supportive. With this in mind, I focused on parent education.
In May, I received my Master's Degree in Family and Child Studies. I am currently working at a preschool that focuses on parent education. I hope to eventually work as a doula, childbirth and parenting educator, and general facilitator of family empowerment and problem-solving.
In addition, I have kept writing my novel. I also started writing short stories and re-tellings of my favorite folk tales. I tell stories whenever possible, and hope someday to have my work published to other young readers.
So, as strange as it seems, I owe a lot to you, Ms Martin. Maybe without your books I may have started reading and writing. Maybe without the stories of your seven sitters I would have become interested in child development on my own. Maybe, but I choose today to recognize the part you have held in my life. Maybe someday you will google search yourself and this blog will come up. Maybe you will never see it. Either way, thank you for your impact on my life and the lives of others.
Very sincerely yours,
Skatej
