Aubrey Colyard and his grandson Christian. - Kimesha Walters photo

For Aubrey Colyard, work has become a tad more challenging since he started to take his grandson, Christian, to work with him. The Gleaner caught up with this interesting duo at Colyard's pastry shop in Chapelton, Clarendon last Thursday.

An entrepreneur since 1985, Colyard and his wife, Ruth, have had Christian since he was only two weeks old. However, he has recently taken on the role of a full-fledged babysitter since their helper quitted last December, and it would have been less than convenient for Ruth, a teacher to take him to school.

"The helper quitted just before Christmas and, since that time, he has been like my handbag. He has been with me full-time for almost one month now," he told The Gleaner. "He goes everywhere with me, in the car on my back seat, to work and even to the supermarket," said the proud granddad, as he smiled lovingly at Christian.

Shorter hours

Colyard said he stays at work a few hours shorter than usual to reduce his grandson's exposure to that environment. However, he still tags Christian along for other activities. "I have a board meeting at 3 p.m. today, and I will be taking him with me," he said.

Christian, who will be three years old in June, does not say much, but he seems to make up for this shortfall with his incessant playful activities. "Daddy, daddy, daddy!" he squealed in excitement. However, his grandfather always answered, "Yes Christian?" He would point to something and say "that" and his grandfather in turn would say the name of whatever he was pointing to. Colyard never seemed bored or uninterested. For almost two hours, Christian climbed on to his grandfather's lap, smiling and pointing at several different items calling out 'bottle', 'shoes', 'chair'. Sometimes he sneaked a kiss, other times they just hugged.

Like most children his age, Christian is always on the go. He constantly took off his shoes while his grandfather tried to keep up with him and put them back on. However, this was not an easy task ashe sometimes tossed the sock across his grandfather's desk. Colyard would pick it up and put it, and the shoe, on Christian's foot, but this seemed only to fascinate Christian, as he did his tricks over and over again.

Christian was so active that he wet himself and his grandfather's pants in the process. Oops! Colyard took his 'baby bag' and went to change his grandson into something more comfortable and dry.

Christian would push his luck too far, however. Colyard turned around in time to see him emptying a package of elastic bands into a garbage bin. Colyard gave him a slap on his hand. "Christian, you did it yesterday and you come back and do the same thing again." Christian held his head down with a sad look on his face. He was quiet for a while. Only a while. For he soon returned to his playful self.

For lunch, Colyard fed Christian sausages and smiled at him saying "good boy, good boy". Surprisingly, Christian replied "nice" as he burst into a fit of laughter.

Christian takes a rest, as granddad makes a call.