The little things.....

I spend all day taking care of kids, running after them, keeping them safe, feeding them, cleaning them, diapering them, educate them, and most important of all loving them. Childcare is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in a child's life. It is also a very tough job. I don't just baby sit toddlers all day, no, that is not my in my job description. Yes, I change diapers. Yes, I watch them to keep them safe from harm. Yes, I do pretty much what a baby sitter would do. But. I also create an environment conducive to nurturing their social, cognitive, emotional and physical development. ( I work in the young toddler unit, one year olds.) I encourage curiosity, exploration and discovery. They don't just play, they learn and grow.

Childcare is a great place for a child to bud and grow. But childcare can also be hard on a young one. Imagine spending over eight hours a day in a room with two teachers and 9 other kids. You have to share everything, space, toys, books, germs and even the teachers attention. Childcare can be a bit overwhelming at times. It is no wonder that every now and then, a child needs a little something more.

A day ago, one of my toddlers had a run in with a classmate who took his toy. We walked over to the grabber and got the toy back but the child was still an emotional wreck. I sat down on the ground so that we could be at the same eye level. I gave the child a big hug. After a minute, he looked up at me and smiled then went off to play. He was fine. I was touched by his reaction to something so little like a hug. But then I thought, maybe it was not such a small thing, a comforting, reassuring hug.

I sure could use one of those right about now :)

Where did my ears go??

Cute classroom (playground) story. Yesterday, my classroom and I played out in the rain. Surprisingly, they loved it! Usually, they cry, whine and tug at my legs until we go inside, but not yesterday! They all found stuff to play with. It didn't pour on us for long, after awhile, it stopped. One of my littlest ones fell down and wanted to be held. After a a bit, she calmed down and just enjoyed being in my arms. She looked at me, first my eyes, then she pointed to my glasses and said, "ga ga" I said, "yes [child's name], glasses." She touched my nose and said, "o." "yes, my nose." She leaned over and reached for my ears and touched my scarf. She had a very confused look on her face. She could not find my ears. I asked her, "where are my ears?" She looked to the right and left of my head, still confused. I asked her again, "where did they go?" She looked down at the ground. She squiggled out of my arms and started searching for my ears (on the ground!!) I was tickled pink! This is not the first time one of my students have been stumped by my ears being hidden under my scarf, but they have all been able to find them. She is the first to not check under my scarf. My little dear one is still looking for my ears :D