Last Day in Infant Room

During the past couple of weeks, my little guy has been transitioning from his infant classroom to the toddler room. Tomorrow he will officially spend the entire day with the toddlers.

Transitioning isn't just for the tots--I have some transitioning to do as well. Because the routine is set, I will need to drop him off by 9 so he can participate in the snack time. In the infant room, we showed up any time between 9 and 9:30, but I always played a bit and then left at around 9:30. I don't think I will be hanging out in the toddler classroom as much. I am a little sad about that since I really enjoyed getting to know all of the little characters in the infant room. Will I even get to know the toddlers in this room?

There are also different expectations about the food. Before, I packed a mix of finger foods and foods to be spoonfed. Now, finger foods are preferred. Before, he had a little spot in the class refrigerator for his food. Now, I will need to provide a lunch box. Before, all his milk was in two bottles. Now, he will come to school with only one bottle, and the rest will be poured from his thermos.

So far the transition for our son has been going great! He's been sleeping and eating more, and the stories that he "tells" during dinner seem pretty entertaining. Now let's see how I will do with the transition.

Articles about Play

Play is so important for children--it helps them discover the world around them, figure out how physics works, and think logically. It also is good for their creativity, social emotional development, and physical development. That's why I wanted our son to go to a school with play-based emergent curriculum rather than one that focused only on ABCs and 123s.

There have been two interesting articles lately about play. One is about a teacher who replaced all of the toys in his classroom with boxes. And the kids loved it. This is especially good to keep in mind with the holiday season coming up. Children really do not need a lot of toys, especially battery-operated ones.  Open-ended toys such as balls, blocks, dolls, and containers can be used imaginatively.

Another article talked about how very young children are capable of learning and being logical, if allowed to play and figure things out themselves rather than being directly taught. Recent studies indicate what those of us who work and live with children have already suspected--even before they turn one, young children are capable of understanding jokes, figuring out sequences, and knowing when someone needs a hug.

I am Thankful for Early Childhood Educators

I am thankful that we are able to bring my son to a high quality childcare center that is two blocks from our home and filled with toys, activities, and friends. Even if I didn't work, I know that he would do well in this environment.

I am especially thankful for his teachers. Besides changing diapers, wiping noses, and warming bottles, my son's teachers do the following: create a safe environment that can be explored freely; model how to treat each other gently and with patience; observe each child to learn individual signs for hunger, sleepiness, and boredom; determine how to react and care for a child who has fallen or bumped his head (in a class of infants learning to walk, this probably happens 100 times a day); plan developmentally appropriate activities for the babies to learn about the world around them; talk with anxious and stressed out first-time parents; monitor babies for constipation, allergic reactions, and illness; and of course, they make sure each child is loved.

I used to work at a childcare, so I know that the work is difficult and often underpaid. And while it is rewarding work, it is often thankless and undervalued work. The best way to show thanks? I believe that it makes a difference when teachers are paid a fair wage and have access to the same types of benefits and time-off that I have. After all, what they do from 9 to 5 is far more important than what I do--or what many of us do--during that time.