Toddlers

While Numbers, Letters, and Shapes are an important part of a childcare program, they sure aren't the most important.   While some people incorporate these things into their programs, you should be able to see, right off the bat, that they are not the crux of the program.  They are just a starting off point to teach the important things, like socialization, patience, love, friendship, problem-solving, self-help skills... you see, these are the hidden skills that are taught on a daily basis at a quality childcare program.  

So, when you come to my house and this is what you see...

It is because we are learning and learning can be very hard sometimes,

 especially when your motto is this...

The Toddler Creed

If I want it,
IT'S MINE!

If I give it to you and change my mind later,
IT'S MINE!

If I can take it away from you,
IT'S MINE!

If it's mine it will never belong to anybody else,
No matter what.

If we are building something together,
All the pieces are mine!

If it looks just like mine,
IT'S MINE!

If it breaks or needs putting away,
IT'S YOURS!

     I understand that The Toddler Creed was composed by T. Berry Brazelton and I think he hit the nail right on the head!!  As I am navigating my way through each day with 3 toddlers, (and 2 just out of the toddler years) I look upon this poem and remember how hard it must be for these 3 small beings and that my patience, understanding, and teaching is part of the reason they will come out the other side as confident, independent, capable preschoolers that we, their parents and I, can send off on their next adventure... Going to school!! I know it seems so far away, but I know from experience that this time is fleeting and they grow way to fast.  

So, while no one wants to see their child cry, or know they are unhappy... part of the growing process is to be able to learn through these experiences and come out stronger and wiser.  Something we do everyday ;)

What We Did Wednesday!!

Just a glimpse of our day...

This Lock Box is a toy from the local lending library... I am so happy to have found it, and that our community has it. To buy this box would be $50 or $60... something I can't afford. The kids loved it. They kept hiding little things in there for each other to find. Ry found Kitty's... what a surprise :)

Our Hairy Potatoes needed some watering today... I am hoping they are getting enough sunshine... it seems my house has overhangs that help shield the windows from direct sunlight... we might have to move them outside each day for a Sun Bath :)

We finally got to make our Greenhouses. The kids enjoyed making them. We began at Circle Time talking about how plants grow... in soil, with water and sun. Then we talked about what would happen if we planted a seed without soil. I showed them the Greenhouse Ms Dana made for us and we took some guesses on if the bean was going to grow in the paper towel of not.

(and yes, those are Snowmen still in my window :) They are draft protectors and I am to lazy to put them up)

Some patterning fun, while we pick out our cool greenhouse decorations

bug, flower, bug, flower, bug, flower... to cute

concentration

This is what they look like on the back door... I just hope the sun gets to them or they will have to be moved too... I may just have to send them home, we will have to see.

I put the finger paints out today... sometimes it is fun to just spread, squish, splat, and explore paint. No need for paper, just explore, swipe it away and do it again... the messy hands are just a bonus :)

You know what, I was thinking today that I have hardly any Spring or Summer books. I looked for a book to go with our Greenhouse activity but in all my books, I couldn't find one. So, if anyone has any ideas or a link to a good list of books I should get for a Spring (growing, plants, roots) Theme, I would greatly appreciate it. For someone who has a ton of books, I can't seem to find this section (which means it is probably stashed away somewhere all together, or I accidentally lost a box of books in our move). So, I need to get some more. Thanks to all!!!

I love Tuesdays!!!

It was a Smart Start day!! I think Tuesdays could be my new favorite day!! We headed out the door after a breakfast of Bagels, Cream Cheese and Strawberries and as always it was an exciting morning with our new friends at Smart Start. The kids just love Miss Missy and playing in the "cool" playroom. (hum... what am I missing in our playroom) They got to play in colored sand, on the loft, and a real bonus, BALLS... INSIDE!!! How will I ever live up to that?? :)

When we got home we had our snack (playroom fun always makes us hungry) and went outside. The rain has held off and we got to play and run. Our sandbox and sand pit are still a focal point, today we managed to shovel and dump probably 1/2 the sand out of the sandbox and onto various parts of the yard. The sand pit NOT being one of those places. The kids made hills, ramps, and blockades for their Monster Trucks. That consumed a lot of time. I love that the sand is there, and they can freely move about the yard with it, but... pretty soon there will be no more sand in the box!! So, today we had to set some limits around the sand... it can be used in, around, and next to the sandbox or sand pit. Which includes the outdoor kitchen area. So, mud pies can still be made, and mud tea parties can still be had :)

How do you deal with sand in your yards?? I was thinking maybe my box was to small... but, I just think they like to transport it, build with it, and move it.

At Circle Time today we read our new homemade book... Kozy Kids "Who Do You See" Book. Basically, it is just like Eric Carle's "What Do You See" books but with our faces and names. Most people make one at the beginning of the year to get to know each other, but we decided to make ours at the end of the year... I am crazy like that :)

We also had a shape hunt, calendar, and some review on positional words. It is so hard at this time of the year to "work." We love being outside, playing, running and exploring. We have just 2 more letters to finish and then it will be just review for our preschoolers... then we will be on to our Summer Fun themes!!! I can't wait.

We were supposed to make our Greenhouses today, but I realized we had 4 boys and only 3 white frames... the rest were pink. So, I will be heading to the store tonight to purchase 1 more "boy" colored frame so we can get these greenhouses up!! I can't wait to see them, they sprout faster than our Hairy Potato... which the kids were frustrated today when there was no hair on the potatoes head!! :) So, we talked about growing.... how it has taken them 5 long years to get as big as they are. We found pictures of Little Miss M when she first started and then one from now and took guesses on how old she was when she started. They got the idea that the "hair" would take a while longer, sun, water, and our love to grow bigger. So, I hope they grow :)

I'll post some pictures tomorrow... dead battery in the camera today :)

Hairy Potato, Stunts, & Swings

Today we started our Plant Theme... Hairy the Potato, was our project today. The kids were so excited to complete this activity. We started out with a baking potato, cut the top (or bottom, whichever way you look at it) off, then dug out a hole (adult help needed here!!!). We then glued on eye, nose and a mouth (I used a hot glue gun for this, they told me where and they placed their pieces on the potato). We talked about what Hairy might be missing... hum... "Hair!!" someone yelled out. So we brainstormed on how we could get hair to grow in the hole... "Yarn," "Crazy Paper," (the paper we used on our kites) and " Spaghetti" were all great ideas :) Then I offered to let them take some of the grass seed that we used on the lawn this weekend to see if we could grow some hair. "Like our own hair!!" Princess Girl said, "My hair grew after I cut it with the scissors, see."

(Don't you just love the stage when they forget how to smile)

We thought they came out pretty neat... I thought Hairy was a good name, but each of the kids came up with their own name... like, Grassy, Tater, & Henry (ok, who knows where that came from???)

It is supposed to rain tomorrow, so we decided to spend our morning outside enjoying the beautiful weather. The kids loved the new sand pit... they spent a lot of time transferring sand from the box to the pit. Then they decided that the pit was high enough to use as a Stunt Pad. So, Stunts were being performed for a very long time. I always find it amazing that jumping, off anything, can be so satisfying to children. They jumped, got back in line, waited their turn, jumped again, over and over, for the better part of a hour. Amazing...

Little Miss M showed us how she could "swing" on the big kids swing today. I am not sure if this is something she learned over the weekend or she just "got" it today. She has been experimenting, practicing and playing on the big swings for awhile now. She has wanted to move the swing, while on her belly, since she can't actually get herself on the swing yet. The kids have been showing her how to do it, going as far as manipulating her feet to push off with. But, she just hadn't made the connection until today. I will have to ask Mom & Dad if they practiced over the weekend.

Despite how this photo looks, she was very proud of herself!!! I just caught her as she looked up from her work, so I think she was a little perturbed with me for bothering her.

The big girls were cheering her on!!!

We will be making our Greenhouses tomorrow, another activity the kids are excited about. I decided not to tell them what the seeds were... we are going to plant some in a cup and some in the "Greenhouses" and see what happens. It should be a lot of fun around here for the next couple of weeks... watching everything at their different stages of growth.

Busy... But Not

Wow, I feel like we haven't had any real structure to our days the past few weeks. We have been busy making holiday crafts, open ended art has been a huge hit the last two weeks, and just open free play. We have been "pulling" kids one-by-one to get things done, so I have allowed them to kinda just be. Which is nice, I have been allowed into their world of play. Getting to see them use what they have been "learning" since September. Seeing them "read" together from one of the books we have made, the sand studio has turned into a Car Garage for all the matchbox cars, the gift wrapping table has become a place to conduct business... one day it was the grocery store (where the baker wrapped their cakes... who knows where that came from??) one day it was the farmer who had to wrap and sell ALL the pretend fruits and veggies from the "farm" (even a few from my pantry). I have been so busy doing "nothing" I haven't been able to get the camera out. I have missed so many great photos, but oh well, I have enjoyed our days together.

**By the way... we are still working on that growth spurt I wrote about :) We haven't made the leap yet, but I definitely see some progress. My boys have started working together on more complex adventures (building things for their cars, kitty's, mazes for the monster trucks, etc...). So I think that it is safe to say... after break all the kids will be ready for some new and different activities to go with their growth spurt :)

Holiday Program

Today we practiced for our Holiday Program. The kids have gotten the hang of singing in front of a group. I will worry about my 2 almost 3 yr old, but I know she will bail as soon as she sees her parents. I don't know if it is out of fear of all those people, or just habit. Since she has been doing it for every program I can remember. She walks into the room, sees her Mom & Dad and when they smile... that's it off she runs. We practice waving, saying "Ok...Now were just going to wave at our Mom's & Dad's right, we won't run to them. We have to sing, right!!" She nods her cute little head, sings her heart out during the practice, and I just know she won't stay for the actual program. That is why I try to get video of them during practice. This way their Parent's know that they did it, can do it, and actually enjoyed it :) I will keep you posted... our program is on Thursday night...

Finishing up all our ornaments, reading about Jesus' birth, and opening up our Advent Calendar's doors each day keep us pretty busy. We don't always get that practice in. But I have learned... it doesn't actually matter how the evening goes... Mom, Dad, Grandma & Grandpa will love it anyway. They will look cute in their outfits with their reindeer antlers, some will belt out the songs like they had to sing to the people in the back of an auditorium, and their will be a lot of oohhh's & aahhh's.

Which brings me to being nervous. I can sing, act silly, make funny faces and just about talk my heart out in front of a bunch of preschoolers. I can also talk to parents one-on-one. Yet, get all those parents in one room, at one time, looking at me... Forget About It!!! I clam up, stumble over words... why?? They are the same people I see everyday!! We have talked for countless hours over the last year. I want to tell them how much their children impact my life. How much I love them. I want to tell them that being apart of their lives has made me so happy and such a better person for knowing them. That when they tell me their child said a word with the same inflection as me, I beam inside. When your child puts her hands on her hips and says "You guys!!" just like I do when I am redirecting them... yes, I smile and my heart grows 3 times it's size. I won't be able to say it on Thursday Night... but I want them to know. Every time your child hugs me or tells me they love me... that's enough. That's why I do this, that is why I open my home to your children. The State rules and regulations, the locks on my cabinets, the silly paperwork... it is all worth it, because your children bring such joy to my life. And the Parent's aren't so bad either!!
So there I said it... I just hope they read it so I don't have to actually speak it :)

2 Steps Back... 4 Steps Forward

Just a few photos of the kids yesterday... it was a busy day, but we got through it and even had some cute moments to look back on!! I have figured out that my group is going through a growth spurt. It seems whenever they are ready to make some leaps or bounds in any area... social, emotional, physical, intellectual... we take 2 or 3 steps backwards first... then we take that huge 5 or 6 leaps forward. I know I learned about it in college the fancy reasons why, but as a Mom/Teacher I have seen it so many times. I am thankfully starting to see it and realize what is happening before I go crazy though. Then I can have the patience to help guide them through it.

I remember when my oldest boys were little I would be pulling my hair out because they would be behaving in a way that they knew was unacceptable, yet did it they did!! I would be disciplining them, redirecting them, and right when I thought I couldn't take it anymore it was over... not only over but they were learning new things and applying them to their daily life. Being considerate of each other (as much as twins can), being gentle with the little brothers, putting toys away, Oh, you know what I mean.

So, I have decided that this has to be what is going on with my Daycare Gang right now. We have been having some very simple, basic issues... ones that I thought we had gotten awhile back. We have been having to practice putting our toys away (in the right spots), using our words and not our hands, listening to each others words, etc... now I am patiently waiting for the day that I don't have to remind, redirect, and discipline on a minute by minute basis.... okay I exaggerate... but you know what I mean :)

I do know that the day will come though. So for now we will enjoy the process of growing up, taking from it all the wonderful bits and pieces that make us who we are. I am glad to be the one to help them, because as Kristin says over at Preschool Daze...Her "Greatest Passion Is Saving The Dignity of Each Child" (You can find it in her W is for Welcome on right hand side of her blog) Oh, how eloquently put. It puts goosebumps on my arms every time I read it or think it, for I know what she means. This period of time in my Gang's life can be such an enriching one or one that could cause pain, humility and/or sadness. It is not only my job, but my passion to make sure my Gang has an enriching, loving & secure experience.

Now that I got that off my chest :) I will show you a few of our moments yesterday...

Is this too cute or what... a Princess & Her Pig. LOVE IT!!!

She picked the spot to be "photographed"

Little Miss being helpful :)

My Princess making some cinnamon toast for breakfast... Another Great Helper!!

Star Ornament

Glue Ornament... opps, I mean another Star Ornament

I wish I had gotten a picture of it at the end, it had ALOT of glue

Toddlers

Toddlers... What a wonderful age!! This post is for my toddlers!!

When I started my Family Home Daycare I didn't really give a lot of thought to the age groups I would have. How they would interact. How one age would influence another. How any age would influence our day. Well... I do now. I have had infants through preschoolers in my care and they all add something to our program. We have had to adjust our days to accommodate naps or feedings. We have had to keep prized toys out of reach or precious art work up on the shelf. People think I started my "preschool" program because of all the preschoolers I have at the time, but really it is just for the structure to our day. We want to be busy and engaged all day, so this was the best way for ME to achieve that.

Now, why toddlers today?? My toddlers have given me such joy this week. They have been interacting, playing with the "big" kids, getting ooey gooey, and learning to "sit" in circle time. Now, I only have 1 full-time early toddler, and then a friend comes periodically to have a play date or have a celebration, and this week we began our Advent Celebration and working on Christmas Crafts... so they have been here off and on.

To watch them is so wonderful, it reinforces why I do what I do. I love giving them the opportunities and experiences they crave. I love working with a multi-age group. The little ones learn from the big ones, the big ones learn empathy for their little counterparts, the big kids get to be the "teacher" and yet they love giving the toddlers a turn at being the teacher. The big kids have learned to share their environment and have made adjustments to make their "babies" part of their daycare family. Having just a few toddlers together is a blessing. They can learn without having to be on the look out for another toddler doing or wanting the same things as them. They can still be the "baby" of the family here, because the preschoolers are learning they had their turn and now it is time for them to be the "teachers" for the toddlers. It all seems to be working... well, most days :)

I remember working in the toddler room at a daycare center... having 7 to 10 toddlers together at one time... it was a long, hard day. Now we had a wonderful center, we did wonderful, engaging learning experiences... but the sheer number of toddlers together was overwhelming... mostly for the toddlers. We only had usually 2 people... which meant 4 arms and if your lucky you could get 3 children on you lap and in your arms for a hug... unless of course someone wasn't pushing another off :) I just couldn't do it all and they could not understand why not. I always felt I was falling short in that classroom.

With my group now, I feel like I can give all the hugs, kiss away the tears, wash up a boo boo, or just hold a sad/happy child... when I need to, as many times as I need to. We still have our days of stubborn tantrums, teething, and learning to share... but with only 1 and sometimes 2 it seems like I am having an impact on their lives. That they are learning here... about being a toddler and striving to be like those big preschoolers they see everyday.

I know multi-age groups are not always the ideal for every child, yet for us it seems to work. I love watching them blossom from the infant that comes first to the "big" preschooler that leaves to go to kindergarten. It is an amazing process and I am so glad to be involved in it.

Here are just a few out takes from our week...

reading with friends

green paint... loving the ooey gooey feeling in her hands

Look at this!!



smellin the candles from our scent tray




play-doh time

Thirsty??

What do you think??

I can cook it for you...

Watercolors

Toddlers amaze me... they are such sponges and have such personalities. They are becoming little people so fast and trying to get as many experiences under their belt as they can. I learn so much from them everyday!! The most important their ability to Love!! Again... I love my job.