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Funny Memorable Moments

Children are good for the heart

Daycares are brimming with heartwarming and funny moments, and mine is certainly no different.

Children often say the most amusing things during early childhood, and their actions can lead to some contagious laughter. Here are a few memorable moments of my time in child care that are not only funny but also incredibly heartwarming:

1. Kids and Bathroom Humor: Children have a natural inclination towards bathroom humor, although we don’t actively encourage it. After a delightful homemade vegetable soup brimming with fiber, beans, onions, and every conceivable vegetable, “quiet time” arrived, providing the little ones with a chance to rest. However, as we were preparing to go outside, a chorus of giggles erupted. The source of the amusement was quite apparent—the lingering aroma from the kids. Amid laughter, I reminded them to say “excuse me” when they let out gas. One of my young ones looked up at me and earnestly declared, “I didn’t fart; my bum burped!” 🙂

2. Movie Day Excitement: It was movie day at the daycare, and the air was filled with excitement as a brand-new Disney movie was released on DVD. The children prepared for their special movie day with crafts and treats. They meticulously crafted movie tickets with glitter and glue strewn all around. Caramel popcorn was whipped up, and brown paper bags were filled with this treat. “Finding Nemo” played on the television, and the kids were completely engrossed. Suddenly, one of the boys approached me and said, “I can’t watch this movie anymore.” Astonished, I inquired, “Why not?” He took a moment, looked at me earnestly, and replied, “I just ate.” Then, with the utmost seriousness, he continued, “My Mom says if I eat, I might get a cramp in the water.” 🙂

3. Learning Adventures: Learning is an integral part of our daily routine at my daycare, with age-appropriate lessons covering colors, shapes, letters, and numbers. We were immersed in exploring the alphabet through music and worksheets, and I was thrilled by how quickly the kids were catching on to the song. I decided to display the alphabet, helping the children connect the song with the letters. As they sang the song beautifully and pointed to each letter, one little girl looked perplexed and raised her hand. “The alphabet is wrong,” she declared. Intrigued, I asked her why she thought that. With an assured smile, she said, “There’s no ‘lemon pee’ in it.” 🙂

Every day with kids is a new adventure, and my daycare is certainly no exception to that rule! I hope you enjoyed these brief funny moments as much as I relished reminiscing about them with you.

The Daycare Rant: The Unseen Effort Behind Childcare

Meltdown Manager

Some days, it feels like no one truly comprehends the sheer amount of effort it takes to run a daycare or day home successfully.

The dedication to planning each day down to the smallest detail often goes unnoticed. Nor does anyone realize the stress of maintaining a calm demeanor amidst the constant chaos and emotional management involving children, parents, and caregivers.

Recently, I encountered a situation that left me both frustrated and disheartened. A distraught and tired child arrived at the daycare, carried by her parent, tears streaming down her face. It was her first day of kindergarten, a morning class. This little one was still recovering from gastroenteritis, and the excitement of her first day had completely worn her out. The parents had informed me beforehand that she would require lunch, and I had prepared a nutritious plate of food for her. Little did I know that there had been some bribery involved in the form of candy to convince her to come to daycare.

Had the parent allowed the child to consume the candy before entering the daycare, it wouldn’t have been a significant issue. Unfortunately, she arrived with it in hand. Our daycare policy emphasizes the importance of eating healthy before indulging in sweets, and if a treat is brought, it should be enough to share. Tired or not, if she was going to have something, it should have been the nutritious lunch I had prepared. However, when I expressed my concern to the parent, it led to an outburst of anger.

“I am the parent, not you!” the parent exclaimed. It was an undeniably true statement, but what happens at home doesn’t always align with daycare rules. We do not entertain anger at the daycare, and we prioritize the well-being of every child. Assessing the situation, I assured the parent again that the child would be allowed the treat, but only after she had eaten something healthy. I even suggested that the child consider taking a short rest before indulging. The child looked at me, gave a sly smile, and opened the candy. The parent stood there, glaring at me, so I bent down, took the candy, and told the child, “You’re just recovering from a sore stomach, sweetheart. I’d like you to put something healthy in your stomach first, and then you can have your treat as dessert.” The parent looked shocked and said, “Now I know why she says you’re mean!”

Taking their child’s hand and demanding she put on her shoes, they stormed out of the daycare. The child snatched the candy from me, smiled, and popped it into her mouth. My heart broke; the parent did not seem to have enough respect for me to understand the significance of what had just happened. I am not mean; I am simply looking out for the child’s well-being.

Later that day, I received a phone call from the other parent. I explained my side of the story, and thankfully, my intentions were understood. Moreover, the other parent extended an apology to me. The relationship between parents and daycare providers is delicate, and both parties need to feel respected and trusted. We all have bad days, but being called “mean” was deeply hurtful. My intentions are always to create a healthy, loving, and fair environment for all the children under my care. And with that, my daycare rant comes to an end.

To Teach or Not to Teach

Teaching is a work of heart.

Back before I made the decision to open a daycare, I had the fortune of working in a school as an EA (Education Assistant) to help teach.

Although it was only for a short term, the job was amazing, and I must admit I do miss it. Working with teachers in an elementary school was such an honor for me. My respect for teachers is and always will be very deep. One of my personal goals was to become a teacher, a profession that makes a difference (Not that what I do currently doesn’t). Teaching almost felt glamorous to me, so highly respected. I had the opportunity to work with two very accomplished respected teachers, a dream come true. I became more experienced throughout the school year, the teachers began to trust me to work with some of the children. Some of them had disabilities, and some children were struggling to keep up.

Relishing in this new responsibility I worked tirelessly, reading all the material they gave me to learn from. Their trust in me extended to the parents. I was allowed to sit in on the parent teacher conferences. Pride in my work with the students showed through the children’s achievements.

There was a student that had failed to grasp some of the concepts. He needed much more help than what I could solely give. Encouraging me to continue trying, working on different ideas, the teacher was very supportive. In addition, the teacher gave up her lunch hours to work with this student as well. Sending extra work home to help him progress, but having it coming back incomplete. We wrote in his homework journal the importance of parental involvement in his success, only to discover that it hadn’t even been acknowledged.

Although his achievements were low, ours and his efforts were starting to show. His frustration with concentrating, and his inability to grasp some of the concepts, discouraged him. He trusted us to know he was safe in expressing his frustrations, though kindly, we tried to help him calm himself, to focus. His and our efforts went unnoticed by his parents, nor did they participate in his success.

The teachers felt I deserved the recognition, and the praise that comes from happy parents. Feeling honored, I got to to join in the Parent Teacher conference. The parent of the child we worked so hard with was next. Visible angry, she sat down in a huff, presenting her child’s report card. I was shook by this person’s behavior.

The teacher prepared for confrontation. The parent roared her disapproval of her child’s lack of achievement, she glared at both the teacher and I. This was the parent of the student we had both devoted so much time to, working tirelessly helping this child learn. This student had an undiagnosed but obvious learning disability, symptoms completely ignored by his parents. Time and time again both the teacher and I had sent home extra homework, and notes explaining how this student was falling behind. Unfortunately this parent did not see our point of view.

Asking me to step out of the room, the teacher explained in detail everything we had done to help her child. Ending the conference the teacher said that with a proper evaluation her child could get the help he desperately needed. Yelling, the parent degraded the teacher, berated her with foul language, and proceeded to threaten to pull her child from her classroom. “You are failing my child!”, she yelled as she stormed off slamming the door behind her. Glaring at me as she stomped off. Knocking on the door, I slowly opened it asking the teacher if she was okay, my heart broke. Tears streaming down the teacher’s face, she looked up and said “You might want to change your mind on becoming a teacher, after all, not all that glitters is gold”. 🙁

Bullying

Bullying, at any age, should not be tolerated

Sadly bullying knows no age 🙁

It does not discriminate. It is not just a phase. Bullying happens everywhere, schools, child daycare centers, churches, everywhere. Bullying is very personal to each and everyone of us, and should never be ignored. They need help, you need help, and change has to happen, it is our responsibility.

My day home is inclusive of age, race, gender etc… we celebrate differences by recognizing them and through understanding. No person is better than the other. Respect, tolerance, and empathy is upheld even through punishment. Dignity is observed at all times. My littles are taught very early on “We teach people how we want to be treated”. No one person has the right to make you feel less than worthy, or demean your abilities. We are perfect exactly how we are. Children are always encouraged to tell us if someone is doing something that hurts their feelings. In addition, the accused is always given the opportunity to correct their wrong, mistakes do happen. I have always had zero tolerance towards bullying. Through compassion towards each other there is a greater understanding towards both positive and negative actions.

It is amazing how quickly children learn to instigate intimidation as a means to get there own way, even at the expense of a good friend. Taking the time to teach children about accountability is crucial to getting them to understand that they make a choice to be mean. Hence, we have always tried to impose mindfulness into our daily routine. A favorite set of books my day home uses are Have You Filled a Bucket Today? , Bucket Filling from A to Z, and Buckets, Dippers, and Lids. Such an insightful set of books, that when put into practice have been incredibly helpful for my littles in my day home. These books are very child friendly for understanding. Although there are many other forms of resources available, these have been my “go to” for quite a while.

Another positive activity we do is through behavior charts and discussing our emotions. Incentive Reward Chart is a visual that offers a positive reward to help with regulating negative behaviors, giving us, the adults, the opportunity to help the children work through difficult situations. Easily accepted, these visual aids are great for children of all ages. Take the time to teach children to repeat to themselves, “If I have nothing good to say, say nothing at all”. Not to squelch opinions but to emphasize the importance of being uplifting. Even as adults, it is best to try to make a negative into a positive. Through praise, and recognition to help aid in desirable behavior in children. Although I am sure I will approach this topic again, remember there are no “Bad” children, but some behaviors are not okay.

Let’s hear it for the Fathers

A child may outgrow a Father’s lap, but never his heart.

From the beginning of my day home, the dynamics of parental involvement have evolved, and naturally fathers are a big part of this.

It was more commonplace for me to see mothers at the door versus fathers. Mothers would pick up the children, provide schedules, and so on. Although dads were always included in daycare correspondence, the majority would say, “Talk to the wife” or “Ask their mother.” But that has changed.

Times have changed. Now more than ever, fathers are asking the questions and being more proactive in their children’s day. Fathers are becoming more involved in the daily activities at the daycare center as well. Recently, a father asked me how he could be a more positive role model for his children. His questions involved finding positive ways to show emotions and discouraging excessive “screen time.” I have never had a father ask that before. It is an honor to share my knowledge and resources with any parent. Children view both parents equally, and it is refreshing to see the responsibilities being split so well. I do not minimize the positive effects of active involvement from either parent.

Children notice more than we think they do. One of the children at my daycare was talking to me the other day about how much his daddy hugs his mommy, and it made him feel loved to see that. I cannot stress enough the importance of teaching children emotional regulation through our own actions. Additionally, when both parents acknowledge and show approval of the daycare’s rules, it solidifies the ease of implementing them.

Fathers have become undervalued commodities, even though the pendulum is changing regarding the daily roles of each parent. Children are talking more about the activities and time spent with their fathers. The family unit is always a priority, with a focus on spending quality time together. Individual time, i.e. Dad with child, Mom with child, is also important. Moreover, parents proudly talk about giving their spouses the “weekend off” with respect, rather than grudgingly. This strengthens their family bond and showcases a more equal home life. The more engaged fathers are with their children, the more confidence and sociability develop, helping children become more resilient to stress.

In my previous blog titled “Chocolate Cereal,” I shared a humorous moment involving a father. This day served as an eye-opener for that family. The father didn’t realize the amount of work and organization required to get their children ready for the day. Although he was a great father, his job typically had him gone before the morning rush started. From that day on, the responsibilities of the morning became a shared task. The father started dropping off or picking up the children regularly. The children were thrilled to share their day with both parents equally. I loved observing how the family dynamics evolved and how the children blossomed due to this loving change.

Now more than ever, when asking a family question or scheduling, I hear responses like, “We will discuss it soon and get back to you as soon as possible.” (By the way, if you need assistance with scheduling and figuring out who’s doing what and want to support the blog, you can check out a recommended day planner through our affiliate link to the side.)

It is important to understand that fathers have always tried, in one way or another, to be critical parts of the daycare family. Society tends to minimize the parental strengths of fathers and the unique role they play in children’s lives, despite a growing body of research showing otherwise. To truly prioritize children’s well-being means also prioritizing fathers.

Sometimes they call me Mom

It takes a village to raise a child.

Please never be alarmed if you hear your child call me Mom, they just want their needs met.

They know that you usually take care of them, and as their childcare provider, I am a “Bonus Parent”. You are Mom. It is always the intent of most Daycare providers to try to show as much love, care, and patience, as you would. Yes, I do correct them with my name. But, I also love that they view me with the same comfort as you.

Boundaries are set, and kept. Hugs will happen, if they are asked or needed by your child. They feel safe enough to refer to me this way, it means we are all doing a great job raising your child. I know I am not Mom, they know that I am not Mom. But, if you are lucky enough to be involved in a childcare environment, where your child(ren) feel that much comfort, know that you chose well.

I hold hands for a short while, you will hold them forever. We are all working towards raising your child to be an even more amazing person then they already are. Your child has an army of people that will love and support them. It is true, it takes a village to raise a child, I am very fortunate to be a small part.