I’m often asked “What ages do you care for? You must only have older children!” or “How to you manage to keep the babies out of the art area or from ripping the shelves apart?”

Truth is, I don’t.

Sure, I do A LOT of modeling and some redirection. But how else are children going to learn without EXPERIENCE?!

While some programs may focus on more developmentally inappropriate standards such as teacher directed themes, lame crafts the children don’t have say in, or worrying about whether your toddler can recite sight words in 6 languages, we’ll be spending the next few weeks getting to know our space, and each other.

From transitioning to a table from a highchair, to moving from a crib to a cot, to not throwing sand or rice in our friends faces, to not eating paint or playdough, to learning how to drink from an open cup….my job is to support your child in learning how the world works. That includes cleaning up the messes. To not want to do those things seems ludicrous to me. I mean, I wouldn’t work at an ice cream shop and refuse to make milkshakes, or work at a dentist office and refuse to clean your teeth.

I was recently asked again how many times I sweep the floor in one day, and my answer is always the same.

As many times as I need to.

(originally published on Facebook 09/07/2017)