This week’s question:

This is an annual celebration hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers, and families.

Many times, I see this week long celebration being carried out through adult ideas and prescribed agendas such as Music Monday, Artful Tuesday, or silly socks & pajama days.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not criticizing anyone for choosing to celebrate this way. But this year, I’m thinking about other, maybe more meaningful ways to celebrate our young children.

This week, I’m going to celebrate young children by making sure each child in my program continues to know they loved and validated for who they are, right where they are.

This week, I’m going to celebrate young children by ensuring that the children in my care continue to be offered what we know is best for young children. PLAY.

This week, I’m going to celebrate young children by reaching out to their parents and letting them know what an amazing job I think they are doing. I will commit to sharing my experience as a parent, knowledge as an ECE, and my support in an uplifting and positive way.

This week, I’m going to celebrate young children by thanking my mentors who have guided and supported me and helped me become a better provider.

This week, I’m going to celebrate young children by reaching out to a provider who may need a shoulder to lean on and let them know that someone notices all that they do for the children in their care.

This week, I’m going to celebrate young children by remembering to take the time to take care of me. We can only give the best to the children in our care when we are at our best.

This week, I’m going to celebrate young children by committing to continue to seek out high quality training, and to research the most up to date studies on early childhood development.

This week, I’m going to celebrate young children by reaching out to our local licensing agency and CCR&R to thank them for their commitment to supporting providers in our area.

This week, I’m going to celebrate young children by advocating for them and by contacting local school boards and our congressmen and women to voice my concerns over ECE policies.

There is much work to be done.

This week, I’m going to celebrate young children by embracing the magic of childhood at its core, and what it truly means to be a child.

Silly pajamas and all.