Just Wanted To Share....

[melskids]

i have to admit, (if you read my other post about my recent interview), i get a little bummed out when parents don't understand the value of play, and they think i may not be "educating" their children enough.

so that's what prompted my recent blog post...and i just wanted to share it with you.

http://mountaintopdaycare.blogspot.com/2011/06/just-playing.html

[nicslittlebugs]

I actually teared up reading your blog. It is so true, and I think that most adults do not take the time to realize how important play is. It is how kids discover, and figure things out....its amazing to think how much they absorb and how quickly they do...when all they are doing is "playing"

[mrs.meg]

I love this!!

So many people think that kids are to be entertained instead of playing. I watch a little boy (3) who honestly does not know how to play without his older sister, he cannot even pick up a toy and play with it. His sister said all he does at home is watch tv and play DS or she has to play with him. Free play is so incredibly important for their development!!!

[Country Kids]

Beautiful!!!!!! I am one that does preschool with my childcare. Its just the teacher side in me always coming out. I do give them lots of freetime to play though and in the summer that is really all we do. I let the parents know that it is the time for exploring and learning on their own because the weather is finally nice for us to be outside.

My problem with the children having free play time and another friend of mine commented that her childcare is the same is that when we let them play freely which is quite a bit all the do is fight, fight, fight over the toys. It drives both of us bonkers. We have tried the all day free play style for a few weeks but it just didn't work for our kids. I think the personality of my children that I watch just don't mesh well when they have free rein like that. Routine and lots of activities work best for us!

Your blog is beautiful and I know I will learn lots of new things by following it!

[Country Kids]

In my previous post I was meaning by when the children fight when they have free play is when we are inside playing. It can turn into a madhouse and really sour the free playtime. When we go outside though there is no problem and they have such a great time. I think that it is more cabin fever than anything else because we have such long, yucky winters here.

[melskids]

Well, see....my program is not 100% free play. We still have structure and routines. A lot of time and thought is put into the activites we do. Its just that it is all done through "play".

I had a mom/friend complain once about her daycare...she said "my daughter never comes home with anything to show me, they must not do anything all day"

UGH!

Sometimes i feel that parents think that if they see tons of worksheets and crafts, thats the only way their kids are learning.

There are so many other ways to teach.

I read this somewhere....not sure who wrote it, but I love it....

"SOME days your child will come home with something in their hands, MOST days your child will come home with something in their heads, but I promise...EVERYDAY your child will come home with something in their hearts."

[Country Kids]

What I have found is parents like their children coming home with things because it means the parent is getting their moneys worth. I think it shows that the provider is actually doing things with the children (I know its not the only way though to work with children) but it is something physical for the parents to see. To many people charge big bucks but turn on the tv all day, throw out some toys, feed non-nutrional food and feel that they have put in a hard days work. These are the ones that always make the news and give all the great providers bad reputations. Have you ever seen an awesome provider featured on shows like Oprah-never!

[melskids]

ITA with you!!

thats why i like to take ALOT of pics...document what we do....and talk ALOT to my parents about what we're learning.

And i agree....with all the other reality shows out there...you'd think they'd have one about daycare....GOOD daycares!!!!!

[Meyou]

My parents consider it a great day when they pick up kids so filthy they don't want to put them in their cars. hahaha

Seriously though...I hear it all the time at pickup. The first thing they say to their children is, "WOW, look at that dirt! You must have had FUN today!"

I'm very clear when I interview new families that I'm not a lover of crafts but I am a lover of kids being kids, using their imaginations and having a great time with their friends outside.

[WImom]

That would be cool to have a reality show about daycare!! I think your on to something.

Loved your post!

[Meeko]

"SOME days your child will come home with something in their hands, MOST days your child will come home with something in their heads, but I promise...EVERYDAY your child will come home with something in their hearts."


Oh I LOVE this!!!!

[grandmom]

THIS is going on MY website.

Thank you for sharing.

[LittleD]

My parents consider it a great day when they pick up kids so filthy they don't want to put them in their cars. hahaha

Seriously though...I hear it all the time at pickup. The first thing they say to their children is, "WOW, look at that dirt! You must have had FUN today!"

I'm very clear when I interview new families that I'm not a lover of crafts but I am a lover of kids being kids, using their imaginations and having a great time with their friends outside.

That's funny, because I had a mom of a 4 year old bring me "extra wipes" just in case I need them. Her son is the who gets so involved in his play, and usually ends up the dirtiest, LOL!

[snbauser]

I read this somewhere....not sure who wrote it, but I love it....

"SOME days your child will come home with something in their hands, MOST days your child will come home with something in their heads, but I promise...EVERYDAY your child will come home with something in their hearts."

I actually have a poster on my wall in the classroom with this poem on it. I am firm believer in kids learning through play.

"Free play" doesn't have to mean "without a purpose". You can stage the play areas to incorporate what you are trying to teach them. For example this month we are learning about butterflies, ladybugs, and plants. We have changed out the posters on our walls to reflect this, swapped out some of the puzzles and put out the ones that relate to our theme, and even changed out some of the puppets to incorporate our "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" felt storyboard into the puppet center. Art projects have included giving them brown, green and yellow paint and asking them to draw a picture of what they think their sunflower will look like when it begins to grow - we have window greenhouses right now with their seeds in them, giving them green or red paint and letting them make their own ladybugs or caterpillars, etc.