Verbalizing

I have a little girl, 3 years old, who doesn't speak.  Not because she doesn't have the ability or the vocabulary, she just chooses not to.

When she wants something, she stands and stares with mournful brown eyes, as close as she can get to my body.  This elicits a 20-questions until you happen onto the correct question, and she nods.  This I have tried to stop doing, in order to force her to speak her mind, but it is still a struggle, and she will often opt not to get whatever it is she wants, if it requires that she speak it out loud.

But the funny thing is that during circle time, the one thing she has no problem asking for out loud, I sing a song that names each child.  It goes "Hi, so-and-so, I see you.  Hi, so-and-so, I see you.  Hi, so-and-so, I see you.  Skip to my lou my darling."  Sung to the tune of skip to my lou.

Once I have completed the circuit, and named each child, she immediately jumps in to sing the whole thing for me.  In her excitement, she almost screams the song "Hi, Miss Reina, I see you!"

It is so funny.  Especially since it is so hard to get her to say anything else, anytime during the day!

Circle Time Master

I have a little 3-yr-old that is super smart, and likes to "direct" the activities around here!  She steps in when she think I'm not doing an adequate job of caregiver.  It's very amusing.

Yesterday, when I ended circle time disappointingly early (due to exhaustion), she stepped in to finish the job.  I do a version of Ring Around the Rosy that ends with the kids falling into statues.  Then each child is "noticed" for the statue that s/he has chosen.

When I thanked them for singing with me and moved on to do something else, they clamored for Ring Around the Rosy.  I told them to remember that, and we would do that tomorrow.  Unsatisfied, my little director stepped in to run circle time herself.  She organized the kids into a circle, sang the song, then did the noticing of each child after.

That is what caught my attention.  Her cute little voice saying "R has one foot up in the air, and two hands on the floor.  M is laying flat on the floor with her eyes closed.  S is..."  So cute, and capable.

When are you going to die?

I have a 3 year old that is really trying to understand life after death.  This was her question for me this morning.

Miss Reina, when are you going to die?
When I'm old, I reply.
No, where will you go when you die?
I don't know, I've never died before, I say.
No, where will you go when you die?  she asks again, not happy with my answer.
I don't know.  If I've died before, I don't remember.

Frustrated, she tries a different tack.

Where's your God? she asks.
In heaven, I say.  I'm not sure if I believe this, but I know she does, so she is happy, and lets the matter go.  I think she just wants to make sure I'm going to be ok when I die.  She's looking out for me.

Wouldn't she really flip out if she knew that everyone asks this question at many stages of their lives with varying degrees of certainty.  She wants answers, and adults are supposed to know them!

Field Trip!

I took the kids to the zoo on Friday!  That happens so rarely that it is something to celebrate.  I had only four kids, and three were from one family, so I traded my big truck for her carseat-ready minivan, threw in an extra booster, and voila!

I packed snack and a lunch, remembered to let my food-program lady know that I wouldn't be home, and took off for parts-unseen-in-a-long-time!  I was smart enough to look online for zoo hours, so we had time to go to a new park before opening time.  We stayed there for snack, then jumped back into the car to head for the zoo.  At the last minute I realized I'd forgotten to pack sunscreen and a diaper bag, so we swung by the house on the way.

We got to the zoo 30 minutes after opening time, just in time to watch a parade of school children swarm into the zoo ahead of us!  Apparently it was take-your-class-to-the-zoo day, because there were at least four different schools that I could see.  Tons of kids for that tiny zoo!

On my way to the front gate I got a call from another parent that had showed up at my house.  She is all over the place when it comes to schedule, sometimes coming as late as 11:00 without warning, but Friday is definitely NOT one of her contracted days.  In fact, although she will sometimes ask to come on Friday, she had been out for the previous two without comment, so it was safe (I thought!) to assume she would not be there this week.

Apparently, I was wrong!  She called from my house, wondering where everyone was.  I told her we were out, and that I had not expected her.  Her grandmother had been watching her son on Fridays, and I commented about this on the phone.  Oh yeah, she says, she decided she'd rather do Saturdays.

Really?  Don't you think you should let me know?  The crappy thing is that I really feel bad about putting ANYONE out, and if my not being there for her created a hardship or an excuse for her to not be out hunting for a job, then I would feel especially bad.  But although I considered it, I was proud of myself for not cutting our planned excursion short and just telling her I couldn't be available for her.  I hope that doesn't come back to bite me in the long run.

Preschool

I started writing exercises with my 4-yr-old this year, and got out a Discovery Toys writing tool that I like to see how well he could control his movements.  I've been going slow with him because he's a very active boy and doesn't have a long attention span when it's time to sit and work!

The writing exercise was about moving across the page from left to right following a line that got fainter and fainter until it was no longer there and he had to create the line himself.  It starts with a straight line left to right, then zig-zag, then rounded, then loops, mimicking the motion various alphabetic letters may make.

It always amazes me how foreign it is to hold a pencil correctly.  For some reason I just assumed it was natural.  I don't remember having to be taught, and I've heard many comments from educators in the classes I have taken talk about pencil grip and how it is deteriorating.  I have been told by child development experts that pencil grip is refined by large motor skills, especially those that work the shoulders, which is harder and harder to accommodate.

He did very well on the simpler shapes, especially well with the straight line.  Some of the curvier shapes were tricky.  However, I could see a marked improvement just from start to finish.  A few more days and he'll be good at this as well!  He is super quick to pick up new skills.

I've been also working on getting him to say "I" instead of "my".  That is definitely harder.  His speech habits are just that, habits.  And habits are VERY hard to break!  I have noticed when "I" appears in one of our circle songs, though, he has no problem saying it in the song, so it's just a matter of being consistent.

I'm nothing if not consistent!  Well, most of the time...  ;-)

Kid Shortage

I had three interviews for potential clients recently.  Two out of the three seemed likely.  The third I knew would never consider a place like mine.  She was referred through Sierra Moms, but was too over protective of her children to like my style.  She wouldn't let the 3-yr-old out of her sight, even when we could hear her playing in the playroom nearby, and she kept jerking the infant away from curious little eyes.  She even complained that her 3-yr-old daughter wanted to touch the baby too much.  There was definitely no way she would appreciate my "let kids be kids" attitude!

The other two were very positive, so I was surprised that I didn't hear back from either one.  I followed up with them both this week and in both cases my hours aren't long enough.  Bummer.

This economy is forcing parents to go further and further afield to find work, so in one case they needed someone who opened at 6:00 am, and in the other someone who closed at 6:30 pm.  I can't imagine my day could get any longer than it is already, but I may have to consider a 6:00 pm closing time just to stay afloat.

I know that longer hours is a big draw for center-based care.  Twelve hour days make it very convenient for commuting parents, that's for sure.  Centers can stay open for twelve hours because they basically carry two shifts of employees.  Here, although I have an assistant, I'm on the clock for every moment I'm open, even when I'm not physically present.  Ultimately, these kids are my responsibility, and I am never far in case I'm needed.

I know there are some in-home providers that stay open until 6:00 pm.  I know of many who are only open 3-4 days a week, or who only do after-school care, or are only open 9 hours.  I don't know how those find clients able to work with that schedule.  There has to be a balance in order not to get burned out.  I guess there is a reason the average lifespan of an in-home provider is 7 years!

I'm trying a new form of advertising soon, so maybe that will generate more leads.  Right now my plan is to continue as I am until my son is out of school, then work through the summer without help.  My assistant is going on maternity leave soon, so hopefully by the time she is ready to come back, there will be work for her.  Otherwise, I have found that this is a very cyclical business, and have had several periods in the last six years where I've had an assistant, then worked alone, then needed an assistant again.

I'm willing to wait and see!

Interesting Use of Cleaning Tools!

Playing with cleaning tools in fun and imaginative ways!  Yay for imaginative play!