Ten Toes and a Nose Need a New Home

Ten little fingers, ten little toes and a cute little nose. You've washed them. Counted them. Kissed them a thousand times. Now you need to find the perfect place for those fingers and toes to continue to grow while you are away during the day. No small task for parents these days. Staying home full time is not an option for many families and looking for childcare is a hard task to tackle. How do you find the right match for you and your child?

I am in the process of this challenge right now. My youngest, Nicholas, is 2. I love being with him...most of the time. He is 2 after all. :-) He needs to be in a loving environment for at least 3 days during the week. I'm thankful to those who have helped care for him already. It's hard to make changes in child care. But here I go again... Below is my checklist of questions to ask when considering childcare. This is a major decision that needs time to make well. My biggest thing is to trust my instincts. If you have any concerns at all, it's not the right match for you. I meet with each possible provider in person at their place preferable while they have children there. What other questions do you think would be helpful? How do you go about looking for childcare? Please add your thoughts on our Facebook page!

1. Where are you located? (A great place to start! What will your drive be like?)
2. What are your hours? (Is there any flexibility? What if you are late? )
3. What are your rates? (Do you pay if your child is sick? If they are sick? Are there standard days they'll be closed?)
4. How many children are there? What are their ages? Tell me a bit more about them. (Listen for personality matches or conflicts with your child's personality.)
5. What other adults will help care for my child? (Get to know them as well as the primary caregiver. If your child will be alone with them, you want to know them. )
6. Are you licensed? (This may or may not matter to you. My daughter's provider was not licensed and she was great. Learn more about the process to decide what's best for you.)
7. What does a typical day look like? (Are there consistent routines? Is their structured and unstructured playtime? What happens during pickup/drop off?)
8. What are your thoughts on use of television? ( For me, this is important. We do not have cable at home and do not watch much tv. I want a provider with similar thoughts on it.)
9. Do you provide meals? Tell me more about that. (Are their allergy challenges or dietary wishes to keep in mind? Can you pack their lunch if you want?)
10. Is your program religious? (This is important for some to be part of the environment and for others, important that it not be. Good to know up front.)
11. How do you handle challenging behaviors? (I love to visit while children are there so you have an opportunity to most likely see how they handle behavior issues. Do they use time out? If so, what does that look like?)
12. How will you let me know about my child's day? (I love knowing what my child does during the day! Especially when they can't/won't tell you themselves. Some provider have a newsletter, website, email pics, etc....)

and, of course,

1. Do you shop at My Toy Garden? :-) If so, you'll know they'll have great toys to play with packed with learning opportunities!

Invite them to register for the Educator's Shopping Spree program if they haven't already and 3% of your purchase will go on an account for them to have a shopping spree! We have over 30 schools registered in this program already and welcome more! Registration form in on the front page of our website along with more info.

Playfully,
Toylady Janet

Wisdom from Half Chewed Candy

Dear My Toy Garden friends,

The hand dipped into the bucket and whoosh! A rainbow of color cascaded once again through the air landing with a pitter patter. Little hands scurried to remove all signs it was ever there. A few minutes later...another hand....another whoosh...another rainbow and poof! It vanished as if it had evaporated into the pavement. It was the highlight of the day for many children. No, not the marching bands, or the floats or the character costumes. Not the motorcycles, fire engines or 8-seated bicycle. The highlight of the 4th of July parade for the children is the candy. Second only to Halloween for it's sugar collection.

My family and I joined the tens of thousands of others to brave the heat and enjoy this annual tradition. This year, we were joined curbside by 3 young boys. Three boys who, at first, leaped to gather like pros. They were not aware of a little girl next to them with an empty bag. It took a few direct requests from me and then they began to share a bit of the bounty.

Halfway through the parade, the pile of candy became too much for the youngest boy near me. He selected the chosen first piece, unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth. Not finding it to his liking, he thhhhwt....spat it into the street in the path of the oncoming parade marchers. An observant adult behind him questioned him and, despite his denial that is was his, guided him to remove it from the impending soles of the marching band's shoes.

Sharing/Thinking of others is an art form not part of a child's genetic code with which they are born. Learning to share comes from repeated opportunities to practice words and actions that put others before them. Children are, to their core, very egocentric beings for much of their early years. According to Maslow, they focus on getting their basic needs for food, rest, security met before all else. I believe that we, as the grown ups in this world, can begin building a child's ability to see others and their needs one connection at a time. We can build less of a Me, Me, Me generation and more of a We, We, We generation. How?

Hold a door open for another. Deliver a hand drawn picture to a neighbor just because. Pay for the bill of the car behind you in a drive through. Volunteer for a local charity. Drop a quarter on purpose in a public place. Learn a few magic tricks and visit the nursing home. Smile at another. Sincerely check in on your friends and family. Children watch what we do. What are your actions saying to them about how you care for others? How do you invite them to show a we focus rather than a me focus. Important behaviors like this do not happen overnight but rather one conversation at a time. My Toy Garden is here to support you with a listening ear, an extra pair of hands, words of support and ideas for moving to the next step! Stop by for a hug, a hello and help anytime!

Playfully,
Toylady Janet

From Frog to Tadpole

Dear My Toy Garden friends,

Summer time routines...suit on, sunscreen on, towel in hand...off we walked to the pool for another afternoon of bliss.  We arrive, set up camp on our favorite chair, pop the umbrella up and splash into the toddler pool.  Ten minutes pass with the usual smiles and laughs jumping and diving and then my daughter's eyes open wide and she freezes for a moment.  Mom!  Mom.  I can swim.  I can swim!  And indeed she could.  She suddenly put all the pieces together of the last few summers and the last 100 trips to the pool and she got it. She got it! She can swim!  We moved to the big pool and with a slight pause at leaving her floaties behind, we spent the next hour swimming from the steps of the pool to my open arms and back.  My little land frog now a tadpole swimming once again.
   What total joy it is to see your child reach a major goal.  To see their confidence explode as they celebrate their victory.  These moments are so critical for their development.  It's these moments that they need to savor and cling to when the next challenge comes along.  These victories etched in their memories and echoing on their lips give them the assurance that they have done it and they can do it once again.  Here's a few ideas on how to help your child reach those goals that shape their character in strong positive ways.

1.  **Expose your child to multiple activities.**  Let them discover where their talents might be.  This is exactly why My Toy Garden is laid out in the 7 Pathways of Wonder.  We invite you to explore each area with your children.
2.  **Decide on a goal.**  What new skill would they like to learn?  To master the weaving loom?  To learn 5 new tricks on the Spooner Boards?  To build the Q-ba-Maze fish?  To discover the secrets behind magic tricks?  To Walk the Dog and Rock the Baby with their new yoyo?
3.  **Visualize the ending** - Write it down.  Draw a picture. Photoshop it.  What you think about, you bring about.  Help your child to think in terms of the possibilities.  You are going to have such fun when you blank.  You are going to be so proud when you blank.  Your friends won't believe how you can blank.
4.  **Praise, praise, praise.**  Big goals are reached by celebrating the small steps along the way.  Praise is the upward lift when the going gets tough.
5.  **Celebrate.**  When the goal is reached, whoop, hollar, dance, make up a song....celebrate big time!   Imprint on their memories how very special they are and how proud you are of them for not giving up.
6.  **Share your stores.**  What challenges have you overcome?  What victories are you most proud of? Share those stories with your children.  They love to hear about when you were a kid!

Playfully,
Toylady Janet