Nurture and Care

I would like to start off by saying that you can’t spoil a baby by giving them too much love and attention. There is no such thing as too much love. I believe it is good for children to be held and hugged and cuddled as much as possible. And that by responding to a child’s cries you are not conditioning them to be a fussy baby but teaching them to communicate and helping them understand that they are safe and loved. In my experience, babies whose parents and caregivers are responsive to their cries are far less fussy in the long run. Children have a lifetime to learn how to become independent and self sufficient. It is unrealistic to expect a baby to take care of themselves (i.e. “self sooth”).

Child guidance and behavior management

When it comes to child guidance and discipline I prefer to use methods to prevent children from misbehaving and techniques that help them to learn from their mistakes. I don’t like to use punishment with children as I feel it doesn’t do anything to teach them how to be better or why what they did wasn’t OK. No form of spanking or corporal punishment is allowed at Munchkin Land. When children misbehave I will usually try talking with them and prompting them to see if they can figure out how to correct their behavior on their own. When they have trouble I will help them think of ways they can fix the problem (like using their words, or taking turns). I believe that most misbehavior comes from children having problems that they don’t know how to solve (like wanting to play with something but not knowing how to get it, or feeling frustrated and not knowing how to calm down) and that the best solution is to help them learn how to solve them. When necessary I will remove children from a situation but I do not use time outs as a general response to misbehavior. I think time outs are more effective if they are voluntary so instead of placing a child in time out I would ask them if they’d like to have a little time to themselves to calm down. The goal is to help children become capable problem solvers and effective communicators.

Kids and the Community

I feel that it is very important for kids to feel like part of a community. Our community has a lot to offer in the way of learning experiences. From visiting local libraries and museums to riding public transit or visiting public parks and gardens kids can learn a lot about what our neighborhood and our city has to offer as well as what it means to be a member of that community. It is my hope that through these experiences the kids will gain both a love of, and a sense of responsibility to, their community. I want their community and their environment to matter to them and be something they will stand up for in the future. And the first step to raising a generation who cares about community and the environment is to instill a love of their own community and environment from the beginning.

Emergent Curriculum

Because I believe that the best learning opportunities are those that arise naturally, we will be using an emergent curriculum rather than a traditional schedule. We will of course have some scheduled activities each day (like lunch time, nap time, story time) but much of the day will be shaped by the moods and interests of the kids. They will learn much more readily if we follow their cues so that we will be doing art when they feel inspired to create, playing outside when they feel energetic, and looking at books when they are feeling observant. I believe the kids will get a lot more out of the activities this way. And, by not constricting ourselves with a schedule we will be able to take projects to a level we couldn't reach if we tried to plan it all out ahead of time.
We engage in a variety of activities each day at Munchkin Land such as playing with toys, reading books, outdoor play, gardening, science activities, games, neighborhood walks, dress up, baking, arts and crafts, signing, make-believe, puzzles, reading more books, and so on. We will also go on regular field trips to nearby places within walking distance like the library and the park as well as places like the zoo and the museums.
To keep you informed and up to date I will send home a chart with each child everyday. On your child’s chart I will record feeding/sleeping/changing times as well as notes about your child’s activities and moods over the course of the day. This way you won’t have to wonder what your child does every day.

The Importance of Art

Art is a great learning tool for young children (as well as adults). Whether it be drawing, storytelling, acting, or sculpting, there‘s a lot that can be learned through art. By participating in art activities children gain important motor skills (like hand eye coordination and the ability to grasp a pencil) and they learn about shapes, colors, and textures. They also learn important creative skills (like storytelling) and processes (like how to mix colors) that spark their imagination and fuel the learning process. Through art children can also develop confidence and self esteem by strengthening their ability to represent their thoughts and ideas, which helps them learn to express themselves effectively and to express their knowledge. Art can be a great way for kids to show you what they’ve learned as well as a great way to help them learn new things. And best of all art is really fun! Most children really love to do art projects and are proud to have works of art that they can bring home and show off to their family members. We will be experimenting with a variety of different art forms and techniques at Munchkin Land and will engage in some form of art activity every day.

The Importance of Play

Playtime is not always regarded as an important part of learning. Many think of it as a time for kids to “blow off steam”, that play is “just for fun”. Play is fun, and that in and of itself is a good reason to include it into your child’s day. But play is actually much more than that.
Through play children construct much of their knowledge about themselves and the world around them. They gain both fine and gross motor skills. They are able to both test theories and come to conclusions about how things work. For example: When your toddler knocks over a block tower or your preschooler drops sticks and leaves from the top of the play structure they are constructing knowledge about gravity. Play like this helps them to familiarize themselves with different concepts so that later (perhaps in school) when these topics are discussed they will be able to understand them. Play is like the foundation upon which the tower of knowledge is built. If we do not help to make this foundation as strong as possible (by encouraging children to engage in creative play on a regular basis) than we will have difficulty building a sturdy tower in later years. After all, who could begin to understand the concept of gravity without having experienced the actions of dropping and falling?
For these reasons play is a very central part of our day here. You can be assured that much of each day will be spent in creative exploration.

Meals and Snacks

All food is included in the cost of care for all children over the age of 1 ½ to 2. I find this makes meal times easier and ceases complaints and jealousies about who has the “best” food. For babies, you are responsible for providing all necessary breast milk or formula and may choose whether to send your own choice of baby foods from home or to let your child eat the food provided at Munchkin Land.

I am a very health conscious person and I will strive to ensure that all the kids at Munchkin Land eat a well balanced diet made up of mostly organic foods including lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and and healthy protein. I will be following the food pyramid when planning meals and snacks and will try to ensure that your child has at least 2 servings of both fruits and vegetables everyday while they are at Munchkin Land. On special occasions we might have treats like cupcakes or cookies but we won’t have them on a regular basis. In the summer we may often have Popsicles in the afternoon but they will be homemade Popsicles made with juice, fruits, and yogurts -not the store bought ones full of food coloring and sugar. All food served will be vegetarian. Children will be served milk at lunch time (either soy or dairy) and will be offered milk or water at snack times (or whenever they are thirsty). We won’t have juice on a regular basis as most doctors recommend only one cup per day or none at all, but may have it occasionally.

I think it's important to encourage kids to try new foods but I know not all kids appreciate variety. I myself was a very picky eater as a child (and honestly, am still a bit of one now) so I understand all about picky eaters. I will try my best to accommodate the individual food preferences of your children while trying to encourage them to try new foods as well.

When the weather gets nicer we will be starting a vegetable garden and the kids will help grow vegetables that we will eat with our snacks and meals. I find that kids not only enjoy gardening but that it also helps them learn to like new foods as they are often more likely to try a new food if it's something they grew themselves.