As 2016 comes to a close I decided it was time to reflect on this past year; the good stuff, the challenges, and the celebrations…
The good stuff: All the kids have grown in so many ways! They have developed new skills, asked lots of questions, and developed self confidence in so many ways.
The challenges: Everyone is learning how to grow socially and emotionally. They are figuring out how they each fit into the world and how to deal with other kids and adults as well as their own emotions.
The celebrations: We love to celebrate the big and little events; when someone learns a new skill like printing letters or is confident enough to jump off a stump.
One of my own personal goals I had when I opened up my own family child care program was to create a sense of community within the daycare. What does that look look like? What does that feel like? I have done a lot of thinking about this.
For me, the base of a community is a group of people/families who are connected to each other not only through the use of a service but through a common goal. I see our common goal as providing a safe, warm atmosphere for children to grow and learn and a place for parents to find support when needed or just a friendly face at the end of a long work day.
Have I succeeded in creating a community? I feel like we have a very good base here. Parents, are encouraged to ask questions. I try to find the answers for them or set them in the right direction. I have also seen relationships develop between the families here. I think this is a sign that there is a strong sense of community here.
I am strong believer that there is always more to do, more to learn, more ways to improve and grow. I think I have created a good base for our little community to continue becoming stronger. Now I need to make sure it keeps growing and I need to keep looking for ways to support and encourage that growth and progress.
Here’s to all the adventures we shall share together in 2017!