Tuesday, August 3, 2010

My Little Eden

I am only weeks away from one of the most bittersweet changes in my life. I am almost ready to start accepting infants and toddlers into my home daycare where I will be offering very personal and unique care. The bitter end of this change is that I will have to leave the beautiful little girl I have been taking care of since she was only six weeks old. She has a very special place in my heart and nothing about this transition will be easy. Thankfully, I am very close to her parents and they love her more than anything, so I certainly don't have to be worried about her. Regardless, my heart hurts just thinking about it.

On a brighter note, I am thrilled to finally be achieving one of my greatest goals! Years ago, when I thought that having my own children would be the only way to fill the gaping hole in my life, I came to discover that children of my own may not be physically possible. With this realization I learned how to love a child as my own. I began to experience deeper connections with the children I cared for, which made for incredibly rewarding relationships. I learned how to understand the language of an infant; but most of all I learned how important it is to listen to and respect children, of ALL ages. A seed was planted.

With these discoveries, I began to experiment and search for ways of helping children find their place in this world. For infants I use infant massage and gentle yoga moves to help them become strong and feel more connected and secure. Baby sign language is also an amazing way to reduce the frustration that little ones experience through their language barriers! I can't wait to continue seeing all the benefits that this produces in the children I will have in my daycare. For toddlers, I found ways to help them express their emotions in healthy ways as opposed to screaming and hitting. My discoveries continued to unfold over the years as I came to know and love more and more children.

This daycare was founded upon the idea of what I would want for my own children. I think about what I would look for in a caregiver and what I would want my child to experience while I was away. I would hope that the caregiver would love my child unconditionally, respect him, respond to his cries and coos, provide him with the best nutrition available, sing to him, take him for walks, and keep me completely informed of everything he goes through on a daily basis. To some parents this all seems impossible to find! Not anymore.

My Little Eden is a home away from home where children can feel at home and grow in a peaceful environment full of love, security, and happiness. To top off its benefits, I am making all the baby food from organic products and serving only organic foods to toddlers as well. This is what I would want for my child, so this is what I will give.

Wish me luck as I begin my search for children!