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September 24, 2018  Faery childcare has been exploring the concepts of Risky Play for a while now. We love going to the forest, exploring the world around us, climbing, running as fast as we can, sliding toys down the slide, climbing up the slide, mixing and getting messy, sadly our forest adventures have to change to meet the ministry guidelines for bodies of water. Now, Faery Childcare is in the process of obtaining a license with the Region of Waterloo. Where, according to Roger Gilbert from the Region of Waterloo, Home Childcare, "We really do value and promote appropriate risk play. We absolutely value and promote outdoor exploration and learning honestly, in any nature based program, it is a huge strength. We certainly have advocated for the benefits of children being able to explore near standing bodies of water such as creeks and streams. What we have been told by the ministry is we can allow exploratory play at the edge of the stream/pond (e.g. children can get right up to the edge, put their hands in, etc…) but that they cannot get in." Subsection 3.9– Bodies of Water Ontario Regulation 137/15, 30.1 (1) "Every licensee shall ensure that in each premises where the licensee oversees the provision of home child care, no child under six years old who receives home child care at the premises is permitted to use or have access to any standing or recreational body of water on the premises. If a licensee that oversees the provision of home child care at a premises permits children who are six years old or older who receive home child care at the premises to use or have access to a standing or recreational body of water at the premises, the licensee shall, (a)ensure that, at all times when the children use or have access to the body of water, a lifeguard is present who meets the requirements of clauses 17 (6) (a) and (b) of Regulation 565 of the Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990 (Public Pools) made under the Health Protection and Promotion Act; While, the children and I will miss the wadding in the Water. It is not worth more, then the professionalism, the accountability to the community, or commitment to my profession.  I am hopeful this still will be okay, where the children are exploring at the edge of the water. However, I know this little guy will sit down at the edge and let his legs be in the water. He simply loves the feeling. In an article I read, they shared that “Reasonable risks are essential for children’s healthy development,” says Joe Frost, an influential safety crusader. While, I value risky play, there is a little more to it then just safety, we also need to follow the rules and guidelines that have been set out by the Ministry of Education; even if we do not 100% agree with the rules. It is about being accountable for our actions! 
I read a paper called, see file above, "The Overprotected Kid A preoccupation with safety has stripped childhood of independence, risk taking, and discovery—without making it safer. A new kind of playground points to a better solution. By By Hanna Rosin," The article made me think back to my own childhood, walking places alone, walking and playing at the bridge and water by my home, forest discovery, and a sense of independence I do not see in some children anymore. Rosin also talked about, The article called “Children’s Risky Play From an Evolutionary Perspective: The Anti-Phobic Effects of Thrilling Experiences.” Sandseter, 2011 She shares and "identifies six kinds of risky play: (1) Exploring heights, or getting the “bird’s perspective,” as she calls it—“high enough to evoke the sensation of fear.” (2) Handling dangerous tools—using sharp scissors or knives, or heavy hammers that at first seem unmanageable but that kids learn to master. (3) Being near dangerous elements—playing near vast bodies of water, or near a fire, so kids are aware that there is danger nearby. (4) Rough-and tumble play—wrestling, play-fighting—so kids learn to negotiate aggression and cooperation. (5) Speed—cycling or skiing at a pace that feels too fast. (6) Exploring on one’s own." So today, we went on a journey to explore the forest without the water part. They had a great time, they discovered a different aspect of the forest, they were able to run faster, they were able to "get lost" hide and seek, jumping on and off and to try and climb great heights. We had a wonderful time!
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By Lesley Cressman, RECE  Meet Isaac, Isaac is about 3.5 years old. He has been given the most amazing gift by his parents and his provider (Faery Childcare) to steer his own early writing development . I am a firm believer in following the children's lead, however, I am also a purposeful educator. Which means provocations are set in place to help expand new discovery and growth. Personally, I love letting children and their parents discover the joy of their child's development. I was so please to hear from Isaac's mom that he showed her his newly developing printing skills last night. Mary, Isaac's mom shared, "I read an article once, I believe it was written by a kindergarten teacher, suggesting that parents focus on teaching their children social skills and manners, rather than pushing them to learn all of the things they are meant to learn in school anyway. This was very eye opening for me, and quite honestly, took a lot of pressure off! We still work on things and are continually taking opportunities for teachable moments, but we don’t stress when we see things like, one of his friends counting to 20 already when he gets stuck at 12, and we don’t sit down and do exercises, because we know that when he’s ready, it will click." In the document, How Does Learning Happen, "Pedagogical approaches that nurture learning and development in the early years include: establishing positive, responsive adult-child relationships; providing inclusive learning environments and experiences that encourage exploration, play, and inquiry; engaging as co-learners with children, families/caregivers, and others". Being able to share in the delight of his mother last night was incredible gift for me. I am so grateful every day to work with these children each day with their amazing parents.  Titi MacLennan, DECE, Being an Educator in Kindergarten, I am often asked, “How do I prepare my child for school? Do they need to know how to write their name, know the alphabet, or count to a certain number?” She shared, she always respond with the same answer, "If you want your child to be successful show them they are loved, that they deserve your time, attention and admiration. Above that, provide them with opportunities to be independent so that they can gain the confidence they need to explore new experiences and discover new wonders. Why, you may ask? It’s simple, this allows them to learn that failing is the first step to succeeding and not a reason to quit. If you can gift your child with these opportunities you will be providing your child the strongest foundation to conquer the demands of school. We need to remember that all children will reach expected milestones when they are good and ready to do so and not a moment sooner. By comparing them to their peers we in fact hinder their development. It will shock most parents to know that the new kindergarten curriculum is not focused on reading, writing and arithmetic. In fact language and math are grouped together and only make 1/4 of the program. The other 3/4 revolves heavily on Self-Regulation & Well-Being; Belonging & Contributing; and Problem-Solving & Innovation. Then we must remember that we have two years to help guide your child to reach their full potential in all these domains. So please believe me when we say don't fret about your child's writing and reading skills, instead, let them get ready to dress for outdoor play, open up containers and put on shoes independently and while you're at it give them opportunities to partake in risky play. These experiences will better prepare your child for school by reinforcing their confidence in themselves and building a positive self-image. The brain develops exponentially faster through these experiences rather then forcing them to read or memorizing the alphabet song." Titi MacLennan, DECE As a purposeful educator, I work very hard at letting the children follow their interests, and letting them process in a healthy and stress free way. I spent a great deal of time researching the implacations of stress within young children and how that stress impacts on their brain development. If you are interested in learning more, I would suggest starting at The Hurried Child, David Elkind.  According to Zero to Three, in the article, Learning to Write and Draw "For very young children, there are four stages of drawing and writing that you may see as your child grows from 15 months to 3 years old. By offering repeated fun experiences with a variety of art and writing materials, you will see forward progress over time." These beliefs were shared by one of the most forward thinking ECE's I know, Natasha, "When we follow a child's interests and scaffold their learning based on that curiosity they feel heard and valued. Children will always be more engaged when the subject or skill they are learning is one that interests them and because of this they retain more of what they are learning. As an educator taking the time to observe, reflect and know the children's interests demonstrates the care we have for the little ones in our programs. They are each individuals and it is so important for us to meet them where they are and guide them with love and support." Natasha Kocher, RECE Articles such as, Development of emergent literacy and early reading skills in preschool children: Evidence from a longitudinal study., "Although research has identified oral language, print knowledge, and phonological sensitivity as important emergent literacy skills for the development of reading, few studies have examined the relations between these aspects of emergent literacy or between these skills during preschool and during later reading...Structural equation modeling revealed significant developmental continuity of these skills, particularly for letter knowledge and phonological sensitivity from late preschool to early grade school, both of which were the only unique predictors of decoding." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved) $11.95 for the article, but well worth the money and the read. Doctor Cathy Barclay (1996) - 7 Stages to a child's development of writing skills, Link
 Some downloadable PDF articles or online reading:
 One of the ways you can see the professional accountability of a daycare provider is if the provider has First Aid and CPR. It might sound like common practice, for someone working with small children, however, common sense sometimes is not common. When I searched under the Staff training and development, of the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, S.O. 2014, c. 11, Sched. 1 , in section 58. (2) "Every licensee of a child care centre or home child care agency shall ensure that the following persons have a valid certification in standard first aid, including infant and child CPR, issued by a training agency recognized by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board: 1. Every supervisor of a child care centre. 2. Every employee of a child care centre who may be counted for the purposes of meeting the ratios required under section 8 or 8.1. 3. Every provider of home child care or in-home services. O. Reg. 126/16, s. 38." While, I am not in a licensed program as of yet, still working on my paperwork, it is important to me to be a professional. On Saturday, September, 2018, a peer Candace from Trinity Childcare and myself, where lucky to spend some time with Amber from the First Aid & CPR with Amber, under the Red Cross umbrella. Amber was great, she walked us through the in class section with a warm and authentic learning style. She was able to utilize any situations we spoke on to bring the learning back to a personal story to build a long term memory.
Here is a link from You Tube on the Red Cross First Aid videos, there are about 17 different videos to watch for more information. At the end of the day, I am happy to share I was able to earn my first aid and CPR/AED Level C. I was able to work at my own pace and complete the online part, and Amber was able to accommodate Candace and myself for our in person part, within a few weeks for completing the online section. She also told us if we needed yearly, renewals she can make that happen as well. It was a wonderful experience to take my course with Amber, and I would highly recommend her classes.
I also received my PDF of the certificate within 20 minutes, it was super fast. Today we made bees wax wraps to replace the Saran Wrap. We are trying to be more environmentally friendly and reuse products instead of using consumables all the time.
 Next we set our oven to 170, put the fabric on the cookie sheet, and let the oven melt our wax. When it was done, our educator used a fork to take the fabric off the sheet still hot, and placed it on a towel to harden. FYI, the towel had transfer of wax. We are not sure if we can get that off yet. LOL In the end we ended up with all these from one brick of wax. We are going to take one home each for our families to try out. It was a lot of fun.  
 Thanks Tasha,
For always being there to bounce ideas off, to share our struggles, and teaming up for an amazing and quality program. Lesley Cressman Faery Childcare  Faery Childcare believes in their families being the first teacher and want them to always use our open door policy. We LOVE meeting the needs of their families. On this day, we were happy to support this mom and child's breastfeeding relationship. It started some amazing questions in our program. Thank you Katherine for answering all the children's questions. From the How Does Learning Happen document, "Families are composed of individuals who are competent and capable, curious, and rich in experience. Families love their children and want the best for them. Families are experts on their children. They are the first and most powerful influence on children’s learning, development, health, and well-being. Families bring diverse social, cultural, and linguistic perspectives. Families should feel that they belong, are valuable contributors to their children’s learning, and deserve to be engaged in a meaningful way."
According to the ELECT document, "Children build new understandings from existing ideas and concepts. Starting from what children know and want to know motivates engagement and excitement about overcoming challenges and solving problems. First hand, concrete experiences shape ideas that can be expressed symbolically in drawings, paintings, dramatic play, and in verbal and written forms (Greenspan & Shanker, 2004). Learning proceeds from the concrete to the abstract."
Special thanks to Katherine, Nathan, Sarah and Izzy for letting me share your families story and journey.
Lesley Cressman Faery Childcare   Faery Childcare loves to explore nature, we love to get dirty. As much as we have our physical space, that is only a small part of our environment. We journey to the forest, nature park and country as much as possible. Did you know dirt was healthy for you? Or that being outside strengthens your body growth and development. According to an article called, The importance of outdoor play for young children’s healthy development by, Gabriel a Bento a and Gisela Dias."Changes in current societies are affecting childhood experiences. Time for outdoor play is diminishing, contributing to more sedentary lifestyles, disconnected from the natural world. Recognizing the importance of outdoor play for young children’s healthy growth, a project focused on the exploration of the outdoor environment was developed with a group of young children in an early childhood education setting in Portugal." Further on within the article, it shared that"The importance of play for children’s healthy development is grounded in a strong body of research. As a natural and compelling activity, play promotes cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being, offering the necessary conditions for children to thrive and learn. Through play, the child can experiment, solve problems, think creatively, cooperate with others, etc., gaining a deeper knowledge about his/herself and the world. From an early age, the possibility to experience several opportunities for unstructured play, in which the child can decide what to do, with whom and how, promotes positive self-esteem, autonomy, and confidence."  All of these benefits come from discovering the great outdoors. "While playing outside, children benefit from being exposed to sunlight, natural elements, and open air, which contributes to bones development, stronger immune system and physical activity."
We cannot wait for the next adventure to begin...  Little Bear was saved from the kill pen at around 6 months old. He has Cryptorchidism or known as ridgling, and he requires a more intense operation. He was adopted by us when he attached himself to our horse Toby (Oil Tumbles). He is such a sweet little horse. Please help us, help him!
Go Fund Me Please see this link for more information on our sweet Little Bear's needs. https://m.petmd.com/horse/conditions/reproductive/c_hr_cryptorchidism "Cryptorchidism in Horses. Cryptorchidism is the failure of one or both testes to descend into a normal scrotal position from the abdominal cavity after birth. Cryptorchidism may not be apparent at birth, as the testes do not drop from the abdominal space, through the inguinal canal and ring and into the scrotum – where they remain – until after birth. The time it takes before both testes have descended varies from horse to horse but both testes should be in the scrotum by two years of age. In all cases of one undescended testicle, the stallion will still be able to produce normal amounts of testosterone. Usually, the undescended testicle is much smaller than the descended one. If one or both of the testicles remain in the abdomen, the horse is said to be a rig, or ridgling. A stallion that is a cryptorchid should not be used for breeding, as it is suspected to be a genetic problem. The left testicle is more commonly retained than the right."  I have had a few very hard interviews this month. These interviews have left me feeling quite upset and even a little raw. Here is the thing, I was so upset with what these parents have been experiencing, I had to share my views.
Luv, Lesley
I am a proud to say, I am working as a Professional Development Coordinator / Website Administrator and a member of the Kitchener Waterloo Cambridge Childcare Association. KWC Home Child Care Association is a group committed to connecting parents and home child care providers in the Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge area.
http://www.kwchomechildcare.org  I love these questions, I enjoyed reading the comments as well. There is validity on both sides of the equation. Instead of quarreling and trying to devalue each other they should be working to find a common link.
Some good questions were.: Where will my child sleep? How long with a centre run without its license being renewed? How can one provider carry out three children in a fire? Both of these questions are great and on both sides of the issue... To answer these questions from my home daycare and my experience as a RECE: 1. My children sleep in their own play pen under the trickle lights. I have a rocking chair in the space, and I spent time helping the children feel comfortable to help them fall asleep. 2. I have seen or heard of a few centres in the region waiting for a licensing agent to come. The longest one I personally heard of is a year and a half out of date. 3. I keep my program small for safety reasons. Therefore, I can carry my little one as I walk with the older ones. My numbers are small enough for safety. I am truly excited about how the plans are unfolding for my outside space. I have a patio/courtyard type space,with open grass behind my private space. To make this space safe, fenced, and naturalistic requires some creativity.I cannot wait for spring, to go for walks, head off to the park for large gross motor play, and lastly, to create this magical space for my kids to explore within. A few pictures of my ideas :) Poor Keith will have to help make my ideas come to life.
Well, after a long family debate and the needs of a few dear friends, I am re-opening my home childcare program again.
My doors will be officially re-open on December 1st 2014! I am looking forward to a new year with these wonderful families. Blessings all, Lesley |
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