Wisdom on Passion and Motivation for the Early Childhood Field

" ... a lot of it is intrinsic motivation for the work that I do." ~Raymond Hernandez, MS Ed

*I believe this career field MUST come from a place of intrinsic passion. It must, the children and families deserve your whole heart.

"My passion has been evolving through the years, it's an ongoing process." ~Leticia Lara, LCSW

*Learn forever, grow immeasurably.

Quotes from my Inspirations

"We don't start dating then run to the bookstore to find a book on relationships and quickly flip to the section on how to effectively discipline your mate."
 - Ruth Beaglehole, Echo Parenting and Education
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“Too often we forget that discipline really means to teach, not to punish. A disciple is a student, not a recipient of behavioral consequences.”
― Daniel J. Siegel, The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind, Survive Everyday Parenting Struggles, and Help Your Family Thrive

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"What children need is not new and better curricula but access to more and more of the real world; plenty of time and space to think over their experiences, and to use fantasy and play to make meaning out of them; and advice, road maps, guidebooks, to make it easier for them to get where they want to go (not where we think they ought to go), and to find out what they want to find out."
~John Holt~ Teach Your Own  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kids who are in school just visit life sometimes, and then they have to stop to do homework or go to sleep early or get to school on time. They're constantly reminded they are preparing "for real life," while being isolated from it.  —Sandra Dodd  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The goal of unschooling is not education. It is to help a child be who she is and blossom into who she will become. Education happens as side effect.   —Joyce Fetteroll  

Personal Childhood Web

I'd like to dedicate this post to two very special people to me- my Mom and my Papa John. Both are now deceased, and both still live on in my heart.

I lived with my Mom and Papa John until I was about 5, then my Mom and I moved. I have a very strong heart connection to them. My Papa was out of my life until I was 18 and we were reunited. My mom has been a constant.

Sweet Memories

* When I was about 4, I remember standing outside my Papa's house watching him water the flowers with a hose. He aimed the water at a tree trunk and pointed out that there was a rainbow. This is one of my earliest memories.
* At night my mom would go to each of our beds and rub our backs while singing "Lullaby, and goodnight..." I sleep with my 3 1/2 year old. He wants it, I love it. I read him books and sing him to sleep while holding his hand every night. What a sweet memory for him to hold.
* My Papa never said an unkind word to me. I could trust his love, it wasn't conditional on my behavior or feelings. He said the first time he felt pure love was when he saw me being born. After his death, I found a note in his briefcase about his fondest memory- it was about me as a toddler, he watched me silently as I walked onto the porch and stood there looking out. He wrote that I looked so at peace and serene. All children deserve to have someone be their biggest fans. I am now very conscious about the people I surround my child with, I make sure he has the love and adoration he deserves.
* I was pregnant when my Mom got sick. As she got sicker she told me that she dreamed of my baby holding her hand. I wish I could share him with her.

How we were treated and what we experienced growing up directly affects our present relationships with others and ourselves. I am a very aware and reflective parent. I have reflected on my past honestly and fully- I honor the love that I have received, and healed from and discarded the negative so as not to pass it down to my kid. As children we are affected by the generations before us because of the influence passed down and down and down. It's profound to ponder.

My mom said every night when I was a baby she would whisper in my ear, "You are so special."

                           Children are special, don't ever make them feel otherwise... please.

Principles: artwork by Alexander

Limits are so limiting. Rules can be arbitrary. Live in the moment, in curiosity, in understanding... model and live by principles. It's lovelier.

Rules may have prohibited the exciting feeling of paint on his skin. Limits may have kept his clothes clean and his colors in the lines. The principle of curiosity and shared wonder made his heart full and our relationship closer.

Droplet of Inspiration

"The child, especially, learns to become the kind of human being that he or she has experienced." Ashley Montagu

... Share the world with them on the sweetest of platters. ~~{~@

~Frederick~ by Leo Lionni

Frederick is a children's book by Leo Lionni. It's about a community of mice who work hard all summer and fall to prepare for the harsh, cold winter months. As the mice are following their schedules and routines, they notice Frederick isn't participating and they speak and feel judgmentally and resentfully towards him. Frederick tries to explain what he is doing is important too, but it isn't until the mice are almost out of food and they've reached the greyest part of winter that they turn to him with interest. Little Frederick fills their hearts and spirits with poetry, color, and light. This is what life is about. This is why I love this book. Little Frederick isn't on the conveyor belt, he lives in the beauty of the world and explores the beauty of his own mind. Amazing :)

Perfectly depicts my parenting journey...

 "Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be." ~Shel Silverstein d caption