Our Approach
Our Philosophy
At Thania’s Mommy and Me Family Day Care, we believe in wonder, fun and discovery. We encourage children to be confident and independent, and explore the world around them. We give babies a lot of love and cuddles while encouraging them to wonder and explore. With the toddlers and preschoolers, we stress problem solving and critical thinking skills. We offer a variety of open-ended and challenging activities to children at all development levels.
We celebrate diversity and welcome families of all races, backgrounds, and sexual orientation.
We celebrate diversity and welcome families of all races, backgrounds, and sexual orientation.
Toys from Home
Guns, swords and toys that could hurt other children are never allowed. Fridays are share days and your child is welcome to bring something that is not easily breakable to share. On all other days, please help us by keeping toys at home. We want children to be involved in the open-ended activities and excellent equipment that we provide.
Naptime and Lovies
Each child should have a blanket (and pillow, if necessary) and a cuddly “something” for naptime each day. Blankets will be sent home regularly to be cleaned. We ask parents to label all of their children’s belongings.
We provide cots for nap time. Parents of infants are asked to provide a safe, portable play yard/bassinet for their own child’s use during naps.
We provide cots for nap time. Parents of infants are asked to provide a safe, portable play yard/bassinet for their own child’s use during naps.
Food
Children are asked to bring their own healthy lunches from home. We refrigerate or warm up food at your request. We provide healthy snacks. Please alert us to any allergies that your child might have.
Parents of infants leave weekly supplies of infant formula or breast milk and bottles. We store and prepare infant formula. We warm frozen breast milk in a bowl of hot water (no microwave for breast milk!). We can provide nursing mothers a comfortable spot to nurse their babies during the day or to express milk for storage. If you are nursing we do everything we can to help you continue to do so once your child starts day care.
Parents of infants leave weekly supplies of infant formula or breast milk and bottles. We store and prepare infant formula. We warm frozen breast milk in a bowl of hot water (no microwave for breast milk!). We can provide nursing mothers a comfortable spot to nurse their babies during the day or to express milk for storage. If you are nursing we do everything we can to help you continue to do so once your child starts day care.
Diapers
We are happy to use any kinds of diapers you provide, whether they are cloth, disposable, or compostible. Parents bring a bring a daily or multi-weekly supply for each child.
Discipline and Guidance
Young children need guidance to achieve self-direction. Their capacities for true autonomy, depending on their ages and rates of growth, are either latent, underdeveloped, or in the process of developing. By our sensitive guidance and perceptive supervision, and with our innate awareness of their need for protection, we must help them learn the ways of becoming free, integrated individuals. We have the responsibility of guiding children toward the creation of a society that is more socially responsible and more reasonable than that which we know. Our goal with discipline is to convey, through the methods we use, basic human values such as respect, trust, honesty, and caring for others. You may see us use many of the following methods:
- Anticipating trouble
- Giving gentle reminders
- Distracting to a positive model
- Offering choices
- Giving praise and compliments
- Offering encouragement
- Clarifying messages
- Overlooking small annoyances
- Pointing out logical consequences
- Giving hugs and caring
- Arranging discussions among the children and with an adult