posted by KWiz on Just Everyday Life, Parenting

It was time for my daughter to go night-night.  I love to read to her, and she loves books, so when it’s getting past her bedtime, I tell her, “You can choose one book.”  So she chose one of my favorites, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Because it’s one of my favorites, I said, “Good choice, A.!”  She replied,

“I’m making good choices!”

Pardon me if I feel just a little bit proud.  She’s not yet three years old. 

For a moment, I felt like I did something great, like I taught her to make “good choices.”  The fact of the matter is she learned that particular saying from her teacher at daycare, Miss V. 

Since Miss V. has been teaching “A.” and her friends, she’s done finger-painting, hand-painting, regular painting with a brush, collaging, and drawing, coloring (I know I’m missing something), in addition to all the other activities of ”play” they do each day, including singing, dancing, reading, swinging, playing dress-up, building towers…all the activities toddlers engage in to help them learn.  She’s not learning Spanish (at least not yet), there are no flashcards, and there is no rigorous “curriculum” where they are overscheduled to the point to where her brain would take exception and holler “Stop!”  “A.” and her friends are allowed to be toddlers.  They are allowed to be 2 and 3 year olds. 

And because of Miss V., in the midst of learning through play, my daughter ”makes good choices.”

Thank you Miss V.!!!