Early Learning Center Drop Off

Happy October. Hard to believe that fall is definitely here.
 
I am an early riser and like to get to the office before a lot of people show up.  It allows me to get settled in my day and plan for what I think will happen.  Like all jobs, that plan is usually tossed on its head by 10:30am!

One of the joys that I have by being at the YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties early is seeing all the little ones being dropped off by moms and dads for child care in our Early Learning Center. Over my many years of work with the Y, these programs have been called daycare or even babysitting. It is so much more than that, hence the name Learning Center. Our staff make sure that children are loved, cared for, and learning. Children in Y programs like these are ready to handle school when they head off to kindergarten because they have learned age-appropriate foundations and skills. They have learned how to be part of a group and what “our” friend’s needs are. They even learn the values of the organization of caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, and health. Very impactful.

Now, because I see all these children in the morning heading into their day, I also get to see how parents drop off and leave. I know when my children were little, there was always the challenge of getting out the door. Someone was missing a sock. Another was having a bad day for some reason or another. Or they both decided at that particular moment that, instead of getting ready, we should start an hour and a half long Disney movie. One that we couldn’t possibly leave in the middle of, even though it was on tape (for our younger crowd, tape means VCR tape. That predates DVDs. Oh, for our younger crowd a DVD is…). You get the picture. Families are stretched and tired as they head into the Y to head to work.

But with all of that going on in their morning, every morning, the happiness and joy of parents and their children amazes me. Daily I see kids who are in pretty good moods considering the time of the day. I am seeing parents who are raring to go and with a positive attitude. And the thing that I see the most? Blowing kisses.

When the kids are in one of the rooms that faces the parking lot, after they are dropped off by mom or dad, they head to the window where they can see the lot. Faces are smooshed onto the glass and, for the most part, pretty happy. And that is when the kisses begin. Last week, I watched a mom blow kisses to her little one for an extended period of time as I walked to the building. When I walked up the steps the little one blew me a kiss too. I entered the building ready for my day!

That got me thinking about the power of what we do. I believe that it is important for us to realize that these programs, here and at other providers, are making a difference in the communities we serve. These moments that we see for a mom or a dad, knowing that they are comfortable to leave their child in our care, are impactful for the family and the community as a whole.

Not a bad thought from blowing kisses, is it?

See you at the Y!

Steve Smith, President and CEO

Posted on: October 7th, 2022

Category: President's Blog
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