KinderCare, Or Why We Don’t Eat The Dry Ingredients.

I so dig early childhood education, and am rather honored to be writing a sponsored post on behalf of KinderCare.

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There is absolutely nothing better than seeing a little kid truly understand something for the very first time. It makes you realize that yeah, this smallish (and rather messy) person is well on their way to becoming a thinking, thriving, productive member of society and will one day become an independent one. Kinda heady stuff.

As a lot of you know, I was a nanny for close to a decade. I also taught kindergarten through 3rd grade song n’ dance n’ theatre. And I loved my jobs. I loved the wild abandon with which little kids would create, learn, question, and trust. I like to think that those experiences carried over to my motherhood- especially in the sense that I love to create “learning moments” for my girls that have nothing to do with workbooks, flash cards, or curriculum.

Like Monday morning, when the bitty ladies and I decided to bake “cupcake muffins.” (Their phrase, not mine.) Nora, ever-impatient to get to the Good Part (i.e., the eating of said cupcake muffins), was asking why she couldn’t just eat the dry ingredients while they were being added to the mixer. (Her toddler sister nodded in hungry agreement.)

All master chefs need purple fairy aprons.

So I let ’em. We all dipped [clean] pinkies into whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, and the teensiest bit of vanilla extract. They were thrilled by this complete disregard for “the rules.” And totally dismayed that the vanilla didn’t even taste like vanilla. But after the briefest of lessons in chemistry and a very hippie dippie “Isn’t it nice when all the ingredients work and play together” speech on my part, Nora decided that the finished product was nicer than any of the single ingredients…and that being patient can be rather tasty.

And just like Nora questioned the contents of her mixing bowl, it’s oh-so important to question our kiddo’s educational paths. Which is why it’s completely awesome that KinderCare (and Knowledge Beginnings Centers) are hosting open houses all over the country on August 13th. Families are welcomed (and encouraged!) to tour, ask, plan, and decide if these learning centers are right for your child. You can find your neighborhood center, schedule a personal tour, and explore their theme of Learning Moments- all those fabulous teachable times that happen away from the chalkboard. Even better, any family who tours a KinderCare or Knowledge Beginnings Center between now and October 18th will be entered to win a free year of tuition to one of these centers- and five families will win! (Check out the spiffy terms and conditions here.)

And go see if KinderCare’s blend of ingredients is the right recipe for your li’l cupcake.

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