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Brenda,

Thank you for your comment and your enthusiasm for sharing Exchange Every Day. You can find us on Facebook at
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Hello
Child friend , Its very interesting poking fun in childcare centre . Funny environment can change the mind of a child and foster her development.

I wish this good be posted on Face Book. I think the daily exchange emails are great, but they are read primarily be people in the field. If we all rec'd them to our pages more people beyond the field could become a bit more enlightened.

Way to go Bettye. Your editorial should be published in every newspaper in America and beyond!

I was educated as a music school teacher but along the way decide that by running a private quality child care, I could make a bigger impact in the daily lives of many children. I consciously chose child care because child care, day care or whatever you want to call it, makes a difference.

I did my own study along the way and discovered that school age children, especially from single parent families, spent more waking hours in my facility than they did any where else.

Thanks for speaking up!

Right on !!!!!

This issue comes up when I teach an administration class at one of local community colleges. Do we provide a place for child care beyond the usual 12 hours, which is what some parents would like. Or do we keep to our hours and face the loss of income from parents who need childcare more than 12 hours per day?
And what is best for the children involved? And can we use our policy as a part of parent education?

Good for Bettye! For far too long we have been the quiet profession and it's past time to change that.

Thank you for this defense of our field. And now, let's applaud and support parents who manage their lives in such a way as to have more home time with their infants, toddlers and preschoolers. More than less!! That's the plan. With this approach, perhaps we will all save the day.

Wow, this article poses some misconceptions about who WE are as "childcare workers". I consider myself a professional in the field and much prefer to be called an Early Childhood Educator. An educator is one who is passionately immersed in the education of children. The classroom environment is where everything "unfolds"; the childrens' sense of awe and wonder is revealed. I am "in the trenches" where I recognize, observe and validate each and every child on his/her journey to exploring, investigating and discovering the world. I am a guide, facilitator and partner in the learning process. Young children are capable and competent learners with ideas, thoughts and feelings.

After visiting a few daycare centers (or better yet, childcare facilities) in my community that have long hours and many transitions for young children, I am somewhat taken back by how "institutional" ( I'll take the liberty here to say prison-like)these settings can be. I rarely witnessed close interaction or exchange between child and caregiver. Everyone was in a hurry to get a project done or move on to the next thing.

I am reminded of a four year old who said to me, "You know, thinking takes time."

Here's to the important work we do as earlychildhood educators!

How masterfully Ms. Caldwell's letter addresses the sad disrespect and cynical objectification of babies that has been rapidly decaying and devolving our society's view of family life. I thank her and ardently wish the editor from the Arkansas paper and others, such as the author of the raging book "Get the __ to Sleep", would cease and desist. The "unique little individuals" as my teacher Magda Gerber used to refer to infants - these human beings with their miraculous presence in our lives - have rights and needs to be met by nurturing adults. If that doesn't happen, children will develop dysfunctionally, becoming just like the above-mentioned cynical perpetrators of total disrespect, wreaking havoc on their fellow humans. Something like we see right now woven in every fabric of our society.

Thank you Bette for responding to these depictions of family life with children. I am currently working on a dissertation that focuses on the spiritual development of young children beginning at birth. This entire scenario documents how far off we are in America from meeting some of the deepest needs of our children. It is my belief that spiritual development, without making any reference to God or religion, but rather focusing on a child's essence, wonderment....you get the picture must be addressed if we expect our democracy to continue. Big jump, but think about it, and you will see what I mean.

I read this article and agreed wholeheartedly, except for one point that stuck out for me......using the label "child care worker".

I for one believe that the language we use frames other's and our perceptions in both gross and subtle ways.

"Worker" is so pedestrian. "Worker" brings up images of unskilled, unprofessional, interchangeable people. "Child care worker" sounds like drudgery work rather than the subtle, introspective, challenging and rewarding profession that it is.

I, for one, refer to all of the staff at our child care center as "teachers", whether in the infant, toddler or preschool rooms. "Teacher" means the person has gone to school, gotten some training, has made a commitment to the field. "Teacher" folds into a broad and professional field with a long history of respect, research and innovation. "Teacher" works with the child, parent, peers and community.