There are many faces of child caring; large centers, small centers, home based centers and then there is Maplewood Child Development Center in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago. From the front gate one would never guess what awaits a family as they climb the stairs and enter the front door.
The front door opens and I am struck by the beauty of the environment. Maplewood CDC is part of a warm and inviting home. Warm sunlight streaming though beautiful window coverings and soft overhead lighting lends itself to this very special infant/toddler environment. The entire kitchen, dining area, and family room is set up exclusively for the children in the program.
The children enter what looks like anyone’s home. The transition is smooth and gentle because of the entrance way. I noticed the quiet, the calm and the beauty. Plants line the shelves, the table where toddlers eat is the appropriate size so toddler’s feet may touch the floor. The sleeping area for the youngest infant is set close to a large window with warm diffused sunlight streaming through. The young infant slept peacefully in the beautiful natural wood infant crib. Although he was asleep, it was obvious he was an integral part of the program—centered in the sounds of the teacher and the children, never loud, just soft speaking and laughing could be heard.
The Kitchen’s eating area is in the center of the program as you enter. I walk but a few steps to the left and I am struck by the play area set-up in the family room. Obviously this environment, a house, was purchased with a natural child caring environment in mind. Large windows allow sunlight to stream through and the door in the family playroom leads right onto a beautiful outdoor deck for the infants and toddlers to enjoy this beautiful weather.
The playroom was setup to have three separate areas. First, for the older infant, who most recently became more mobile, a gated area which is large enough for this eight month old to sit, crawl, pull himself up, walk holding onto the bars of a very sturdy and attractive gated play space. This older infant was very vocal when they saw me approach the gate and very confident in their surroundings, able to speak to a dear friend, an young toddler letting them know someone new was at the gate. Again, the area for the young toddler was set in the bright, warm, windowed area with wood floors and nature based playthings but the best play was the interaction between the two friends. The children’s first teacher, also the school’s director, pointed out how these two good friends have been in the program since Maplewood CDC opened. They were a part of the school family. The rest of the room was open for the very mobile young toddler. The room has lovely plants which give the area an outdoor feel, the playthings are on shelves, in bins and in baskets on the floor. No playthings made loud noises or produced music if the children touched a button, instead I noticed concentration and involved play with these simple play objects.
Although I tried to remain low-key and not intrusive, my being near the play area did cause the young toddler some distress. I quickly moved to a chair and sat to the side. Director Susan, the children’s first teacher moved in slowly again explaining who I was and why I was here — “to visit” “this is my friend Roseann”. This interaction was done slowly and without worry. Talking slowing to the young toddler without attempting to “fix” the situation, Susan instead acknowledge the childs feelings. Soon the child relaxed a bit and Susan asked if they were hungry as it was nearing lunch. The young toddler responded and I was able to observe a beautiful lunch experience. I will go into more detail about it in the next blog post.
My visit included observing meal time, feeding, changing and rest time — all done in quiet, obvious consistent routines. It was hard to leave, but when my visit was over I left with a indescribable feeling. I have visited many centers and I have had the opportunity to own and operate my own infant centers, however, being involved in the day-to-day rituals of MCDC was a very special experience for me.
Posted by Roseann Murphy
