Hello there, 2022. As you come into our lives, it leaves many of us in reflection. Like the year before it, 2021 was a time of pivoting. Early years practices and families were asked to keep adjusting to this endless pandemic, and one after the other climate change related weather disasters kept us on our toes. These realities challenged the toughest of us, and child care providers, caregivers, parents, and children alike experienced the depths of its lessons. From that hardness has grown beauty, however. It is articles like A Better Normal: The pandemic changed everything about family life and Canadian Kids React to Climate Promises made at COP26, that leaves us with hope. We see you, 2022, and we’re coming back stronger.
At the YMCA CCRR, we saw a lot of changes, too. Changes that we’d like to proudly believe helped us be stronger than ever before. One of these changes happened this past summer as we made the exciting transition to online registration for our professional development opportunities. By visiting myymca.ca, clients of our services now can fully manage their registrations for our vast and varied selection of training opportunities. So, if you haven’t yet created an account, take time among your New Year and its resolutions to sign up at myymca.ca! Doing so will help you more easily access inspiration, motivation, and education about the child care field in this new year ahead.
For many, the New Year means both a fresh start and a clean slate. This applies to the activities we do with the children in our lives, too! Harness that fresh newness and consider creating a child-led activity or adventure jar for your homes and/or child care centres. If you need examples, here’s one by Born to be Adventurous and another by The Imagination Tree. The possibilities of these jars are endless, and there are enough ideas out there to last you the whole year ahead if need be. Be purposeful in honouring the voices of the children you care for by including lots of their ideas, too. Doing so will help create wonder and surprise, at the simple, lovely joys of childhood. How’s that for a fantastic path for the year ahead!
Here’s to you, 2022.