The New Girl In The Room.

I am so proud of Lily. While she amazes me everyday, I am sure today was a tough one.....she moved from the infant room at school to the toddler room. She has been in the care of two amazing teachers for 11 months, and today was the day she stepped away from one-on-one care, rocking before naps and hand-fed breakfasts and snacks. In the toddler room there are nine new friends, many more toys and play stations, a playground with big slides, cots for naps, cubbie holes for their belongings and several tables for their meals. I don't have to bring labeled bottles because they drink out of sippy cups, and blankets for naptime have replaced crib linens.

She was such a brave girl as she walked into her new classroom. She took it all in, shed a few tears (as did I) and went on with her new day and routine. At the end of the day, she was dancing with her new friends and showed me some of her favorite toys!

This significant transition made me think of how brave our little ones are! Think of being in a similar situation as an adult. You walk into a conference center filled with people you do not know, and moderators whom you've never met. I can tell you my first thought would be, ugh, maybe I can sneak away to the bathroom and not have to talk to anyone. And, I am not sure how quickly I would buy into my new teachers....it would take a while to build that trust. So how is it that a 14-m0nth-old can walk into a whole new world, and find happiness and comfort in it in just a few short hours!

Here is my take on it: They are still excited by anything new and undiscovered. They like the challenge. They TRUST in everyone and everything. They do not know failure. The find the fun in everything. They love their friends and teachers - without condition. They do not make assessments based on race, class or vanity. They don't care what the others are wearing or how smart they are or what school they went to, or how much money their parents make. They just want to know if you will be their friend.....and that decision is usually made over a toy exchange or giggles on the playground! That is how I met my life-long best friends, MJ.

I bet if I approached life more like I did on the playground, I would want to go to more conferences!

Lil - Mommy looks up to you! You are such a great role model!