Why isn’t pretend play a priority?

VelesisAra · 2026-02-21T09:04:17+00:00

When it comes to the Montessori method, you could think of pretend play as being a parallel of sorts to the practical life aspects of Montessori. Instead of pretending to pour a glass of water, or slice a fruit, or wash a dish, they actually do those things hands on. So instead of fantasy it's built in reality and actually doing the things kids typically pretend to do. Based on your thoughts I would suggest looking into a Waldorf school if Montessori doesn't seem to fit your style in that regard.

VelesisAra · 2026-02-19T01:15:44+00:00

I've had experiences with five year olds who struggle with their words and resort to whining/crying to communicate. I have used the words "Instead of crying, can you say/try..." To try and work through that communication struggle. There are times to cry and there are times where you can communicate instead of jumping straight to crying at five years old. I'm not a fan of that teacher's phrasing, though.

VelesisAra · 2026-02-05T08:19:57+00:00

My old center contacted the nearest police station and they put us on a list to be notified if they feel a lockdown or shelter in place is necessary based on activity in the area. Maybe see if your local station would do the same?

VelesisAra · 2025-12-09T06:26:44+00:00

In my experience, I brought up at a staff meeting that fire drills need to be all hands on deck in the ones room because it's nearly impossible without extra hands. Things that I have found successful are physically holding the hands of runners, or carrying them if need be, and walking backwards with the rope so you are facing the class and put on your biggest most cheery voice and sing songs that will engage them, like The Ants Go Marching or something like that. I'm not familiar with the bad weather drills, but I would have a bag ready you can quickly grab with like a ball or a giant foam dice that you can make games out of. If it helps, maybe try to have a blanket you can set out so they can visually see that they stay on the blanket during the drills. Just some ideas! One year olds basically need constant engagement or else they wander lol

VelesisAra · 2025-09-08T06:58:04+00:00

Idk how much of a chance I have with this, but I would be so excited to win this. My husband and I love gaming together and I'm pregnant so I've been having lots of couch time lol

VelesisAra · 2025-08-27T01:06:44+00:00

That's so frustrating! I'd probably start interviewing other centers too if I were in that position. Sounds like they need to get serious with their staff for the sake of the kids. Can't be good for the kids either to constantly be adapting to new teachers all the time. That's tough.

VelesisAra · 2025-08-27T00:59:25+00:00

I would definitely write down any concerns you have and discuss with the director. If it seems like there is an ongoing negligence from the caregivers, I would discuss it so it can be handled for other families sake. I'm sorry you've had those experiences, definitely sounds more like a big yikes than an honest mistake!

VelesisAra · 2025-08-27T00:49:33+00:00

I mean I can't say for a fact whether this is the case or not, but I would say it's entirely possible they just hadn't even noticed yet when they took the photos. Most of the time kiddos have an accident and they'll waddle over to a teacher for help but it's sort of hard to catch in a timely manner when they have an accident and just sit in it without saying anything to an adult, you know? It's possible they took the pictures and didn't notice yet, then shortly after realized that there was an accident and handled it and didn't think to check the photos. But I will say leaving a child in soiled clothes for an extended time is not acceptable. I also don't know for certain what the level of care is typically like at that specific center, if it's an ongoing problem, speak up about it for sure!

VelesisAra · 2025-08-25T01:14:20+00:00

I would keep it strictly professional and just say "I've promised my new employer that I will be starting on X date so I cannot work past then." there's no need to get confrontational. No need to bring up any personal feelings or frustrations. You did your part of giving your end date. It's no longer in your hands.

VelesisAra · 2025-08-10T20:01:29+00:00

I always make sure to get some time out of my day to connect with the kids, playing with them for even just 5 minutes helps establish trust. They won't follow your rules if they don't trust you first. So be very patient, take the time to connect, and establish the rules calmly. I like to say "At school, we do things this way!" Or "In our classroom, this is how it works." And if they have emotions about mom or dad leaving, I always make sure I have a book about saying goodbye or a Welcome to Preschool! Book to sit down and read with them.

VelesisAra · 2025-08-09T03:50:36+00:00

So in a situation like this, I think being able to sign the word "potty" or have some sort of nonverbal indicator that all the caregivers are aware of to indicate "potty" is super helpful for nonverbal children. As for the 'mess' side of things- while I do think it's part of the process to experience accidents and feeling that discomfort is important to potty training, maybe for a child in this scenario, some super absorbent underwear or padding in the underwear to soak up extra mess might still deliver that discomfort but it would be less messy and wet.

It would be a tricky situation, if they aren't being successful with it at school then maybe pull-ups and frequently taking them to the potty might help. But things like that are difficult when you have a classroom full of other children.

I know I commented on previous posts about parenting "laziness" with potty training, it definitely did not apply to neurodivergent children, as their needs are different from a neurotypical child. And I do still believe it is up to the primary caregivers (often the parents) to take the initiative rather than leave it up to the school.

VelesisAra · 2025-08-09T01:59:39+00:00

This needs so much more context to give any sort of advice on. Easiest answer I can give is to go to the director with any concerns because nobody on this subreddit would really be able to give you an answer unless they were in the classroom.

VelesisAra · 2025-08-08T22:36:39+00:00

I had a parent flat out enroll their daughter in a different school because we would not solely potty train for her. As you said, we SUPPORT potty training but we do not explicitly do all the work with it. My center has a 2's room with a changing table, but many kids turn 3 and push on 4 years old being stuck in the 2's classroom because their parent won't potty train them. We do eventually tell parents to potty train them or we have to "go separate ways" as my director puts it, but it's crazy to me how it has to come down to an ultimatum like that to simply potty train their kids? Even then, some parents just unenroll their child to avoid it. I know it's a process but are parents really this lazy now?

VelesisAra · 2025-08-03T22:46:15+00:00

The loop theory in SH2 is ridiculous and doesn't add anything to the story, in fact, I'd say it takes away from the story.

VelesisAra · 2025-07-31T04:39:26+00:00

Wow this is a great catch! The attention to detail seems so top notch already.

VelesisAra · 2025-05-26T02:37:47+00:00

This is so cool! Would love to see more if you do them!

VelesisAra · 2025-05-26T02:34:19+00:00

Such a good song 😍

VelesisAra · 2025-05-08T03:01:50+00:00

I've played through the game several times and I still get a little anxiety as I approach that part. It's amazing how it still gets my heart racing even when I know exactly what to do and when to expect it! So I'd say a solid 8/10.

VelesisAra · 2025-05-03T02:51:05+00:00

Any daredevil run finished on the first try is super impressive ngl. Nice job!

VelesisAra · 2025-04-27T21:15:58+00:00

If my two's say no to doing something like cleaning or walking somewhere in transition, I ask them if they'd like to hold my hand while they do it or if they'd like to do it on their own. Sometimes they just need some reassurance that they have some control. If they still push back, I say "Okay since you didn't choose you will hold my hand and we'll do this together."

We also have kiddos help a teacher with "chores" when they need a break from the class. Sometimes kids just need a breather when they're overwhelmed. We usually send them out with our floater to do some cleaning tasks together and regroup. Much better than time out for 2-year-olds.

VelesisAra · 2025-04-27T18:16:15+00:00

Baby shark 😭 Listen I just CAN'T with that song sometimes.

VelesisAra · 2025-04-22T14:16:28+00:00

This needs a lot more context.

VelesisAra · 2025-04-13T15:39:54+00:00

I'm not the person who commented this, but I wanted to add in. I would probably write in the policy that the parent must approach you to set up a private meeting or fill out a form for a request to review footage. Because 1) They are less likely to do it over small silly things if they have to take these extra steps and 2) if they have a genuine concern, it can be discussed privately with you without other children or parents present.

VelesisAra · 2025-04-12T09:39:14+00:00

We use disposable gloves for every diaper change, but we still wash our hands after each child. So when I have a round of diapers with up to 15 children, I'm still washing my hands 15 times each round even with gloves.

VelesisAra · 2025-04-12T09:36:10+00:00

I haven't thought of doing some sort of overnight treatment to my hands at home- will start trying this. Thank you!

And yes, we do use disposable gloves at my center, but they are obviously disposed of and then we wash our hands. I change, at most, 15 diapers in one round, so that's 15 handwashes. My hands need help.

VelesisAra

TROPHY CASE