It’s Rosie here, Wild Child’s Founder & Executive Director. I’ve been wanting to make a blog post about my mother, Laurie Landy Lynch, who is a font of endless creativity & care when it comes to raising our little ones! It’s amazing how she manages to keep up with two toddlers on a daily basis and is always at the ready when it comes to a long haul Facebook Marketplace mission, messy sensory play, or an impromptu family meal for all. The best part is, she now lives just 1 minute down the road!
One reason why we have been able to get Wild Child up and going is because of how absolutely wonderful my mother has been in providing consistent care for my children while I attended conferences representing Wild Child or worked on Board meeting preparations, all while keeping up with a full-time job of my own.
Having her support has been my source of inspiration for starting Wild Child, in order to provide a gathering place for families who may not have their “village” intact and have that kind of steady intergenerational presence and involvement.
Are YOU lucky enough to have a “full-time” grandma in your life?
There’s often no one better than a child’s grandmother to step in and provide that constant source of love, guidance, and inspiration when a parent can’t be there. We are incredibly lucky because between homemade baked goods and kid-centered culinary creations (she was a cooking teacher for 18 years, after all), home-made crafts with her endless creativity, daily walks in the double stroller, responsible screen time protocols, and baby pools galore – our grandmother really IS the best. And in this case, you’re in luck TOO because she is about to open her heart and offer her services to all of Wild Child’s tiny guests!
Here’s some reflections directly from Laurie, Full-time Grandmother and Wild Child’s soon-to-be Program Director!
My favorite part of being a grandmother is having fun playing with the kids: Zeke, age 3 and Nolie, soon-to-be-turning-two, bring such joy and intensity to their play. They teach me as much as I teach them. I love being with my grandchildren and wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Nevertheless, since I am their full-time caregiver while their parents work during the day, we do have some challenges, to name a few:
- Cabin fever when it’s too yucky to go outside and play, but it’s also too expensive to take a trip to Harrisonburg where you wind up dropping a small fortune on coffee, snacks, lunch, and new shoes for at least one person you’re with by the time you’re done!
- Ansty kids who could use some new stimulation by playing with their peers, but it’s hard to initiate playdates or actually find a time that works for everyone in the play group.
- The wear and tear on my home – when the kids want to run, jump, and engage in highly physical play, but my house is too small and I’m tired of them breaking things or tearing up the place (even if they’re so stinkin’ cute while doing it!)
- Boredom as kids tend to get tired of the same old toys – and their constant need for shiny, new objects is wearing out Grammie’s wallet
- The chaos that ensues any time I need to make phone calls or do any computer work at all – it is often impossible with the kids running around unsupervised! (Not to mention super stressful anytime you even attempt to make it work for a brief moment)
- The difficulty in carving out time for other needs, like a quick appointment, when there is no one else to watch the kids
- How time consuming and overwhelming it can be to clean up all the messes that kids inevitably make every day while enjoying their playroom and our entire home – who couldn’t use a break every now and then?
I’m sure everyone who lovingly cares for their children and grandchildren can appreciate that list. What I’m excited about is how Wild Child: Museum and Menagerie is going to offer solutions to all of the above!
If you just need to get out of the house, kids can run around in a safe, supervised place with other children and lots of fun activities that parents and caregivers don’t have to plan, orchestrate, or clean up. Caregivers – Mommies, Grammies, Daddies, Aunties, you name it – can either attend the fun with the kids in their lives during Everyday Play, or pick one of our Supervised Play options. This allows you to either drop off for a short appointment while they attend a 90 minute class, or extend the child care for up to 3 hours while parents can stay on-site and work remotely with free internet access in the Rotary Learning Lab.
Wild Child enables all the fun and joy of playing without the challenges.
As a retired high school teacher, I am aware of the importance of fostering self-efficacy in children. My philosophy has always been that learning takes place experientially and children need to develop confidence in their abilities to learn, meet challenges, and solve problems. This is accomplished by facilitating planned learning activities along with lots of time for free exploratory play. Creativity and self expression must be encouraged. Each child is endowed with special gifts and abilities, and educators enable children to maximize their gifts.
In my new role as Wild Child’s Program Director I look forward to providing a safe, nurturing, fun, and stimulating environment for children and families to enjoy.
Let’s get WILD! See all you little wild animals next week!
