Valentine’s Day is approaching soon, and everywhere we will soon observe hearts and candies and Cupids galore! At Wild Roots, we instead would love to emphasize the core emotions associated with this holiday, such as love and care for one another. As they grow, young children everywhere learn through experiences in one way or another what it means to care for one another through meaningful expression. For this reason, Wild Roots teachers constantly model healthy expression of emotion, and constantly practice guiding children in love, respect, and care.

Exploring the expression of love and care is probably one of the most important and meaningful topics within our center and Valentine’s Day is a great reminder of this. Sometimes we, as adults, can become consumed with the overwhelming events that occur in the world and overlook the importance of emphasizing love, care, and empathy within our own relationships, in particularly with our young children. There has never been a more perfect time to introduce and encourage the topic of care within our youngest generation in order to promote a future peaceful world.

Within our program, there are numerous aspects of care and connection that are noticeable on a daily basis. First and foremost, we practice respect for the child, which is implemented in many ways and is the ultimate expression of love. Respecting each individual child occurs when we:

• Gently guide him in making independent choices instead of “teaching topics”
• Allow freedom and concentration while promoting a peaceful work cycle, free from interruptions from adults
• Respect each child’s uniqueness and individual interests and learning styles
• Minimize meaningless praise and instead, value his work with meaningful feedback
• Speak to the child in a calm and respectful way while practicing patience
• Place value on his choices and initiative
• Demonstrate compassion for his feelings
• Assist in conflict resolution while encouraging the child to solve problems independently
• Set the example of self-care, self-respect, and self-love

By respecting the children in these ways, we are demonstrating true care and appreciation for them. By displaying trust in their independence and compassion in their daily experiences, they feel secure in their environment, safe to interact with others, and free to explore and learn in meaningful ways.

Rather than focusing on cliché or superficial aspects of holiday celebrations, we at Wild Roots like to celebrate and honor the deeper meaning of traditional holidays, including Valentine’s Day. The children respond in such a way that shows us they truly understand why that is important, thus validating our decision to be holistic in our celebration