We have had a new baby start with us in our centre. She is three months old and has created a lot of interest from the toddlers. This is the youngest baby that we have had with us for a while.
The toddlers have been watching us as we wrap and feed the baby. They are very helpful when baby is being winded, and laugh so much when they hear her burp. They come with us as we place her in her cot for her sleep. The toddlers listen as I tell the baby sleep tight and then give her a kiss . When she is upset and crying I tell the toddlers that she is letting me know that she is hungry, or that she is tired. I also share that maybe she would just like a cuddle and some love. This has sparked a renewed interest in the family corner. Several toddlers are constantly bringing the teachers dolls and teddies and wanting them wrapt in a blanket  just like the baby. This is an example of "real experiences to make social studies come alive for children."(Scholl. 2005,p.1).
This  has prompted us to look at the family corner and to make available to the toddlers more resources  that are relating to their interest in babies. We have made made sure that we have plenty  of blankets and baby bottles. There are prams, baby baths,cots and cradles.The toddlers are using dolls and soft toys to wrap. "Adult behaviours that will help to support the development of caring and co-operative relationships in babies and toddlers are those that show babies and toddlers that adults care and respond to others." (McNaughton & Williams,2009, p.231).
I have been observing and supporting the toddlers play as they bath, feed,  wrap and cuddle  their babies.  This includes role modelling for the toddlers by using language that is showing empathy and a caring attitude towards their babies. As teachers we can encourage the interests that the toddlers show. We are able to demonstrate concern for the toddlers, babies and their feelings.
"Children develop theories about social relationships and social concepts, such as friendship, authority, and social rules and understandings."(Ministry of Education, 1996, p.90). As Mindes,2006 informs us that "the school experience is crucial to developing children's  social behaviours and values."(p.110)
 

Where is my phone?

In today's society mobile  phones are very much a part of our everyday life. The infants and toddlers are watching their siblings ,parents/whanau and even their teachers using them at home and at work everyday. Even within our centre we have a mobile phone on the wall for texting and calling parents when needed.
Today I watched as M who is twenty months old  playing in the family corner. She looked through the box and got herself a large brown handbag out and placed it over her shoulder. As I continued to watch M was on a mission looking for something else. Under boxes, in cupboards, maybe in the oven, she was looking for something. Then she saw them on the bottom shelf, two mobile phones. These were picked up and placed in her handbag. She then picked up the car keys placed these also in her bag and walked off to the other side of the centre. M sat down and opened her handbag, she took out a mobile phone. It was a flip phone and she opened it and put it to her ear and started to talk. When the call was finished M shut her phone and placed it back in her bag. She then continued moving around the centre with her bag over her shoulder.
M is beginning her journey into today's ITC world. All children need to be given opportunities  to explore  today's technology. It is important as teachers that we ourselves are aware of the "the technological world that we live in: a world that people have created and changed through technology." (Smorti, 1999, p.1) M is role playing what she has seen as a part of  her everyday life. M is starting to "develop an understanding of how technology works."(Ministry of Education, 1996, p.85).Through providing access to technological resources and creating opportunities for the children to use them the technology will become more familiar to them .The children will become more capable and confident in their ITC skills. Technology makes our lives easier, young children today need to be aware of and keep pace with today's world. As do the teachers through ongoing professional development in the area of ITC."As educators we need to understand how modern technologies can help us better meet the social, physical and learning needs of the young children." (Tsantis, Bewick, Thourenelle, 2003, p.8)