Oh Baby!

Tuesday is my favorite day of the week. That's because each Tuesday morning I get to spend some quality time with some of the coolest people I know...babies and toddlers! Today is "Lapsit" day, a day where I get to sing songs, read stories, blow bubbles, and play! I walk out of each session smiling and thinking, this is so much fun that I can't believe I actually get paid to do this. Now before you think that I qualify for a reduction in pay, let me explain why the Matteson Public Library provides this program.

According to http://www.zerotothree.org/, a national non-profit organization devoted to promoting the health and development of infants and toddlers, "The first three years of life are a period of incredible growth in all areas of a baby's development. A newborn's brain is about 25 percent of its approximate adult weight. But by age 3, it has grown dramatically by producing billions of cells and hundreds of trillions of connections, or synapses, between these cells." Researchers agree that there is much that adults can do to support healthy brain development for children from birth through age three. Hence, Lapsit!

As we are singing, reading, and playing together, we are introducing vocabulary, developing social skills, and stimulating those little brain cells to develop the synapses needed to later learn to read. It really is exciting, and fun too! Every time one of my little friends babbles to me, I look directly into their eyes and respond, whether I understand what they are saying or not. I am modeling how conversation works to them, and boy do these babies "get it." Later on, when they are a little older, and I can actually understand what they are saying, I try to get down to their level to hold a conversation with them for as long as they are interested. I want them to know that words and ideas are powerful and that their ideas have value. These toddlers "get it" too.

Seemingly along for the ride, are the moms, dads, nannies, grandmas, grandpas, and caregivers. Only, they are not just providing transportation. These caregivers "get it" too. They set aside Tuesday mornings to bring their babies and toddlers to the library because they are committed to the best possible start in life for these young children. I thank them all for sharing their children with me and giving me the privilege of watching them grow and develop.

The Matteson Public Library offers it's Lapsit program each Tuesday morning at 9:30 and 10:30am. No registration is required, and there is no fee to attend. Help us spread the word and provide the best possible start for all of Matteson's babies and toddlers. Don't worry, I am always up for more opportunities to play!