Free Spirit is respectful childcare in an urban farm setting, provided from 10am
- 2pm Mondays through Thursdays. Aftercare (from 2-6pm) is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an additional fee.
The program at Free Spirit
Playschool is intended for children from 2-5 years old, and toddlers do not need
to be potty-trained to attend. We occasionally have space for an older
homeschooling child to attend.
The caregiver, Emily Troper, strives to joyfully integrate your child into her family
life, facilitating communication between the various ages in ways that meet
everyone's needs for respect and safety, with no punishments or conditional
rewards of any kind.
Children enjoy organic snacks and stories, active
play, art exploration, and music. We play outside in all kinds of weather -
caring for the farm animals (chickens, rabbits), playing with sand and water,
riding trikes and tending the garden.
When there are
conflicts or tears, Emily listens to feelings, offers empathy, and brainstorms
solutions - modeling peaceful conflict resolution. Children feel respected even
when they don't get exactly what they want, and therefore feel more open to
communication and compromise.
Emily is a Parent Educator and Postpartum Doula, and has been studying Child Development
for over 15 years.
She is the mother of 4 children, and is influenced and inspired by the work of
Alfie Kohn, Gordon Neufeld, John Holt, Bev Bos, Aletha Solter, Naomi Aldort,
Patty Wipfler, Maria Montessori, Pam Leo, Larry J. Cohen, Joseph Chilton Pearce,
Scott Noelle, and of course her
own family. |
