Priority : week of 10.16

Recently, I learned that the word Priorities really doesn't or at least shouldn't exist. My friend, Mike, told me this and I'm going to believe him without looking much further into the evidence, so just go with me on this. 
The very definition of priority is : "A preferential rating"...no plural there anywhere. 
Priority is just that...The Most important thing...
So, then, I guess we can't list our priorities since that would put multiple items in an equal footing. 

This led me to the question:

What is my priority at Wonder Studio?

2 things came to mind right away.

So, the 2 things which I am going to somehow morph into one priority (by the end of this blog) is Respect and Creativity.

Owning a place where children's rights are respected was above all the reason I started this business. 

Many of the previous classes I had taken my daughter to were disrespectful to children (in my opinion). Teachers did not listen, really listen to my daughter...they didn't allow her to have a sense of agency...and they often didn't even look at her in the face and talk with her. 

So, how does Respect happen at Wonder Studio?

Our routine...
It's important to me to say Hello and Goodbye to each child as I look them in the eye (they do not have to say it back but I want them to hear it from me). 

Freedom to choose...
I didn't want to have a studio where the children are given one choice and they must follow what I want them to do.
So, Wonder Studio evolved into a learning environment with multiple options where the child could CHOOSE where they want to play and for how long. 
Those choices would also be telling to the caregiver in learning about the disposition of their child.

The studio would need to accept messiness.
As, I've stated before. Children are messy.
They drop things, they squeeze things, they poop, they pee, they squish, they fall, they cry, they scream, they throw, they MOVE. 

I must have a place where all of that is going to be embraced and even encouraged.

Mistakes are welcome here.
There is joy in discourse. And, I believe that children are resilient and able to handle conflicts and learn from those experiences.
More on those thoughts here: The Sharing Agreement
http://thewonderstudio.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_12.html

Now, getting to my kind of sort of other priority at Wonder Studio being Creativity.

I wanted a place for my own children and then yours too where kids could be creative.
How does encouraging creativity also honor the child and offer respect?

Here's the definition of creativity:
the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.

synonyms: inventiveness, imagination, innovation, innovativeness, originality, individuality;

Children (and other humans) are asked to follow directions so much of their day and life...Can we offer them a time and a space to have Original thoughts, their own ideas, an opportunity to try and persuade another child to follow their idea?
Last week we had a guy put the flubber in his hair and then another little boy followed him and did the same.
Yes, Dad may have cursed my name a bit as he was pulling bits of flubber from his  kid's scalp but...
A new idea happened and someone followed the idea.

This is called a movement.
Maybe Flubber on the head movement isn't quite the movement you thought your child would create but who knows where that creativity will lead in 15/20 years. 

So, there you have it. Respect for children will lead to creativity.

Every child has the right to be respected and we will make that our Priority.