We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Diana Rondon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Diana , we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
For a while I wondered what was the reason why I am so easily detached from items, which allowed me to understand where my generosity comes from. After years of reflecting, I understood this is a quality that I was able to embrace throughout the years. I’ve realized this is part of my personality since birth as a child in pre-school, I used to share what I had, rather than what I could spare. I grew up in a home that lacked abundance, our necessities and lack of comfort were part of our daily routine. In my house there was no fridge or leaving room. But we had an abundance of books. At 13 years old my mother became a single mother after divorcing my father. She was our household’s only form of income; I was a first-hand witness of her daily struggles looking for right combination of quality vs price when shopping for groceries. I went to a public school were many children like me shared the story of a difficult economy. One of my school mates shared that despite her mother working tirelessly, she and her siblings would go to bed without being able to eat. I was challenged with two choices, whether to be a bystander or to help my classmate. On one end, I witnessed my mother struggling to keep us fed but I also saw hunger in the eyes of someone I knew. I figured, at least we weren’t going hungry at my house. I started packing rice; lentils and beans in my backpack and giving it to my friend. My mom noticed food was going missing but she could not understand why, for a while I felt bad for my mom but I also knew, I was doing what I was supposed to. I understood generosity arises from lacking firsthand and wanting to avoid the same for others, without fear of renouncing to what one possesses. The key is to share, no regrets. Another reason is that I became a mother at 16 years old, and I was faced with many adversities. The most critic one for me was leaving my daughter in places where learning was not prioritized. When families come to me with difficulties, I like to think that I’m offering them the help I could have used years ago and that makes a difference in my purpose as a mother and business owner. Many times my labor is not just about taking care of children but about helping those that I may assist in any capacity. In many occasions I have met peers that say this is a business and should be treated mainly, as a financial venture. I have not had interest to apply such philosophy. In general, I mostly take care of children from working families that very much as my mother back in the day, struggle to make ends meet. Especially in times like this when inflation is not giving any of us a break, I choose to not charge additional price for certain services.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My professional focus is to give children a development tailored to their age. I find it crucial to help children explore their capabilities and talents from an early age. Exposing them to arts, science, nature, dance, and literature helps spark their interest, helping them make informed choices for their futures. As well, I find it important to have parents know their children are in a space where not only they’re being cared for but they are learning through games and interacting with each other’s. The physical aspect of play is important for my approach. In times where almost everything is digital, I want the children in my care to have daily outside time. One on one learning is another of my priorities, I like them to learn by observing and reenacting; asking as many questions as they can come up with.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I can highlight three aspects that have led me to the point I’m at. The first one persistent education. When it comes to child development, its crucial to focus on emotional development, I like to specialize in learning techniques for children. Child-care can be taken lightly, but you have to be willing to learn. Training in this science backed theories, have helped me question and re-direct the way I interact with the children at my care. The second one is awakening their interests, children have a 15 minute interest span on average. I like to make their daily routines dynamic and engaging. Such activities can be interesting in my opinion and consume preparation time on my end, but these activities may not be appealing to them. In this case, I like to have back-up activities that can be performed with the same materials or setting. The third and last component I getting the families involved, giving children cultural and ethnic visibility is not very helpful if you don’t incorporate the circle that offered them such background. While this approach may be time consuming and take logistics, having the families involved in their daily development is crucial for their identity. Just like cultural exposure helps children, so does being in an environment where families come together, it gives them a strong foundation for community-like values such as cooperation and empathy. These values that are most efficiently taught by example. Our society’s future depends on the values we pass on today.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
Currently, as daycare providers we are facing a variety of challenges but the biggest threat we are posed with is the business slowly disappearing. Schools have captured great amounts of children, either by opening classes for ages younger than the school age or by having after-school programs. Meaning, many of our children went to those programs. Ideally, all parents should have age and schedule comprehensive care as we are facing economic times that demand more work hours than before. However, parents should know that there are programs that make them eligible for their children to attend daycare if pricing is a concern. Our care-giver to child ratio is lower than schools, which allow us to provide children with more specialized services in a home environment. Parents should also know that the state and social services are requiring us with more training than before. As daycare providers we are continuously elevating our standard of care. Many daycares in my area have closed or were forced to fire their assistants. As for me, I will continue to be part of county programs like Start Well and Quality Start, as these programs have shaped me professionally and given me resources for the children under my care. I can only hope it gets better from here.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tippytoesfamilychildcare/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Tippy-Toes-Family-Childcare/100090968494406/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tippy-toes-family-daycare-anaheim?uid=TpMLPidQdSrXwFnMm5emnw&utm_source=ishare&share_id=6AC1EC21-C070-4894-BE66-CF32C80D662E&primary_source=photo&secondary_source=biz_photos_grid
- Other: Phone number: 714-4098913
tippytoesfamilychildcare@gmail.com
Image Credits
Diana Rondón
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