What takes you back to your childhood? Is it the freedom to just be, or the feeling you had when with friends, or maybe a familiar place or person. For me it was the smell of rain and fresh cut grass as I rode on my bike in the rain. Occasionally, I will experience the same smell and it will take me right back to a place in time, which then brings back memories of old friends and favourite pastimes. For children who are returning to or starting at a early childhood setting for the first time, the first experience, impression, face or smell can last a lifetime. So, how important is it that we make these moments count. A new year at Springvale Service for Children has seen us welcome around 90 new families, with new families starting everyday. As they walk through our doors, we want their first steps to be memorable, steps that may be of anticipation and uncertainty, to be turned into wonder and excitement. So how do we create these memorable moments? (I often refer to this as a pedagogy of understanding while listening) How were you made to feel when going somewhere for the first time? How do we get made to feel like we belong? As adults I suppose we can think of a restaurant setting, whereby the maître d greets you with a smile and takes you to a table, then the waiter will check on you every know and then to see if you are ready to order. Attention to detail the waiter may tell you about the specials, always smiling and being pleasant, but always aware of your needs. The restaurant looks beautiful, and the tablecloths are clean, the environment is welcoming and inclusive because you see that the same attention is given to everyone. The restaurant is quite popular, because you have a memorable experience every time you go there. You know for sure that you will return.
For children and families when they arrive through our doors attention to detail is important, and we know that a smile or knowing their name before we meet is important because it shows they matter to us. Pictures from previous playdates or words in their language show respect and an acknowledgment that they belong to a place, our place. When I think back to my first day at my nursery in the UK, (which was quite a while ago) it was memorable for many reasons. I remember my bag tag because it had a plane on it with my name underneath. I also remember the smell, which was of the toilets, which was next to the name tags. Whoever thought to put the toilets near the entry (bag tags) was obviously not thinking of first impressions, but anyway the way my teacher Mrs Beauskill made me feel, made up for it. Remembering the way, she smiled and took my hand as I walked into the classroom was, I believe, an intentional act of kindness and understanding. Her attention to detail was exceptional, because she did it for everyone who looked upset that day, and for the rest of the year. I truly believe this is why I came to love going to school. So, first impressions count, the people we meet can make us hold special memories, the places we encounter can make us feel like we want to go back, and the smells can either delight or cause us to wonder. When walking through your service tomorrow, what do you notice, smell, feel or hear. How would you like it to look, if you were in the shoes of someone walking in for the first time? Familiar faces, smells and sounds can last a lifetime for everyone, so make them count💗