During the early years of my career I must admit I was a know-it-all when it came to raising children.  After two years of learning about early childhood development I began working in child care in 1978.

I can remember watching parents arriving to pick up their children and their children having a little temper tantrum because they didn’t want to go home yet.  (They were having fun with their friends after all.)  In my mind I’d think … “my child will never behave like that.”.

In 1982 my first daughter was born.  It took less than a week for me to realize how completely unprepared I was for parenting.  No amount of child development courses or caring for other people’s kids could ever have prepared me for the realities of parenthood.

That’s why programs that support new parents are so important.  We all need a support system.  Some are lucky enough to have friends and family close by.  But many don’t.  And even if you do, the unbiased opinion and encouragement from a family place or child care centre staff member helps to make us better parents. 

Success By 6 is proud to support such programs throughout BC.

Oh yeah – and the first time my daughter threw an on-the-ground-kicking-and-screaming temper tantrum in the grocery store, two of my child care parents were there to observe.  I wonder if they thought … “my child will never behave like that?”  Probably not – they were already parents.

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