Help Lion Attend Montessori

So as most of you know, Lion and I have recently left a very unhealthy situation with his father. I’m now doing everything on my own. We don’t receive any outside help and have applied for government benefits to cover food and health care. Things are a bit rocky as I get back on my feet as both a business owner and full time mama.

I’m very confident in the work I do, but I don’t have the time and space to be able to work. Caring for a 2yr old round the clock can make working from home very difficult.

Unfortunately, the free child care or “cheaper” day cares around here are not healthy environments for children. Having grown up here and attending these public daycares and schools myself, I’m very aware of how the toxic aspects of our culture affect the way adults interact with children. They’re very condescending and hold little to no respect for children. That’s just the way things are here.

Kind of like “I’m the adult. I know better. You’re stupid. Do as I say. You’re just trying to misbehave anyways cause that’s what kids do.”

Obviously not ALL of the adults here treat children this way, but the majority do. This does fall into colonialism and classism which is an entire topic in and of itself. If you’re curious to know more, I’d recommend checking out @latinxparenting for more info.

This page talks about all of it! It’s very traumatizing and I’m personally still healing from these things myself.

This isn’t the environment I want to leave my son in just so I can work. It’s not fair to him, and I sure as hell would NOT be able to focus with that in mind.

I’ve received horror stories from mama friends whose little ones were being bullied. My own horror stories of daycare are all about my boundaries being crossed, being spoken down to, and treated like a doll. I was even suffocated under a blanket because a woman believed I was trying to get out from under it. To her, I was a rebellious child who just didn’t want to nap. I was genuinely struggling to breathe. There was another instance where this same woman who might I add, is heavier set, pressed her foot down on my back because I’d woken up during our nap. On another occasion, I threw up milk on the common tables. The woman who ran the daycare came to yell at me asking “why are you throwing up on my tables!?” I heard the words “chingona” quite a bit in this environment. I felt scared and ashamed of my own body regulating itself while other children stared and laughed at me. I heard the words “chingona” quite a bit in this environment. Public humiliation is a common theme in these environments. They don’t take you seriously. 

The adults here view children as mischievous “little shits” with underlying motives just to disobey authority. This is toxic latinx culture.

Imagine your brain forming around this? That’s not something I want for my son. He’s an intelligent, creative, and thoughtful toddler who deserves to be seen and treated as such.

This is why I’ve looked to Montessori.

Montessori is a method of education based on self-desired activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. In Montessori classrooms, children make creative choices in their learning while the classroom and highly trained teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process of their development.

Children are seen and treated as the wonderfully intelligent beings they are. This is the environment I feel safe and content leaving my child in, so that I can begin working diligently to provide for us. Otherwise, I’d be ridden with guilt knowing he was in “child care” that was degrading him in some shape, way or form.

The place I’ve found provides a program just for toddlers and serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

As I said, I feel very confident about the work I do and know that after this first month, I’ll be able to continue paying on my own. They go by weekly payments so I’m confident I’ll be able to take care of them effortlessly. All I need is a little help getting a jump start in that direction.

Any amount is deeply appreciated! And as always, may everything that you give be returned to you in threefold.

Love and Blessings!