I never gave up on Rachel

One day, it was summer time. All of us were waiting for the "New Girl"

to arrive. It had been a long time since we had any new kids. We were

all waiting and waiting. Finally, a green car pulls up. Here is Rachel

with her mother, Tia. They get out of the car and come up the side walk

stopping to pet my dog "Rusty" whom happens to be a Collie and so very

gentle with children.

As Rachel and Tia come into our home to introduce her to all the wittle

children and explore our daycare play area's, She was clamping onto her

mother arm like I have never seen before. It slipped her mom's mind to

tell me she had never been in a daycare with so many little children

before. It took a while, but her mom finally left for a while.

Surprisingly Rachel started playing in our play area's just fine and was

exploring every corner of the rooms. Finally, it was time to pick up,

we were going outside for a while. Our favorite time of the day. As the

children picked up, we got our drinks and we went out to the fenced in

Play yard. All the children and myself went inside the gate and put the

lock on for safety rules.

It wasn't 10 minutes later, and Rachel started screaming. She was scared

to be outside. She was in a panic and crying. Something was scare(ing)

her, to be outside away from our home. I reached down and I grabbed her

hand and I kept her by me. She stayed by me while I pushed the children

in swings, while we played games, while I walked. I held her hand the

whole time we were outside.

I had let a few weeks go by and I noticed it wasn't getting any better

when I tried to lead her out to swing on her own. So, on a Saturday

morning, I got ready and I went to the nearest store. I was going to

by Rachel her own friend, a Teddy Bear. I found one after going through

several of them. Yes, It was the perfect Bear just for Rachel. I was

going to surprise her with a new friend. Her new friends name was going

to be "Happy-Bear."

As she walked in on Monday morning with her mother. I presented her with

this new "Happy-Bear." It was all hers, under one condition, she would

leave it at the daycare when she left each evening. We would place it in

her bin and no other child would touch it. It could go outside with us

and play anything she wanted.

I was praying that this would be the answer to her feeling a little in-

secure outside during outdoor playtime. So, we finished our morning in-

doors and we were heading outside. She chose to bring Happy-Bear outside

with us. I was determined that she needed to learn her social skills to

be able to make new friends.

A couple of weeks went by and one day, as we were heading outside one

morning, she decided that she didn't want happy bear to get dirty, so,

she left her inside her bin. I thought to myself, what can I do so she

won't remember the feelings she had before when she was scared outside.

I said, "Children.....Today is a special day. We get to grab a partner

to go outside with." Rachel looks at me, she goes to grab her bear. I

suggested to Rachel, "Rachel, why don't you be Libby's partner today on

the way outside to the play yard and for our free-time." She looked at

me and said, "I guess that will be OK."

I was holding my breath, we made it to the play yard and Rachel and

Libby took off like Road Runners. I started to take a big breath. It

had worked, We had helped her learn her social skills and she was going

to work as part of our group. I didn't see anything but smiles out of

Rachel from that day on, and Happy-Bear spent a lot of clean days in

her bin waiting for Rachel, if she ever needed her.

"Don't give up on a child, think of ways to make them feel as special as

they are, and if it takes that extra mile to get to know them, it is

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