Who are YOU? By Tom Styles

So often parents ask us what we do at TSL. It is hard to answer this question without being generic. We are a small business child care and the answer to the questions "Who are we?" "What do we do?" have to be defined carefully, because that answer sets us apart from everyone else.

My reply is often this..."TSL does not define itself by what we do, but what we do outside of what we do." This can be confusing so I have to break it down for people. As a recreational program we can do 101 things and still sound like any other program. We do games, crafts, projects, outdoor time etc. and the list goes on.

So, I go on to explain who we are. We are educators. We formed our program out of love and passion for children and child's programming. Embedded within the context of all of those regular things, we swear by a philosophy that emphasizes cooperation over competition, values friendship to such a point that many games and activities and projects that we do are a means to that end. Our planning purposeful, calculated and reflective of who we are. There is nothing random in what we do or how we do it. The program nuances, or the culture, that exudes are existence can't often be explained in generic terms. That is who we are. That is what makes us different.

We have seen many programs tout virtues, but with no real way of reinforcing those virtues. Without calculation and precision, virtues are only words on a page or on a banner. Real virtues are taught, trained, learned and practiced over and over. Even our decision not to travel is rooted in our belief that we'll have more time to practice and instill our values by staying put, not because we don't like theme parks or lakes.

So, if you are reviewing multiple program options, don't forget to ask that big question....it may take some programs off guard. But that in itself will be telling.

Who are you?