A Toddler's Letter

Now that I am a teacher handling two- to three-year-old children, this poem is both a rebuke and a reminder. :)

Dear Teacher,

I am a toddler.
I am a super snooper.
I search and check
everything within my reach
and often beyond.
I am curious,
too curious at times.
I declare my independence,
often quite loudly.
I know I can do it,
all by myself.

But,
Please stay close.

I need you there,
to help keep me
from hurting myself
when I am too curious.
I need you
to encourage me,
and allow me
to try to do it by myself,
and to help when I can’t,
or when I get frustrated.

I need you
to hug and cuddle with me.
If I do something you don’t like,
Tell me.
Show me a better way.
Please don’t reject me.
Please be patient.
I have really only been in this world a short while.

The world
and its ways
are still so very, very new to me.

- from a toddler



Reference:
Catlin, Cynthia (1994). Toddlers Together: The Complete Planning Guide For A Toddler Curriculum. Beltsville: Gryphon House, Inc.