Meet Our Childtime Staff – Ms. Justine, Infant Teacher

Meet Ms. Justina, lead infant teacher for our six week to six month-olds at Childtime in Des Moines, IA.  She has worked at this location for two years and has a bachelor’s degree in human services. Check out our Q&A with her to learn more about her typical day, what she loves about working with our little ones and why she loves working here at Childtime!

How is it rewarding for you to work with these little ones?

I think just watching the children grow through the program. It’s nice to see them running on the playground and think, “Oh I used to have you when you were a baby!” I like just being a part of helping them learn and grow.

What are some of the activities you do during the day?

We do small motor skills, music time and naps in the morning. In the afternoon we take another nap. Naps are never planned; they just happen when they happen. We do large group motor skills like crawling around, tummy time, and it’s mostly free play throughout the day. We really work on tummy time though. We usually take three naps a day so in the afternoon we take another nap and then we sing and dance until parents come.

Why do you feel early education programs are important, even for infants?

I would just say it’s important because the infant room is the first step in building relationships. It’s important as they get older so they can learn to build those relationships and how to trust people, and ultimately, that’s what helps them grow.

How is your relationship with the parents of your students?

I have great relationships with the parents. When they drop off in the morning I ask about their night, throughout the day we use the brightwheel mobile app so we can communicate through the day sending text messages, photos and videos. They get all notifications of how much they drank or what they did when they went to the bathroom. The parents talk about anything with me, I think they feel comfortable. That helps the child also, when we have that good relationship, because ultimately, we want the same goal for their child.

What are some of your hobbies?

I used to play softball so that’s a hobby of mine. I also like to scrapbook and do crafts.

Halloween is coming up – does your school have any fun celebrations?

Each classroom gets a bucket of candy and the older kids come around and trick or treat. They just go room by room so everyone gets to see the classrooms. We normally take the babies around in the buggy. We take them out of the buggy so everyone can see their costumes.

Other than teaching your little ones, why do you enjoy working at Childtime?

I really enjoy the families that come here and I also enjoy my boss. She makes it an easy place to work for, and she’s very understanding.  The staff is just fun to be around.