First Tiny Steps is child day care in Astoria serving  children from 6 months to 4 years old  with a focus on their healthy development.

First Tiny Steps, a daycare in Astoria, serves children from 6 months to 4 years old

It is a fact that the first few years of life set the foundation for every human being.  Our mission is to help these precious children take their first tiny steps on the path to becoming a happy, well adjusted person. Eric Erickson articulated the eight stages of development that people need to progress through from infancy to adulthood in the 1950’s.  We do our best to support and nurture the children in our care and to support their journey through the stage they are in.  Below we have paraphrased the 3 stages that deal with the children under our care. It is our goal to promote this healthy development in every child at First Tiny Steps. We have paraphrased Erickson’s first 3 developmental stages below from Wikipedia http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Erikson%27s_stages_of_psychosocial_development

First Tiny Steps, a child day care in Astoria, cares for infants, toddlers & children

Infant at First Tiny Step daycare in Astoria NY

Infancy (Birth -18 months)  Trust vs. Mistrust

Developing trust is an ongoing challenge for the ego and it goes on throughout life. The mother is the primary influence on whether the child becomes trusting or mistrusting.  We know that you leave your precious babies to the care of First Tiny Steps and we do our best to provide an environment where your infant learns to trust appropriately. We encourage our precious little ones to trust that positive outcomes will occur with people and with the environment (making it safe and secure). We foster trust and belief in themselves to develop a hopeful outlook. We work to develop your infant’s sensory, perceptual and motor functions though play.

An Astoria child daycare that will take good care of your toddler

TODDLERS   (1 1/2 – 3 Years) Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt

First tiny steps, daycare in Astoria has age appropriate activities and learning centers for children from 6 months to 4 years of age.

Toddlers face an entirely new challenge, that of becoming autonomous.  We encourage our toddlers to show their unique sense of who they are.  We do our best to help them overcome their doubts and try new things….  They will question, “Do I need help or can I do this by myself.”  Of course we will help them, but our goal is to help them gain the confidence in themselves that they can do things on their own.  We are fully aware that as your toddler approaches 3 years of age they will push their boundaries in an inappropriate manner.  After all, they are but children…  At First Tiny Steps we pride ourselves on patiently and appropriately working with your children to develop their autonomy.  When they do cross the boundaries, we lovingly and patiently guide them back to more appropriate behavior without shaming them or making them doubt themselves.

Looking for nurturing child daycare for your 4-year old in Astoria?

Child (4-6 Years)  Initiative vs. Guilt One of the major challenges children face in this stage of development is learning to take the initiative.  If a child is successful at this age of their development, they will learn to master their world.  They will plan a task and figure out how to accomplish it.  They will learn how to zip their zippers, to count and speak more easily.  They will want to do things themselves.  They will also begin to judge the outcome of their efforts.   According to Erickson, the emotion of guilt can arise when taking the initiative to make his or her plans does not result in the desired result. Children in the stage will often push their boundaries further in an attempt to control their world.  They will want to walk across the street by themselves or ride a bike without a helmet…   At First Tiny Steps we will gently make sure your child remains safe while encouraging their development of courage and independence. We serve Children In the end it is your children that we serve and we aim to help them develop in to healthy well adjusted children. We even have a special education teach that is on staff.  If you are looking for daycare in Astoria that focuses on your child’s development, we believe you will find First Tiny Steps a place where your child can flourish. If you have questions please call us at 718-427-6852