Childcare, Daycare, Preschool. What's in a name?

When we moved to Longmont, the idea for the childcare was already on our minds. In fact, we were looking for homes that could easily accommodate a childcare business. We knew that our home was 'the one' when we found it. It was a bi-level with a separate back door entry that allowed for a division between the kid zone and the adult zone, but also accommodated them both.

I didn't want to name our business a "childcare" because it seemed too loose. I didn't want to call it "preschool" because that seemed too rigid. What I was aiming for was something in between. I landed on "Dragonfly Day School" because I liked the alliteration of it, and it seemed to capture the mood of what we do here.

There is room in our day for structure and learning, but most of what we cultivate is the ability to "be" in a social setting, and to become adaptable to the varying moods and behaviors of our peers.

I believe names are important. They are a container for the substance they are supposed to express. The dragonfly carries a special significance to me, because I consider it one of my spirit totems. The dragonfly has visited me in profound ways, and almost always when I am in the midst of a major transition. Because of its role in my life, I've come to equate dragonflies with evolving and growing. It seemed only appropriate that the container I was creating here should also carry that energy.

I don't believe it is an accident that the first child to enroll in my program, also had a dragonfly totem. It's why his mom called me in the first place!

So here at Dragonfly Day School, I hold the space for these little beings that are growing and evolving at such an intense pace. I give them the permission to move freely within this container, until they flutter off to wherever life takes them next.