Why the cadre?

We love finding things that speak to us and making them our own. It might be something we heard, something we saw, or in this case, a book read during pregnancy. In her book, “Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting” author Pamela Druckerman discusses the French ideal in parenting of a framework (the cadre) that provides guidance and support to children of all ages. This framework is in the form of guidelines, behaviors, and cultural expectations that children will be held to. The meaningful piece is that within that framework, children have immense freedom. They discover, explore and create connections of their own making. As early childhood educators, we know children learn best when they choose what interests them, and this philospophy supports that.

It is our goal to help you and your child create a safe place, with clear boundaries where they can learn, explore and make connections about the world. The Cadre is not just for infants and toddlers, but for parents too! We understand that many parents can be taken by surprise on their parenting journey, whether it is how intensely they feel for their child, unexpected challenges, or even differences between their individual children. We are here to help you find what works best for you as a parent and support your relationship with your child.

responsive caregiving

What is responsive caregiving? Well, it is basically the care that we would all like to receive! It is someone listening, getting to know your child, their cues, their distinct way of communicating and then responding in kind. Children are born ready to communicate and yearning for connection. When we say responsive caregiving, it means that we are listening to your child and providing what they need. Infants and toddlers can be a vulnerable population. Our youngest children may not have words to share what they need or are thinking, in a traditional care setting, the bids that they make for attention may not be seen, heard or acknowledged. At The Cadre, babies are our passion! Your child will be seen, heard, responded to and nurtured. In getting to know your child, we learn what and how they are communicating and work to meet their needs. With our 1:4 ratio, there is time for this connection and reciprocity to happen. Think about spending time with someone who knows and loves you…. do they make sure you have your favorites? Do they listen to EVERYTHING you have to say and still love you? Do they plan things to do together based on what they know you enjoy? This is responsive caregiving in action, and we know that it is one important way to ensure that your child is receiving quality care.

Supporting the whole family

When you were planning your family, or maybe even pregnant, did you think about all the aspects of being a parent (or grandparent)? Many of us don’t. This parenting job is so vast and overwhelming it can be hard to imagine what all it entails. On top of that, when your child enters the world, many of us find that being a parent was nothing like what we expected!
When you partner with The Cadre, it means that you have a built in support team. Someone who can listen to you and your child and value the important relationship that you have together. We may take care of your child for a short time, but you will be with them their whole life! We value that you as the parent are the expert on your child. We want to support you in seeing that and help you to build a loving, nurturing relationship with your child that will last a lifetime. Since no one child (or family!) is the same, that support might look different for each family. We are here to listen, help you find the resources you need and support you in being the best parent you can be!