Emma Francia

6 am – 7 am

I am up early and preparing for the day ahead. Normally I will use my air fryer to cook breakfast, while I look at emails. I also check that my Leor Educator Kit is ready and has all the materials needed for today’s planned activities.

Leor Educator Kits are an awesome resource for working with children aged 0 to six years old and implementing activities. They include items like paints, blocks, crayons, and paper, plus Educators can request other learning resources such as books.

7 am – 8.30 am

The drive to work takes me around 45 minutes and by about 8:15 am I am greeting Jaden’s parents at their front door. Jaden is a three-year-old boy who is unable to access mainstream care due to a severe anaphylaxis condition. At this point, I complete our handover form, which is used for signing in and out of shifts. It contains a checklist of care items such as food, water, wipes, and other consumables.
 

8.30 am – 9.30 am

Now it is time for me to get Jaden’s breakfast ready. I also set up the lounge room and outdoor areas with toys, mats, and all materials needed for activities. At Leor, we strive to provide an authentic ‘childcare centre’ experience and set spaces up to replicate this.

9.30 am – 10.30 am

Once Jaden is ready, the day starts with ten minutes of playtime. Then we have our first planned activity, today we are tracing letters of the alphabet. Jaden observes first and then tries himself, “I did it” Jaden exclaims with excitement. I love how excited he is when accomplishing something new.

I design activities to stimulate developmental growth in areas such as fine motor control, creativity, literacy, and numeracy. Activities are documented in a Leor Learning Collage, which includes a summary of each activity and photographs. Collages are sent directly to families through an online app.

10.30 am – 11.30 am

I help Jaden with his shoes and sunscreen before heading outside for an obstacle course. Outside an ‘A’ frame, orange cones and steps are waiting, I carefully describe each part of the activity to Jaden. It is fun to watch him complete each part as fast as he can.

Afterwards Jaden has free time to play soccer and cricket, before heading indoors for lunch.

11.30 am – 12.30 pm

Today Jaden is having spaghetti bolognese and salad for lunch. I assemble everything and heat it up, along with my lunch. When ready Jaden and I eat together at the dining table.

12.30 pm – 1.30 pm

After lunch, Jaden has some free time to play with his toys, at this point I wash the dishes and prepare for storytime. We head to the couch and I put some moisturiser on Jaden’s face before we settle in to read.

1.30 pm – 2 pm

Today we have three books by Tom Percival, “Ravi’s Roar”, “Ruby Finds a Worry” and “Tilda Tries”. I specifically ordered these books for my Educator Kit as Jaden requires additional support to learn emotional regulation. Since implementing them in storytime I have seen a big improvement in how Jaden manages anxiety, anger, and other emotional responses.

After storytime, Jaden either reads independently or rests until 2.00 pm.

2 pm – 3.30 pm

Jaden has some free time to play indoors while I prepare afternoon tea. In the kitchen, I am preparing a berry salad with some tiny teddy biscuits.

While it is the responsibility of the family to plan meals, I hold a Certificate II in Kitchen Operations and this is very helpful when it comes to nutrition and meal preparation.

3.30 pm – 4.50 pm

Now it is time to head outside for some sport. With physical education, I follow the “munch and move program”, which includes activities such as throwing, catching, and kicking. Jaden and I play some soccer, do some catching and throwing with a ball, and run a few races.

During our games Jaden notices some people doing construction work across the road, so we pull up a few chairs by the fence and observe.

Once Jaden’s Dad arrives home, I share with him all the activities and fun we had together. It is important to keep parents informed of any changes with children, including behavioural issues.

4.50 pm – 5.30 pm

We pack away the toys and chairs before coming inside. As it is the end of the day, I make sure everything is neat and tidy inside before I leave. Finally, I complete a handover form and place Jaden back into his Dad’s care.

5.30 pm – 7.30 pm

Home time! I love to sing along to upbeat songs while driving home, as it makes me feel awake and not so tired after a big day. Once I arrive home I get changed and shower, followed by dinner. While I’m eating, I like watching some Netflix on TV to relax and chill.

7.30 pm – 10 pm

After dinner, I socialise with my friends on Discord, and we play a few online games like Crash Team Racing. It’s always lots of fun to catch up with friends and I enjoy my time with them. I then prepare myself for tomorrow and make sure my alarm is ready before going to bed.

I really enjoy working with Leor and I am excited for my next 6–12-month family rotation, this keeps me motivated and challenged.