Part 2 -Oshawa.1
Next stop Oshawa! Chooo Choooo…….! In October of 2008 my story continues……I moved to Oshawa for the most exciting and life changing chapter of my life! You see this is where I met my “Superman”, fell in love, gave birth to my son and made some great new friends, even an amazing best friend! I got married and opened my own home daycare, which I ran for several years while my son was young. I looked after some awesome children, worked with amazing families and my son made wonderful friends and memories. I loved being home with my son and he absolutely thrived having me work from home, and all the one on one Mommy time. I tutored my niece during this time, as tutoring was still a part of my life! When my son hit Grade 1, I knew it was time for a change, and to bring back “The Reading Train” full steam!
Changing diapers and working long hours daily just wasn’t doing it for me anymore, and I felt like I was missing something! Don’t get me wrong, having the daycare was a great thing, and the families were absolutely wonderful to work with! Their children and I had some amazing memories, and close bonds! But it was just not my true passion, it was not giving me the satisfaction I got when I tutored, that rewarding feeling of making a difference and seeing the success story unfold, the hard work, the child’s self esteem and confidence increase, their eyes light up, the change inside them. Yes that was what I loved. I needed to do it full time! (Yes, some of this happened throughout my childcare provider days, but it was just “different”), So I closed my daycare permanently!
It was a tough final day, with high emotions for the families and myself, and even my son, who had a huge adjustment to make, as this was all he had known for the beginning years of his life, and now things were about to really change at home.
Shoutout to the kind, amazing, understanding families who stayed with me right to the last day of my closing, and didn’t leave me high and dry! I am grateful to you, and it was such a pleasure being a part of your child’s life! I truly treasure all the memories made! Every finger painting, cuddle, song, story read, and hearing the words “Look Janice……Janice……looooook” many times a day!
My first few clients had already started while I was finishing up with the final daycare weeks, but now that I had more free time on my hands, and a summer ahead to plan, it was time to really advertise and set up some Meet and Greets. What I was about to experience was a very FULL TRAIN!
OSHAWA Feb, 2016 (Dwight Ave/Closing Day Of “Janice’s Home Daycare”)
March, April, May & June flew by, more and more new clients kept coming in! I was so happy and also very busy! Summer was about to explode and business boom like never before…..
June brought on so many new Meet & Greets for me, and the summer of 2016 was crazy busy! And then came the new school year, and more new clients started, while ones from the summer stayed…..and ones from the Spring stayed on to! And some of these children would stay even longer……much longer! In fact, many of these children I am still happily tutoring now in 2023!
That’s right, 7 years later, these amazing children are still a part of my life! I have literally watched them grow up! I soon needed to make a cancellation list as I was completely booked solid, and I hated turning anyone away!
Oshawa 2016 (Dwight Ave)
With each year I just became more and more booked, my cancellation list was getting long, and I started doing “Weekend Blitz’s” so that people on the cancellation list could get in to see me! People came to my house in Oshawa from Pickering, Courtice, Ajax, Whitby, Bowmanville, Hampton, Newcastle, Clarington, and even Toronto! Yes, even Toronto! A mother literally drove her daughter every weekend, all the way from Toronto to my house in Oshawa, for over 5 years actually! Wow! Shoutout to that Mother, you are awesome!
I honestly could not even tell you now how many children I ended up tutoring in Oshawa, as I honestly had so many! Some were there just for a summer, some a year, and some were friends of friends, and cousins and siblings, relatives, you name it, the word spread! I met some of the most awesome front line workers out there! Mad respect for you ladies in your line of work! Being able to tutor for a variety of professionals was superb! I met parents who were teachers themselves, educational assistants, police officers, nurses, childcare providers, homeschoolers, and also those parents struggling to make ends meet, who didn’t work, who still needed help for their child. I worked with them, offering advice, a phone call, and even payment plans. I did what I could to assist. I truly cared, I cared a lot!
I put my heart and soul into tutoring, teaching and just listening! Sometimes a child just needed to vent, to feel heard, to feel truly understood in our complicated world. I did that. I was there, present for them. I loved every minute of it. Many parents would joke and laugh, and tell their kids, “Janice is not supposed to be your therapist you know”!, but hey, everyone needs someone to listen, someone to blow off steam to, someone that won’t judge, someone that will always be in their corner, I was that someone to so many of those children. And I am still that someone! I am always here for them.
OSHAWA (Dwight Ave/Killarney Crt)
In Oshawa, there were many many parents who came my way frustrated with the school system. It was unfortunate actually, there was just not enough supports in the schools to go around! Not enough teachers, not enough resources, not enough time, you name it, there just wasn’t enough of it! Children came to me on IEP’s, and many hadn’t even had there IEP recently updated! Or their IEP was not even being followed in class, or at the school. Parents were ready to pull their hair out! Teachers had overflowing classrooms, their child was lost in the jungle of kids……so now what?
This was the story I heard over and over from so many! The system was just letting these children down. And we can certainly point the blame in many directions here, the Government for one! Lack of funding, resources, yes it affects our children, take note Mr. Prime Minister! Sigh! I give a huge shoutout to all the parents who so tirelessly jump in and do everything they can to ensure their child’s education remains a top priority, all the hours spent on assisting with homework, projects, assignments, preparing for tests, quizzes and helping to proof read and edit work. I see you…. please give yourself a pat on the back because you are amazing! And the parents that struggle with their children to do homework, I see you too! Give yourself a huge hug! It is not easy!
Oshawa was the heart and soul of “The Reading Train!” I worked with children who had ADD, ADHD, Autism, ODD, Speech Apraxia, Stuttering, Partial Hearing Loss, Cerebal Palsy, Speech Impairments, and children who would challenge me in every way possible. And I like a good challenge! I was always ready for anything, and it’s a good thing as each child is unique and let me tell you now……if a child brings in snails to a session, yes we are going to have snail races and read to the snail! If it takes a circle of Littlest Pet Shop animals to “Listen to their teacher”…..then so be it! And if I have to make the voice of “Mr. Crocodile”, and put that green crocodile puppet on my hand, yup I am down for that! And quite happily I might add! I will do whatever it takes to make your child happy and motivated while learning. You see learning should be FUN!
OSHAWA (Dwight Ave/Killarney Crt)
And oh did we ever have fun! PJ Day’s! Freezie Weeks in the summer! And dressing up at Halloween and getting a little treat bag! And throw in some fun contests here and there along the way!
OSHAWA (Dwight Ave/Killarney Crt)
And let’s not forget about the kids favorite part of their tutoring session……GAME TIME!!!! Ahhhh yes……good ol game break! Well come on parents……seriously! You can’t expect all work and no fun right???? At least that is not how it works around here! Sorry! I just have way too many success stories to tell, to prove you wrong when it comes to explaining why game breaks are so vital to a child’s learning. I firmly believe a happy child, is a productive child!
Game breaks do so much for the children here, they provide a chance to build a rapport, give the child a chance for a needed break in between difficult tasks, introduce new skills, provide thinking skills & an opportunity for open ended questions. Ah yes when it comes to those “Game Breaks” here, they are just so much more…….your child is getting a wealth of knowledge and skill out of “playing”! They learn patience, turn taking, kindness, empathy, creativity & have wonderful imaginative opportunities. It doesn’t need to be long, 5 minutes sure goes a long way!
OSHAWA (Dwight Ave/Killarney Crt)
And so that’s the heart and soul of “The Reading Train”, it really does truly lie in Oshawa! Those children stole my heart literally! Bonds were made, friendships were sealed. So then why in the world would I ever want to leave in 2019? What? Move again? Are you crazy? Leave these children? Now you must be joking!
Then & Now - Oshawa/Niagara Falls Visit!
But in life change is all part of your story, and it was on to the next chapter of my book! Life happens!
To all my Oshawa clients, I LOVE YOU! I MISS YOU! Thank you for being an incredible part of
“The Reading Train”, I will never ever forget you! A big piece of my heart is still back in Oshawa! xoxox
Niagara Falls here I come!
CHOO CHOO……….to be continued!