[Colorado-talk] seeing and childcare ... My thoughts

[Beth Taurasi]

Dear List,
Seems that Everet's questions about childcare brought some interesting 
things to the table.  Rebekah should be contacted by leadership.  I can 
name some names of people on this list who have childcare experience, 
including but not limited to, the Batrons, the LaBarres, and the people 
like Trina Boyd Pratt who's worked with elementary kids at our Denver 
CCB.  What on Earth is PPCC's problem!?!?  Also, I have the closest 
thing to a keeper in my bf Blake, who, by the way, has had little kid 
experiences at Head Start Extended Day programs in his local Arizona 
town.  I dare somebody to take a poll and see how many other blind 
people in CO have had experiences with Head Start Colorado.  What about 
those who help out at the Anchor Center?  I can name some more people, 
but I forgot who was here and who was not, but the blind parents I just 
mentioned can and will continue raising their families.  I want to be a 
mom myself, but that mentality that PPCC has got regarding childcare is 
unhealthy, but I think more than that, it's dangerous for Rebekah. There 
are more Lakewood and Denver residents here who are blind who can 
testify that childcare is not a sighted thing.  I'd first start by 
giving those PPCC people a copy of "Parenting Without Sight", not so 
much because of the kids but because it mentioned blind parents and 
blind caregivers of children doing different things.  For instance, I 
would NEVER let my child, if I ever dreamed of having one, roam the 
neighborhood naked, let alone roam streets I do not know for sure.  I 
would lock my windows and doors at night, use a security system if Blake 
and I were gone, etc.  There are so many things that blind people can do 
to prove that childcare is accessible and fun for them.  The key to 
caring for kids, as Blake will tell you, is to keep them in it, 
engaged.  I would, for instance, love to play with little kids' hair and 
braid it.  Lots of girls like that, keeps them talking and having fun.  
Boys are a bit adventurous in my experience.  They love their fire 
trucks and cars and stuff, but then, a little more than that, they like 
building things.  One can play with Legos with the kids and watch the 
imagination of a child go wild.  Play dough is fun too.  All those 
things I played with myself.  What is so visual about those things? Play 
dough has that ... eau de dough that you can't resist, but as long as 
you don't really eat it, you're fine.  Anyway, the dough is fun to mess 
with, and while you are rolling in to the balls this particular dough, 
kids around you will see you doing it, and pick up on it.  What is so 
darn visual about playing with ... say, a fire truck toy that has sirens 
and flashing lights for heaven's sake? What about fashion dolls?  I 
played with all of the above.
I would like to see the leadership try and help with Rebekah's case.  As 
a blind person who grew up this way, I can say for certain there's 
nothing too visual about childcare.  What about Michelle Chacon?  Wasn't 
she Corral Leader for the Kid thing during state convention for years?  
She can offer some points.
Beth

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