Kristi loves what she does every day!  She loves being a part of children's lives and being able to witness all their adorable moments.  She's been caring for some of these kids for almost 5 years and knows them and their families so well.  She makes all the meals from scratch and keep them as organic and healthy as possible, with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables from the local farmers’ market.

Kristi is also the Montessori Preschool teacher. She loves the Montessori-method of teaching children. It’s all about respect and enabling the children to grow and develop confidently at their individual pace. She teaches them to care for themselves and their surroundings. They learn to cook meals, clean and dress themselves, read, do basic mathematics, world geography and simple science all before entering first grade. They love the freedom of learning in a stress-free, non-pressured environment where they are free to make mistakes and try new methods. Children’s minds are like sponges and they are so ready to soak up as much knowledge as we provide.Kristi has also been schooled in the RIE (Resource for Infant Educarers) philosophy regarding an infant’s development. She allows infants to explore in a safe environment and never put them in walkers or exersaucers or jumpers. Those devices are not only unsafe, they also hinder a child’s growth and development since they are restricted and strapped in. Being able to lay on a soft blanket on the floor with colorful mobiles hanging overhead and lots of soft, simple toys around gives a baby the freedom to roll, crawl and explore their world in the way they choose. Kristi and the Baby MacBean Gill staff talk to the babies constantly. We call it “sports-casting”. Instead of just scooping them up to change their diaper, we’ll let them know what we’re doing each step of the process (I’m picking you up now and laying you on the changing table. I’m unsnapping your onesie. Here’s your fresh, clean diaper, etc.). Not only does this show respect to the child, it also helps with their language development. The children in BabyMacBean care tend to have higher levels of communication skills since we speak to them and include them in all these processes. It’s really quite fun and they love feeling included in the conversation. 

These are just some of the philosophies Kristi follows when caring for and teaching children. She's so passionate about a child’s growth and development and it’s such a joy for her to work with them every day.