Ms. Idolina

Even before I had children of my own, I knew I wanted to work with kids. I began at a child care center thirteen years ago, and later worked as a nanny for families around the Boston area. When I was pregnant with my oldest daughter, doctors thought she might be born with special needs. That didn’t end up being the case for her, but it sparked a desire in me to learn everything I could about early childhood development. Since then, I’ve been taking classes at the Urban College of Boston, so I can better support my own daughters and other children. The opportunity to open my own program and use everything I’ve learned—in classroom lessons and through hands-on experience—to nurture local children and families is truly a dream come true.

At Red Cardinal Bilingual Daycare, we are busy all day having fun and learning! We always begin with circle time. We talk about the daily lesson, sing songs, dance, and just wake up our minds and bodies. From there, we do a variety of different activities throughout the day; arts and crafts, science experiments, reading, outside games—and, of course, we take time for nap and snack break. As a bilingual program, most of the daily activities are in Spanish. I think learning a different language helps children develop their minds and provides so many benefits throughout their lives. Plus, kids feel so proud of themselves when they pick up new words or learn a song in another language.

Red Cardinal Bilingual Daycare comprises the full 1,200-square-foot ground floor of my Framingham home. With all of that space, there are lots of different areas for play and learn. We have the drama area, where the kids can dress up and use their imaginations; a science table, where we talk about everything from plants to planets; a sand and water table, where we can get a little messy; an arts and crafts table; a special corner for reading and quiet time; and an area for open circle. The nap room, bathroom, and kitchenette are all on the same floor and used exclusively for the program. We also have a beautiful, fenced-in yard for spending time outside. The kids love playing in the sandbox, filling up the water buckets, learning about the plants in the garden, and enjoying running and exploring. Even the little ones love to sit out on a picnic blanket and blow bubbles. We definitely stay busy!