Infants

MS. RITA:  

I have been working at Lil Goldman for over 20 years. I have worked in a preschool environment since 1991. Prior to working with infants, I worked with 1-2 year-olds and school-age children. I have two grown boys and three grandchildren. They are the joy of my life! My family was in the Air Force for 20 years before we retired here in Fort Worth 28 years ago.

MS. ERICA:

I have been working here at Lil Goldman ELC since 2011, alongside Ms. Rita in the Infant classroom.  I've earned my associates degree in Child Development.  I enjoy watching children develop in so many ways and I'm excited to be a part of that growth.   During my free time I like watching sports, especially football (go Denver Broncos!).  

Although Infants spend a lot of the time feeding and sleeping, we spend time speaking, reading and singing to the infants. Tummy time is very important to babies at this age. Each "little person" has their own personality and way of communicating with the world around them.

We get to know each baby quickly and provide the care and stimulation they each require. The schedule in the infant rooms is baby-centered. We follow the schedule that the family has established with the baby.

MS. MEKAYLA:

I started at Lil Goldman in 2021 after years of childcare experience in the mental health field.  I attended UNT and earned my bachelors in psychology, and am currently working toward my masters in counseling.  When I complete my training I hope to continue working with little ones.  I have been taking care of children as long as I can remember and it brings me so much joy.  In my free time I love to paint, craft, and spend time with my loved ones.  I am honored to be a part of your child's development and excited for my third year at Lil Goldman.

In the Infant 2 classroom we are growing and developing gross motor skills and awareness of the world around us.  We spend time reading for language development, and lots of sensory activities and tummy-time help to motivate us to grasp, crawl, sit-up, pull up, and be more mobile.  Our class is baby-centered, following the schedule that the families have set for each child.  As part of our sensory experiences we will encourage more finger foods and play lots of music.  We enjoy getting to know each child's unique personality and will encourage curiosity.  

MS. KRISTIA:

I have been working at Lil Goldman Early Learning Center since the beginning of 2021, and I'm loving it.  I have worked in childcare for over 15 years and have an Child Development Associate with an emphasis on Infants and Toddlers.  I love working with infants, watching them learn and grow.

I'm the mom of two girls, 17 and 13 years old, and I have 3 fur babies - 2 cats and a dog.  I'm enjoying my third school year here at Lil Goldman.  

MS. VANESSA:

I started working at Lil Goldman in early 2022 mainly in the Infant rooms. I love working with 12-18 months babies because they're so happy, silly and curious. Prior to working with Infants I was a fulltime caregiver to my grandfather and my aunt as well as being a part time nanny to my nephews. I have 3 nephews and 1 niece. 

I am looking forward to this year and taking care of your babies!

In the Infant 3 classroom, we work on furthering each child’s fine and gross motor skills. We provide each child, aged 12-18 months, with a nurturing and positive learning environment. We teach language and literacy development through songs and constant verbal and descriptive language. We read books to further their understanding of all the things that surround us. We work on their social and emotional growth by teaching self-regulation skills. Learning is done through play and child-led activities.