We noticed the minute we walked into Judy’s loft that it is a remarkable living and breathing space designed for and fine-tuned by two year olds. It is a space where the imaginations and wild spirits of toddlers have reigned supreme for 34 years. When we watched our daughter explore the space the first time, her eyes lit up at discovering this new world that seemed as though it was made just for her.
This special environment is just the backdrop for something even more remarkable that happens at Judy’s. In our daughter’s case, we noticed her picking up beautiful, generous, and confident habits from her playgroup – an empathetic gesture toward another child or adult, an out-of-the-blue emotional observation, an “I can do that on my own” reaction to things we had always helped her with. Often when my husband and I see our daughter doing something particularly kind toward another child – an unexpected willingness to share a favorite toy, for example – we turn to each other and say, “that’s all Judy.”
Our affection for Judy’s playgroup is matched only by our daughter’s. On playgroup mornings, our daughter always voices her excitement about a “Judy day.” When we arrive at Judy’s door, she stands up tall, knocks, and then races in with confidence, so eager to begin that she barely turns around to say goodbye. When we pick her up, she jumps into our arms excited to tell us all of the new things she did.
We will always to grateful to Judy for her guiding spirit and the discoveries she has helped our daughter make that we know will find a permanent place in her personality.
– Maggie Lynaugh and Brian Shaw
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