For years, I reported on the world of early childhood education. Then, I lived it. What I learned changed everything.
In 2019, I walked into an early learning center in Philadelphia as a journalist. I knew nothing about the field, but I was about to learn. Covering K-12 and higher education had prepared me for some things, but the world of babies and toddlers was different. It was messy, loud, and profoundly important.
Over the next few years, I traveled the country, visiting early care programs in homes, centers, and churches. I saw the wonder in children’s eyes, the patience of their teachers, and the stark reality of a chronically underfunded system. I wrote about brain development, skill acquisition, and the impossible choices parents faced. But reporting on it wasn’t the same as experiencing it.
That changed in 2024 when my husband and I became pregnant. Suddenly, the abstract challenges I’d written about were personal. We began our child care search before most friends knew we were expecting, bracing for long waitlists and high costs. We weren’t wrong. Programs told us they likely wouldn’t have a spot for our son until 2027 or 2028.
We settled on a nanny share, and the hiring process was brutal. Entrusting our child to someone else was terrifying. The conflict was real: writing about other families’ child care struggles while my own baby laughed and cried upstairs.
Then there was the baby himself. I remember thinking, back in 2019, that little kids “come online” around age 4 or 5. The education system treats them that way. But my son proved me wrong. He discovered his hands, then learned to grasp, then ring a bell. Now, at 7 months, he picks up books, mugs, rattles, and my face.
Experts have always said close caregiver relationships are crucial in the first year. But seeing it firsthand… that was different. He looks to us for reactions. He crawls from room to room, reaching for us. He lights up when his nanny arrives.
I don’t know if my years as a reporter made me a better mom. Maybe some knowledge carried over. But I’m sure motherhood will make me a better reporter, keenly aware of the stakes in early childhood and more empathetic to those the field touches.
This is my last piece as a senior reporter for EdSurge. It’s been a great run, with nearly 300 published stories over seven years. The early childhood beat has grown up too, with major newsrooms now devoting full-time positions to it. EdSurge will continue to cover early care and education. And so will I. Our paths will cross again.
The biggest lesson? Reporting on early childhood is one thing. Living it is another. And the difference is everything
