Choo Choo Train Day Care

The origin of this name is a very personal story. In Poland, all generations of children are raised on the classic children’s poem “Locomotive” by Julian Tuwim. It is a funny and amusing story about a train written in beautiful, poetic language. I remember being very proud because I was able to recite the beginning verses of the poem. As I grew older, I was able to recite more and more. This story reminds me of my pleasant childhood in Poland and evokes feelings of nostalgia and reminiscence.

When I came to New York with my family, we did not understand English. It was a very challenging and stressful time in our lives. We felt uncomfortable, but were determined to change our lives. After spending some time and adapting to America, we began to learn English and become literate in this new language. One day, while visiting a bookstore, my son and I found another book about a train. Together, we started reading the book The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper. After we finished, I told my son that we were like this “Little Engine.” We had to work hard and believe in what we were doing to achieve our dreams, always saying “I think I can, I think I can” along the way.

When I took a position as a teacher, this story began to relate to my work. Every September I saw small, worried faces enter my classroom on the first day of school. I told them my personal story about both the Locomotive and the “Little Engine.” I told them that we were all little engines who had to move forward by saying “I think I can, I think I can,” and that by following this saying all our dreams would come true. One day, my dream finally did come true and I was able to open my own daycare where children could come to say “I think I can, I think I can.” I decided to appropriately name this school, “Choo Choo Train Daycare.”

Additional Information: Years in Operation: 9