Testimonials
What the parents say:
We love Habibi's and Andrew for so many reasons! Our
children get to play freely, learn to express themselves, learn and
talk about diversity, know it is o.k. to explore, to fall, to cry, and
to try new things in a nurturing environment. These sound like
ideas/concepts that should be in all curriculums in all schools at all
levels. But, they are not, not even close. We looked at several other
daycare's and preschools before settling on Habibi's. We had some
really horrible experiences at one local school and some ok, but not
great, experiences at other settings. Habibi's children are (or at
least are encouraged to be) open minded, able to communicate, know how
to express their feelings, and ready to enter that next scary step of
Kindergarten. How many times have we heard teachers say they love
Habibi's kids because they are ready for the next step and know how to
function in the world. My kids have developed their self-esteem and are
better people for having been exposed to Habibi's Hutch. As a few
others mentioned, the drive is insignificant compared to the value of
the experience. As some of you know, I travel up to 41st street for
Alex and back to Manchaca/Lamar for Zane, so distance is of little
importance knowing that my children in in the best environments for
them. We love Habibi's, but mostly we love Andrew, Kim, and his whole
family, an example of great family families played out! Zelda, Alex and
Zane's mom.
I used to work at McDonald's. I do not eat at
McDonald's any longer. Once I saw the inner workings of the company [in
terms of both food prep and labor] I stopped being interested in fast
food hamburgers. I also used to work at Habibi's Hutch. Now my daughter
is a Hutch Kid. Once I became intimate with the inner workings of the
Hutch [in terms of both curriculum and humanity] I can imagine sending
my children nowhere else. I teach professional development courses for
education majors at the University of Texas, where we talk extensively
about the child-directed, open-ended, developmentally appropriate
curriculum at Habibi's. Most early childhood educational scholars use
the three preceding terms to describe what they believe to be the
"best" practices in teaching young children. I have the luxury of being
able to tell my students the address of the place where it happens. My
newest daughter will soon be a Hutch Kid also, and we, as a family,
have decided to remain in Austin after the completion of my PhD in
Curriculum Studies [with a focus on early childhood education].
Habibi's role in our decision not to allow the academic winds blow us
where they may cannot be understated. How could I study early childhood
education and let early childhood education pull my family away from
the best preschool I have ever seen or heard of? Tim, Byron and Stella
Rae's dad.
At Habibi's our son is encouraged and able to live his
life, not prepare for one. He is in a community and extended family of
adults and children where he is supported, encouraged, hugged, wrestled
with, painted on, danced with, read to, surrounded by art and patted to
sleep. Maybe most importantly he has the gift of being with adults who
are eager to share his journey, not mold him into a human who will then
live life; they respect him as a human who is living life. The adults
at Habibi's are partners with our son in the process of living, rather
than viewing him as an apprentice. I believe that our son, from the
support he's gotten at Habibi's, may reply when asked what he's going
to be when he grows up: "I'm not going to be anything, I already am."
Paul & Leslee, Paul's parents.
We love Habibi's Hutch because when Sam gets bored
with us in the morning he demands to go to "bibi's". He'll yell jumping
up and down " I wanna go to bibis! I wanna go to bibis!". I can't think
of a better endorsement than a 2 year old demanding to go to daycare,
except it's not daycare, it's a natural Childlife preserve. No TV's, no
lines, just freedom and encouragement to be who they are and get along
with everybody else. We were crestfallen when Habibi's moved to their
new location because it is so far from us. We originally went to part
time thinking we would find someplace else. There is no place else like
Habibi's. We now drive across Austin twice each day just to keep our
son in the magical environment that is Habibis Hutch. We live near 2222
and Mo-Pac it is quite a drive especially at rush hour. We're thinking
of moving to Barton Hills just to be closer to Habibi's! Michael, Sam's
dad.
As an early childhood professional, I fully endorse
Habibi's Hutch. When Henry was attending Habibi's and others would ask
me why I sent him there I had a planned response: "Most parents send
their children to preschool so that the children will learn to be
bright. The parents at Habibi's already know their children are bright
and Habibi's is a place that let's them shine." What's even better
about Habibi's is that all the parents really seemed to enjoy and
appreciate each other's children. Debora, Henry's mom.
The first time I walked through the door of the Hutch,
I cried. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Children running and
playing freely. Children working together to resolve conflicts.
Children huddled around a teacher reading a book. At Habibi's, there
are no time-outs, no scolding, no shaming. Instead, teachers actually
take the time to communicate with children about behavior,
consequences, and solutions. It's unheard of, and yet, it's the only
way to responsibly treat our children and the only way to raise
responsible adults. My son attended Habibi's for three-and-a-half
wonderful years. When he started kindergarten, he continued going to
Habibi's after school. I know that every afternoon he is getting at
Habibi's what he is not getting at public school all day – freedom to
make decisions, to experience consequences, and to discuss solutions,
not to mention freedom to run and climb to his heart's content. My son
is now in first grade and just got his report card. He is excelling in
every subject and is described as a "quiet leader" by his teacher. He
would not be who he is today without Habibi's Hutch. Cathy, Kenny's mom.
HH makes you want to be a kid again. I know that my
daughter has had a good day when I pick her up and she is in her
underwear with a painted on bikini top, a temporary tattoo on her
forearm, freshly painted fingernails and makeup done by one of her
friends. The teachers at the Hutch have made me a better mom. I also
LOVE that the Hutch has several male teachers – it is very rare and I
think that it makes my daughter a better person to see and learn from
men in addition to her father. Bianca, Ava and Beck's mom.
COME BY AND SEE WHY HABIBIS HUTCH IS THE
COOLEST IN AUSTIN
2901 Manchaca (at Lightsey)
478-7775
