By: Felicia Naoum
Northfield, OH – Behind a beautiful yellow door is a place where children effortlessly smile, they gather together and play, they are safe, they are learning, and they are loved – their energy shines brightly. I have the place where you would want your child (or any child that you care for) to be. There’s a reason these children are shining. The creators and owners are people who pour their heart and soul into this place every day, shining – shining from within – because your children are their passion.
Learn, Laugh & Love Too was cultivated by Aubrey Tufts, along with her good friends: Laurie Damuth, a full-time paralegal, and Laurie’s husband, Tom Damuth. This trio had one collective goal in mind – happy children.
It began with a phone call from Tom to Aubrey. Tom reached out to Aubrey one day with the idea of opening a daycare. Tom had such confidence that this would work, that he was able to convince Aubrey and his wife, Laurie, of the idea. Aubrey has had years of experience operating day cares. “Tom believed in us,” said Aubrey.
I asked Aubrey why she created Learn, Laugh & Love Too as she came from a previous child care center that she owned with a similar name. There have been many rumors about the other center that could make her new chapter at Learn, Laugh, & Love Too rather challenging; but, that’s not stopping Aubrey. In fact, Aubrey is ready to make this chapter magnificent. Aubrey elaborated by stating, “Due to legalities, I cannot say exactly what had happened to cause the sudden closure of the other daycare, but I can tell you about the changes that have been made to ensure that it will not happen again. The largest change is that I have a new partner. My new partner, Laurie, has experience in the child care field and understands what it takes to run a successful child care center. Tom (Laurie’s husband) has purchased the building that we operate our center from. Our rent payment is extremely lower than it was in the past making it easier to afford every month. We have also been very selective with hiring the staff. Our staff is the most important part of our success, and the ladies that we have hired back want us to succeed as much as we want to succeed.”
One of the creations thought of by Tammy (a teacher at the center) and painted by Tammy’s husband caught my eye: a big, beautiful tree painted on the wall at the daycare that changes with the seasons. It’s a very creative painting, yet homemade. It brings that “family feel” Aubrey mentioned to life.Upon entering Learn, Laugh & Love Too – I was instantly greeted by happy children and friendly teachers!
Clearly, these owners know what the children need. Their experience goes way back. Aubrey has been in this business for sixteen years – “That’s really all I’ve ever known,” she said when I asked her why she chose this field. Aubrey is the oldest of six siblings, and while her mother was working, Aubrey would take on the responsibilities of taking care of her siblings. So Aubrey’s experience even goes back further than sixteen years; it goes to her childhood. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons she is so fitting for Learn, Laugh & Love Too.
Today, Aubrey handles most of the business-side at Learn, Laugh & Love Too – a daycare in Northfield, Ohio providing services to newborns up to school age. However, if she needs to walk away from her desk and recharge, she heads over to the newborns’ rooms and finds relaxation visiting the sweet little bundles of joy.Aubrey doesn’t require too long of a break. She truly loves what she does, and she’s aware of what makes Learn, Laugh & Love Too different: “We’re a family setting. We treat the kids like they are ours. We’re a family here.”
Parents agree with Aubrey’s commentary. Don Post of Northfield, a parent of children at Learn, Laugh, & Love Too said, “My kids love it here, and they never want to leave!”
No wonder these children never want to leave. Aubrey and Laurie make their number one priority the children they serve. Both ladies attest to this statement: “The best part is the interaction with the kids. There’s nothing better than when the kids are happy to see you.”
No wonder these children never want to leave. Aubrey and Laurie make their number one priority the children they serve. Both ladies attest to this statement: “The best part is the interaction with the kids. There’s nothing better than when the kids are happy to see you.”
The parents are of equal priority at Learn, Laugh & Love Too. Aubrey assured, “We work with the parents to provide care to meet their schedules. We do what we can to make the parents lives easier. We have been known to send pictures of their newborns to them during the day to help the moms adjust to leaving their newborns here.”
Find comfort in the fact that not only are your children loved, safe, happy and learning here, but they are having a blast, too! All summer long, the children are partaking in multiple adventures such as roller skating, bowling, swimming, Goodtime III, Akron RubberDucks, Akron Zoo, Akron Fossils Science Center, the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, and even what every kid screams for – ICE CREAM party! Clearly, the fun at Learn, Laugh, and Love, Too is endless!
Aubrey’s home becomes your home, too. Instantly. That’s just what she and her co-owners provide. Learn, Laugh & Love Too has little to no turnover. The staff is reliable, caring, loving, compassionate, upbeat and energetic. They make the kids comfortable. The teachers create their lesson plans to accommodate all learners. They tweak their lessons to meet the needs of the children in their class. During the process of getting the center opened, all of the staff members donated their time to help prepare the building, set up the classrooms and clean the center.
All photos by Sam Milani
I encourage those in need of childcare services to take that leap into Learn, Laugh & Love Too. Start first by visiting: http://www.learnlaughandlove.
