‘Parentemonials’: Raphaeleta
With 450+ kids in 24 schools across Edmonton, there are a lot of reasons kids attend our Free to Play after school programs. For Raphaeleta and family, Free Play for Kids is the best option for after school care filling the gap until the end of the workday 🎉
La-Sean not only gets access to play with kids his own age, he is learning and exploring more off-screen sports, leading to more activity! 🏃🏽♂️➡️
We are so grateful to offer Free Play for Kids programming supporting folks like Raphaeleta, thanks to sponsors like the City of Edmonton 🙌🏽
Raphaeleta’s Parentenmonial Transcript
“Mom, can I please, please, please? My friend does it. Can I, please, please, please?” Even when he’s sick and can’t go to school, he’ll ask, “Can I go to Free Play?” And I have to tell him, “No, you're sick!”
My name is Raphaeleta Johns. I’ve had one child in Free Play for the past six months. Most of the time, his father and I work the same job, so we're at work until five or six o’clock. If I can have him in an after-school activity where I don’t have to worry about what he’s doing, where he is, or anything like that—and I know he’s enjoying himself and having fun—that brings me peace of mind. That was the main thing for me. I don't have to worry.
If I didn’t have that, unfortunately, he’d have to go to the after-school care in our building because we live next door. But he thinks that’s for babies. He doesn’t like that at all.
He was an online student for three years straight, and this is his first year back in in-person school. So now he’s really trying to get that feeling of making real friends, of playing, and not just sitting at the computer all the time. He’s much more interested in outdoor activities than he used to be.
He’s learning about different things. The other day he came home talking about hockey—“That’s what it’s called, hockey”—and showing me what he learned. He’ll explain everything to me and use the living room to act it all out.
He’s definitely learning. Just last week he came home and said, “Mom, I feel bad for my friend. He’s doing Ramadan right now, so he can’t eat. He can’t spend the full time at Free Play.” He really felt for him.
I just want to say thank you to Free Play. They’ve made my life easier. After school, I don’t have to worry about my child’s safety, and I know he’s enjoying what he does.
