About Us
Itsy Bitsy Keiki is a comprehensive Early Childhood Education website that focuses on the growing brain of keiki as well as the continual learning that their parents and caregivers undergo as they raise their keiki. Our hope is to bring practical information about ECE in an easily digestible format that parents and caregivers can begin to use immediately.
Who started Itsy Bitsy Keiki?
Itsy Bitsy Keiki was started by me, Anuhea Medeiros. I am a Native Hawaiian Infant/Toddler Teacher from Maui, Hawai'i, though a more apt description of my job is "full time teacher and part time mama." I have always loved working with keiki, starting when I was in the fifth grade and would sit with my mama collecting breakfast money at my Elementary School. She was (and continues to be) my inspiration as a teacher. My interest in Early Childhood Education blossomed during my senior year of high school when I worked as an afternoon aide at the preschool I attended as a preschooler. Therefore, one of my first co-workers was my preschool teacher! During my time in college, I continued to work in ECE, at the Child Development Center on campus. Four years later, after graduating with my B.A. in Biology and a minor in Psychology, I moved home and went right into teaching infants and toddlers. Funnily enough, even with my degree, I was not qualified to be an Infant Toddler teacher. So I took a few more college classes to finally get my certification.
During the pandemic and not being able to teach like normal, I felt like I had to find a way to bridge the gap between home and school. And that's how Itsy Bitsy Keiki came to be. Everything we create is centered around the fact that parents/caregivers are their keiki's first teachers.
The artwork used in our posts, products and resources are created by long time friend and Native Hawaiian artist Bailey Onaga. For more of Bailey's work, check out her personal shop here!