The child is learning every waking minute of his/her existence and how any one child perceives any one situation may or may not be the same way as the child next to him/her perceives that same situation. Everything in any child's life is processed through past experiences, role models, and his/her ethnic origin. In order for an adult to effectively and positively influence a child, the adult should know the developmental level of that child, what his/her interests are, and design a curriculum that appears to meet that child's needs. The adult needs to remember that a curriculum is strictly a guide line and is not to be followed rigidly, but should be adapted to the needs of the child it was designed for. Any person involved with a child should be able to maintain predetermined limits while being flexible enough to explore a sudden interest that has not been planned or listed in a schedule. Most parents have not been exposed to the developmental stages of the child and the philosophy behind why certain things happen at certain times. An Early Childhood Educator is often educating the parents as to why these things are occuring even as he/she is enhancing the child's developmental stages. The environment should reflect the needs of the age group it serves with age appropriate equipment and both structured and unstructured activities. Into this environment should also come one or two "alien" items, be it a snowshoe, a wok, or a quilt to be mauled and explored and demonstrated and tried to enable the child to broaden his/her horizons. The role of the Early Childhood Educator and the centre is not solely to provide care for the child. It is a services provider and a resource centre for the parents and the surrounding community. Its focus must constantly be adapted to meet the ever-changing needs of the parents and community in this ever-changing world of today.