About me

Hi there! My name is Molly Raney and I hail from Davis, California. I grew up in a small but highly intellectual city in the agricultural center of California. I eventually attended the University of California at Davis, receiving a degree in German literature while maintaining extensive studies and training in ethnomusicology, music history, music theory, and performance. My parents still live on a small farm in Davis, and I love to visit them, especially during the summer, when I frequently can fruits and vegetables from their large garden for my small cottage food licensed business, Poppet's Pantry.

I've been in childcare for over half of my life. I love watching children grow and learn to take responsibility for themselves, and I love teaching them to harness their creativity. Through my experience observing and being a part of numerous families living varied lifestyles, and through reading literature on early childhood development, I have learned a lot about what works and doesn't work in childcare. So I come to the table ready to explore, play, learn, and have fun with children, but I also come to the table with an agenda to teach children self-sufficiency and responsibility–read I don't 'tidy up' after your children, but I will teach them how to pick up after themselves!

In my own life, I am a trained musician, avid baker, cook, and preserver, as well as a crochet and embroidery amateur. I love to incorporate all of these interests into my childcare routines (kid dance parties are my favorite!) in a way that feels fun and fits smoothly into the daily schedule. I have found that if you catch kids at an early enough age, you can not only teach them cooking skills that will stick with them for years but also ignite an interest in food and pride in helping fix meals for themselves. It is so rewarding to watch children develop these skills!