Introduction/specifics

About us

We have been married since 2014 and have one daughter. We have long wanted to work together, which we have been able to do since September 2018, with the permission to open a large day care center in our own home.

Natacha

I was born in 1975 and grew up in Lisbon.

Since I come from a large family, I had contact with many children very early on.

My mother was a teacher and social worker. Therefore, upbringing and social engagement have always been part of my everyday life.

I started looking after children at an early age. First as a babysitter, and later as a children's entertainer and as a companion in the holiday camp with kindergarten children from socially disadvantaged areas.

While studying elementary school and grades 5 and 6 faculty of visual and technology education, I worked as a freelance professional photographer.

I finished my studies in 2003 and then started working in the afternoon care of a school.

At the beginning of 2012 I moved to Germany and started working as a babysitter again. I gave birth to my daughter in 2014 and spending time with her at home reawakened my love for upbringing.

In 2016 my daughter went to kindergarten, after which I started working for a childminder. That gave me a lot of pleasure. This is how I wanted to become a childminder myself.

At the beginning of 2018 I successfully completed my childminder qualification.

Tim

I was born in August 1965.

I graduated from high school in 1984 and then started studying physics. At the same time, I volunteered for several years in an initially urban, then self-governing youth center (here as the chairman of the sponsoring association).

In 1995 I started working in the film and television industry as a post-production supervisor.

In the end of 2015 the time had come for me to start something new.

Through my youngest daughter, I came into contact with children between the ages of one and three, be it in kindergarten or in private when meeting to play. I noticed that I enjoy working with these children and that I am accepted by them. It was through my wife that I came up with the idea of ​​becoming a day father. That is why I attended the qualification course for day care workers at the Progressive Parents and Educators Association NW e.V. (PEV) from June 2016.

The qualification course and the preoccupation with the principles of day care have strengthened my desire to become a day care supervisor and to find a responsible, fulfilling, albeit sometimes strenuous, new job here.

In mid-December 2016, I successfully passed my exam to become a qualified child care worker.

I have been working as a day care worker in Bergisch Gladbach since April 2017.

Rooms

We live with our family in a house with a garden in Hebborn. The house is in a pedestrian zone, ideal for letting the children run free. We can walk to various playgrounds without having to cross a street.

In the vicinity there is a forest, the weekly market and also a horse farm.

The first floor of the house is set up for day care; the children also sleep in a separate room here. The garden can be accessed directly from the living room.

Outdoor Facilities

We mainly use our garden in the afternoon, as we are out and about in the area in the mornings.

Daily Schedule

Here is an exemplary daily routine as it takes place on most days:

08:00 - 08:15   Arrive, free play

08:15 - 08:45   Breakfast together

09:00 - 11:00   Market visit, walk, visit playground, project, garden

12:00 - 12:45   Lunch

13:00 - 15:00   Nap, rest, quiet play

15:00 - 15:30   Joint fruit snack

15:30 - 16:00   Free play, pick-up time

Food

What is there to eat 

We mainly offer the children freshly prepared food, which is made from organic products whenever possible. For the varied meals we use ingredients that are as organically produced as possible and produced locally. We prefer seasonal fruits and vegetables.

We use products that contain very little sugar, preferably none at all. Since we also grow a few vegetables in our garden, I also use these for meals. The children experience the entire process from sowing and planting to watering and harvesting and eating.

The children are fully fed by us, which means that the parents do not have to bring any food. The catering usually consists of breakfast, a morning snack, lunch and an afternoon snack.

Basics

How we see the children

Our work with the children is characterized by respect for them. We communicate on an equal footing and take the children's wishes and needs seriously.

The future in which our children will be adults is unknown to us, and this has consequences for the way we interpret parenting. We can prepare our children for the unknown and take away their fear of it, at best they look forward to the challenges and walk their path with confidence and curiosity. We are happy to accept this challenge and will do our best to achieve it.

How we work

It is very important to us not to be the makers, but to give the children the opportunity to become the makers. We support the children by specifically praising them for their developmental steps and social behavior. We thank you for favors and are friendly. We make sure that the children feel safe and secure. We prepare healthy, delicious food and make sure that the children get enough sleep. We let the children join in wherever possible.

If it's the children's job to play, then it's our job to create the conditions in which the children can do so.

This includes an appealing design of the room in which the children are staying. Just like the fact that the children feel safe and secure with us, because then they can develop and develop freely.

The best interests of the child are always at the center of our actions.

How we support the children

Fostering the natural curiosity of children is very important to us. Children bring along the curiosity of their own accord, encouraging them to encourage the child's will to educate himself and to discover his environment.

How we experience nature and the environment

We regularly go out with the children to explore nature and the surrounding area. Experiencing nature and the environment completes the children's picture of the world and its connections.

We are moving

Whenever the opportunity arises, we run, jump, balance and romp together.

When handling balls, the children not only develop their fine and gross motor skills, they also develop their social skills in interaction with others.

Climbing and balancing promote self-confidence.

When we dance together, the children can develop and develop their sense of rhythm and their ability to express themselves.

We experience music

We regularly listen to music in our day care. We dance, sing and play instruments. For example, we accompany washing hands after a walk with the song “Every child must wash their hands”, which turns the whole thing into an action that the children enjoy doing.

A box with simple musical instruments is always within reach of the children with the toys. Sometimes we make our own instruments out of pots and cups, for example, or we build drums out of cardboard boxes and play on them.

Our rituals

Children need daily rituals, they instill habit, repetition makes them feel safe. It also gives them confidence and the experience of belonging to the group. That is why we incorporate little rituals into our daily routine, such as shaking hands while wishing ourselves “Bon appetit”.

Bilingual German / Portuguese

Our day care is bilingual, which means Natacha speaks Portuguese with the children and Tim speaks German.

We have fun

The children are naturally happy, they like to laugh and like to laugh out loud.

Motivation and fun in learning are fundamental for successful learning.

For us, happy and satisfied children are one of the most important goals in our daily work.

A good day is a day full of smiles, fun, and games.

How we involve the children

Children learn by imitating and participating. That is why we let the children help where they can and want, depending on their current abilities, for example setting the table. Participation also means that the children can take part in decisions that affect them personally.

Children have the right to participate in decisions that affect them. Children who grow up purely as receiving orders do not later become independent personalities.

Teamwork with parents

How we cooperate with parents

A good cooperation with the parents is very important to us. The relationship should be characterized by mutual respect and trust. When you get to know each other for the first time, we lay the foundation for this collaboration. Here the parents' wishes for day care and vice versa should be discussed openly and clearly. We keep parents informed and parents keep us informed of all important events that we should know.

Of course, all of this information remains confidential.