A competent childminder in Eindhoven, Woensel

Sleeping protocol

Professionalism also includes the use of responsible materials and ensuring a qualitative sleeping space. At Gastouder Noena we have a separate bedroom for the children, including daycare-grade bunkbeds. Every day the room is ventilated, to ensure the room is as fresh as can be. Every child has its own bed in the room with their own sleeping bag in their own size.

Hygiene protocols

Hygiene is an important part of the daily practice of Gastouder Noena. This includes the hygine of the daycare location, food and toys.

Every day the daycare is cleaned and disinfected using responsible resources. Sleeping bags are washed daily, toys are cleaned and disinfected regularly and every day clean towels and dishrags are put out.
Each child has their own cup, in their own disctinct colour, so cups are never exchanged between children.
Personal hygiene, like washing hands and hygiene when changing the children are also taken care of meticulously.

There are a couple of examples of practices that Gastouder Noena actively implements to ensure the hygiene of the location.

Choice of toys

Something that is very important within Gastouder Noena is the choice of toys. I am inspired by the theory of Maria Montessori, which has a certain vision regarding the qualities a toy should have.

Montessori things that toys should stimulate multiple senses at once. Children don’t just learn by observing, but also by touch, sound and smell. For this reason I use a lot of sensomotoric materials, like sand, clay and water. Natural and safe materials.

This category of toys is also called open-ended toys, which makes up the majority of the toys at Gastouder Noena. Open-ended toys are toys without a predetermined idea of how it should be used. A wooden block is a car to one child, a house to another and a doll to another. Each child has the opportunity to use their creativity and imagination with the material, which is why the same toys lead to different styles of playing every day.

Outside, this translates to decent toys and materials, certified if possible. We have a number of Pikler-traingles, but also walking planks, balls and playtables for outside, which are filled with a different material each time.

Creativity

Creativity and working in a creative manner are a big part of the development of children. By being creative they learn motor skills, like holding a pen, but also problem solving skills. This is why we at Gastouder Noena spend a lot of time working on the creative development of children, in a way and level that is fitting for the child. While one is working on a exercise using a poking pen, another is working with beads and another is drawing. This means there is a suitable activity that works with the developmental stage of every child.

Language development

Another important part of the development of children is the development of language and speech. At Gastouder Noena we only talk Dutch with the children, following the national protocols.

To ensure the best language development, we use a lot of interactive reading. This means that reading a book does not only consist of reading. Every book has a theme that we can use in play and creative exercises. A book in which they cut out flags means that we will cut flags ourselves. A book about colours could mean that we start painting, to practice our colours and the mixing of them. This means the story will come to life and the children will learn better from them.

To support the spoken language we use Babygebaren (directly translates to Baby Sign Language). These are signs, derived from the Dutch Sign Language. By supporting the spoken language in this way, we see that the children pick up the language faster. Both the passive language (understanding) and active language (speaking) are stimulated in this way.

Learning while playing

A good and reliable care for your child is the most important. However, it is also nice if your child is having a good time and learning at the daycare. This is why I apply the so called Vroeg Voorschoolse Educatie (VVE). This means learning to talk while playing, reading and moving. 

Healthy food

As a childminder I find it important that the children eat healthy. We eat fruit, vegetables or a cracker every morning and afternoon accompanied by a cup of water or cooled down tea. As an exception we have lemonade without sugar. 

The babies in the daycare also get fresh (mashed) fruit. I do not use fruit in jars. 

On the sandwich we have 100% pure peanut butter, hummus, chicken filet, 30+ cheese or a boiled egg with a cup of semi-skimmed milk. 

I also make my own soup (served at the right temperature of course) for the children, like tomato or vegetable soup.