Pictures: Deborah Puylaert.
Who is you VUB hero? Let us know at ikhebnieuws@vub.ac.be and who knows we put him or her in the spotlight next.
It’s 12:00 noon when we arrive at the daycare center in Elsene. The toddlers are already off to dreamland. The very smallest, the babies between 3 and 18 months, are wide awake though. They do not have a set sleep time. They indicate when they are tired, are hungry or need comforting themselves. Every child has its own rhythm.
Speaking without words
Sabrina nestles herself on the playmat in between good company. Six pairs of piercing eyes stare at her longingly. She smiles at them - they coo in delight. “The smallest ones cannot talk yet, but we can definitely listen to them. Babies give us lots of signals. They blink their eyes, speak gibberish, move their tongues… thus indicating what they want or don’t want. We try to read those signals and respond accordingly.”
Where the job used to be mostly about basic childcare - changing diapers and feeding pureed vegetables - it has evolved more into nurturing and educating the babies and toddlers over the past decade. Sabrina and Katie are mostly drawn to the pedagogical aspect of their jobs and find it important to work together with parents on that matter. They love that guidance and many ask for tips concerning child rearing.
“We always start with a ‘moment to habituate’. We thereby invite the parents to the center for half a day so they can see how we operate”, Sabrina explains. “For us it is the ideal moment to get to know their son or daughter better. What are their habits? Do they have a nap ritual? We try to emulate that as much as possible. It is also a moment to reassure parents. This way they can go to work with a comfortable feeling.”
Dirty clothes permitted
At the VUB daycare centers toddlers leave with a filled backpack for later. Katie: “We want to stimulate the children in their development and see them flourish. We do so by going on a discovery hunt with them. Each child dictates its own pace thereby. They have to feel good about themselves to confidently make the giant leap into kindergarten. That is why we often explain to parents that is might be advantageous not to take the step to school so soon.”
It is all about the children having fun and discovering new things
Sabrina: “Even at a very early age, we offer them many different materials, such as finger paint, and see how they deal with them. There are children who think that is icky and don’t want to touch it. That is totally fine. When we organise an activity, there are no expectations attached. As opposed to many other daycare center we do not envision perfectly finished artwork to please the parents. To us, the end result is not important. When a child wants to rip his page in two, than that is allowed. It is all about the children having fun and discovering new things. We try to document those moments in photos or videos and show those to the parents. Isn’t that a much nicer gift? We think so.”
Sabrina is on a roll now and continues enthusiastically: “In dry weather we always go outside. We ask the parents to provide a pair of boots, so that the kids can run across wet grass and walk through puddles.We can’t guarantee that you’ll take your child home clean at night, but all the more so that they will have experienced many things.”
“When a child makes the transition to school, we often hear from parents that the kindergarten teachers note how independent their sons or daughters act in class,” Katie adds. A nice acknowledgement of the pedagogical approach of the childcare facility.
Taking a breather
The parents too are grateful. It isn’t always easy to leave their most precious property behind. In the beginning there are the occasional tears involved. After work mom and dad are always welcome in their child’s unit. And there they can take a moment to relax together on the playmat. Here, kids are not dropped off and picked up at the door, on the contrary. Katie: “We encourage parents to come in and give them the time and a listening ear when needed. They appreciate that. Once and a while we get a present or ‘praline’, but that is not necessary at all. A card of picture of their child with a nice note is just as rewarding.”
Compliments from parent are nice, but the biggest motivator? That is undoubtedly the children. Katie: “When you arrive in the morning and you see their hands go up in the air and they smile at you right away, then you notice the children are comfortable here. That is why we do it!”
And when even rector Caroline Pauwels expresses her appreciation during her new year’s speech followed by a spontaneous roaring applause from the entire VUB-community, your team can be truly proud of its work.
“When the rector called us ‘the heroes of VUB’, we thought ‘Huh, is this about us?’. We all got goosebumps. During the drinks reception afterwards many parents came to us: ‘You deserve this.’ That really got to us.”
A boost to start the year anew with lots of enthusiasm!
Vrije Universiteit Brussel has two childcare facilities: one in Elsene and another in Jette. In these daycare centers there is room for 180 children between the ages of 0 and 3. The facilities are open to everyone. Children of students and staff associated with the Brussels University Association (i.e. Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Erasmushogeschool Brussel) and children of employees of the University Hospital have priority.