Her intention was to work a few years in childcare and then see what else the world had to offer. But Senaska Seloska has been a fixture in the Nootdorp team over the past fifteen years. As an early years educator, she works daily with children from birth to two years. "I've always said, I'll quit this job when I stop enjoying it," she says, laughing. “But that time has never come. Obviously, every day has its challenges, but it’s also a party.”
Senaska is often asked by friends and acquaintances whether working in childcare isn’t tough. “That’s rarely been my experience," she insists. "In fact, parents entrusting their children to you every day feels like an honour and a great responsibility. Our work allows us to make a substantial contribution to children's development. It's not a run-of-the-mill job, which I think is great.”
Keep observing
As an early years educator, she’s also a daily witnesses to special moments in the lives of the children she cares for. “Babies usually tend to take their first steps at the nursery,” she gives as an example. “Those kind of moments never get old, no matter how many times you see something like that.”
The 40-year-old and three of her colleagues are in charge of a group of 12 children. “We set up the day first thing in the morning," Senaska explains enthusiastically. “We do a handover with the parents: they tell us about their kid’s weekend and if there’s anything we need to pay extra attention to. After that, the children are usually free to play whatever they want, like in the sandbox or to paint together. Then they’re given healthy food with fresh fruit. And the little ones are put down for naps twice a day. You’re constantly observing, you cannot allow yourself to get distracted for a single second.”
Taste Safari
Partou's early years educators also try to make subtle contributions to the development of the very little ones. "We do this in small steps, we never force anything on the children," explains the supervisor. “The goal might be to learn to drink from a sippy cup, or eat fruit with a small knife instead of their hands. She also mentions the Taste Safari, where children are introduced to a vegetable and experience it in a variety of ways; e.g. the carrot: from raw to cooked and finally as a carrot cake. “Or we teach children new colours using vegetables," she continues. “We tailor all the activities to the children's learning level.”
The childcare setting where Senaska works was added to the Partou family several years ago. This meant, among other things, that she and her colleagues were suddenly faced with more rules, also on how to interact with the children. “It felt so strange at first to no longer be allowed to give an instinctive reaction. But I'm okay with it now. Of course I understand that there are rules.”
Campaign for Turkey
Partou also offers great development opportunities for employees, Senaska believes. “For example, we now have the opportunity to take courses," she explains. “I now know everything there’s to know about how to apply first aid and how to supervise interns better. I took an interesting course on the special attention you can give to children with developmental problems.”
Partou also allows settings to put their own stamp on their work or to develop their own initiatives. “I’m someone who wants to help people less fortunate than myself," says Senaska. After the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, she immediately kicked off a fundraising campaign for families in the affected areas. “We asked parents if they’d like to donate baby clothes. Partou embraced the campaign wholeheartedly and even donated €30,000 to UNICEF, which we’ve been working with for a while now. I thought that was amazing: the moment we handed over the cheque, I started crying like a baby.”
A commitment to care
No matter where Partou is, we strive to make a difference: for children, families, our people, and the planet. Curious about what we do, what we dream of, and the challenges we face?