Meet your child’s new best friend: Introducing our creche manager Vena

What’s your favourite thing about working at the creche?

I love the diversity of the children that I am meeting every time. Just learning different cultures and getting to talk to the parents and learn new languages is amazing.

What language is spoken in the creche?

We mostly speak English, but we also understand the importance of language when it comes to making a child comfortable. We make sure that we learn the basics of a child’s native language when they are brought into the creche, as that’s the language they speak at home.

I just try to accommodate the kids so that they know that if they need toileting help or they want milk or food, we understand. Some of the children may be scared at first in the space so it’s important to make them feel welcome by speaking those familiar words to them.

Describe an average day at the creche…

At the creche we make weekly and monthly program specifically for each child. The monthly is in terms of what we are hoping that the child will achieve and what the outcomes will be at the end of the month. Whether it’s toilet training, or if babies are starting to walk, we can help them with their growth models.

With the weekly programs, we pick up a topic and see what the children are interested in and extend on that. Maybe the children are interested in something to do with cars or aeroplanes or weather, we try to incorporate that into what they do; maybe some crafts or painting or writing for the older kids, around those things.

What kind of outcomes have you seen in the children?

We’ve had young babies come in, like four or six months old and now they’re big boys and girls and they’re starting to talk – it’s just amazing to see the journey. I think all our children all do amazing things, they are different people when they leave this place, which is what we want because we want them to be able to integrate into the community with ease.

When they leave the creche, they are talking so well and most of them go off to pre-school and they’re just so brilliant and bright. It’s about giving them a strong start to life.

What recommendations do you have to first time or nervous parents at the creche?

The first thing we say to parents is that this is a safe space, and we know how to look after your children. We are there to make the children as much at home as possible. Any way we can help, we do that.

I also remind them that they’re just next door and they can come and check in at any time. Someone can go to the gate and talk to them, let them know how their child is doing. Give us some time and give us a chance and they’ll be at peace in the classroom.