“Children are people full of ideas and thoughts who are seeking sense and meaning. They have much to show and tell.” (Traces From Reggio, Meeuwig, Schepers and va der Werf 2009: 79)
VISION STATEMENT Nature's Babies Home Daycare, in the Riverside - Hunt Club - South Keys area, will provide your growing child with a loving, healthy, low carbon footprint environment. Nature exploration mornings, climbing over logs and building shelters both real and imaginary, making meals, performing meaningful tasks and playing through storytelling, song, dance, yoga and crafts creates a sense of accomplishment each day. Learning to problem solve by exploring feelings, communicating and cooperating, children will learn conflict resolution skills. This will equip friends coming to Nature’s Babies Home Daycare with a sense of belonging and relating that will help form the basis of a healthy and balanced life.
Every day at Nature’s Babies is inspired by Reggio Emilia, an innovative and highly adaptable approach to early childhood education which values the child as capable, resourceful and full of potential. Each child has a deep curiosity that drives their interest to understand their world and their interaction with it.
Aija Auzina is a mother of three, Gundega 28, Rūta 26 and Ansis 22. She is an environmentalist who has homeschooled her own three children in Ottawa during their earliest years. She has worked with children as a substitute teacher in an international school in Latvia, both in the preschool groups and elementary grades. Believing that young children thrive best in a home environment that allows them to safely explore the natural world and their relationship to it, Nature's Babies Home Daycare was born. Starting this daycare business just as her own children are leaving the family nest lets her continue to share her love of nature with a new set of youngsters. Aija hopes to nurture in your children that same love and respect for life in all its fascinating and curious forms, and the joy of living lightly on the Earth. Aija taught Latvian folk dancing before the pandemic and still enjoys running, and plays the piano and recorder. Aija’s home is shared with her daughter Rūta and a tabby cat named Mimi.
Training: Standard First Aid + Level C CPR + AED 2016 ; Conflict resolution for children; Community building; B.A. German and Economics; TESL Certificate
Rūta Auzina Rūta, Aija's daughter, is a professional early childhood education with experience in various daycare settings. Having graduated from Montreal's Concordia University in 2020, Rūta has worked in play-based and Montessori for-profit daycares. She offers her care, joy and excellent teaching to Nature's Babies from time to time as needed.
Training: Bachelor of Arts, Major in Child Studies and Minor in First People's Studies; Ontario Registered ECE; Standard First Aid + Level C CPR + AED 2020
Karen Hawley (deceased)
Karen Hawley was my partner in setting up and running Nature's Babies from 2017 until her untimely death in 2021. Karen is deeply missed by all of us who knew her. I feel blessed for having had her in my life. I leave this bio here to show her significance to Nature's Babies and what a special person she was. Karen Hawley is a mother of two, Ana 24 and Max is 21. She raised her kids along with her husband here in Ottawa. Born at home with a mid-wife, both children were nursed, fed home grown and home cooked meals as much as possible. Cloth diapers were used until toilet training. Ana was home-schooled for half of her kindergarten years, and then boldly announced her commitment to full-time grade one. Max could not be held back from stunning his junior kindergarten audience with his stand-up routines, so no home-schooling for him. Karen has been trained as a facilitator for Children's Creative Response to Conflict. She has worked with elementary and high school students teaching ecology, environmental issues and climate change. She has written lesson plans for all ages on food security and climate change to accompany the animated short-film, Norma's Story.
Training: Standard First Aid + Level C CPR + AED 2016; Conflict resolution for children; BSc in Biology
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Careful listening to children and observation of their interests and concerns. This validation of communication lets the child’s learning direction be defined.
Respect for all in our community - self, other children, parents, caregiver, nature, environment and the wider community. This gives us all a sense of security and belonging.
We are collaborators and learn reciprocally. This approach builds confidence, trust and nurtures curiosity.
Our environment is an extension of ourselves; we care for each other, the items in the house and all things in the natural world we encounter. Through healthy relationships we are supported in our learning.
The caregiver, children and families collect materials that initiate projects that revolve around problem solving. This includes “loose parts” collected in nature or found in the home.
Documentation through each child’s journal and photos provides materials about the child’s thinking and about teaching strategies. This allows for reflection and creates a visual representation of the child’s development.
Reciprocal communication is encouraged among all involved in Nature’s Babies. Meaningful exchanges lead to the safe expression of needs, feelings, and ideas, which promote a stronger and more confident community .