The kindergartens in the district have been filling up again since 25 May. Pre-school children, including siblings and children with special needs, have now joined the “emergency care children” who have been admitted since the beginning of the corona crisis. Pedagogues report on the new everyday life when looking after the little ones.
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen - As in all institutions, there has been unusual silence in the Protestant kindergarten Arche Noah in Bad Tölz since mid-March. At least as far as the laughing and playing of many children who had to stay at home because of the pandemic.
Noah's ark had emergency care, but only one or two children used it every day. "We now have eight to twelve children per group," explains head Maria Girmann. The parents are frugal and understanding. "There are still some who leave their children at home for fear," says the teacher. Most rules are "easy to implement". The groups remain closed, meaning that the children have no contact with the other groups inside the house. More attention is given to eating and, of course, hands are washed regularly. "But we taught the children this long before Corona," says Girmann. There is a lack of understanding with her that forest kindergartens are allowed to open again when fully occupied, but this does not apply to the forest group of Noah's Ark. "The children have no contact with the other groups in the house anyway," she explains.
Parents frugal and understanding
But she also sees advantages: "We can now insist that children with symptoms of illness stay at home." Another advantage is that before the pandemic, the groups were occupied by up to 28 children. "It was just too much," says Girmann.
The forest kindergarten Bad Tölz-Wackersberg, on the other hand, has been open to regular groups since last Monday. “We have an average of 15 to 17 children in the group. It used to be 21, ”explains team leader Stefanie Knott. Previously, there were only between two and eight children a day in emergency care. The caregivers maintained contact with the other children via the online morning circle. "It was really good, all children still trust us," she says. Everyday life has also returned: "We always had a lot of space out here, so it is less problematic for us to keep our distance," says Kott.
Online contact during morning shutdown
45 out of 117 children are currently back in the Maria Montessori kindergarten in Tölz. Managing Director Annette Weber says: "The mood is good, you can tell that the children are happy that things are going to continue." Nevertheless, she had to take a step backwards, especially for children with special needs. "We have to start all over again with some children, for example with language support." Hygiene measures with hand disinfectants have already caused problems. “Some have been allergic to it. If we bring our own funds, we have to check whether they are permissible, ”she explains. They have already integrated other hygiene measures into everyday life in a playful way. “The children sing a long song while washing their hands. They walk in the corridors with their arms outstretched, and no child may touch the other. It's a lot of fun, they play aviators, ”says the managing director.
Hygiene measures playfully integrated into everyday life
The mood is also good at the St. Kilian Catholic daycare center in Bad Heilbrunn. "Everyone is happy that they can come back," reports Dietlind von Plettenberg. "We get on well with the regulations," she says. In the beginning it was a habit for the children to have their parents drop them off at the door and pick them up there. “It was strange the first few days, but everyone got used to it.” A maximum of three out of five groups can play in the garden at the same time. "We still go out a lot, we often go for a walk," says the head of the kindergarten.
All rooms had to be converted
Martina Schmid, head of the Greilingen kindergarten with the Zauberapfel daycare center faced a major challenge: “We normally have an open concept. So not fixed groups, but functional spaces, ”she explains. This means that all children can stay freely in all rooms. The team had to remodel this in order to be able to look after the children properly in fixed groups. "We rebuilt everything for three days," she explains. The effort was worth it. Everything has been “amazingly relaxed” since Monday. Even the initial skepticism that children might have problems getting used to it did not materialize. "Everyone is in a good mood and is happy that they can come back," says Martina Schmid with relief.
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Tölzer pediatrician about opening of schools and kindergartens in Corona
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