24.04.2017 Isabel Hempel 10201

Generational mix at childcare center: A team reports!

Communication, values, attitudes, life experience: are there differences between the generations? Katrin Josten (25), Sonja Schmidt (42) and Petra Nenning (56) are the educators of the "red group" at Locomotion Kids in Düsseldorf. In this interview, they talk about their "workflow" and confess when they feel really old.

Do you feel you belong to a generation? If so, how would you define it?

Petra: I was born in 1960 and am one of the baby boomers, the baby boomer years. There were and are many people of the same age. Our motto is therefore: "Live and let live". Independence, education and responsibility are part of it for me.

Sonja: I was born in 1974 and belong to Generation X. I like the fact that I can contribute my ideas to my day-to-day work and I am very flexible and spontaneous.

Katrin: I can't fully categorize myself as part of Generation Y, but I believe that the new communication systems play an important role in my age group. I am also quite active in this area. But there are also aspects that are assigned to other generations and that I also live by.

What is your task as a team and where do you find points of contact in your work?

Petra: Our joint task is to make childcare center a vibrant part of everyday life.

Sonja: We are also constantly working on strengthening our team and working together openly and trustingly.

Sonja: "My whole life changed when I was 25: I got married and had a child. That was a 180-degree turnaround."

Does your age difference play a role in this?

Katrin: Not so much, actually. I think everyone brings their own skills to the table. We complement each other pretty well!

Sonja: I would also say that character is more important than age. It's important to be well-rehearsed as a team! That works very well for us because we've been working together for so long. Sometimes we understand each other without words. We work very harmoniously together. And the most important thing is that we trust each other personally and professionally. The children feel this and can therefore develop freely. All in all, we are a great team! 

Communication, values, attitudes, life experience - do you notice any differences between you?

Petra: No, I think all three of us live the values of respect and consideration. As the oldest member of the team, I also have more life experience. But we all bring our experience to the table and complement each other.

Katrin: I think the children know exactly that we have different life experiences. We younger ones perhaps trust them to do different things and are more daring in some situations. I think there's a good mix there too.

Sonja: I'm somewhere in between in terms of age. I can empathize with Petra and Katrin. Age doesn't play such a big role for me.

"I don't feel old until I'm in my late 30s!" ... Katrin at the age of 15.

What do you appreciate about each other in terms of your age difference?

Petra: What I appreciate are the many new ideas from my younger employees and the new methods they introduce. I find it very important to bring the generations together and that there is no exclusion.

Katrin: I appreciate the diversity of our experience, for example that Petra can bring in old rhymes and songs. I bring in completely different games and texts from my training - a nice mix of old and new!

What challenges you?

Petra: I've noticed that my younger colleagues are able to adapt to new situations more quickly. Their technical skills on the PC are better. The challenge for me is not to stand still and to keep working on it.

Sonja: On the other hand, Petra is more of a calming influence. We can turn to Petra when the shoe pinches.

Petra: "At 25, what I wanted above all was a good position and financial security."

Petra and Sonja, do you remember how you saw life when you were 25?

Petra : When I was 25, I had completed my commercial retraining and the professional challenge was my priority: a good position with financial security, which I have since moved away from. Traveling a lot was important to me.

Sonja: My whole life changed when I was 25: I got married and had a child. That was a 180 degree turnaround at that age.

Where do you see yourselves in ten years?

Katrin : I see myself in a similar way to Sonja. I want to finish my studies and see how I can develop my career and balance work and family life. 

Petra: I hope that I will still be in good health in ten years' time. Then I would like to continue working with children. Maybe I'll still be with the Locomotion Kids then. Who knows? I also think it's important to combine family and career.

Sonja: "I'm 42 now and my 15-year-old daughter often says: Mom, you don't understand!"

When do you feel particularly old or young?

Sonja: I am now 42 and sometimes feel old in relation to my daughter. She is now 15 years old. In some situations I hear from her: "Mom, you don't understand!"

Petra: The earliest I feel old is when I'm 90. Today, at 56, I don't feel old at all. Working with the children and my young colleagues keeps me young.

Katrin : I feel particularly old when I see the young people around me. Oh, they were just kids and now they're already getting their driver's license! I don't feel really old until I'm in my late 30s. In other situations, I think I'm still relatively young in the team, even by comparison.

Generation mix: what ingredients are needed?

At our childcare center "BulliGarten" in Hanover, they work in the heart of the house: the kitchen. The cook Susanne and the two housekeepers Aida and Andrea conjure up delicious meals for the children and staff: 120 meals a day! It's not easy to keep track of everything and work well together.

They tell us how they manage this and benefit from the mix of generations.

Secret recipe for positive team spirit

Take a hearty "generation mix" stew:

To go with it: a bottle of life wine from the older generation as well as Y-brand refreshing water and Z portions. For the whole team Costs and nutritional values: priceless and extremely sustainable

Enjoy the taste and have fun cooking!

Your Aida (Generation Y), Andrea (Baby Boomer), Susanne (Generation X) and the BulliGarten team from Hanover