'The Hygge in the Early Years Accreditation has been a journey of personal growth and enrichment in my life-long learner journey.'

Member Case Study by Vania Almeida

The Hygge in the Early Years Accreditation has been a journey of personal growth and enrichment in my life-long learner journey. My name is Vania Almeida and I heard about hygge and KSEY’s work last year in a webinar when Vicky Murray, a childminder in England, presented the benefits of using the approach in her setting. I searched about it and I decided to join the accreditation in January 2020. I have been completing different trainings since I started my career in Early Years seven years ago, although I work in Education for nearly 15 years. The pandemic context led me to invest a lot in my self-development. I became first time manager last year and my intention was for the accreditation to help me create a hygge environment in a setting that was everything but hygge – very urban, colourful, depressive and empty. I had only two children enrolled and one staff member. I will share very few photos from this setting but I feel most of the work happened within myself and I prefer to relate as a hygge in the Early Years professional rather than a setting. I also feel my journey in this particular setting is close to the end but everything I have learnt will be transferred to any other setting I work on and to my own life.

The accreditation made me carefully prepare my own environment, at home and in my office, understand the importance of mindfulness in daily life, and, alongside other courses provided by KSEY, feel a deep wish of getting back into the classroom.

Since I was in Denmark 11 years ago in a one-week training course about education, I have always felt some sort of identification to their culture and way of thinking.

After completing this course, besides all the ideas, tools, resources, knowledge, inspiration from the course and the community, I can share that my biggest take away has been a deep wish and belief that there are amazing practices that value childhood and educators. I felt a deep connection with Reggio Inspired practices and outdoor settings.

i 

The biggest take aways are not really visible: my fairness in building and trying to lead a new team, my self-love and how I try to be more mindful, my sense of Hygge in the spaces I live and work, bringing plants in, and so many other changes that I try to implement to bring more hygge into my life and practice in an attempt to improve children’s lives.

Join the Hygge in the Early Years Accreditation here