[Translate to English:]

Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulates

 that children, "in all matters affecting the child”,

have a right to freedom of expression,

regardless of whether you are already able to form your own opinion.

Co-determination and participation in a community offers children challenges and opportunities to further train and strengthen their abilities and skills. Children have a right to have a say, and we as a team adhere to this children's right. We implement this by taking the wishes and rights of the children seriously and trying to involve them in many decisions in everyday life. We offer all children the opportunity to slowly grow into the process of "participation".

Participation can be translated as:

• Participation
• Participation
• Participation
• Think along
• Inclusion

Through co-determination:

• the children learn to deal with problems constructively.
• You train your communication and language skills.
• Children learn to take responsibility for their surroundings, their lives and their decisions.
• You train frustration tolerance.
• You practice developing your own solutions and dealing with them constructively.
• they learn to weigh possible solutions against each other in discussions.
• They learn to express their needs and respect the needs of other people. 
• They practice democratically negotiating their own opinions, interests and needs and thus grow into democratic structures.

"How does it work in kindergarten? Are there also limits to co-determination?"

The educators determine the scope of co-determination in advance. We as a team have agreed that there can be no involvement in safety issues and hygiene measures.

The following gives you a brief insight into the participation options the team has determined: 

• Participation in the design of the group room.
• Participation in the organization of everyday life and the selection of game material and game partners.
• Participation in the design of the meal: the child decides what and how much to eat, what to drink and when to have breakfast.
• Participation in projects: What do we want to do together, where are we going, what do we want to do?
• Participation in the changing situation: the child decides which teacher should change it.

and much more

The active shaping and co-determination of a community and the experience of a democracy strengthens the children's self-confidence. We take the children entrusted to us seriously and respond to their needs and feelings. Empathy and appreciation form the basis for a trusting relationship with one another.

Co-determination, involvement and participation must be seen as a process and must always be redesigned, reflected upon and further developed by all those involved.

The children in the flower children group found that they would also like to have their own Toniebox for the group.

Maxim has agreed to go to the office on behalf of the group to inform the management of the wish of the flower children. Annika asked Maxim what you can do with the Toniebox and what it should be used for. Maxim commented that it's good to use in the after-lunch whisper time as you can listen to stories or music on it.

Maxim and Annika then checked whether there was still enough money in the group cash register for the Toniebox.

Annika asked Maxim what color the flower children would like the Toniebox in.

All flower children took an anonymous vote with Nina and chose the color they wanted the Toniebox in.

After the children democratically decided on a colour, Maxim and Annika called Expert in Burgsteinfurt to ask if there was still a blue Toniebox there and if we could come and buy it. < /p>

We made a trip to Expert together. Luis immediately discovered the blue Toniebox. 

Now all we had to do was take the Toniebox to the nice saleswoman at the checkout to pay for it.