A preschool with values – how we teach empathy, independence and respect at Niebieska Przystań

Before a child learns to count or write, they learn something far more important – how to be with other people. Whether it’s worth helping a friend, waiting for their turn, noticing someone’s sadness. It’s at preschool, through small everyday situations, that values in preschool education take shape – values that pay off for the rest of their lives.

Values in preschool education – our everyday compass

Values in preschool education aren’t slogans on the wall or theoretical assumptions, but a living part of our everyday life. From the moment they walk through the door, children enter a space where they learn not only “how”, but also “why”. Why is it worth helping a friend, waiting for your turn, noticing someone’s sadness or sharing a success without making others feel small?

At Niebieska Przystań we try not to impose rules on children, but to create them together. Each group has its own agreement – rules for living together that we set as a group. Children learn that they have a right to their emotions, their own opinion and their own space – but also that others have exactly the same rights.

Our goal isn’t to raise “well-behaved children”, but young people who understand themselves and others. That’s why emotional and social learning runs through every activity – whether during play, group work or getting dressed to go out. You can read more about how we develop these skills systematically in our article “Why is emotional education so important at preschool?”.

A preschool with an individual approach in Warsaw – attention to every child

We’re proud that Niebieska Przystań is a preschool with an individual approach in Warsaw, where every child is noticed, listened to and treated with respect. No two children are the same – which is why it’s so important to see each child’s needs, emotions and abilities in everything we do.

We encourage independence – not only through everyday activities, but also by giving choices, the chance to decide and to take responsibility for their actions. This is when real self-confidence is born – not from praise, but from a sense of agency. We write more about this in our article “Independence in preschoolers – how to support it every day”.

Empathy and respect – we teach by example

You can’t teach empathy if you don’t show it to children yourself. That’s why at Niebieska Przystań we make sure every member of the team – from teachers to support staff – is aware of the role they play in shaping attitudes. Children soak up adults’ behaviour – how we speak, how we react, how we talk to each other and to them.

Everyday preschool life offers many chances to practise empathy: when a friend cries, when someone loses a toy, when an agreement has to be reached together. We help children name emotions – both their own and other people’s – and teach them how to respond with care and gentleness.

Respect at our preschool also means accepting diversity – different ways of being, different paces of development, sensory needs or ways of communicating. A child who feels accepted as they are finds it easier to form relationships and build healthy self-esteem.

An everyday example

While playing in the sandpit, one of the boys accidentally knocked down a castle a girl had been building. Instead of waiting for a teacher to step in, another child from the group came over and offered: “I’ll help you build it again, it’ll be even nicer”. A reaction like this doesn’t happen by chance – it comes from showing children every day that you can respond to someone else’s sadness with care rather than indifference.

What does our head, Anna Kądzielnik, say about values in raising children?

Anna Kądzielnik, head of Niebieska Przystań, puts her whole heart into creating a preschool where relationships, understanding and everyday care for others matter most. As she says:

“Values aren’t just a point in the programme. They are the way we are with the children every day. Our reactions, our language, our presence. Raising children means accompanying them as they discover that being empathetic and respecting others brings real joy and strength.”

What can you do today?

You don’t have to lecture a child about values – it’s enough to live them together in small everyday situations.

• Name emotions out loud – yours and your child’s, to show that every feeling matters.
• Show empathy through your own behaviour – children learn by watching, not by listening to instructions.
• Create simple rules together instead of only imposing them, for example about keeping the room tidy.
• Appreciate the effort, not just the result – this builds real self-confidence.
• Talk about what happened – the good and the difficult moments, without judging.

Niebieska Przystań is a place where education and upbringing go hand in hand. It isn’t just childcare while parents are at work. It’s a conscious choice of a path where preschool education based on values becomes a signpost in a child’s life.