My journey with Montessori and child development really started when I became a mother. Like many parents, I had lots of questions and wanted to understand how I could support my child in the best possible way. This curiosity led me to study child development and the Montessori approach more deeply, and very quickly it became not only my interest but also my profession.

I moved to the Netherlands as a mother myself, and I know how it feels to raise a child in a new country, in a new language and far from your family. Tulip Montessori grew out of a simple wish: to create a small, warm place where young children and their parents feel at home, even if their own home country is far away. A place where children are free to explore, make their own choices and be treated with respect, and where parents feel listened to, supported and never judged.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in child development and completed my 0-3 Montessori training at the AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) centre in Delft, Netherlands. I also obtained my early childhood diploma for the 3-6 age group from the AMS (American Montessori Society) centre in Istanbul. I have worked as a Montessori teacher with both age groups in Amsterdam and Istanbul, and these experiences shape how I work with children and families today.