For my observation, I observed my
childcare provider interacting with the children in her care, including my own
22 month old son. When I arrived at the
home daycare, another family was just dropping off their child. She greeted each child by asking “how is your
day?” while helping them to take off their jackets. While she was talking with the parents, she
instructed each child to go sit on a specific color of the parachute she had
placed on the floor and surprisingly, each of them did immediately. As I was about to leave and was saying good
bye to my children, my son began to get upset.
She quickly picked him up and comforted him by holding him close to her
and offering words of reassurance, “it’s okay, it’s okay.” She followed up by using toys and books as a
distraction while I left the daycare.
I noticed that my daycare provider
had a very established morning routine with the children and the parents. This included her welcoming the children and
the families while providing them with comfort and reassurance when they were
upset.
She was also interacting with the
children on their level, by speaking to them directly and not looking down on
them. She also had materials in the
welcome area for the children to explore while she was waiting for the other
children to arrive. It was clear that
she had spent time reviewing routines and following directions because of the
way the children responded to her instructions.
It was clear by the communication
interactions I observed that the children’s feelings were always
considered. The children responded very
well to the daycare provider and were comforted by her actions and words when
they were upset.
I have learned a lot about
communication from watching my daycare provider. I have learned that I need to have more
patience with children as well as taking the time to speak with them on their
level. This allows children to feel that
they are being listened to. Throughout
the week, this week, I have made an effort to do these things with my own children.
Ashli
ReplyDeleteThis was one valuable lesson I learned quickly when working with young children. It is very important to make sure that all parents who leave their children in your care know that their children are safe, loved and wanted. This will make it easier for them when they bring their children to be in our care for a long period of time. You are very lucky to have such a wonderful place to leave your child. Good post.
Ashli,
ReplyDeletefrom what you've described, it sounds like the childcare provider is very warm, nurturing, and truly cares about the children in her care. That is very comforting to the families, I'm sure! One thing I did notice, though, is how she responded to your son's being upset that you were leaving. I think she could have responded in an even more affirming way than what you've described. Yes, I agree that by holding him close, providing him physical comfort is good; however, I feel she could have verbally communicated his feelings better. For instance, she could have simply stated, "you are sad that your mom is leaving." This would allow your son to understand the emotion he is feeling, and it would make him feel understood as well. The teacher could have addressed his emotions, then provided him with suggestions as to what to do to allow the transition to be smoother ... rather than distracting him with objects and toys. By distracting him with these objects, she's actually telling him that his feelings are not important. If I had been in this situation as the teacher, I would have told him "you are sad your mother is leaving. You are upset that you have to say goodbye. Would you like to come to the window to wave goodbye to your mother? She will be back this afternoon to pick you up." This way, your son feels 'heard' through his cries, and he gets to take an action to ease the goodbye.
In your post, you speak very positively about your experiences with this teacher. Your son will pick up on that as well, and definitely feel happier and more comfortable being in that setting. It sounds like it's a great fit for you and your family! :)
Lydia