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Constructing the cross-cultural triangle of care: parent-practitioner relationships in nursery settings

Outline of the paper. The daycare context in the 2000sRe-thinking

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Constructing the cross-cultural triangle of care: parent-practitioner relationships in nursery settings

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    1. Constructing the cross-cultural triangle of care: parent-practitioner relationships in nursery settings Liz Brooker Institute of Education 2 February 2010

    2. Outline of the paper The daycare context in the 2000s Re-thinking care and care-giving Constructing the triangle of care Design and methods in the study Good practice or is it? Cultures of care and care-giving: social class and ethnicity in relationships A broader view

    3. The daycare context in the 2000s Centre-based childcare for children under 3: a phenomenon driven by demographics and government policy Curriculum frameworks for under-3s: BTTM (2002) and EYFS (2007) describe principles for care, development and learning Focus on relationships (in the setting) and partnerships (with the parents) as fundamental to children's wellbeing and development

    4. Re-thinking care and care-giving Care traditionally conceived as uni-directional (the more competent individual cares for the less competent) Challenges from feminism and from philosophy Noddings: being cared for > caring for > caring about, characterised by receptive attention Tronto: caring as a species activity characterised by attentiveness and responsiveness Levinas: the ethics of care means welcoming the Other as a stranger Critical re-thinking of care in ECE (Dahlberg et al)

    5. Constructing the triangle of care In work with young children: the set of relationships involving the child, the parent and the practitioner (Hohmann 2007) Each member cares for or cares about the others in a multi-directional model of caring Problems with constructing the triangle: power relationships based on expertise and professionalism cultural difference based on personal and professional ethnotheories

    6. Design and methods in the study Two small-scale studies using observations and interviews in London childrens centres with 0-3 provision City Fields: sample of 12 children aged 7 to 37 months, their parents and key workers; data collected from September-December Steel Street: sample of children in the room (up to 20), 12 parents and 8 key workers; data collected from January-May

    7. Good practice or is it? From an enormous number of emergent themes, a focus on parents and practitioners perceptions of three elements of established good practice with under-3s: Home visits Daily communications The key worker system

    8. Parents describe the home visit Sara and Jane came They asked different things what sort of things he ate, did he use the toilet, things like that that would help them working with the teachers it didnt last that long really [Jim, father of 2-year-old] They did the home visit, my husband was there, it was Faridah and someone else it was just to get to know where she lives, what kind of environment shes in, what she likes, what she doesnt like. She was there and they gave her stuff to draw, crayons and stuff. [Martha, mother of 3-year-old] When they came we were all at home, they gave us a form to fill with permission, and again they came with a few books, some toys, so while Cate was talking with mum, the other one was going to play; he was very friendly but he didnt talk very much, he was just shaking his head. [Georges, father of 3-year-old]

    13. Daily communication Rationale: The setting/practitioners learn about the childs routines at home The home/parents learn about the childs experiences in nursery Practice: A focus on physical aspects of care rather than individual aspects of development

    14. Practitioner views: 1. learning about home routines What I usually ask the parents is firstly do they have any dietary requirements, if there is anything they are allergic to or they can and cant have, what they like and what they dont like to have, do they have like a comfort toy, like if they wanted to come to settle them in they could bring in like a comfort toy with them. [Bonnie, Steel Street] youve spoken to the parents, little things like comfort: how does she like to be comforted, how does she sleep, if she has an accident or if she falls, how do you comfort her, some children would be mortified if you picked them up and cuddled them, some children like it, you have to take that into consideration, because if you go in and just swoop up a child, that doesnt want to be comforted or doesnt know you well enough for a cuddle [Kerry, City Fields]

    15. Practitioner views: 2. reporting on the childs day [parents] like to, obviously they have been here all day whatever, they dont know what their children have done, we have a daily sheet which has obviously what they have had for breakfast, what they have had for lunch, tea and nappy changes, even though thats there it is still nice to talk to them as well which is good yes. [Tuhura, Steel Street] And [there are] daily record sheets that we have every single day that we write out, the key worker is responsible for writing out their key childrens daily sheets. [Things] that the child has done today, and nappy changing and everything, yes [Yasneem, Steel Street]

    16. Parents views on staff reporting Satisfied (trust): parents accepting staff as expert informants we get a sheet every day, what he has eaten and the other place didnt really fill the form in properly and theyd say hes had so much milk and youd go to the fridge to get a glass of milk and there is more milk here left than they are saying that he has actually drunk they didnt actually fill the forms in, but here everything seems to be written down. [Tammy, Steel Street] they used to tell me a lot before, but now because you have got them forms they fill in you just look at that, what he has done during the day [Tuhura, Steel Street]

    17. Dissatisfied (distrust) Parents more knowledgeable than staff? Theyre not very good about things that they write down about the children - Irina had a nice time playing in the garden. Great, thanks [laughs] Id like to know did she do anything that would be considered naughty, any conflicts? Done anything new today? But hey, on balance Id rather they spent time with my child than writing in a book [Anna, Steel Street parent]. Parents needs not met by staff? Were told not to engage staff at the beginning and end of the day. Absolutely ridiculous. Its important to find out what your childs been doing. They want you to be there at 5.45 to pick your child up so they can lock the door at 6, that kind of silliness. I wait for my moment, not when theyre talking to other parents, and I ask has she been fine or shes been a bit grumpy? Has she been well? Id rather they just took two minutes to tell me! [Anna]

    18. The role of the key worker Key worker / key person (an organisational or emotional role)? A focus and magnet for the child/ a casual relationship? Mother substitute or not their parents? Support for the child/support for the parent? Long-term responsibility or a role that is frequently handed over? Nappies or intimate relationships?

    19. Parental perceptions Satisfied / trusting there is that protective thing of your children, they talk about their children as my Billy, my Kieran and look after them if theyre not well. I think they also act as their advocate, getting what their children need. It is very reassuring to know that Lilian, that there is a difference in the relationship with Billy, I know that her primary concern is for him [Parent, City Fields]. Dissatisfied / distrusting I understand for example nappies are changed on a rota basis and it seems to be just one person who does all the nappies. Again, I can see the practicalities of that but if Im being very picky in an ideal world my child would have the same familiar person changing their nappy, talking to them, and a familiar face feeding them and helping them at meal timesIm speculating, but from what Ive seen, children may get care from 5, 6, 7, adults in a day [Parent, Steel Street]

    20. The practitioner-child relationship I see myself as bonding like a mother, bonding to that child and being there I like to feel that way, I dont know if everybody feels that way but I feel in a way that I am the mother I am just like a mother because I am a mother myself OR They see us as a friend, as educators, as another human being who is helping them and who they can play with. [Ricardo, City Fields] I think were there to help them fit in [Annabel, City Fields] I think if you had to put a name to it I would say its just like having a best friend. Somebody that you can go to, somebody that you know is always going to be there for you. [Lilian].

    21. Cultures of care and care-giving: social class and ethnicity in relationships Relationships of inequality professional parents: treating staff as socially and educationally inferior treating childcare as a means to enable their own employment Relationships of equality parents as strangers: valuing professionalism of staff expecting to have a voice valuing childcare as a means to their childs development

    23. Ethical encounters Receptive attention Attentiveness and responsiveness Welcoming the Other as a stranger Sasha [City Fields]: How would you describe your relationship with Sara? Its quite we chat about stuff! Its quite informal actually although shes his key worker; I tell her how hes doing, or how I think hes doing, and stuff thats going on at home, and we have a chat and a laugh, its quite relaxed. I think it is odd because were strangers pretty much and you dont know about each others home life, but Ive always felt Sara to be quite open in that area, quite relaxed although its quite a formal relationship.

    24. The broader perspective Michel Vandenbroeck (2009: 208) describes a Lebanese mothers relationship with the daycare staff in Belgium: they have disagreed over potty-training for an 8-month-old child, but the staff do try to meet the mothers needs and she responds in interview: In the day care centre they are against it because shes very young and they dont train the babies until they are too.You see, so I think its amazing even if they dont do it every day, the fact that they do it from time to time, I think its amazing, yeah

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