Working with young humans is as challenging as it is rewarding. The adults who have chosen to work with young learners need to be rested, emotionally balanced and be able to manage their stress levels well. This is because being vigilant and proactive for more than eight hours of the day is taxing. The health and well-being of the young humans depend on the health and well-being of the adult who directly provides care and learning experiences for them.
What can families do to support adults who work with their young humans?
1. Names: Use the names of the adults who care for your young humans during conversation. It models respect and is less dehumanizing.
2. Ask questions: We have been working with groups of young humans for several years. We have knowledge of human development and a repertoire of techniques that may be of use to you at home. When you ask us a question we get to reflect on them together. Ask.
3. Appreciate our contributions: Our days are filled with reading the cues of young humans and meeting their needs along with providing meaningful learning experiences. This is the foundation of our work and it is very fatiguing. So, tap into your compassion and inspire us with your words and actions.
4. Keep us informed: When we ask you if you have anything to share about your young human's night and/or morning it is not because we want to pry into your home life. What happens to your young human at home impacts the daily daytime routine in group care. We modify our plans based on this information in order to provide customized care and learning experiences. 5. Pickup on time: Plan for delays during pickup time and show up fifteen minutes before closing time. This ensures that we can support a peaceful transition back home and briefly talk about the day. If you need to have an in-depth conversation about a certain topic, then please make an appointment ahead of time. As much as we would like to discuss the topic, every unplanned minute we spend with you discussing important topics is every minute that we are not engaged with the young humans whose family members are en route. So, plan on focusing on the needs of your young human and the transition at hand.