A child that has a sense of self can challenge themselves,
this helps them become independent,
set themselves goals and be confident to try new activities.
As a practitioner, you should create a feeling of safety, as this encourages the child to be their own person.
You can do this by being responsive and taking time to understand the child’s feelings.
So, we’re going to be thinking about how we establish a sense of self;
so how a child is felt to be understood.
So, the first thing to consider is how do you begin
to understand a child and how do you get to know who they are?
One of the most important things is to value their voice
and make sure they’re heard within the setting.
So, things like asking permission before changing
nappies or asking them if they’re ready for their snack,
or what they would like to do and giving them an opportunity, especially the ones with limited language,
to be actually able to express what they want and their choices.
That’s lovely and I think it’s so important that children are regarded, regardless of what age they are and supported,
you know, that they know what’s going to come next, that you don’t just
pick them up to change their nappy but actually asking and seeking permission really enables a child to feel valued.
So, thanks Lucy. And what does it look like in the nursey setting, Kerry?
I think as practitioners in the nursey what we often have to ask ourselves is things like:
Do you know that child? Is it fair for them?
Can they trust you? Can they fly?
Them kind of questions that we constantly ask ourselves about each child,
every individual one and again I think it starts from a home visit.
You find out that information but also that that child understands that you’re interested.
You want to know about them, you want to seek all this information that you could possibly get.
But also, you look at their subtle queues too, you look at how they want to be approached,
how they want to be cuddled, what kind of affection they do or don’t want from you.
I think it all kind of comes to that, but it’s about questioning that you’re putting in the time and the effort in
to actually make sure that relationship is important and the child knows that too.
So, thinking about children’s developing sense of who they are,
there are times in the environment when they can feel
quite frustrated that things aren’t going the way that they want it to go.
So, can you both think of a time where that’s happened in practice?
I think personally to start with when I first was starting out my career, I found it really hard to watch children frustrated.
I think you immediately want to go in to fixing it for them and making it better.
However, after lots of supervision and talk with, whether that be with my manager or the team,
we were actually able to look at it and think actually, look at us as practitioners,
when you become frustrated that means that you really care about something,
you’re really passionate and you want something to work, but that’s only going to happen if you go through a process.
So, I think we’ve started to learn that actually this is a process now for the children and there is so much learning to take place.
But actually, to recognise that if a child is getting frustrated it’s because it matters
it really is important to that child at that time.
So, the way that you approach that is massive for them.
And actually, I think being calm and collected yourself, sometimes you’re stepping back and watching,
or other times giving new ideas or opportunities to be able to work through that frustration
to then get the end result which hopefully would end up in complete chuffedness for a child,
like it would for any other adult.
I think, that’s kind of where we’re at now within working in our setting.
Make sure you take the time to understand the child
and seek their permission to show that they are an equal and active member of the relationship.
It is important to support the child to make independent choices, take risks and develop their ideas.
Practitioners should be supported to tolerate the uncertainty and uncomfortable feelings
evoked within them when children are taking managed risks.