A Mother's Perspective

A mother’s perspective of early childhood care can be daunting. There are many factors that influence the choice of whether childcare is right for their family/whanau. If the centre shares the same beliefs and values then the mother will feel more at ease in leaving their infant at the centre. It is also essential for the centre to provide smooth transitioning. For a smooth transition to happen attachments need to be formed and separation from the infant and the mother need to be made as easy as possible. Caye et al. (1996), states “Attachment is the social and emotional relationship children develop with the significant people in their lives. An infant's first attachment is usually formed with its mother, although in some circumstances another adult can become the primary attachment figure. This may be a father, a grandparent, or an unrelated adult.” Through having an attachment with an adult other then the mother or caregiver, it allows for the infant to develop trust in others and form healthy and intimate relationships.

PATRNERSHIP

They bring their child to me
and hope I'll come to know.
How much the offspring means to them,
their trust in me bestowed.
They bring their child to me
with love and hope and pride,
looking for a helping hand,
a teacher who will guide.
They bring their child to me,
and our partnership is clear:
To nurture and allow to bloom
a life we both hold dear.
They bring their child to me, a step toward letting go
and trusting in our special plan
to help the child grow.

~~~By Gloria Weber Henbesst~~~

Also to make the transitioning and time for the infant in the centre easier, it helps if the teacher who has a strong connection with the infant to be communicative with the parent and for the parent to be involved. According to Whalley, (2001), her belief is that parents play a critical role as their primary educators. It is essential that for young children, educators need to work with parents to share views about the child, the child’s interest and ideas on extending the child’s learning. In the education system and the government of the United Kingdom, The Plowden Report in 1967, had the point of parent involvement is the key feature to any high – quality early childcare setting. New Zealand supports parents involvement in the early childhood curriculum,Te Whariki , (1996) . There is a substantial amount of goals invoving parents and how they can be a part of their child’s learning in an early childcare setting.  Te Whariki, (Ministry of education), states

“Each community to which a child belongs, whether it

is a family home or an early childhood setting outside

the home, provides opportunities for new learning to

be fostered: for children to reflect on alternative ways

of doing things; make connections across time and

place; establish different kinds of relationship; and

encounter different points of view. These experiences

enrich children’s lives and provide them with the

knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to tackle new challenges.” (p. 9).

For a parent who’s infant is going into a childcare environment, this type of support from Te Whariki, lets the parent know that their child’s well being is being nurtured and that the parent is valued. As I have discussed, quality, attachment, transitioning and parent involvement are essential for mothers when putting their infant into a childcare setting. If a mother finds these attributes in a centre and the mothers beliefs and values are recognised and can be in relation to the centre, then the mother can feel less anxious and it makes
putting their infant into a centre a much easier process.

Reference

Caye, J., McMahon, J., Norris, T., & Rahija, L. (1996). Effects of

separation and loss on attachment. Chapel Hill, NC: School

of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ministry of Education. (1996) Te Whāriki: He Whāriki matauranga o

ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa / Early childhood curriculum.        

            Wellington: Learning Media.

Whalley, M. (2001). Involving parents in their children's learning.

            Thousand Oaks, CA: Paul Chapman Publishing.

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