When you commit to young children you are making a commitment to form a partnership with parents. In a way you are agreeing to co-raise a child. Communication between parent and professional must go both ways. As the parent will inform you of any changes to the child’s experiences, no matter how small, it is your responsibility to do the same. Without good communication the child is not able to have a united front to support their growth and development. When disharmony arises due to misinformation and missed sharing the child feels it, knows it.

The partnership also includes ongoing discussion: observation, reflection and planning. Be it related to child’s diet, schedule, health, development, character, or struggles and successes. As the relationship between parent and child, between professional and child grows, so must the relationship between professional and parent. As the professional it is your responsibility to provide guidance, resources and insight. The parents will come to you with their family plan. This plan is their preconceived notion of what they would like their child’s experiences and family to look like. It is our responsibility as professionals to support parents as they work to realize their vision and support them when their projection does not or can not be realized in reality.

As a professional you are a mentor, teacher, therapist, guide, educator, researcher and friend to the parents in your care. You have committed to a partnership. How will you fulfill your role in this partnership today?

 

 

(First posted on Essence of Child Caring, author Renee Lembcke)