Families and Cultural Relationships
Separation anxiety is a very real and normal feeling for children.
It is also very real for the parents. They feel tremendous guilt that they must leave their child for someone else to care for. They miss their children during the day and sometimes even become jealous of the time we have with their child.
Who can blame them?
After all, we have the BEST job in the world!
…AND the most important!
Families and Cultural Relationships
Jealous parents may sound like a very negative thing, but that unconditional and overwhelming love for their child is what makes them good parents.
We can help by understanding that, no matter how much we care for their child, they care even more.
It is our job to make their job easier.
Families and Cultural Relationships
Every day, our infant and toddler classrooms complete a daily note to send home electronically to families. This tells them how their child ate, slept, played, and any other tidbits of information we think may be of importance or interest to the parents.
Preschool teachers also send home daily information, although it may not be as detailed.
These notes are very important to most parents. However, at times, parents become so secure in their relationship with us that they no longer seem to pay attention to those daily notes. Please don’t see this as a lack of interest in their child’s day.
Families and Cultural Relationships
Those notes are still important and must be completed every day. When you miss a day, the parents express their disappointment to us at the front desk. This is an important way for them to hear what is happening in their child’s life while the parent is away.
In our infant and toddler classrooms daily reports to parents are required by our licensing agency. Thank you for making sure these are completed, whether on paper or using Procare Online, our electronic documentation system.
Families and Cultural Relationships
In our preschool classrooms it is still important to give parents information about their child’s day. However, it may look a little different from the daily written communication of the infant and toddler rooms.
It may be in the form of a posted “What We Did Today” board in the classroom.
It may still be a daily note for a specific child whose parents need more details.
Talk to your lead teacher to find out how parents are kept informed in YOUR classroom.
Families and Cultural Relationships
You will already be talking with parents in the morning when they bring their child, as well as every afternoon or evening when they pick them up. Don’t forget that parents love receiving information during the rest of the day, too.
Sometimes parents appreciate receiving a special Procare message, a phone call, or an email from us telling them about something really “cool” that their child said or did.
Families and Cultural Relationships
Several of our teachers make it a point to email pictures of the kids in action to parents at work during the day.
What a great way to show them what the day is like here at the center!
Procare Connect is an excellent tool for this. It allows you to document a child’s accomplishments at the same time that you are sharing those special moments with parents!
Families and Cultural Relationships
Sometimes you will need to call a parent for less fun reasons.
If you suspect that a child is sick, or even just “not quite right,” talk to one of the administrative staff.
Often we call just to let parents know what is going on with their child, even if we have no firm reason to believe that they may be sick.
Trust your instincts. We want to be keeping a close eye on that child!
Families and Cultural Relationships
There will be times when you have to discuss difficult situations with parents.
These conversations might be initiated by you, but often they are initiated by the parents.
If you find yourself in one of those positions, please include your head teacher or a colleague as early as possible. The chain of command is valuable in times like this!
The administrative staff usually know the parents and are also able to assist you and support you in tough circumstances.
Families and Cultural Relationships
If you are having a tough time with a child’s behavior, make sure that you have consulted our behavior management philosophy completely before you do anything else. It includes some valuable suggestions for dealing with difficult issues.
Our behavior management philosophy should be hanging in every classroom. Still, sometimes it is difficult to see the situation clearly. Don’t hesitate to ask a coworker or an administrative team member to take a look at things from an outside point of view. They will often see things you didn’t notice!
BASIC beginnings
Behavior Management Philosophy
1.
Change the environment.
2.
Offer positive choices.
3.
Take a break!
4.
Work with parents.
Families and Cultural Relationships
We enjoy having our parents hang out at our center with their child. You can include them by inviting them to special “snacks” or “parties,” asking for assistance with field trips or projects, or just plain inviting them to stay for lunch. Parents are always welcome to share a meal with their child, and the meal here is always free to parents!
Make sure you have some adult seating for parents who visit. Our children’s chairs may be familiar to us, but to most adults, they just don’t quite fit… ☺
Families and Cultural Relationships
Occasionally you will receive requests from parents concerning custody issues or domestic disputes.
It is very important that you invite an administrator into these conversations as soon as possible.
This is for your protection, as well as for the well-being of the child and the center.
We do our best to maintain a neutral position in these cases. Chances are good that we will need to maintain positive communications with both parents. Picking sides is not appropriate.
Families and Cultural Relationships
Much of the very personal information you will receive about families is not written down, but rather is included in the conversations that you have with both the parents and the child.
As you would expect, such information is confidential and, by law, is not to be discussed outside of our center.
The indiscreet discussion of ANY details about our clients is considered a breach of professionalism as well as a violation of child care licensing regulations, and will result in reprimand or the termination of your employment. Please be sensitive to the families that entrust you with their children.
Remember that you will hear many details about people’s private lives when you care for their children every day.
Of course there is confidential information in every child’s file. Those files are at the front desk and may be viewed by the child’s teachers or by their family, but are not accessible to anyone else.
Families and Cultural Relationships
On rare occasions, the subject of child abuse or neglect must be addressed. Should you suspect any type of behavior that might constitute either abuse or neglect, it is absolutely imperative that you talk to an administrator IMMEDIATELY. The director must be notified personally. We will discuss the details and decide upon a plan of action together.
Please report ANYTHING that makes you feel uneasy. Do not question the child or try to gather more information. That is a job best left to the experts who work with these situations. In fact, such questioning could be prohibitive to an investigator!
As professionals in the field of early care and education we are required BY LAW to report any suspected child abuse or neglect. We take this responsibility very seriously.
Families and Cultural Relationships
We also have a legal obligation to investigate any statements that indicate someone feels discriminated against or that their civil rights have been violated in some way.
If you hear any conversation that leads you to believe someone feels this way, please report it to the director as soon as possible.
Every family has a different way of looking at things. They have different beliefs, different traditions, different values, different ideas about raising their children.
It is very important, since we are playing such an important role in their child’s life, that we be able to work cooperatively with all parents.
Families and Cultural Relationships
Families and Cultural Relationships
In our community we are both fortunate and challenged to have many different cultural backgrounds represented. There is no one right way of seeing the world, just as there is no one right way of providing care for a child.
Honest communication that is respectful and supportive of families requires careful listening.
Sometimes the language barrier itself makes these situations more difficult. If that is affecting your ability to understand a parent, please let the administrative staff know immediately. We have several resources at our disposal to help out!
Families and Cultural Relationships
When parents make special requests of us, we will do our very best to accommodate those requests. Their feelings about their child are strong and we are here to support them in the difficult job of parenting.
As the care provider for their child, you will be on the front line of listening to parents. They will probably come to you first, since you are the one providing daily care for their child.
Families and Cultural Relationships
Instead of listening passively, be sure you are asking the questions you need to ask to ensure that you understand them completely.
“I want to be sure I understand.”
When you are sure you understand and can meet their requests, be sure to write yourself (and the front desk staff) a note. That way, if you need the support of the rest of your classroom team, they will be sure to get the message, also.
Families and Cultural Relationships
Sometimes they ask us to do things that are outside of our capabilities. Occasionally we receive requests that violate our center policies. When this happens, you will want help and support from the front desk.
You can be sure to get the straight answer from one of the administrators. That way, you are also protecting yourself against a possible complaint when you cannot comply with their request.
Families and Cultural Relationships
Much of the time, the differences between families and their expectations becomes apparent at mealtimes. The types of food children are given and the different ways of serving and feeding vary widely between families. We follow the nutrition guidelines given to us by the Federal Food Program. If a parent has an unusual request, be sure to run it by the administrative staff so we can help you out.
Families and Cultural Relationships
Potty training and nap time are also times of the day when you will encounter different expectations from families. It is important that both of these are handled in a way that supports the parents’ goals for their child.
When a parent asks you to approach either of these times in a way that is different than what we usually do, your first instinct may be to say, “that’s not how we do it here.”
Instead, slow down and really listen to the parent. Make sure you understand fully what they are asking you to do, and make sure you take the time to find out why they prefer that you do these things differently.
It is by careful listening that you begin to understand their reasons.
Families and Cultural Relationships
When you fully understand their reasons you will find it easier to address their concerns. When possible, we will do everything we can to support them and their goals for their child.
You may not always agree with them, but it is important that you respect their right to have beliefs and feelings that are not the same as yours.
When your own strong feelings and beliefs make it difficult for you to hear and understand, check those feelings out with your teaching team or with the administrative staff members.
Families and Cultural Relationships
Please answer these questions, write your name legibly at the bottom, add the date, and bring this to the front desk so we can give you credit for completing this part of your training.
Name__________________________________________ Date_______________
B.B. Employee Orientation 8: Family Relationships
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20PComplaint-Form-0508-0002- 508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email: program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.