Article Link: http://stage.exchangepress.com/article/respectful-care-is-only-fair-guidelines-for-respecting-infants-in-ece/5020462/
I remember what it was like before we adapted Hungarian pediatrician Emmi Pikler’s ideas on infant education into our early childhood centre:• The environment was far from peaceful with infants crying for attention much of the time and often looking a little lost due to not having developed a strong attachment with any of the adults in the environment.
• There was one person responsible for diaper changing each day, and her job was to get through all the necessary diaper changes as quickly as possible.
• Meal times were absolute chaos with very little food actually consumed and much of it ending up on the floor, all over high-chairs, and on the faces and bodies of the children and teachers.
• We would plan ‘educational experiences’ for these infants and toddlers, such as putting paint out on the table. This paint would be used on everything except the paper provided and seemed to be a substitute for the food which wasn’t being eaten at mealtimes.
This was almost ten years ago. Since then, we have decided there must be a more respectful and appropriate way to care for our youngest citizens. We were offering ...