Exchanging Information with Parents Helpfully

"It is very strange . . . that the years teach us patience; that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting."   - Elizabeth Taylor, "A Wreath of Roses"

EXCHANGING INFORMATION WITH PARENTS HELPFULLY

In an article in the December,1991 issue of Child Care Information Exchange, Kay Albrecht offered suggestions on how teachers can share helpful information with parents about their child's behavior at the center.  One such suggestion:

"A good rule of thumb in exchanging information with parents is to give parents information only if they can do something about it or if they can use the information.   For example, if a child is cranky or fussy during the day or cries more than usual, the teacher might say to the parent, 'Michael was fussy and cranky and cried more than usual.'  This comment does little except make the parent feel guilty.  A more effective statement might be, 'When Michael was fussy or cried, I sat with him on my lap and read him a book, took him with me on an errand to the storage closet to get more construction paper, and offered him his snack early to make sure he wasn't hungry.  Today these strategies worked.  What strategies do you use at home in situations like this?'  Such a response tells the parent that the teacher kept trying to alleviate the problem, suggests some intervention strategies  the parent might try when faced with a similar behavior at home, and, most importantly opens the door for parents to offer additional suggestions of what has worked at home or to identify other causes of the behavior that the teacher may need to know about.

"The difference in this approach is subtle.  It positions parents as part of the solution rather than as part of the problem.  Approached this way, communication between parents and teachers becomes a tool to use in pursuing a common goal."
 

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