Communicating effectively:
An important aspect of building a relationship is to find ways to communicate effectively with children. When we effectively communicate with children we are able to gather lots of information, such as: gaining reassurance and acknowledgment, expressing their needs/feelings and being able to share their thoughts and ideas. Communicating effectively with children is not just talking to them, it covers facial expressions, body language and gestures and these are all the ways we are able to communicate with children.
Identifying and sorting out conflicts and disagreements:
Just like adults, children are going to have disagreements daily as they don’t always share the same view or opinion and sometimes it can be easily fixed but as they grow older, their disagreements may become more in depth and this is where we step in to help them find a solution. As carers, if we are able to identify these disagreements before they spiral out of control, it shows the children that we aim to solve all disagreements fairly and that we care about their welfare. This also allows the children to feel safe and trust us as their carers.
Being consistent and fair
Within a nursery setting the children depend on us day after day and we have to reward their trust in us be being consistent, this means not just keeping behavioural boundaries in place but also making sure we keep the same mood whilst around the children. (No mood swings) As much as possible, we need to be excitable and funny instead of being quiet and withdrawn, as our emotions can transfer to the child and effect their time at nursery. Children need to know that we will be fair with them, we need to listen to what they have to say before jumping to conclusions and make sure we take anything they seriously and that their needs to are taken into consideration.
Showing respect and courtesy
In order for children to extend their knowledge or skills of respect or courtesy, they first need to receive it and acknowledge what it is and how to use it. From an early age, we need to be using respectful terminology such as “please” and “thank you” to encourage children to copy and learn when to use these words. Along with the terminology, we need to encourage respectful behaviour, teach children to respect each other and their feelings.
1.3: As we all know, every child is different and this allows us to adapt the way in which we approach and communicate with them according to their age, needs or personality. If we conclude that our relationship with a child is not as strong as we would have hoped, it is important to be ready to adapt our style of working and communication. One way to do this is observing other members of staff with their key children and acknowledge their way of creating relationships as it may help you with your relationships. Within