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Not All Parents Are Lovely
April 25, 2012
There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do.
-Freya Madeline Stark
-Freya Madeline Stark
This is the observation of Anne Stonehouse in her Exchange book, How Does it Feel? Child Care from Families' Perspectives. She points out...
"These people test the professionalism of teachers, especially home-based caregivers, where there is no relief and often no other adult present to provide support. With these parents, try to understand where the behavior may be coming from, what purpose it serves. For example, do they lack power in other areas of their lives? What image do they have of themselves as people, as parents?
"It is often those parents who behave in ways that are least likely to elicit support and help, and are the ones most in need of it. For example, parents who are critical of staff and who make unreasonable demands may be uncertain about their skills as parents, and see this as a misguided way of demonstrating that they are good parents.
"In the same way that it is nonsense for staff to act as if they enjoy all children equally, it is not possible, not human, in fact, to like all parents equally. In an atmosphere of professionalism, it should be acceptable for staff to talk about parents they have a hard time getting along with, parents they just can't warm up to.
"Just as with children, the aim with parents is not to love them or even like them, but to respect them and to work with them on behalf of their children."
- Art of Leadership CD Book
- Art of Leadership: Managing Early Childhood Organizations
- Beginnings Workshop Book - Behavior
- Beginnings Workshop Book - Child Development
- Beginnings Workshop Book - Child Development
- Beginnings Workshop Book - Curriculum: Art, Music, Movement, Drama
- Beginnings Workshop Book - Curriculum: Brain Research, Math, Science
- Beginnings Workshop Book - Environments
- Beginnings Workshop Book - Literacy
- Beginnings Workshop Book - Play
- Beginnings Workshop Book - Professionalism
- Caring Spaces, Learning Places
- Connecting: Friendship in the Lives of Young Children and Their Teachers
- Conversations on Early Childhood Teacher Education
- Docia's Stories
- From Conflict to Peace Building
- Hearing Everyone's Voice
- How Does it Feel?
- Managing Money: A Center Director's Guidebook
- Modelando - Modeling with Children Under Six Years Old
- More Than Numbers
- Natural Playscapes
- Not Just Small Change: Fund Development for Early Childhood Programs
- Parent Relations
- Places for Childhoods
- Staying on Course: The Early Childhood Board's Guide to Success
- Teaching Four Year Olds
- Top Ten Preschool Parenting Problems
Sale Ends 04/27/2012
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