Understanding the Parent's Perspective

In the latest revision of her popular Exchange book, How Does it Feel?, Anne Stonehouse encourages early childhood professionals in centers and homes to try to see things from the parents' point of view exploring a wide range of scenarios.  For example, Stonehouse asks "How would you feel if you were told that your child was being very withdrawn and unusually quiet and then asked if there is anything happening at home that may have caused this?"  Her response...

"Most people have a natural tendency to blame the other.  Often families get blamed or at least suspected if their child's behavior changes negatively.  What is the first thing that most professionals would say when two-year-old Susan starts biting any exposed flesh she has access to, or to ten-month-old Juan won't settle down to sleep, or one-year-old Carla screams when his mom leaves in the morning?  'I wonder if something is going on at home.'

"Can you honestly say that you have ever heard a professional say in such a circumstance, 'I wonder if there is something that I'm doing or about our program that is causing this behavior?'  And many families are no different — they are likely to blame the program when Elim begins to show a precocious talent for swearing.  Of course he picked it up at child care!

"Unfortunately, some families are very vulnerable and do the opposite of blaming the other.  They feel overly responsible for any problem or difficulty their child has.  The healthiest way to approach problems or concerns with a child is with a sense of shared responsibility and a commitment to work together to solve the problem."

Exchange has packaged six of its parenting resources into a single Parenting Tool Kit and is offering the entire set at a 35% discount. Separately these resources would cost $191, but we are offering the entire Parenting Tool Kit for only $124.  The kit includes these great Exchange resources:

The following Books/CDs:

• The Top Ten Preschool Parenting Problems
• How Does it Feel?
• Dragon Mom
• Parent Relations: Building an Active Partnership
• The Complete Parenting Exchange Library

• Parent Conferences
• Parent Involvement
• Meeting the Needs of Today's Families

• Family Conferencing: Asking and Listening
• Making Families Welcome

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

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