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Every (Adult) Interaction Matters

by Amy Alt
September/October 2022
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Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/every-adult-interaction-matters/5026768/

In the field of early care and education, research and everyday experiences highlight how important positive child-adult interactions are to ensuring the best outcomes for children. As leaders, we spend significant time developing the skills, strategies, and talents of our educators that lead to the intentional use of warm and responsive interactionsaiming to provide high-quality care and education. We focus professional development on building and sustaining relationships with children and families, engaging in meaningful conversations, offering descriptive feedback, and providing nurturing and responsive caregiving ... But one area that is often overlooked, yet is a critical component to positive child adult interactions, is ensuring the interactions among the adults we work with are supportive and nurturing, particularly those who you may supervise, mentor, or coach.

Jeree Pawl, a clinical psychologist who devoted her career to understanding relationships between infants and toddlers and their caregivers, said, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto others.”

If staff have never felt the power of “being held” by another through a nurturing and supportive relationship, they may not be equipped to provide this to the children and families they serve.  When staff are supported and cared for by their leaders, they are ...

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