
Is your nanny warm enough towards your child? Because they spend so much time together, it's vital that she's a positive influence on your child's social- emotional development. Being warm around your child is one of the most important ways that she can support your child from infancy to adolescence.
What is “Warmth”?
Warmth means expressing positive feelings for your child and touching him/her in a nurturing way. These positive feelings should always be there - they do not waiver based on behavior. This means that when your child acts out, the message needs to be, “You are a wonderful person but this behavior isn’t working.”
This vital concept, is the foundation of self-esteem. Adults who crave “unconditional love” do so because they didn’t receive this unwavering positive regard as a child. Hence, every caregiver should consistently reinforce your child’s lovability and goodness in spite of any difficult behavior.
What kinds of cues should you look for when gauging your nanny's warmth? There are many, including:
~ smiling
~ praising
~ encouraging
~ showing interest and enthusiasm
~ using positive words and descriptions regarding your child
~ avoiding negative or blank facial expressions
~ using a pleasing tone of voice
Also, nurturing touch is an important component of warmth. It's absolutely imperative for infants, who require frequent holding by a loving, emotionally sound, adult for healthy development. But, for all children, touch communicates care and concern and deepens the sense of engagement and intimacy. Nurturing touch isn't only physical affection; it's also sitting close to the child, touching during greetings and play, and even a gentle brush in passing.
One issue with daycare is the absence of nurturing touch. This is a good reason to choose a nanny or au pair over a daycare setting for your child.
Check out next post to learn why your nanny’s joint attention is equally important for your child's social-emotional development.
Based on research by:
Atkins-Burnett, Sally, Shannon Monahan, Louisa Tarullo, Yange Xue, Elizabeth Cavadel, Lizabeth Malone, and Lauren Akers (2015). Measuring the Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT). OPRE Report 2015-13. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Halle, T., Anderson, R., Blasberg, A., Chrisler, A., & Simkin, S. (2011). Quality of caregiver- child interactions for infants and toddlers (QCCIIT): A Review of the Literature, OPRE 2011- 25. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
コメント