'Ordinary moments' affect kids development

The way parents say hello and goodbye to their children when they
are at daycare centres can have a significant impact on their
development, says a visiting child education specialist.

Australian psychologist Dr Robyn Dolby said the greetings and
farewells from parents could make children feel more emotionally secure
and teach them to better understand and organise their feelings.

Dr Dolby, brought to New Zealand by the Anglican Trust for Women and
Children, said ''ordinary moments'' in apparently simple daily
interactions between caregivers, parents and children, could make a
difference to how toddlers and pre-schoolers formed relationships, and
their ability to learn.

Dr Dolby, a 33-veteran in the field of infant mental health, was
brought to Auckland by the trust to run a workshop on how parents and
caregivers could look beyond their immediate behaviour and think about
how to meet their relationship needs.

The trust which brought her to New Zealand said it was a major
Auckland charity which provided counselling, social work and treatment
services focussing on early intervention.

It said part of its role was to ''empower families to break the
cycle of their problems and change their lives''.

Dr Dolby said creating ''play spaces'' should promote good emotional
links at the beginning and end of the day between teachers and children
and teachers and parents.

''In the first 30 seconds of coming into day care, children are
looking for someone to connect with. They are asking 'am I on your
radar. Do you see me?'

''Our research has shown that greeting parents and children in a way
that focuses on how the child actually feels and including the parent
in that conversation makes both of them feel more relaxed and
included,'' she said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/3581270/Ordinary-moments-affect-kids-development#share