Nursery World - Child Development: Your guide to the first five years: part 4

Early years practitioners should reflect on how the quality of the relationships they establish with the children in their care will influence the child's emotional development and ability to respond confidently to other people throughout life.

In part three of this series, I talked about our feelings and emotions, and this time, I will discuss further how the power of those feelings builds up the type and quality of a relationship, the importance of attachments and the growth of empathy.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage document, one of the four main principles is that of 'Positive Relationships'. This describes how children 'learn to be strong and independent from a basis of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person' (EYFS Statutory Framework, p9).

At the heart of this principle is the phrase 'a basis of loving and secure relationships'. In other words, the EYFS acknowledges that the foundation for a child's confidence and ability, in all areas of their life, is the quality of their experience with their primary carers - most often their parents.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included