Strong points

When we think about young children we frequently focus on their weakness and vulnerability rather than on their strength and power. However, 'a strong child' - one who is emotionally and psychologically robust - is one of the four aspects tackled in the Department for Education and Science's Birth to Three Matters, A Framework to Support Children in their Earliest Years, with a focus on the ways practitioners can help children become their 'best selves'.

In the framework, 'a strong child' has four components:

* Me, myself and I is about helping babies and young children to get to know themselves and their capabilities, so that they begin to develop a sense of emotional safety, trust, security and a positive self-image.

* Being acknowledged and affirmed is about the inner strength children gain from being encouraged by others.

* Developing self-assurance is about how babies and young children develop growing self-confidence.

* A sense of belonging focuses on how young children acquire social confidence and competence through being warmly valued as part of a group.

How children develop from birth to three depends on many factors, including their biologically determined genetic inheritance as well as their access to the physical, safety and psychological requirements described by Abraham Maslow (1970) as the basic needs.

These needs are recognised as building blocks to optimum development. They begin with physiological needs for oxygen, food, water and warmth, leading into the safety need for security, going on to needs for love, affection and belonging, and leading finally to needs for esteem and self-actualisation.

It is important to remember that Maslow puts knowledge at the tip of this hierarchy of needs, underlining the importance of the satisfaction of earlier needs. Indeed, he would argue, as do more recent researchers, that any attempts to 'hothouse' or 'teach' young children before the basic foundations are laid are fruitless.

In this developmental journey to becoming strong, young children do not travel alone. They are accompanied by their families and the circumstances into which they are born.

Currently in the UK, 3.9 million children live in poverty. While the Government is providing direct support to young children through targeted programmes such as Sure Start and increased benefits and tax credits (Lewis, Lister & Millar, 2001), the playing field of early childhood is not yet an even one.

Implementing the Birth to Three Matters framework in under-threes settings should help to level this playing field so that even the most vulnerable children are able to grow in strength and confidence.

ME, MYSELF AND I

'Babies being handled all over, talked to, and gazed at are not only being (made aware) of the human world outside themselves, they are (becoming aware) that they themselves exist,' argues Schaffer (1992).

'Me, myself and I' is about how young children begin to realise their own individuality through close interactions with other people, particularly their primary caregivers.

We only have to watch a young child for a short time to observe how interested they are in everything around them, from their own fingers to a beam of sunlight dancing near them.

It is through these encounters that babies begin to see themselves as separate and different from other people and things in the environment, recognising, in time, their own preferences and finding out what they can do.

Even the youngest babies quickly learn that they can influence other people and become adept at attracting attention by their smiles, cries, gurgles and other actions designed to achieve a response.

The way adults respond is highly significant in shaping babies' continuing interactions. If adults playfully imitate the baby's actions, they will be rewarded with further gestures and communications. In turn the young child will begin to feel worthy of attention and continue to engage. Through these games children begin to learn that they are valued, and if they are encouraged, they will gain the confidence to try new things.

Children in daycare often carry with them an object that reminds them of home, such as a dummy, comforter or special toy, to help them develop a sense of themselves. It is vital that practitioners appreciate the importance of such an object and convey to children that they understand and accept the children's need for it.

Many adults carry such reminders when they travel away from home, for example, photographs or contact telephone numbers. These are very different from a soft toy, but frequently serve the same function.

ACKNOWLEDGE AND AFFIRM

'Being acknowledged and affirmed' focuses on experiencing and seeking closeness. This is illustrated by Post and Hohmann (2000): 'While infants and toddlers are powerfully self-motivated to learn with their whole body and all their senses and to communicate what they know, they depend on the affirmation and warmth of trusting relationships to be able to do so.'

In a society which has become anxious about touch, it cannot be emphasised too strongly that all young creatures, especially human babies, need physical contact to grow emotionally strong.

These encounters provide young children with what has been called 'emotional fuel' and help to ensure that babies and young children receive the recognition, acceptance and comfort they need. This is more important than ever when they have a setback, such as unexpected separation from a loved one.

BECOMING SELF-ASSURED

If young children are reassured and receive positive feedback they begin to develop self-assurance. This means that they become capable of trusting themselves and start relying on their own abilities.

Murray and Andrews (2000) write: 'The child who has benefited from security in her relationships is likely to develop a sense of self-confidence and assurance, so that she will have better resources to cope with difficulties.'

If you observe a young baby who is securely attached to a primary caregiver and who experiences pleasurable close relationships, you will notice that the child has a sense of inner calm, and can cope with most things for much of the time. They are only thrown off course if they are ill or if something unusual occurs, such as if their keyworker is unavailable.

When babies and young children feel secure and are given opportunities to take a lead, they enjoy the feeling of power that they get from placing a scarf over the adult's head for a game of peek a boo, or from being the one to help to set the table (with adult supervision).

As children try out what they can do, they begin to value and appreciate their abilities and start to feel good about themselves. In time they start to feel that way about other people, too.

A SENSE OF BELONGING

'A sense of belonging' is best expressed by the following: 'The feeling of belonging... contributes to inner well-being, security and identity. Children need to know they are accepted for who they are. They should know that what they do can make a difference and that they can explore and try out new activities.' (New Zealand Ministry of Education, 1996).

When we really belong somewhere, we believe we can be our true selves.

There is no need to mask our real feelings because when we belong we are accepted for who we are, not for what we can do or what we look like.

Relaxing and 'snuggling in' with other people, or things such as a soft toy, gives comfort and shows that a young child feels 'at home', even temporarily in a setting.

When children feel as if they belong, they contribute ideas and suggestions and feel valued as individuals. They learn that they have a role and identity within a group and that they are special simply for being themselves. Differences are valued and similarities are viewed positively.

In this way a strong sense of identity emerges in individuals and the whole group, and quirks of personality can be a source of pleasure and amusement.

Children learn that they are unique and are loved, valued and accepted for who they are.

All the components that make up this aspect contribute to the creation of children who, whatever their ability, appearance, ethnic origin, religion or class, are valued for themselves - nothing more, nothing less. That is what is meant by 'a strong child'.

Professor Lesley Abbott is project director and Ann Langston is project team member and early years consultant of Birth to Three Matters

Bibliography

* Department for Education and Science (2002). Birth to Three Matters, A Framework to Support Children in their Earliest Years, London: DfES (CD-Rom, cards and introductory booklet have more information.)

* Lewis J, Lister R & Millar J. Ending Child Poverty: What is Happening in the UK? www.impactresearch.org/documents/endingchild.pdf

* Maslow A (1970). Motivation and Personality, New York, Harper & Row

* Murray L, Andrews L (2000). The Social Baby, Understanding Babies'

Communication from Birth. London: CP Publishing

* New Zealand Ministry of Education (1996). Te Whariki Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington: New Zealand Learning Media

* Post J, Hohmann N (2000). Tender Care and Early Learning, Supporting Families and Toddlers in Childcare Settings. Michigan: High Scope Press

* Schaffer, H (1992). In: Alvarez, A Live Company Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy with Autistic Borderline, Deprived and Abused Children.

London: Routledge

* The first article in this series 'Looking good' appeared in Nursery World, 12 December 2002, p25.