My Best Course - Good parent partnerships
Monday, August 22, 2016
An online course on working with parents helped a childminder do well in her childcare diploma – and make more time for fathers
The Working in Partnership with Parents course from company Training Designs gives practical examples and case studies of strategies that work with parents as well as how to communicate clearly.
Lincolnshire-based childminder Tamara Crewe took the online training, over the course of about six hours, to help with her childcare diploma.
She says, ‘In a lot of settings, fathers are missed out as it's often the mothers who bring the kids in. The course reminded me about inviting fathers to stay and play. I’ve spoken to a couple of families already and said “Is there a time for you all to come into the setting?” One father asked me if he would be welcome, being a father.
‘The other thing I took away was that parents know everything about their child – the quirks and behaviour – and if they are on board with you it is ten times easier.’
Ms Crewe says the majority of the online course involved listening to a woman speaking, with questions posed, such as ‘How do you think you could involve parents in your setting?’ or about how you might talk to parents about behaviour problems.
‘She would then give some model answers, but you had to go away and think about it first, which I liked,’ says Ms Crewe. ‘There were also thinking points/discussion points at the end. She was very clear.’
Following the course, Ms Crewe says she will listen to parents in a different way. ‘I will really make time to listen. Before I was always listening, but also doing something at the same time, such as changing nappies, and so wasn’t giving them eye contact – and I don’t think that is very reassuring for the parents. Now I am going to sit them down with a cup of tea, maybe once a month, and have a proper meeting where it is not just about the child but about the parent.’
She said, ‘One of my modules is on working in partnership with parents. I wrote an assignment using this knowledge and I got very good feedback. I obviously wouldn’t have got that if I hadn’t done the course.’
