November Curriculum Update
Parenting Focus – Giving Care
We have been focusing on a curriculum of care in our early years programs, and this practice has lead to many discoveries that can support your work as parents. What is a curriculum of care? It is a mindset and a practice, coming from the understanding that young children learn primarily through imitation. So much of adult work in the modern world is sedentary and abstract, and does not provide rich examples for children to imitate. And while young children need to be cared for, they are working to develop their own capacities and need to be surrounded by examples of adults who are doing meaningful tasks. When adults cultivate care of our environment by mending or re-purposing broken things, cleaning, creating things we can use or things that bring beauty to our space, they create an atmosphere where children naturally take up the work of childhood through imitation and play.
Showing care– for each other, for our home environment, for our planet– gives children confidence that the adults around them know what needs to be done. This is deeply calming and for children, and provides powerful connection.
In the forest with the children, I have been whittling and carving simple toys for the classroom. And while this activity requires a lot of focus (I am using sharp tools), it has made my task of supervising the children easier.
While I carve, some children gather around me to observe or ask questions. It is a beautiful moment of connection. They proudly share stories about the projects they work on with their dads or make suggestions for what I might make next. Then they typically start playing in close proximity like planets in my orbit.
It fosters a calm engagement in the children around me, and helps me stay connected to the present moment. In contrast, when children sense that they are being ‘supervised’–being hovered over too closely, it can heighten those aspects of play we are hoping to suppress or inhibit.
When teachers plan the early childhood curriculum, we think about how we can bring balance and representation to different aspects of life–especially given that most early childhood educators are female. Providing practical examples of work traditionally practiced by men nurtures collaborative and constructive play in all genders. We schedule maintenance appointments when children can observe the technicians and foster our own curiosity and skill in practical matters.
Care builds our loving authority with children. When I actively care for the classroom indoors and out, I notice that children comply more readily when I ask them to do things. Children see me as someone who knows what needs to be done and want to be part of that picture. As a result, I have fewer power struggles and am more joyful, more at ease. Whereas when I seek to ‘have fun’ with children, it often goes sideways. Children get riled up and may start to challenge me or act disrespectfully; they become confused about our roles.
I encourage you to consider how you can balance practical tasks with down time and recreation at home, and explore how giving care can bring balance, meaning and connection to your family life.
