5. CAREGIVER SELF-HEALTH
Apply the 3A’s to yourself!
If you care about your own well-being the
experience generalizes to the care of children
6. USING THE 3A’S SUCCESSFULLY
Encourage children to master their own
environment
Builds the child’s development of identity
Allows children to feel safe and secure and to
trust their senses for information about their
world
Caregiving is a partnership between adult and
child
The healthiest relationships result in the
experience of security and the safety of
expressing all the different emotions
What you do with children matters.Children give back what they are given during early childhood. They return kindness, stability, consistency, and caring as they grow up and relate to other people.
The three A’s are the master tools that ensure that your effect on children is positive and productive. They promote a positive environment and maintain a positive emotional connection between the young child and the caregiver.What does attention mean? 70% of our communication is nonverbal When you bring attention to a behavior in another person, you are sending a message about the importance of that behavior. Teachers must learn to engage in focused attention to observe the behavior, skills and needs of the children in their care. This assures that the caregiver can determine each child’s ZPD. This helps in determining what each child needs in order to develop the necessary skills.What is approval? Approval from others teaches us to approve ourselves. Approval of another person is a clear message that you have respect and positive regard for that person. Remember: always approve of the child, even when you disapprove fo his or her behavior.What is attunement? Involves being aware of someone, along with her moods, needs, and interests, and responding to all of these. Attuned caregivers devote a great deal of time to carefully observing and recording the child’s behaviors.
There is a question of how much attachment is required by the caregiver in order for the young child to develop security and trust. There is still much study being done on this issue.
You probably use the 3A’s already without much thought about them.
