With the Families: An Educator’s Diary

The project With the Families is currently supporting 7 families and creating relationships and opportunities so that every child has the best possible start. Annachiara and Cecilia, two highly qualified educators, visit the homes of these families and work together with the mothers to enhance the parent-child relationship. This is what Annachiara told us.

“The mother agreed to see us this afternoon. She is very happy with our weekly meetings. On the other hand, Luca, her 2 year old child, hasn’t yet decided whether or not he can trust me. It was not easy for him to get used to my presence, but the training I had at the Brazelton center gave me the tools to get closer to him, while respecting his space and time. Anita gets home and tells me that she is alone, the father is at work. We start talking and she tells me about her week, and there are still many insecurities and fears in her stories, but we are working on it. Together we reflect on these uncertainties and how turn them into possibilities. We talk about the progress made so far and the changes that have taken place in both the child and in her: getting on a slide without apprehension, climbing on a net with courage, the curiosity  to find the moon in the sky. We watch Luca playing on the carpet. He is putting a puzzle together. He seems quiet, and every now and then, he looks at us, he waits, he knows we’ll do something new. As Anita talks, she calms him down. We challenge each other. She convinces herself that she can do it. Despite her fears and anxieties, she can trust both her abilities and Luca’s. I rely on the principles and premises of the Touchpoints Method, looking for every opportunity to support the mother’s skills, build a path together, evaluate the child’s progress and observe his needs and inclinations together. So today, for the first time, we ride the bike to the park with Luca on the seat. Luca is happy and curious. Anita is frightened but determined, “I am proud”.

Donate now and support the project With the Families, your generous contributions can help other families and children.