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In our research on the baby room, we have found that baby room educators face significant challenges in their work with families (https://thebabyroom.blog/report-2/). However, families are woven into the fabric of the baby room, making it important to invest in our relationships with them. In a recent conversation with Kate Beith, an early years consultant with extensive experience in the UK and international EY sector, we explored how baby room educators can more effectively connect with families. This blog post shares highlights from this conversation, suggesting practical ways that baby room educators can nurture those relationships.

Reflecting on our feelings about families

Across her work, Kate has learned that baby room professionals must be grounded in their community to offer high-quality provision. This is not just about knowing the area you are working in, but the families you are working with, and incorporating their values and needs into your practice to achieve quality provision.

Kate recommends that authentic connections with families start with honest conversations amongst the baby room team. As part of one project at a nursery in Hampshire, which has a focus on partnering with families in the baby room, a group of baby room educators reflected on their deep, often unconscious, feelings about family involvement in the baby room. They wanted to understand why they felt it was a challenge for babies’ families to come into the room to drop off or collect their children. Through reflective dialogue, they pinpointed that they were worried that welcoming families into the baby room would upset the babies. They were also worried that there wasn’t enough physical space in the room, therefore parents had to say goodbye at the door. By identifying these challenges, they could take steps to move past them by working as a team to adapt their practice to welcome families further into the setting. Kate shared the following story:

During a visit, I saw an educator chatting to a parent. That parent walked over to a sofa the educator had strategically placed halfway into the room, and I saw her sit down with the child. That’s the ownership- setting up the room to invite parents in.

Making small but reflective changes can make a big difference when inviting families into the baby room. It starts with becoming more aware of what might be getting in the way of these deeper connections and then thinking practically about how to counter these barriers.

Pause and reflect: What ideas are shaping your approach to working with families?

Offering support to families

Pulling from her experience as a trustee of a family hub in Devon, Kate shares that families may not always come to us for support when they are facing challenges. Sometimes, we have to reach out to them. Below, Kate describes an instance of an educator stepping outside the family hub to invite a parent in:

An educator saw a young mum outside the door who looked distressed. She saw the mom walk back and forth a few times, so she went out and talked to her. The mom didn’t come in that day, but she did later, and she found a space for connection.

Kate makes a key point here: You have to keep an eye on what is happening for families outside the baby room. Babies are interwoven with their family context, so supporting them also means supporting their family through the challenges they may be facing. However, some families may not open up about the challenges they are experiencing until we create a space for them to do so. It is at that point that we can offer support to them, positively impacting the children in our care by helping the whole family.

Pause and reflect: How could we hold space to check in on families on a more regular basis?

Learning from families

While baby room educators should think about the support they can offer families, we must also hold space for families to shape the baby room. Kate described the importance of listening to families’ voices. It is in listening to their interests, experiences, and talents that we can meaningfully invite them into the baby room, asking them to contribute to the budding community we have there. Not only that, but we can understand where our practice as baby room educators can link in with their expertise and cultural understandings, creating a more cohesive and positive experience for the babies we care for. Kate described this as a true key person approach where educators are co-constructing spaces for learning and connection. When educators have close relationships with both babies and families, it adds depth and cohesion to the provision they offer.

Pause and reflect: How can you invite families’ expertise into the baby room?

Our conversation with Kate emphasised the importance of nurturing our connections with families. Strong relationships with families won’t spontaneously happen; we need to actively make space to build our relationships with them, thereby improving the provision we offer babies.

We would love to know how this blog post may have sparked your thinking, so please do share your thoughts in the comments below!