the early years opportunity a supportive environment for development 1

The Early Years OpportunityA Supportive

Environment for Development

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Hosting Notes

• reaffirm the key role of parents and caregivers along with the broader community in supporting child development.

• share and learn together to strengthen awareness and understanding of “the core story” and early childhood development.

• foster relationships, connections and mutual support among families, communities and service providers.

• validate the current knowledge and capacity of parents and caregivers.

• highlight and share all available resources and supports.

• support capacity building and inspire further action.

Early Years Parent Café Goal:

To build awareness and capacity of parents and caregivers in support of early childhood development.

Education for Communities, Communities for Education

Welcome&Introductions

Explore:

How did your attempts to try something new go?

Were your goals realistic?

Are there supports or resources that might help?

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Hosting Notes

Suggestions:

• Commend participants on their efforts to learn and try something new.

• Make a point of letting all parents be heard.• Validate parents efforts and commitment to their

child by being here.• Emphasize the shared interest among the group in

their children – talking with other adults offers a great support and chance to share knowledge and experience.

Welcome! The fact that you’re here shows you love and care for your child.


For you, what was most important about our last conversation?

Note: You might wish to review the video clip from the last conversation.

Explore:

Did you share anything with another parent or caregiver?

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Hosting Notes

Suggestions:

• What made the biggest impression? What sparked you to try something new? Did you have the chance to share this information with others?

• Collecting the ideas that parents felt were most important as well as ways that they have integrated ideas and responded can spark further discussion and exchange.

• Recording these ideas can be helpful for further reflection and is very important for monitoring the impact of the conversations.

• Depending on participation – you may wish to review the key messages from the core story of brain development.

Parents sharing impressions from the last conversation…

The “Early Years Opportunity”Supporting a Healthy

Environment for Development


What is stress?

How can stress impact development?

How do you play and have fun with your

child?Why is play important?

What are the components of

a healthy environment

for early childhood

development?

What do you enjoy most

about parenthood?

What are your strengths?

Are you aware of your

own stress?What helps you

to limit and cope with your

stress?

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Hosting Notes

Suggestion:• Use a flipchart/blackboard/newsprint on table/ to record

these questions and revisit them at the end of the session.• Invite parents to offer questions throughout the

conversation.

Are there particular questions about early years development you would like to discuss?

Suggestion:

Introduce parents to how the conversation might flow with a few sample questions from the overview.


What makes an environment supportive for early childhood development?

What should it include?…not include?

Explore:

What is stressful for infants and young children?

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Hosting Notes

• Meets physical needs, including sleep, nutrition, exercise and protection from physical harm. Things that are tolerated by a mature brain can be toxic to a young brain.

• Is secure and predictable, with limited stress. Babies and young children do experience stress!

• Includes a consistent, loving caregiver!

Infants and young children can experience stress from:

• A changing, unpredictable environment, something unexpected.

• Transitions from one situation to another.

• Parents feelings of stress, communicated in their tone of voice and the manner they communicate, like too many “no’s”.

• Not getting the attention and comforting that they are needing.

• Frustration from either their own or parents expectations.

• Its not just about bad things that happen but also good things that don’t happen! Lack of “serve and return” is stressful for a child.

An environment supportive of healthy development …


Explore together:

Toxic stress Derails Healthy Development,

Centre on the Developing Childor

Building Better Brains: Toxic StressAlberta Family Wellness Initiative

What is stress? …Positive, tolerable and toxic stress?

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What are your reactions?

What strikes you most?

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/key_concepts/toxic_stress_response/

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/key_concepts/toxic_stress_response/

http://www.albertafamilywellness.org/resources/video/toxic-stress-0

Hosting Notes

• Some stress is a normal part of life. Learning to deal with stress is an important part of healthy development.

• When we perceive stress our body’s stress response system is activated, our body and brain go on alert, heart rate increases and stress hormone levels go up.

• “Positive stress”, or minor, short-lived stress events, like meeting new people, is a part of healthy development. Children learn to moderate and deal with stress through these experiences.

• High levels of prolonged stress without a loving caregiver can be “toxic” and derail healthy development, leaving a child with:

• changes in brain architecture.

• permanent “signatures” on genes.

• a more reactive stress response system

• Increased vulnerability of developing physical and mental health struggles, including addiction.

• Positive care-giving can protect and buffer a child from the impacts of stress. Even traumatic life events, like a death in the family, have leave a lasting impact on the developing brain when a child is supported and nurtured by a consistent caregiver. Researchers call this “tolerable stress”.

Key messages on how stress impacts infants and young children…


Are you aware of your own stress?

What helps you to limit and cope with yourstress?

Explore:

How does your child let you know when they are feeling overstressed?

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Hosting Notes

Examples:• Getting enough rest• Eating well• Physical exercise and play• Spending time talking with

friends

• Gardening, reading, playing

music, …• Yoga and meditation• Spiritual practice• Others?

Healthy ways parents cope with stress…

Some ways that children might let us know they are feeling stress..

• Increased behavior problems and acting out

• Increased crying

• Tummy aches or head aches

• Unusual sleep patterns

• Returning to less mature behaviors

• Increased dependency


How can you help to limit stress for your child?

Explore:

Some stress is normal and part of healthy development!

How can you support your child as they learn to moderate their stress response?

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Hosting NotesParents helping to minimize and moderate stress with their child:

• Creating an environment that feels safe and secure with healthy, predictable routines and regular patterns• Bedtime routines help children transition and relax at the end of the day.• Morning routines can help to get the day off to a good start.• Adequate rest and sleep – tired children are more easily stressed.• Providing healthy food (helps children cope with stress) and sharing mealtimes.• Ensuring there is time for exercise and active play. Get outside!

• Supporting children as they learn to manage their own stress response:• Offering warm, responsive care-giving; giving comfort when a child is upset.• Modeling how you manage your own stress.• Talk, talk, talk. Allow children to express what they feel and why.• Share strategies like “count to ten”, “breathing buddies” and “calming bottles” (see

resources for more ideas).• Spending time, connecting with their child, showing them they are loved for who they are.• Communicate with a firm and kind voice, clear expectations and limits.• Having realistic, developmentally appropriate expectations of their child.• Slowing down and turning off the technology. • Reading a book together! There are many great books related to this theme.• Having fun together and making time for laughter and play. Did you know that 10 minutes of play

can create a flood of endorphins – the opposite of stress hormones!


How do you play and have fun with your child?

How is this supporting learning and development?

Explore:

Have parents write down their ideas – one per sticky and match to the 5 areas of development (next slide).

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Hosting Notes

Parents are supporting all areas of development when having fun together!

e

Note:

Many activities will support more than one area! Most important is to highlight the impact of ‘just playing” on all realms of development.


Why is play so important?

How can we ensure there is time for play?

Explore: For a more in depth look at play, share Stuart Brown’s TED Talk: Play is more then just fun.

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Hosting Notes

• Fun!

• Providing opportunities to rehearse, refine, practice and extend skills. Remember that brain connections (synapses) need repetition to strengthen! When its fun and interesting we are more likely to persist and extend our efforts.

• Building confidence and self esteem - by doing things over and over children can experience success.

• Opportunities to build our understanding of and make sense of the world, promoting creativity and cooperation.

• Supporting learning and growth in all realms of development (physical, social, emotional, language and thinking).

“Play is the work of childhood.” - Mr. Rogers

Explore ways to make sure play happens…

Incorporate play in daily activities – keep it fun!Embrace free timeTurn off the “screens”Get outside!Take the pressure off – limit structured activitiesRemember you can still play too!

Play is not a distraction or break from learning but HOW children learn and develop! Play is important for:


What are the best toys for infants and young children?

Explore:

What are the common household objects that can be great play toys?

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Hosting Notes

• Allow the child to explore and create.• Provide opportunity for sensory stimulation.• Are developmentally appropriate: provide an opportunity to practice

and explore the skills a child is learning or refining.• Are safe!• Do not need to be expensive, electronic or complicated (think of a child

on the floor with a cardboard box, pots and pans, plastic containers in the bath…..)– i.e.: building blocks, balls, dramatic play props, pots and pans,

plastic containers…• Others?

Toys are also a way for us to enjoy, relate and build relationship with our children. Check out a Calgary Public Library ‘Big Play Date’!

In fact… a loving, responsive caregiver can be said to be a child’s “best toy”. -Apple magazine.

The best toys for young children …

Explore:

What is your child’s favorite toy? What do you think they like about it?


Sharing your gifts and talents…

What do you enjoy most about parenthood?What do you find most challenging?

Explore:

What are your strengths and talents?How can you share them?

Have parents brainstorm their talents of the head, hands and heart (see activities: Gifts I can give my child and community*). Have parents note one idea per sticky note and collect on a wall chart.

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Hosting Notes

Explore:

What special characteristics or gifts do you have that are really great for your child?

Examples:

• “ I Love to sing – We sing silly songs together!”

• “I am very patient – I enjoy all the “why?” questions.”

• “I love to be active – We walks to the park and play soccer together.”

• Others…?

By recognizing our own strengths we can bring out the joy and delight of parenting which helps us to overcome the challenges.

Parents sharing diverse gifts and talents…


After our discussion today, what will you try that is new to you?

Is there a goal you would like to set?

Explore:

What would you like to share with another parent or caregiver?

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Hosting Notes

Examples:

• Try some of the breathing and calming strategies.• Take the time to get down on the floor and play!• Take time for myself to relax and relieve stress.• Others?

Reminder: provide any follow up information requested and remind participants of upcoming conversations.

Great ideas from parents:

Read more:

Check the accompanying Resources for recommendations!

the early years opportunity a supportive environment for development 1

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