The partnership between educators and families for the child’s development is at the core of early childhood practice. That’s why it’s so important that we understand how mothers and fathers are doing when it comes to mental health. Emerging evidence shows that supporting fathers’ mental health early in their parenting journey has positive effects on children […]
The words ‘moral courage’ echoed through the 2018 ECA National conference after international keynote Dr Cindy Blackstock challenged educators and carers to consider how they can and do advocate for children every day through their work. Anti-poverty Week seems a good time to think about focusing on children’s needs, especially as one in six children […]
This article, written by Tawanda Makusha and Linda M. Richter, examines fatherhood under pressure and the essential role fathers can play in the first three years of a child’s life. While it explores the issues in a South African context, the messages are widely relevant. The article first appeared in The Conversation on 7 August […]
This article, written by Penny Van Bergen and Carol Newall, first appeared on The Conversation, on July 4, 2018. Children typically begin lying in the preschool years, between two and four years of age. These intentional attempts at deception may worry parents, who fear their child will become a pint-sized social deviant. But from a developmental perspective, lying in […]
‘Children have taught me the most important lessons about advocacy’ says DR CINDY BLACKSTOCK. They are ‘experts in love and fairness’ yet ‘we often view children in ways that reduce their dignity and development’. Dr Blackstock, an international keynote speaker at the 2018 ECA National Conference in Sydney (19–22 September), spoke with ECA about moral courage and […]
This article, written by Nina Sokolovic, Jennifer Jenkins and Michal Perlman, first appeared on The Conversation, on February 15, 2018. A three-year-old boy struggles to thread beads on a string while his older sister watches. She could ignore him or take over the task to get it done quickly. But if she observes him closely, and […]
Why does self-regulation matter more than self-control? Professor Stuart Shanker shares his views on this and much more, including how educators can learn the signs and respond to children’s stress cycles. Young children make ‘dramatic advances’ when the adults in their lives—educators, teachers and family members—develop their own self-regulation, according to Professor Shanker. He spoke […]
When a popular children’s picture book came under the spotlight at ECA’s 2018 Reconciliation Symposium in May, it was ‘reconciliation in action’: a chance to express and hear strong, conflicting views, to listen, learn and rethink. For ECA, it triggered reflection and a search for more perspectives. An important and expanding part of ECA’s work […]
Families are where learning begins. Babies and young children are naturally curious, responsive and eager to explore their surroundings. Families—in all their glorious diversity and ‘not quite perfection’—are where the young child starts this journey, a lifelong path outwards from self, towards mastery and understanding. First conversations and relationships, creativity, capacity to express joy, kindness, […]
When ECA worked on the Start Early. Respectful relationships for life project, aimed at fostering relationship skills in very young children, educators commented on how often adults—educators, family, neighbours and friends—will comment on a girl’s dress when there are so many other things to talk about. Even with the best intentions, one educator said it […]
