Comment on Activity 5.2

Comment
The father suggests that the photos have helped his son to see himself as an active individual, but at the same time he is able to see how his son’s actions are related to the situation in which he is participating. Discussing their child clearly gives both parents pleasure and food for thought about their own involvement  with them. 

The reflective discussion can also highlight to the practitioner how their priorities are not always focussed upon the child, but could still be having a significant impact on the child’s actions. In one study, for example, the practitioner, Elaine, had actively encouraged a child to explore fibre optic cables in a soft play room; an activity which the mother revealed her son now sometimes did with electric wires at home. The practitioner’s aim had been to ‘reduce Mum’s anxiety’ in the soft play room but on reflection she decided, ‘Of course it sounds completely bonkers doesn’t it'.

For some parents, the process of being involved in a discussion may not be an easy one, but this can provide opportunities to build new ways of working. One Portage Home Visitor talked about one parent who really didn’t want her to take any photographs but during the reflection after the session decided it would be really helpful for her son to have some pictures of the toys around, so he could make choices more easily. Inevitably, some parents can embrace the chance to talk more than others. Another home visitor, talked about how a 5 minute reflection session led to changes being made in the wider family. In discussing the first-person narrative, they were both surprised how often the little boy looked at his mum. This led to the mum to think about how much eye contact he had with the family. The father, for example, was always looking at his phone, and so was not aware that his son was communicating with him. The mum was going to tell him how the “little lad picks up”, and “that he was not to sit there looking at his phone”. Using the three perspectives during reflection can also make it easier to broach potentially difficult subjects. For example, one practitioner talked about how she used her first person narrative of a keyworker supporting a young boy as a non-critical way to show how many opportunities to communicate she was missing. 

The opportunity to spend 5 minutes reflecting on your time with the child is precious. It creates a small space for new ideas to emerge or for old ideas to be better understood. The requirement to take a child’s point of view, of itself highlights the importance of that point of view. It can encourage you to look a little bit differently at the child and your relationship with them. 




 

 



Last modified: Friday, 8 November 2019, 10:59 AM