Rutter – responding

Well I think the most important thing is forming relationships with the children. Now obviously as a caregiver or professional of some kind is different from being a parent or a grandparent, but relationships are such a crucial part of growing up that that’s important. One aspect of that is the recognition that children are different. And that what suits one child won’t necessarily suit another and an important part of being a good caregiver is a recognition of responding to each individual child. Responding in the sense of needs but also responding to what makes them interesting. Of being able to have fun with the children and that even when one’s involved with teaching or discipline or whatever, nevertheless, good humour, fun, is an important part of that.  

And recognition that the idea of experiences impinging on a passive child is really just not the way it works. Even babies process their experiences. They think about what’s happening to them, they draw their own conclusions and so that one needs to get away from the notion of stimulating children to a notion of children being active partners in this, and your job, as it were, is to bring that out, to make it fun, to engage their curiosity. And to recognize that children who ask awkward questions are actually learning. And that one needs to be able to respond to that. What one does not want is simply a compliant child. You want a well-behaved child of course but you also want one who’s provocative.