Relationships

I was inspired by a social media post by Zero to Three today. The photo simply said, “You know what babies need? RELATIONSHIPS. You know what’s really hard to build under chronic stress? RELATIONSHIPS”

Caregivers are the most important piece in the puzzle for infants. All of their learning happens in the context of safe, secure relationships with caregivers. Research has shown this time and again. Infants fail to thrive when they do not have strong relationships with caregivers.

How can we help caregivers who are under chronic stress? This is a tough question as it seems there are a lot of external forces causing mass amounts of stress for folks who are keenly aware of national and world events. It’s easy to say, “Focus on what you can control,” but how practical is that advice when some external forces are seeping into everyday life through media, conversations, and felt at the gas pump.

I do not have the answers here, but I have some ideas. For parents, I think it’s important to show up and be willing to help out if needed. It’s important to offer flexibility in work schedules. For educators, value the work they do. Offer support and show that you care about them.

I am sure this goes for all folks, but choosing kindness and curiosity, while not likely to ease stress, generally works to not add stress to another’s plate. Seeing each other as fellow human beings, despite the differences, is another great place to start. We need our future generations to be better and smarter than us, let’s get them there by supporting caregivers to build strong, secure relationships with infants.