ABSTRACT
A Froebelian approach recognises the child's inner life as natural and 'in relation'. Within this idea, the child is natural, she is a part of nature and her earliest natural contacts are those she has with her caregivers. A Froebelian approach recognises the importance of early attachment relationships, and places a value on playful experiences that occur in nature. The idea of living with children is based on the premise that human experience occurs within an environment of natural and human resources. Frederich Froebel recognised that families are supported by communities, within which we are all called to 'live with our children'. The emphasis on the role of the family established by Froebel's ideas can also be seen in a range of contemporary theory and research that recognises the importance of families in child development and the reciprocal nature of the parent-child relationship.
