ABSTRACT
Working in partnership with parents and families
The interactions with parents and carers remain a challenging aspect in the work of early childhood practitioners. To help trainees, students, practitioners and leaders gain a new perspective and improve practice, this chapter introduces positioning theory, which was originally developed in the work of Harré and Davies (1990) and others. This approach pays particular attention to the thinking and reasoning of practitioners and parents before, during and after their interactions and highlights how a mismatch in their expectations can lead to poor communication and tensions in the relationship. However, understanding positioning also opens up avenues for improvements in interactions which in turn will allow practitioners and parents/caregivers to cooperate more effectively. The chapter ends with presenting the concept of “caring partnership”, which encapsulates the shared purpose and responsibility, the mutual respect and support and the non-judgemental approach that underpin the practitioner-parent collaboration for the benefits of young children.
