- Observe babies’ emotional responses and plan the routines, the environment and play experiences to support them.
- Encourage parents to bring their baby’s comforter/transitional object to ease the change from home to setting.
- Create a cosy, quiet place for babies to be calm.
- Provide comfortable seating such as a sofa or cushions for baby and key person to be together.
- Create spaces and experiences in which babies feel secure enough to explore and play.
- Provide resources including picture books and stories that focus on a range of emotions.
- Store babies’ toys and comforters where they can find and reach them.
- Communicate with parents/carers daily to ensure continuity of care between home and setting.
- Communicate with sensitivity when interacting with parents who do not speak or understand English and draw on the language skills available where possible
- Develop good two-way relationships with parents where boundaries of behaviour can be shared and agreed.
- Maintain an awareness and understanding that children who have had adverse experiences may require additional all-round support.
- Ensure educators have regular opportunities to reflect on their emotional responses to the children and to their work as well as thinking about the children’s progress and planning play experiences.
