Behaviour

Every time a child and their family enter the centre, they should be greeted. Saying ‘hello’ or ‘how are you today?’ can make all the difference to the mood of the child in your care.

The whole family should be greeted, child, parent, guardian, and any other family or friends accompanying them. First impressions are very important - and the greeting you offer will usually be the first impression a family and their child will have of you.

A warm, sincere and positive welcome is important, as the child needs to build up trust in their caregiver. This trust is mostly built from the first time the child meets the caregiver, and is also developed from the trust the parent has in the caregiver.

Reflect on how you feel when your close friend doesn't like a particular person. Are you suspicious of that person too?

‘Children observe the interactions between caregivers and parents, and what they observe in these interactions is used to build their own relationships with these new adults in their lives.’

Hutchins, T 1999, ‘Positive Transitions’, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, Volume 24, Number 3, AECA.

Trust and a feeling of security are what families and their children are looking for. The way you greet a child and their family can determine how they all feel about you.

Greeting and welcoming is an acknowledgement that you know the child is there and that you are happy to see them. A friendly, positive greeting will make the child feel special, and welcome in their environment. Greeting or welcoming can occur throughout the day on a number of occasions. Some of these include:

as children are waking from sleep
when staff are returning from a break
when children arrive after their school day.

Farewelling

Farewelling works in much the same way. The way you farewell a child and their family members will leave a final impression.

A sincere and positive farewell is an acknowledgement that they are leaving, that you have noticed their contributions for the day, and that you will miss them when they are gone.

On departure from the centre all family members should be spoken to as a farewell. Farewelling also provides you with time to chat about the child's day, and check that the family is happy with your service.

It is always good to mention a positive moment the child had, and something they enjoyed. This demonstrates to the family of the child that you took the time to remember their child's experiences.

Remember, always be positive and friendly!