Making visible acts of caring among infants & toddlers

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores how infant and toddlers become caring individuals, an aspect that has received little attention among young children’s interactions in educational settings. Research findings demonstrate how acts of caring support, embellish and expand infants’ and toddlers’ interactions. The meanings of these acts are explored based on Nodding’s notion of caring. Caring involves stepping out of one’s own personal frame of reference into the other’s and gets in touch with the Other and also understands that the other is in need of care and choosing to care for the other. The research design was guided by ethnography in education principles. Participant researchers used video recording to capture children’s interactions at this center-based setting. An analysis of the children’s interactions among other children and adults demonstrated patterns of acts of caring occurring in the classroom. Children and adults co-constructed an environment where playing and caring were intermeshed. As members of the community, infants and toddlers had opportunities to actively and competently engage in acts of caring as it is defined and practiced in this particular classroom context. Findings suggest the importance of going beyond skill-building and designing a classroom culture where children have opportunities to learn how to care for other children and adults.