Aistear and Trust

By Máire Corbett
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Awards

Early Childhood Ireland is delighted to have been shortlisted as a finalist in the Carmichael Good Governance Awards. These awards recognise excellence in the quality of annual reports in 7 categories. We congratulate Women’s Aid, the winner in our category.  And we are delighted to have been in the running for an award by making the final shortlist.

At the awards ceremony last week, the various speakers mentioned trust a lot. As I listened, I was reflecting on trust… and how much our whole sector relies on trust.

Trust

Parents need to trust the settings where their children are. Educators need to trust that parents will communicate with them, will share knowledge and information about their child(ren) with the setting. And most importantly children need to be able to trust those around them to provide love and care for them, in all aspects of their development, physically, mentally, cognitively and emotionally.

Building relationships

Aistear (2024) speaks about how babies, toddlers and young children learn through loving, trusting and respectful relationships and through play, fun, exploration and conversations. Fundamental to this relationship building is the notion of slow relational pedagogy made very explicit in the updated Aistear last year. Slow relational pedagogy is defined as ‘taking time and being present to nurture supportive, stable, warm relationships that promote secure attachments with caregivers, healthy and safe environments and meaningful learning experiences for babies, toddlers and young children.’

Adult relationships

Think about a close friend for a minute. How long do you know that person? How long did you know that person before you would have shared some special news or a secret?  How long before you would have asked their advice on a major decision you had to make? I’m fairly sure it took time. While at first meeting you obviously liked each other, may have discovered common interests, found it easy to chat with them. You might have started off sharing experiences and might have found that you had the same values, that you found them kind, that maybe how they speak about people they know in a respectful way, and that you have the same world view on issues. You might test this a little with film or book recommendations. And bit by bit, you share more about yourself. Trust is beginning to grow. And gradually they share confidential things with you and you with them and eventually you have a very close friend, who you can trust with your innermost thoughts, dreams and fears.  Ideal scenario!

Less ideal scenario

Can you develop the same kind of relationship with someone you see infrequently (especially in the early stages of that relationship)? What if someone makes plans and cancels more often than they go ahead with the plan? What if when you meet, they constantly interrupt and leave early?  And then, you tell them about a problem you have and ask them for their thoughts on your dilemma? Their advice is good and you’re glad you asked. But then you hear from someone else about your situation. Trust is fragile in that scenario, I think and when you feel betrayed, trust can be shattered. Of course it might be rebuilt, we all make mistakes, but building trust a second time is slower and more hesitant than the first time, isn’t it?

Trust and children

I’m thinking about how young children experience these situations, because they do! If they see the same educators in their setting day after day they learn to trust them. On the other hand, if they see someone infrequently, they can hang back, not sure if this is someone who they can rely on. If educators are constantly rushing from one task to another (and we know there is a lot to get done) it can be hard to express ideas, get familiar with preferences, favourite books and so on. It is so important to take time to just sit on the floor and just be with these little ones. By being present you are enabling the babies, toddlers and young children to experience trust, to grow their network of people who love them and on whom they can rely. And of course, in their experience of learning to trust, they are developing the ability to be people who can be trusted.

And to swing back to the Awards!

So, as I listened to the judges and speakers talk about the criteria around good governance that were used to decide on the finalists and the winners, I was thinking about TRUST. They spoke a lot about how, through really good annual reports, the various organisations showed that we are trustworthy, showed how we earn the trust of those who support us and how we build on that trust year on year, and how we value being trusted and don’t take it for granted.

Where is begins….in our earliest days, weeks and years. It begins in families and homes and settings of all kinds. And from that early experience of trust, theses babies and toddlers and young children will be involved, trustworthy adults of the future!