Caregiving: It’s All About the Relationship

It’s all about the relationship.

Every diaper-change. Every response to crying. It’s not a task to be accomplished or a problem to fix. It’s about the relationship. It’s building trust. It’s creating a bond. Every feeding. Every bath. It’s not about how fast you can “get the job done” or even how many things you can accomplish at the same time. It’s about the relationship.

This is your child’s life.

It’s about showing care in the way that we care. How we approach caregiving experiences tells babies a lot about how we view them and has a great impact on how they come to view themselves and their self-worth.

What does this mean for parents and caregivers?

Go slowly

Be considerate

Show compassion

Take your baby’s perspective

Talk to your baby about what you are going to do

Caregiving: it’s an opportunity.