Crossing the Mental Health Divide: The Early Educator as Emotional Guide

I’m hoping there is a fruit tree in the gully. Maybe pear?

The Fruit Found Within the Divide P Parents E Energy A Affect/Emotion R w Rap Up( sorry)

Why This Topic? Infant Mental Health More heart! (or it’s just spoken about more!) Regulation, Attachment Self control Initiation Matches deep needs Emotion Gives skills meaning Teaches flexibility, compassion, and creativity Matches deep needs

Why This Topic? Co-editor Stuart Shonkoff on the creation of the 2000 report, “Neurons to Neighborhoods” about early brain research and its implication for practice: “…As a group of academics, we were haunted by the danger of being irrelevant. We did focus groups, …and one kindergarten teacher said to us regarding the important ingredients of school readiness, ‘From my perspective, my experience, the problem is we have too many children coming to kindergarten who are either mad, bad, or sad. The problem is not that they can’t add.’ ”

Why This Topic? “(In Infant mental health)…we are looking at behaviors from the perspective of what’s happening inside the child, and also inside the practitioner.” Alicia Lieberman

Mental Health, Health of the Whole Self

Parents

Our practice in relationship with parents: Is there room within us? Time? Where is the balance? Do you feel safe? What else is in this space-fear, anger, jealousy, blocks to intimacy?

The parent’s story and the possibility of healing: Ghosts in the Nursery (Fraiberg, 1975) Unconscious memories effecting parent and child relationship Angels in the Nursery (Lieberman, 2005) Uncovered resilience and energy to face challenges within relationship

The Gift of the “Troublesome” Parent Ghosts and angels within us too: Take a moment to examine a difficult relationship with a parent. What about them irks you, what quality does this person or situation have that is troublesome for you? Is it possible that this person holds or reflects something about our own self, our own life, which is troublesome to us? This could be something in our life now, or something from the long ago past. What do you see in them that is reflected in your own life? Can you look at this quality or situation with compassion, and can you comfort that part of yourself that is experiencing this?

We reflect one another: discussion

Energy

Working with our own energy (our “reflective practice”): To protect: shield To revitalize: grounding, affirmation, channel joy from youth In course of day: “Clearing decks”, releasing pressure, expectations Importance of body (Activity: Move and release!) In working with families: Before you enter, remember intention, pleasure After you leave, “leave room as is”: what happened here? What can I take away as the learning for next visit?

In thinking about families: Thoughts pool around hard issues. Can we acknowledge all our feelings, work to reframe issue or person with compassion? Where does my energy get stuck? Am I aware of it? Does it matter to me or my practice? Self dialogue: can we breathe, slow down, rest our mind? Talking to colleagues: like gold!

Affect

Affect: Emotion, Intention, Desire, Will Deep expression of the life force Expression of Self: physical,emotional, mental, spiritual “Reading” the child’s intention: intimacy

Emotional Relationship is Central to Growth

Returning the Treasure to Children As a Gift from Science (Fraiberg, 1980) Early brain research tells us that interaction “lights up the brain” Exciting: genetics is not the only or most important influence First three months as “fourth trimester”: nature of interactions matter immensely Birth to 5: We, as caregivers, matter immensely

Children learn to relate, communicate and think sequentially: Six Emotional Milestones When children are related to emotionally, they are flexible, compassionate, and creative thinkers: peace on earth.

Functional Emotional Milestones (Greenspan & Weider, 1998) Birth-3 months: Caregivers relate emotionally to foster regulation and interest in the world 2-7 months: Caregivers relate emotionally to foster attachment and engagement 3-10 months: Caregivers relate emotionally to foster two-way, purposeful communication

Functional Emotional Milestones (Greenspan & Weider, 1998) 9-18 months: Caregivers relate emotionally to foster child’s ability to problem solve, using longer interactions and emotional signals, words months: Caregivers relate emotionally to foster words, pretend play months: Caregivers help child form bridges between ideas, become logical

Benefits of affect-based practice: Adds meaning to your practice: the doing enriches your life Fully prepare children for school Able to calm themselves Able to communicate through all emotions Able to think creatively— thinking being the first academic skill

(W) Rap up

IMH is affect-based, relationship approach: P Parents- remember the gift in the challenging parent E Energy- we can monitor the quality of our energy, we can ask for help A Affect- the treasure of affect-based work (Six Emotional Milestones) R Real fine job you did today!

What are our hopes and goals for children and families? How high will we aspire?