April 2006

The choice of experiences was huge, to the point where I felt I couldn't decide. After a lot of thought, I came to the conclusion that this particular piece was an excellent example and measures how far I have personally progressed within my placement.

As it is when working with any group, trust needs to be earned, and more often than not, this can be a lengthy process.

At the beginning of my placement (particularly with the Mothers and Toddlers group), I felt that I wasn't 100% accepted by some of the parents/guardians and their children.

Now it seems as though previous awkwardness and worries never existed, as the children in the group run to me, both in the workplace and out of it. (a somewhat clumsy encounter when holding armfuls of shopping in the middle of Keighley!).

One particular example of this was an incident where I was asked if I would mind collecting two children (who attend the Mother and Toddler group) from their playgroup, whilst collecting my own daughter. The fact that they had asked me made previous efforts all the more worthwhile, and bringing the children through the Centre's doors with smiles on their faces, confirmed that I was trusted by both parents and children alike.

This alone has summed up the efforts of my work so far, as I feel I have formed some strong bonds with particular children and their parents/guardians.