We need to build relationships with the children and young people that we work with, their families and colleagues to enable us to work effectively. Relationships and communication skills are closely linked, as good communication will help to build good relationships.
Relationships are influenced by the way we communicate this not only includes the language we use and how we listen to others but also our body language, gestures and facial expressions. Communication is highly important when working with young children as we need to gain information from and give information to the child’s parents routinely passing on facts concerning how the child is feeling and about what they have been doing as well as to update our colleagues.
It is important that we find ways to communicate with children that are new to the setting so that they quickly feel comfortable, settled and feel secure enough to be parted from their parents, the early relationship we build with a child also helps build the parents confidence and trust in us that we take good care of the child and that the child will enjoy the experience.
Children are able to benefit most from play and learning opportunities when they are relaxed, which is linked to the quality of the relationship they have with the adult that is caring for them, they are also able to gain more from play and activities if adults use communication to support their play by extend their vocabulary, helping they express ideas and explore and understand their world. The transitions children experience are made easier when the adults involved have good relationships and communicate effectively.
It is also key to how the children deal with transitions that they have a good relationship with an adult that will support them and that they feel able to talk about any worries or concerns with. Effective team work is dependent on the quality of the relationships we have with our colleagues , our relationships need to be strong and professional , but can easily be enhanced or threatened by the way talk to people, react to things they have said, or even by the tone we use, if relationships in professional teams break down it will have a detrimental effect on the service provided.
