Child-rearing Support Using Communication Notebooks for Caregivers and Parents Who have Children in the Self-assertion Stage

Abstract

This study clarified how caregivers support parents who have children in the self-assertion stage using communication notebooks. The content of a communication notebooks used by a pair of parents and a child over a 2-year period was analyzed. The results identified three categories of support strategy followed by caregivers, namely “interacting with parents and children on the basis of childcare practice,” “clarifying the background of self-assertion perceived based on the child’s point of view,” and “elucidating how to interact with the child.” The results revealed that childcare staff helped the parents finding the best method of child-rearing on their own. The staff relied on the established relationship with the children in practice and provided support in a child-centered way.