#StandUpForEarlyYears: Not JUST an early years practitioner

I am 33 years old and have been interested in working in the a early years as long as I can recall.

I did my year 11 work experience in a private day nursery and took Child Development at GCSE (even back then it was seen very much as a 'cop out' subject.

Much to the dismay of my careers advisor I chose to apply for Early Childhood Studies at University and was repeatedly told it wasn't as good as being a 'proper' teacher. I was too intelligent to 'just do Early Years' etc etc. 

Fortunately I am very stubborn and this made me want to pursue my passion even more. I completed an ECS degree at the University of Warwick. 

Alongside this I worked every holiday in a local SureStart centre which enabled me to work in a variety of age groups in the nursery, but also with family support, creche work and domestic abuse support for women and children. Everyone had unique skills and ideas to bring to practice, but the unity was in the absolute passion towards those children and their families and making an environment that gave all children the best start possible.

Because they care. 

I was fortunate enough to find a job a couple of years later in a very forward thinking school with a Foundation Stage nursery attached. The headteacher was a pioneer for continuing professional development for all. She was passionate about exciting, stimulating and varied education for every family and employed a team of people whose practice reflected this. 

I feel very privileged to have had the lion's share of my experience in this setting, learning from some of the most innovative and creative people I have ever come across and in turn being able to teach others who were just starting their own journey into the sector.

I was supported wholeheartedly through an EYP qualification and a Masters Degree and every piece of work and project was used to improve our practice for children. I was supported by an incredible mentor and colleagues, whom I am still in touch with now both on a personal and professional level. 

Almost every single member of the team accessed some kind of additional course or qualification, often multiple. And they did the majority of this in their own time, because they are committed to doing their best for our youngest children! 

Because they care. 

I moved to a military camp abroad and experienced higher level roles in room leadership and management in a failing military setting for 0-3 year olds. Again there was unwavering commitment to improvement and development of the setting to best meet the needs of a very transient and unsettled community.

 Because they care. 

I do believe that Early Years Practitioners are undervalued. Not just by others but also by themselves. I am guilty of saying things like 'I just work in the nursery'. There are still throwaway coments from all kinds of people that we 'just play all day' so why should we be paid more. There is little recognition of how much is involved in a day to day job involving our smallest and vulnerable members of society. 

Early Years Practitioners aren't just there to play. They are not glorified babysitters even though that is how they are viewed and treated by many. They form deep rooted attachments to their children. They become part of an extended family supporting the children together with their parents forming a 'big picture' which is responsible for shaping and instilling the earliest development which provides the platform for EVERY SINGLE thing that child will go on to experience. They pour love into those children. They experience the same highs and lows as the parents watching those children try to make friends, experience things without their parents, celebrate their new achievements. They overflow with pride watching a child persevere and finally achieve something they have been trying to do for weeks. They recognise difficulties and help children overcome them or know where to go for additional help if required. 

Early Years Practitioners have to form relationships with parents and families in order to nurture and support each child as a team. This can be difficult and frustrating as well as rewarding and enjoyable. They deal with difficult and diverse family situations daily. They have to learn to shield children from unsafe situations and sometimes make difficult calls in seeking help for families where it may not be welcomed. They can be confronted by angry parents, be stuck in the middle of familiaral disputes or challenged with unusual family dynamics and custody arrangements. They are mindful of confidentiality while managing accountability to disclose. They shelter fostered and adopted children often with complex family regulations.

They are tasked with engaging reluctant parents, appeasing sometimes pushy parents. They soothe nervous anxious parents and calm angry ones. They encourage the less confident ones and celebrate the parents' achievements and milestones just as much as their children's. To parents and guardians they can be mediator, counsellor, teacher, family, friend, disciplinarian and everything in between, all whilst also caring for those children.

Because they care. 

Early years practitioners go through relentless checks, governed by policies and procedures that underpin everything they do, trying to follow natural instinct and form meaningful connections whilst also adhering to government guidelines, red tape, ever mounting paperwork.

Not only are these passionate individuals responsible for the learning, for making children 'school-ready', they are also responsible for making these children 'life-ready'.

And they mourn the loss of those children when it is time to help them transition to the next stage of their education. They say goodbye knowing they did everything they could and feeling proud but also grieving for the little people who have moved on that they've poured so much into. And then they have to start all over again.. And again.. And again. All with unwavering enthusiasm and passion. 

Because they care. 

I think there has been a shift over the years (most notably the move away from the 'Nursery Nurse' title).

But although the early years is moving to the forefront of much research and has been featured more in documentaries, not to mention the campaigns launched by more prominent public figures such as the Duchess of Cambridge, I do not believe that government support and funding has followed suit.

Throughout the coronavirus and its associated challenges, practitioners have continued working. Showing up day after day even throughout holidays to ensure the children and parents who need them.. have them. They have no PPE. They do it anyway.

Now the government has said they can open.. And so they have rallied to adapt practice to ensure the safety of the parents and children returning to their settings...they have little regard for their own safety because the children come first. They are going against a lot of their own instincts in practice. Having to hold back from the usual comfort and contact remove resources they know will be missed and try to replace them with something that's still exciting and fun but also helps children learn something. To try and contain their own fears and anxieties whilst helping the children manage theirs. And still they are paid the same. 

And in some cases the long hours they already worked are now even longer because of the added cleaning of equipment.. meetings about government updates or team meetings about what is working or not.

Luckily early years practitioners have adapted to the restrictions of Covid-19 in the way they react to the budget restraints and the poor pay. My fellow early years practitioners are some of the most creative and innovative individuals on this earth and have quickly worked out how to make things from nothing, to reuse and recycle and to claim other people's trash and make it into treasure without spending anything. Others frequently use their own money to supplement resource budgets in their settings.

Because they care. 

So #StandUpForEarlyYears.

• Even if that means just appreciating the ones that care for your children a little more. 

• Supporting fundraising. 

• Publicly shout about the wonderful work your local early years practitioners do.

• Support government initiatives that will enhance the sector. 

• Educate yourself about what exactly the early years sector does at different levels.

• Explore research about the importance of the first fiveyears of a child's development to help you understand why the role of early years professionals is worth so much more than the credit and wages it is given!

Early Years practitioners don't do it for the money. They don't really even do it for the recognition. But either of these would be welcomed I'm sure!

I am not JUST an Early Years Practitioner. Because I care. 

• Find out about Nursery World's #StandUpForEarlyYears campaign