This week we will continue to deepen the Mothers of Day and We are going to interview Sara Martínez López, who is a family psychologist and counselor. For years he has developed his work in universities, associations and schools. He currently works in his consultancy Ésser Educational guidance accompanying and guiding fathers and mothers in the education of their children.
What is your opinion as a Mothers Day professional?
Mothers by day are a good alternative for working mothers who want to reconcile work and family life. They offer the opportunity to educate children in a family environment similar to how their own mothers could do at home.
What would you highlight about Mothers Day?
Remember that the emotional needs of children during their first three years of life are based on the emotional bond established with the mother, and the closest thing would be the resource of mothers by day, although there are also other options such as the child Be attended by a trusted family member.
The mothers day resource can offer emotional support, protection and care that other resources cannot reach.
And as a mother do you see benefits to this option?
As a mother, I would try to take care of myself, at least in the first two years. If I could not take into account the option of mothers day. The key is in the mother's trust towards the people who care for her baby. If there is trust any resource can be good. Before assessing the best option, we should ask ourselves if there is that trust, if we connect well, if we understand each other, if we like space, if we have good references from close people, etc.
Are nurseries the best place for babies to develop and socialize?
The best place is always next to a loving and balanced mother.
If it cannot be, then the best resource is one in which the mother feels comfortable. Nursery schools can be a good place, but they usually are not. I consider it a ratio problem. How many children can a mother attend? This should be the ratio, no more than 4 or 5 children per educator. It is impossible to care for 15 babies individually. In spite of everything there are great professionals in kindergartens, people with a great vocation who do a good job within their limitations.
What children's needs are best covered with systems such as Mothers of the Day?
By having more individualized attention, all needs are better served by this system, physical needs, the need for protection, acceptance, the development of the senses, imagination, etc. In short, comprehensive attention. It should be added that in many nurseries, as there are many children, stress can affect educators and therefore not have the right emotional conditions to care for children. This would not happen with a ratio of 3 or 4 children as in the day mothers.
How would the ideal training of these professionals and regulate their exercise?
Mothers of the day should be qualified and prepared people, like any other professional working with children. They should be balanced people, who had a vocation, who loved their work just like a mother loves to take care of her baby; that they had a sense of humor, positivity, imagination, joy and that they know how to transmit it to children. I do not consider it necessary for them to have higher education, although it would be important for them to have knowledge about the stages of development, children's needs, etc. And above all that the children could listen and understand, and from there discover what each one needs. Regarding how to regulate your activity, it should be one more option like any other. The space should have conditions just like nursery schools do. I personally consider it important that children have an outdoor space as natural as possible.
Would you tell us what you think are the fundamental keys to good child care?
In my opinion these would be the most important:
We thank you to Sara Martínez the attention she has dedicated to us and next week we meet again to continue to deepen the hand of another specialist in the needs of babies that their caregivers should attend.
