Relationships and Communication with Parents Ideas

As Early Years Professionals we know relationships with parents are very important; strong relationships improve the learning outcomes of children, help parents feel comfortable with leaving their child and make children feel secure and safe.

How can you build and secure these important relationships?

What can settings do?

• In children’s learning journey’s, ask for feedback from parents, their comments on your observations would be wonderful to help with their learning story
• Ask parents for observations, you can provide parents with a handout for parents
• Have a key person system provide parents with information about the key person
• Write a weekly newsletter
• Have a ‘mystery reader’ each week where one of the parents comes in to read a story, the children can ask questions to try to guess who it is before they arrive
• Provide parents with wow moment sheets so they can record anything exciting that happens at home
• Invite parents into the classroom at drop off for a short time depending on how the child settles so that they can see what their children do and ask any questions
• At collection time tell parents a small piece of information about their child and what they did that day
• Use a system like WhatsApp to keep in constant contact with parents with photos and so they can message
• Use a daily diary or sheet of paper noting down some key information such as nappy changes etc.
• Have a parent notice board updated with who are your child’s teachers, their ethos and any useful information including your mission and philosophy
• Use displays to display children’s work
• Ask parents to come into the setting as an ‘expert’ to talk about something or cooking – provide them with a hand made thank you card if they do
• Have a general chat with parents when you can show you have time for them and are interested in them and their lives
• Invite parents to garden projects
• Host family BBQs and events
• Hold conferences with parents to discuss progress

• Have training events for parents and share information that will be useful such as induction, phonic letters, EYFS handout, settling in guide ,  potty training guide, healthy eating guide,  messy play handout, reading support handouts, information about in the moment planning and guide to independence. 

• Send out surveys so parent can feedback –https://www.earlyyearsstaffroom.com/product/parent-questionnaire-download/

We hope you have found this useful, enjoy building those relationships. Remember Parents are their child’s first Teacher and they know their children better than anyone.

Written by Katherine Houghton, Early Years Consultant