In Newcastle, we use a framework called The Solihull Approach. This is a way of thinking about how your child sees the world. This can help you and your child to develop a sensitive relationship with each other. We know that the early years of a baby’s brain development is very important to help your child to grow into a kind, emotionally well child.
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Connections made in a baby’s brain will continue to be built on throughout their childhood. The experiences and the relationships they have with their families and carers continue to be important to help them feel safe and loved.
Often children find it difficult to explain in words how they feel. The way a child behaves can be a way of showing us how they feel. This can be tricky to interpret
but it is important to try to understand what they are trying to tell you.
Listening, talking, playing and enjoying time with your child can help you learn and understand about how they are feeling. These activities along with having a daily routine can help strengthen the bond between you and your child.
Relationships shape who we are; they shape how our brains develop from as early as pregnancy and throughout our lives.
In order to build a healthy brain there are a few things we all must experience and have within our relationships to help us grow:
Containment
Containment helps us feel that our emotions are understood which helps us feel safe and listened to. Before babies are born they are ‘contained’ in the womb. This is physical containment. As the child grows they need to continue to feel safe, secure and understood ie contained.
Naming and acknowledging the emotion that the child’s behaviour is demonstrating is an important element of this process. Parents/carers need to feel contained themselves in order to support their child.
Reciprocity
Reciprocity is an interaction between 2 people and happens in all relationships. This happens when you respond to your child. Reciprocity can be thought of like a tennis match. One person ‘serves’ and the other person ‘returns’ the ball. This will continue until one person misses or wants to stop the game and is a normal part of all interactions.
It’s important to have an understanding of containment and reciprocity and how they can help your child’s development and your well being as a parent or caregiver. It is also important to understand how the brain continues to develop through childhood and teenage years.
As part of Children and Families Newcastle and the Start 4 life initiative there are a series of online courses created by the Solihull Approach and available free to all families living in Newcastle. The courses are all available at any time so you can take as long as you like to complete them without any pressure, and they can be translated into other languages.
Courses include
- Understanding baby, toddler and child and teenage development
- Understanding your sick and pre-term infant (for those with babies in hospital)
- Understanding your child’s mental health and well being.
- Understanding your child with additional needs
- Understanding your own trauma
Whatever stage you are at, from pregnancy to parenting teenagers, there is something for you. If you’d rather join a group to meet other parents and carers.
About The Solihull Approach
Register an account (you must have a Newcastle postcode to access the free courses)
