Read this article published in Infocrèche Pro magazine.

Right from the end of the junior section of the nursery, many parents expect their child to be « productive » in the nursery, and for you, the professionals, to deliver to them, in the evening, the beautiful drawing created by their offspring during the day. What does such a desire mean? What’s the downside?

« Oh no? My daughter didn’t draw today? Obviously, not all children do… But what did she do all day? » It’s 6.15pm. The mother of Emma, aged two and a half, has come to collect her daughter at the end of the day’s nursery. She’s spontaneously surprised that the professional hasn’t handed her any drawings, collages, etc. In short, nothing her child has produced that day. There are many possible reasons for this « apparent inactivity »: during the « drawing » activity, the child preferred to play tinkerer with the toolbox while his friends were busy painting, or the professionals orchestrated more free play time than structured activities, or the child drew what he liked but preferred to tear his work of art into little confetti… These are all reasons, true in themselves, that are not always easy to get across to some parents.

The crèche is not the school

Sometimes caught up in this race to succeed right from the cradle, and fearful that their child will fail when they enter kindergarten, some parents may see the nursery as a place of « active » learning, just as they would at school. This desire to initiate primary learning, such as naming colors, coloring, following instructions or formulating a conventional request to an adult, is becoming increasingly precocious. From a certain age, when the child is able to sit on a chair and concentrate at a minimum, parents look forward to school-like, structured activities. Why such a desire for productivity? For the academic aspect it implies? Because they fear their child will be bored and waste his or her time, while school and its demands are just around the corner? Because being productive means learning and being active? Or is it because, being simply absent during their child’s day, parents appreciate all the material memories? In short, they’re crazy about their little one’s drawings, collages, coloring pages and acolytes. And the reasons are varied and confusing.

But beware of the other side of the coin! There’s no doubt that a pretty, colorful and harmonious creation will be more appealing to the parent than a carelessly crumpled piece of paper scribbled in dark colors. Especially since, in the former case, parents will undoubtedly appreciate your personal investment, your ability to supervise their child and organize an activity in which he or she has given his or her best. And, quite rightly, you’re sensitive to parents’ satisfaction with your work and the way you look after their child. So, in order to make the glittery Christmas jar look presentable, some of you may want to short-circuit the budding artist in the development of the project: it may be a slight refresh of a decoration to make it stand out more, the choice of a type of glitter that better matches the shape of the jar, or even grabbing the child’s hand to help him or her color in the spaces provided… In the end, it’s not quite the child’s production, nor that of the professional. Rather, it’s a compromise between the two. In conclusion, you may be torn between your desire to please the parents on the one hand, and your pedagogical values on the other, in other words, between the interests of the adults and those of the children. After all, are children really happier, more developed or more fulfilled if their creation resembles something? « As soon as I took over the management of the nursery, my assistant and I revolutionized everything! We agreed to rethink the structure’s pedagogical project, and, in terms of activities, to focus on the children’s needs and development. No more gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Easter and so on. No more doing things for them! We ban any creative project that can’t be carried out by a child, from A to Z. And besides, why force a child to draw a picture on Mother’s Day? And if they don’t feel like it, should we force them? asks Camille, director of a group day nursery in Paris.

Beware of comparisons!

The other side of the coin: comparison. Imagine the following scene, common in some childcare centers: you display all the children’s drawings on a wall in the section, at the bottom of which you mention the name of the little artist each time. What do you think the parents’ attitude will be? Once they’ve found their offspring’s work, they’ll probably compare it with that of their friends. This spontaneous comparison often responds to the parent’s legitimate need to reassure themselves of their child’s skills. However, it’s not healthy, and it’s not without risk. « I work in a private company crèche where a large number of employees’ children, from surface technicians to CEOs, are cared for under the same roof. This can create awkwardness and tension between parents when they come to collect their children in the evening. They tend to compare each other’s progress, and if the secretary’s little girl is ahead of the HR manager’s little boy, it’s a real mood killer! So, for the sake of anonymity and to avoid discord, we have chosen not to display the children’s work. says Johanna, an early childhood educator.

As we can see, encouraging a toddler to make beautiful productions can, depending on the context, place child, parent or professional in an uncomfortable position. At this point, a question arises: are framed drawing, coloring or other activities so essential to the development of children of this age? The answer, of course, is no. Admittedly, it’s important to make older children aware of the specificities of a structured activity, which is a real precursor to future schooling. However, the richness of free play, which is often overlooked by parents, should be encouraged. Let’s not forget that the less framed and predetermined an activity is, the greater the scope for imagination, creativity and self-expression. It’s not up to a game or an activity to command a child, but vice versa. So, why not be productive, but not at any time, or in any way!

« Passing on anecdotes to parents, rather than productions! »

« I take care to leave the child free to choose his or her own activities, and take the opportunity to observe him or her during playtime: which doll he or she played with, where, with which child, the words he or she used, the expression on his or her face, the stages of play…. It’s then up to us to share these anecdotes from their child’s day with the parents, while pointing out the importance of these seemingly innocuous activities for their child’s development ».

Myriam DANO, early childhood educator and director of a day nursery in the Paris region.