B.A.S.E Babywatching
There is an increasing amount of pressure being put on our schools today, taking the fun out of learning and leading to both children and adults being left feeling overwhelmed and stressed out.
Some children struggle to manage these feelings and it is communicated via their behaviour through angry outbursts or anxiety attacks etc. Where old behaviour management strategies seldom explore what lies beneath a child's behaviour nor support them to find alternative ways of communicating we need to find more innovative ways of supporting our children. This is where Babywatching comes in!
Drawings from one of my groups
What is B.A.S.E Babywatching?
B.A.S.E. ® stands for Babywatching to reduce Anxiety and Aggression and promote Sensitivity and Empathy
BASE ® Babywatching is a highly effective, schools-based programme. A parent and their baby visit a class of children, once a week, for half an hour, so the children can watch the interactions between mother (or father) and baby, and their developing relationship. It is an evidence-based programme, designed to enable children to access their empathy through observing a mother and baby and experiencing how a secure attachment relationship develops.
Research is showing that watching a mother (or father) and baby consistently helps children to experience empathy internally themselves and externally as they observe empathic exchanges between the parent and the baby. Children watch closely as parents and babies signal to each other and attune.
What children notice, how they express what they notice and feel, and how they express what they think the baby or the parent may feel, often startles their teachers; they marvel at the children’s depth of insight and connection. Children who have previously been too shy to contribute ideas or others who have rarely shown sensitivity, find words that clearly show their engagement and empathy. Babywatching is deceptively simple and provides powerful opportunities for learning by doing.
I have been trained by Dr. Karl Heinz Brisch as both a B.A.S.E. ® Babywatching Group Leader and Mentor meaning I can support you to introduce this programme to your nursery, school or youth club.
Please get in touch if you would like some further information about setting up a Babywatching group within your own school, nursery or youth club.
"Babywatching is making a real and positive difference for the children taking part. It is an integral part of our values based education, enabling children to have greater awareness of the impact of their behaviour on others. The power to influence the development of children's empathy, love and compassion is hidden within the simplicity of the Babywatching concept."
Helen Ingham, Headteacher