How interactions within a liminal space can support the development of meaningful relationships between educators, children and families

Lessons from the Pandemic: Permission to pause, think and reflect

The rapid onset of the global pandemic in 2020 brought with it major disruption to the everyday lives of children, their families and professionals. Abrupt changes to typical routines, coupled with the complexity of navigating blurred boundaries between personal and professional lives led to many feeling a loss of control and a sense of insecurity. Although we are still learning about the long-term effects of this period as we progress into a post-pandemic era, we can also use the unprecedented event as an advantageous opportunity. 

The unanticipated interruption to our lives proffered the creation of space and time to explore alternative ways of working, living and being part of a community. There were many positive stories of hope where people found ways to connect across the void and those working in education were afforded a slower pace and permission to pause and reflect on practice. I recall reading about a number of settings that adapted to comply with social distancing constraints yet managed to offer feasible transition opportunities. 

The simple, yet effective switch from home visits to garden visits lingered with me. Eager to challenge my own thinking, I began a master's degree in Early Childhood Education at The University of Sheffield which provided me with the opportunity to explore some of these ideas in more depth. My studies culminated in a project which explored how children experience their journey to nursery and involved me joining families on their walk. Interested in learning about children’s interests, concerns and ‘funds of knowledge’ (González et al., 2005) outside of the setting, I initially contemplated using home visits as a method for researching with participant families. I ended up making the decision to go in a different direction due to limitations of traditional home visits and instead, focused on the potential of spaces ‘in-between’ homes and settings. 

Troubling Traditional Home Visits

Many moons ago, as a fresh-faced reception teacher, (yet to become a parent) I carried out home visits to support transitions, cohort after cohort without much concern. My intentions were made in good faith, yet I engaged with little reflection of the process itself and the imposition my presence may have had on families. Fast-forward to becoming a new parent myself, I gained first-hand experience of feeling nervous anticipating visits to my home from early years professionals. Would my parenting approach be approved? Would I be judged by my postcode? Is my house tidy enough? 

This was a timely reminder to examine the power imbalances at play when professionals associated with institutions (nurseries, schools, health service) engage with families. In these roles we become authoritative figures whose presence, questions and support can be perceived as interfering, judgemental or threatening. This could be exacerbated when crossing into the private spheres of people’s lives for home visits. What right do we have to intrude? Have we sought genuine permission, or have we gained access through the families’ sense of obligation to comply with the settings’ expectations? If so, this could become a barrier in the development of meaningful relationships between families and educators. 

Crucially, we should reflect on why families may not accept invitations for traditional home visits. Has our communication informed parents sufficiently of the purposes of the visit? This is particularly important when we engage with families from communities at risk of marginalisation. To what extent is the privilege of language, race, gender or sexuality examined? How authentically does the setting reflect and represent the lived experience of its families? For families who do not accept a home visit, are alternative experiences offered? 

Returning to the notion of ‘good intentions’, it is worth interrogating what our intentions are when making home visits and consider what it is we would like to gain from the experience. To aid the development of practice, we should ascertain what is most important to families themselves when it comes to supporting the transition of their unique child. If we are truly committed to establishing inclusive practice, we must demonstrate respect for all families by facilitating Family Voice, listening to what is shared and respond accordingly. We may be familiar with the concept of a ‘hidden curriculum’ within the learning environment, but we must accept this extends to all communication and interactions shared with families. 

Rather than enter homes with a set agenda, could educators employ a more flexible approach to transition? One way to develop meaningful relationships with families outside of the constraints of the setting, but without being too intrusive, is the notion of a ‘liminal’ or ‘third’ space. We now look at spaces and places which could facilitate families and professionals to connect equitably. 

Affordances of ‘Liminal’ or ‘Third Spaces’ and Implications for Practice

Forging connections between settings and the diverse home lives of families can be a complex endeavour which requires us to consider a broader range of approaches. A ‘third space’ approach can be conceptualised as a site which connects home and setting cultures. This acts as a ‘bridge’ and allows those engaged within it to maintain identities whilst creating meaning from unfamiliar experiences. Increasing diversity within our communities and our growing awareness of intersectionality supports the need to explore ‘third space(s)’ (Tatham-Fashanu, 2021). Although a ‘third space’ does not have to be a physical space, I was drawn to the affordances of ‘liminal’ places between homes and nursery for my research. 

The ‘Walk to Nursery’ project allowed me to cross boundaries into the everyday lives of families without being too invasive. The presence of an educator on these walks was warmly welcomed but did feel novel and unfamiliar at first and had to be navigated sensitively, especially when including accompanying siblings. This challenged me as much as it enlightened me as I had to further develop the art of listening, learn how to relinquish control and slow my pace to that of the wayfaring child (Clark, 2023, p. 44). 

The walk itself acted as a mechanism to learn of the subtleties of children and their families’ cultures and experiences which would have been missed, had I retained a list of ‘All About Me’ questions during a traditional home visit. Released from the constraints of having an agenda I was free to observe the child in front of me and be present with them during shared moments as they unfolded. During our walks, unhurried conversations led to natural moments where I shared childhood memories of the same locality or tales of motherhood which I contended would have been unlikely during a traditional home visit or amongst the haste and hurry of a typical nursery day. It is worth bearing in mind, meaningful relationships imply reciprocity. Do we create space for children and families to get to know us? 

Whilst playing in the home corner one day, a child invited me to their real house for tea. I reminded them I had been to their home before, prior to them joining the nursery. Their response? “But I didn’t know you then.” To support children in getting to know us, it is important we share something of our own lives or engage in shared experiences so educators and families can continue to appreciate each other as interconnected beings with lives not too dissimilar to their own. 

Following the walks, it was fascinating to observe a shift in relationships back in the setting. I felt our shared experience generated a real familiarity between myself, children and their families. This supported me to celebrate and elevate their ‘everyday’ stories back in the setting which avoided superficial tokenism. In the classroom, I suggest this approach supported children to feel known and could trust I would take their needs, concerns and voice seriously. To be seen, heard and known is such a powerful notion and can aid smooth transition for children as they leave one safe space and attempt to establish a sense of belonging somewhere new: 

“High quality transitions recognise the importance of feeling ‘known’” (Birth to Five Matters, 2021, p. 16). 

Some considerations

The ideas discussed in this article are intended to encourage reflection, dialogue and decision-making in partnership with families in our own unique contexts. When thinking about working in partnership, rather than label families as ‘hard-to-reach’, a more useful consideration could be to question how accessible we are as educators and settings. 

• When do we organise opportunities to meet families outside of the setting? Are these isolated to the period before the child joins the setting? Could repeated visits or experiences be made throughout their time with you, instead of just ‘one-off’ transition events? This could be particularly relevant for mid-year admissions, families belonging to Gypsy, Roma and traveller communities or as a way to offer further transition and attachment support. 
• Potential physical ‘third spaces’ include libraries, high streets, parks, Forest School, museums/galleries and community centres.
• Have we consulted with current or previous cohort families about their perspectives of the transition process, quality of communication between home and the setting or the development of relationships? This feedback could inform how we think about and organise future interactions with families. 

Finally…

Adopting the role of walking companion as a ‘third space’ enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of the children in my care and their lives outside of the setting which in turn transformed meaningful relationships with families within the setting. Experiencing a child’s journey to nursery in-person refocused my sense of obligation to families to respect their voice, perspectives and agency. Working with families in this way was a privilege and a truly joyful experience.

What ‘third space’ opportunities could be created in your contexts and what potential benefits can you anticipate for your families?