Partnership With Refuge In Literacy UK

I initially planned this session to support mum in communicating through play with her baby, as I was concerned that due to the trauma mum and Child A had experienced, she was unaware of how to do this. There have been occasions where I have gone into the bedroom to see mum, and Child A has been sat on the bed with a phone; however, as soon as a professional is around, Child A will seek out toys and take them to the professional to play with.

Child A has been making huge progress in play sessions. When Child A first began coming into play sessions, she would often not interact with anyone else in the room, not respond to her name, and could not maintain focus on a certain activity. Now, Child A will seek out familiar adults in the room by taking toys to them, copying what they have seen—for example, putting cups on her head. Child A has even begun to imitate animal sounds from a pop-up toy. We have since looked at a wider range of animals; when asked “What noise does a … make?” Child A is now able to make the noises of a cow, cat, dog, sheep, and horse confidently.

Mum asked for some advice from me regarding what she could feed Child A, as she does not eat very much. Also, mum wanted support for a routine as she feels Child A does not sleep much either. We had a brief conversation about Child A’s naps during the day, as I had observed Child A sleeping for long periods and quite late in the day. I explained to mum that if she is not waking up until 5 p.m., it would be unlikely she would be able to sleep through the night.

I discussed with mum having lunch at 12 p.m., putting Child A down to nap at 1 p.m., and waking her by 3 p.m. With this, I invited mum to join a session so I could demonstrate and support how to play with her baby and give her some ideas of activities.

I chose to do water play with mum as Child A had already displayed an interest in water. One of my aims was to show mum that she can create fun activities with items she already has, and also that messy activities can be easy to clean up.

I brought out a washing-up bowl filled with warm water and a variety of paintbrushes, varying in size and colour (mum had expressed Child A likes painting). Child A immediately put her hands in the water. I demonstrated talking to Child A by saying, “Does the water feel nice on your hands? I think it feels warm.” Child A moved her hands through the water. I began by using the water to paint on the pavement whilst Child A watched me. I said, “Look, Danni is making a star—it’s a big star.” Child A then began picking up the paintbrushes and making small lines on the floor. Mum stood behind her.

I encouraged mum to get on the floor if she was able, as it shows her baby she is fully engaged with her. I explained to mum about using really short, simple sentences whilst talking to her—for example, “Look, bubbles… pop pop pop.” I discussed with mum why I had used a variety of paintbrushes. I explained it can aid her baby to learn sizes and colours, such as “big” and “small”. I also said, whilst talking to Child A, she could say, “Can mummy have the green brush?” Mum nodded.

Child A began pretending to wash her face and splash in the water. I demonstrated giving her lots of praise and saying, “Well done! You’re all clean!” As Child A continued to wash herself, I explained to mum that, as she does not seem interested in the painting, we can enhance what Child A is enjoying. I ran inside to get a dolly and some animals while mum and Child A continued playing.

I explained to mum that, as Child A was enjoying washing, we can follow her lead on what she enjoys. I then began using the brushes and my hands to pretend to wash the baby. Child A observed me doing this and began to join in. Mum observed most of this whilst saying “Wow …”. I offered to leave mum for 10 minutes so she could play with Child A and enjoy the activity; she agreed.

After 10 minutes, I went back out and Child A was still fully engaged with the activity. Mum was sitting on a chair next to her. I sat back down on the floor next to Child A, and she sat on my knee and continued to play in the water. I explained to mum that her baby had been engaged in this activity for nearly 45 minutes, which is amazing for her age. I discussed with mum the importance of having 30 minutes to 1 hour every day of uninterrupted play with Child A, as she will learn the most from her mum.

Mum asked me about buying some bath toys as Child A enjoys bath time. I told her some shops she could get bath toys from; however, she does not always have to spend money buying toys. I said for the bath, she could take some cups, big spoons, and bowls so that Child A can tip and pour water, which encourages lots of communication.

I explained to mum that, as it was windy, we should probably start to tidy up as Child A would get cold. I asked if mum would like to do another activity like this, and she said she wants to go to baby groups. Child A became upset when mum took her from the activity. I reassured her she was going to get all warm and cosy, and she gave me a big smile.