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By Deborah Shichtman, CSW, Ed.D
“Peek-a-boo. Where are you?” -- a caregiver interaction with all
the right stuff. What does it indicate? What does it foster?
To be ready to respond in this game, baby Jane has to have
incorporated language comprehension, developed a trusting
relationship, and learned rudimentary mastery in communication.
Where did all these skills come from? They came from caregiving
interactions during everyday activities--feeding, changing of
diapers, bathing, playing, etc. Here are a few examples of positive
caregiving interactions: establishing trust by responding to a
 baby’s needs so that she
feels safe and secure stimulating engagement and establishing a
rapport by looking into the baby’s eyes while talking to him
encouraging communication by using back and forth reciprocal
gestures to engage the baby to participate
What does playing peek-a-boo foster? It promotes a longer flow of
interaction, higher levels of conceptualization, and a trusting
relationship. Psychiatrist
Erik Erikson in his seminal work
“The Eight Stages of Development” says that a trusting or
distrusting relationship is the groundwork for a child’s perception
of the world. Dr. Barbara Clark professor at UCLA in their Division
of Special Education and director of the Center for Educational
Excellence for Gifted and Highly Able Learners, adds that a sense of
trust has been found to be the basis for the perception of control
over one’s own life, which is the single most important condition
for success, achievement, and a sense of well being.
Caregiving should establish contexts that provide for learning
opportunities—new experiences and stimulation that promote positive
development and support higher developmental levels than the child
has had before. Take the simple act of a child playing with a truck.
A caregiver playing with that child can make a fence or roadblock
with her hands or take another car and announce “Here I come.” These
simple interventions make the play more interesting and complex and
encourage problem solving at the same time.
Caregiving should respond to the individual personality of the
child, encouraging and furthering his interests and strengths.
Quality caregiving maximizes potential . . .good beginnings promote
future success.
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