Understanding Differences in Caregiving Practices—Feeding and Sleeping

 Required Reading:  

Course Text: Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2008). Diversity in early care and education: Honoring differences (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

 Chapter 2, "Communicating across Cultures" (pp. 31–32 only)

Chapter 4, "A Framework for Understanding Differences"

Course Text: How Culture Shapes Social-Emotional Development

Read pp. 13–16, "Exploring and Learning From the Environment"

1) Professionals who work with infants and/or toddlers are likely to encounter varying perspectives from families with regard to following schedules or natural rhythms for feeding and sleeping. Review the information presented in Chapter 4 of Diversity in Early Care and Education. Describe two or more considerations pertaining to this issue that an infant/toddler professional would need to keep in mind when interacting with families and developing policies or practices in an infant/toddler program.

2)  Using examples of your own or those from the course text, explain the reciprocal relationship between culture and environment and why understanding parental goals and routines and family activity settings is essential to children's healthy development.