THE CHILD INSIDE US ALL

BRINGING THE CAREGIVER CLOSER TO THE UNIVERSE OF PLAY WAS THE HOME VISITOR'S STRATEGY TO CONTINUE WITH THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES DURING THE PANDEMIC

Valdenice Febrônio de Almeida Program: Criança Feliz City: Correntes - Pernambuco (PE)

Empathetically bringing out the child that exists in every adult was the way Valdenice Petrônio de Almeida (home visitor in Correntes/PE) found to engage the children's caregivers she attended during the coronavirus pandemic.

The adapted visits addressed the preventative and cautionary measures for COVID-19 and the need to keep the children's vaccines and vaccination cards up to date.

While working with vulnerable families, Valdenice realized that more often than not, besides the exhausting routine of household chores, caregivers do not know how to play in the child universe empathetically. They also think that they need to buy toys to play with children.

Even with the pandemic, face-to-face visits to the neediest families, who have no telephone, continued to take place once every two weeks. Using all the protective equipment, keeping her distance, and complying with the necessary biosafety protocols, Valdenice took some items on her visits to make toys after she had noticed that many households lacked the adequate material.

On one occasion, the home visitor helped a mother make a rattle for her six-month-old baby, using a small plastic bottle, some beans, and colored tape. “The mother was very moved when I gave the rattle to the child, and he started to play, and she thanked me for that magical moment. She said she had never done something like that with her son,” Valdenice explained.

Valdenice also reminded parents of traditional games, such as hide-and-seek, hopscotch, and playing ball. “I once asked a father if he liked soccer. He said he loved it. So I said, ‘and why don't you play with your boys?,’” told the home visitor, who reinforces with parents how important these moments are for strengthening the affective bond.