NURSERY: PLACE TO STAY OR TO LEARN? FAMILIES RESPOND

Abstract

This research aimed to listen to the families of children who attend day care nursery full time, trying to understand the meaning attributed by them to the activities carried out in nurseries. Data collection was conducted through interviews at the home of eleven participating families; thus we learned a little more who these families are and how they live. Listen to families allowed us to verify that the nursery is a place to leave the children while their mothers are at work. This is reinforced in the entry and exit times of children when some mothers talk to the teachers and are informed if the child ate, slept and if he/she spent the day well. Families observe that their child plays, sings, listens to stories, performs ‘tasks’ in this space, but they define such activities as a distraction. Mothers also recognize the nursery as a place to learn; however, this observation is made in relation to the child him/herself and not through the nursery professionals. Keywords: Family day care center relationship. Childhood education. Family.