Creating and using video for teaching child development and the care of young children: Learning from experience

Abstract

The rationale for making a series of videos on child development (in the UK, Finland, India and Nepal) and day care (Anna Freud Nursery, a family centre, a teaching video) is discussed. Outlined are methods used, advantages and disadvantages of using video, difficulties experienced and reactions of some of the subjects and viewers. It is argued that as well as being used in teaching child development courses for students of various professions, it is valuable discussion material as a preliminary to Infant Observation Courses.

Keywords:

• Video
• infant observation
• psychotherapy training
• child development teaching
• day care
• children's institutions
• influencing policy

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the Guest Editor, Andrew Briggs, for his conversations and editorial work. He provoked much thought.

Videos may be obtained from the author or from Concord Media (E-mail: [email protected]).

Notes

¹The ‘child’ first filmed aged three-days old is now twenty three and he is still being filmed. So far, fifteen consecutive one hour parts have been edited (0–15 years) and there are another three edited compilations: From Dependent Feeding to Rational Eating; The Role of the Father (0–2 years), and The Short Version (one hour of edited material from the 0–2 year parts). There are two more completed recordings yet to be edited (18 and 21 years) and a recent edit called ‘I Don't Feel Have a Father’: The effects of absent fathers on their sons personality (Barnett 2006).

²This idea saw fruition in the late nineties when Ann Alvarez, a child psychotherapist, began to video-record her sessions with an autistic patient.

³The former is not done in many nurseries with occasionally dire consequences for younger children.

⁴As Beatrice Beebe, for example, does in her laboratory setting.

⁵See later comments regarding her ‘mateyness’ with men.