Hands-on parent support in positive guidance: Early childhood professionals as mentors

This study reports findings from a follow up study involving mothers and early childhood professionals who completed participation in a 12-week, hands-on parent education program in the United States. In this program, mothers learned about positive guidance in a weekly seminar, and additionally practiced implementing positive guidance in an early childhood classroom under the supervision and support of an early childhood professional. After the program ended, ten mothers and six early childhood professionals completed an online survey focused on their experiences of, and perspectives on the role of the early childhood professional as a support resource for parents in positive guidance. Survey responses were analysed using the constant comparative method. Themes of ï'½guidance in actionï'½, ï'½home and classroom environmentï'½ and ï'½relationshipsï'½ emerged from the data.