Talking Early Years: June O'Sullivan and Jools Page

Professional Love: The Beating Heart of Early Years Education and Care

On Valentine’s Day, there is much talk about romantic love, but we are talking about a very different kind of love; professional love, a term coined by Dr Jools Page and familiar to many colleagues across the Early Years sector.

Introducing the phrase professional love gave permission to Early Years colleagues to use the word ‘love’ in the professional context. I was delighted to replace the word ‘care’ with ‘love’ because for many, the relationship we have with the children is pure reciprocal love.

Creating loving relationships between staff and babies or toddlers is at the heart of nurturing positive early childhood experiences. A culture of warmth and sensitivity, paired with thoughtful policies and processes, can establish an environment where professional love thrives.

This podcast concludes with me asking Jools what three wishes she has for the Early Years sector? Obviously, I am not going to tell you what she said, for this you need to tune in and find out!