Børns stressreaktion i mødet med dagtilbud – et casestudie om pædagogisk personales arbejde med 0-6-årige børns stressreaktioner i dagtilbud.

The study explores kindergarten employees’ understandings of their work involving stress in children. The research question is: What efforts are kindergarten employees making to understand and prevent stress among children from zero to six years old?

The results show that kindergarten employees experience that children can become stressed. In order to reduce stress levels, there is a broad consensus among staff that care, closeness and showing love towards children are paramount. Among other things, this is shown by touching (hugging and stroking the child), by using a low voice without saying too much, and by addressing the child's emotions rather than reason, as well as by explaining that the child is entitled to their emotions and that the adult is there for the child. To prevent stress from occurring, kindergartens place great emphasis on the importance of being prepared and structured, and on creating transparency and predictability for the children.

The data material consists of focus group interviews with kindergarten teachers, skilled workers and assistants, as well as with pedagogical leaders. At least one employee in each focus group had attended neuropsychology courses. A total of three focus group interviews were conducted in three of the six municipal kindergartens in Morsø Municipality in Denmark. Each focus group interview lasted one hour, and a total of eleven interviewees participated, distributed among the three kindergartens.

Andersen, S. T. (2021). "Børns stressreaktion i mødet med dagtilbud – et casestudie om pædagogisk personales arbejde med 0-6-årige børns stressreaktioner i dagtilbud". UCN Perspektiv, (10):7-15.