Tea & ECD

A cup of tea is a form of respect, entertainment, sharing of joy, gossips and social courtesy in many cultures.   It generates an environment where people can talk, share experiences, enjoy and learn from each other.  In an Early Childhood Educational setting when mothers sphere sometimes to walk to a center with their children for a workshop or seminar, tea becomes a source of motivation and expectation.   Therefore, it is essential for the organizer to do the following;

·      Organize meaningful activities for children so they can play together and mothers can assist their children

·     Allow discussions and rationalize the activities so mothers can enhance their conceptual understanding or develop awareness  
·         Facilitate discussions so mothers can share their experiences from home
·      Link the discussions with the theories of child development so their experiences and ideas can make a good sense for them
·         Offer a cup of tea for parents at the end of the session so they could feel entertained and express their perception about the activities  

A cup of tea is not a source of entertainment for mother but it also has  a deep meaning. For instance, it relaxes the mothers mentally. Moreover, it allows children to play and have fun while their moms are engaged in taking tea and sharing their ideas. It also helps mothers to feel home that enhances confidence to share their learning and master knew knowledge. 

Keeping in view the above mentioned importance, it seems noteworthy to integrate cultural norms (a cup of tea) with the social context of ECD to make the program more effective.