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“Lie in the grass, the soft grass”: Relaxation accounts of young children attending childcare

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  • Cooke, Emma
  • Thorpe, Karen
  • Clarke, Andrew
  • Houen, Sandy
  • Oakes, Candice
  • Staton, Sally

Abstract

Relaxation is constructed as a health issue, often as a counter to stress. Such constructions serve to medicalise relaxation as a physiological or psychological treatment for stressful experiences. Yet, children’s experiences and understandings of relaxation are not well documented and may differ from these prevailing adult conceptualisations. Situated within the sociology of childhood paradigm, this study investigated: How do young children attending childcare experience relaxation? Informed by a child-centric methodology, in 2018, we conducted drawing-prompted group interviews with 46 child participants aged three to five years old recruited from six childcare services in Brisbane, Australia. Children were asked about what it means to relax and what they did to relax. We found that children clearly articulated their relaxation experiences and conceptualised relaxation as sensory-rich experiences that centred on feelings of cosiness, comfortableness, and air temperature. Places and play were key to shaping children’s relaxation experiences: common places for relaxation were in nature or at home, and various types of play were central. Recommendations for improving care practices include engaging children in conversations about their relaxation preferences, and affording children agency to choose experiences that are relaxing when in childcare settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Cooke, Emma & Thorpe, Karen & Clarke, Andrew & Houen, Sandy & Oakes, Candice & Staton, Sally, 2020. "“Lie in the grass, the soft grass”: Relaxation accounts of young children attending childcare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:109:y:2020:i:c:s0190740919310849
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104722
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Glassgow, Anne Elizabeth & Gerges, Michael & Martin, Molly A. & Estrada, Isela & Issa, Zahra & Lapin, Katerine & Morell, Laura & Solis, Nitza & Van Voorhees, Benjamin & Risser, Heather J., 2018. "Integration of mental health services into an innovative health care delivery model for children with chronic conditions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 144-151.
    2. Horgan, Deirdre & O'Riordan, Jacqui & Martin, Shirley & O'Sullivan, Jane, 2018. "Children's views on school-age care: Child's play or childcare?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 338-346.
    3. Barker, Kristin K., 2014. "Mindfulness meditation: Do-it-yourself medicalization of every moment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 168-176.
    4. Sabirah Adams & Shazly Savahl, 2017. "Children’s Discourses of Natural Spaces: Considerations for children’s Subjective Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(2), pages 423-446, June.
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