Passivity in Childminded Children: Problem or Prejudice?

SUMMARY. Many people still believe that healthy social and emotional development in very young children depends upon the presence of maternal care. Some research work in the UK has also suggested that childminded children, when away from their mothers, typically manifest withdrawn and passive behaviour. Drawing on findings from unpublished research and illustrations from an exploratory study in which childminded children and childminders' own children were videotaped and compared, it is argued that such conclusions cannot easily be demonstrated empirically. Rather, they may result from observational and interpretative biases which overlook the role of factors such as children's age and social experience. Further, it is suggested that attempts to quantify and measure theoretical constructs such as passivity may be less informative than observations focused more specifically upon the behaviour of individual children in day care.